Buying books on the cheap...
I've always been meaning to blog this... I bought 6 books at the Times Warehouse Sales in Singapore Expo last month for only SGD 32, albeit they're a bit old (at least 4 years old I reckon)... cheap cheap still.
It gave me an opportunity to pick up a couple of books by authors I've not read before, but mostly I still hunted for books by familiar authors.
- The Christmas Train (David Baldacci)
- Motson's National Obsession: The Greatest Football Trivia Book Ever... (Adam Ward and John Motson)
- High Crimes (Joseph Finder)
- The Tristan Betrayal (Robert Ludlum)
- The Resurrectionist (Michael Collins)
- 24 Karat Schmooze (Marc Blake)
Exhausted Mind
It's been one of those week where I feel my brain has been exhausted
as weekend approaches. Although I had just finished dinner and drinks
with colleagues after another day of pressure putting on a good show
as part of a project evaluation, I didn't feel relieved at all, but in
fact a lot more exhausted that I declined offer from PC and Stan to
join them at ICB. I just need to head home and be alone and not
putting my brain into any gear at all...
Ferrari needs to be more reliable next season
My sympathy goes to Felipe Massa. He did everything that is expected of him in the season's finale in Brazil only for Lewis Hamilton to catch a lucky break (or poor strategy by Toyota and Timo Glock) and pip Massa to the World Championship.
For many years, particularly during the years that Michael Schumacher dominated the sport, the Ferrari car was one of the most reliable, hardly breaking down and allowing Schumacher to consistently finish in the points. This year (and last year), Ferrari car has broken down more than it ever has during Schumacher's time, thus, it is a bit cruel that Massa had to loose the title the way he did this year. Hopefully, next year Ferrari will return with more consistent cars, and both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa will both be challenging for the individual titles again!
Random jottings
This must be the earliest I've been at the airport to fly... Got here
bout 5.15am, waiting for my flight to KL at 6.50am... Gives me time to
grab a breakfast, but I think I just burped last night's dinner.
Hmmphh.
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Oh, the 'officer' at the immigration checkpoint was kinda cute. At
least she's not one of those aunties who looks up at you from your
passport like you're this bad boy who's about to bring her daughter
out on a date... But I don't think this officer is much of a morning
person either... Don't think I got even a smile hello...
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One of my regular breakfasts in Singapore has been the toast + half
boiled eggs + coffee breakfast set. I absolutely loves half boiled
eggs since I was a kid. Although a nasi lemak breakfast would have
been a lot tastier, but I reckon this is a slightly healthier
option...
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It's been quite a hectic last few months of work, work and more work.
Ok, I did throw in a few sessions out with the friends in between.
Hopefully will be able to get some breaks in the last few weeks of the
year. Note to self, I need to check with HR on my annual leave
balance.
Randoms
I'm at departure lounger at the KL International Airport, waiting for the boarding call for my flight back to Singapore. I have Jason Mraz crooning away in my ears and strumming his guitar, when suddenly, I have a sense of emptiness in me. I wonder why. I had spent almost two weeks back in KL as part of catching up with work here. I had both parents and sister for company almost daily - sitting together for dinner can be simple yet good.
And oh, hi... a cute girl just sat down in front of me. Looks a bit Japanese. Sweet.
Where was I? Oh yea... I do not mind heading back to Singapore though. I've accepted that there is my base now. For how long, I couldn't tell. Not just yet. All I know is that Singapore is more work than life... at least for now. Good thing I still got a group of friends who keep me sane and level.
There's a good reason why I nominated Jeffrey Archer as my favourite author. His latest novel, Prisoner Of Birth was so good that I couldn't put it down for long and I finished it in just under a week. I am contemplating re-read his Kane and Abel. As The Crow Flies remain the only novel that I have read more than once.
There goes the boarding announcement. Looks like a full flight, as this seems like a connecting flight to a few destinations from Changi. Ciao.
Seremban Beef Noodle in Singapore
Ever since I found out that there's a
Seremban Beef Noodle stall in Singapore earlier this year, I've always been meaning to check it out to see if it is as authentic as the one found in Seremban, but for one reason or another, I never made it to Marine Parade Hawker Centre, where the stall is located.
Thus last Saturday, I woke up with a determined feel to make a journey there to sample the noodle. I invited a number of people to join me, but unfortunately, none were able to make it. Undeterred, I decided to venture on my own. I took a SGD 10 cab ride to Marine Parade and walked around before I located the Hawker Centre and finally the store. The queue wasn't that long when I joined, but the stall was operated by a lone man, so it takes a while to get your turn. While waiting at my turn, I chatted a bit with the stall owner and he confirmed it is 'authentic' as the one in the market in Seremban. He chopped the beef and parts and boil them before pouring them in a bowl of noodles. He then flooded the bowl its famous gravy. Here, you are allowed to add your own condiments, so I took extra scoop of peanuts, crunchy vegetable and extra sprinkle sesame. I picked up the tray of noodle, soup and thick chili paste and looked for a seat.
First up, I tasted the soup and yes, it is very similar to the original beef noodle back in Seremban, so it was a good start. Next, the chili also tasted similar, while the noodle tasted very close, but it was wetter than the original for my liking. But it still tasted very good, and I had ordered a large bowl for SGD 5, so I took a while before I finished it all. I'd definitely come back again, and get a few friends to come and sample this.
After that, I went for a short walk in Parkway Parade, where they had the Ferrari F1 replica car on display, in conjunction with the upcoming F1 Grand Prix later this month in Singapore. I checked out Borders there before I decided to head back to Bishan and get a long overdue haircut. The cab ride back also cost me SGD 10.
All in all, I paid SGD 20 for cab ride for a SGD 5 bowl of beef noodle. Is it worth it? You bet it is.
Of books and pasta
After weeks of hectic work, and more to come, so on Friday I thought I'd leave work early, 6pm that is, and do some shopping down at Orchard. Book shopping at Borders more specifically. My last two books were bought at airports - "Michael Schumacher: The Edge of Greatness" by James Allen in Thailand and "The Appeal" by John Grisham in KLIA.
Met up with Brandon and I quickly looked around. As usual, I'd go looking for books by authors whose works I've picked up previously. I was particularly looking for books by Colin Bateman but unfortunately the few titles that Borders stocked were those that I've already had in my collection. I think I might resort to buying future books from Amazon.
In the end, I picked up 3 books by authors I've not yet read before - "Blind Faith" by Ben Elton, "The Whole Truth" by David Baldacci and non-fiction "Cosa Nostra: A History of Sicilian Mafia" by John Dickie along with "Double Whammy" by Carl Hiaasen and "The Successor" by Stephen Frey.
At the cashier, I also signed up for Borders Preferred Member card which entitles me to 10% discount off books. It cost SGD 20.30 and I sort of recouped half of that value as the 5 books cost me just over SGD 100.
As I had cravings for pasta, we decided to head over to the Borders Bistro for quick dinner. I've been there a few times for coffee, and was never impressed with its service nor efficiency, and it was no different this time round. Service was slack but the shrimp pasta I had was good and the portion was generous. I also get 10% off the bill for the Borders Preferred Member card.
It finally rained here after over a week of dry but windy days. Unfortunately, it just had to rain on a day that I'm supposed to be playing futsal. Oh well, I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I guess it's good to take a break. Staying home allowed me to catch the Argentina vs Ivory Coast match of the Olympics 2008 men's football competition. The brilliance of Lionel Messi is a pleasure to watch. The diminutive playmaker scored one and made one as Argentina edged an impressive Ivory Coast team 2 - 1.
Talking bout the Olympics, my company allocated every employee in the office a country via a ballot. The countries selected were of course none of the powerhouse, but more of the middle tiers that wins a few medals. For every gold medal the country won, the employee tagged to the country stands to win 2 gold class movie tickets, while a silver medal wins 2 movie tickets and a bronze wins a popcorn/drink combo (I think...). I was assigned to Zimbabwe. I was hoping to get either Spain, Poland or Canada though as these were the stronger teams among the list for the past Olympics. After reviewing Zimbabwe's record, I found that they won a gold in the last Olympics through swimmer Kirsty Coventry. I then found out that she is one of the top swimmers in the world and stands a good chance of winning a gold again at this Olympics. I will do well to keep an eye on the swimming events now. Well, at least I have hope of getting something, but then again, Zimbabwe has a small contingent of 13 athletes, so I can forgot about picking too many tickets (sorry folks, no free movie here...).
Earlier today, I went on the Singapore Flyers (http://www.singaporeflyer.com/) with colleagues and clients. Nothing to shout about, those of you working in high rise office or stays in high rise condo probably gets the same city skyline view or the sea view. The only interesting thing is that I can see the F1 track's layout and the works that are being carried out in preparation for the race comes September.
The Singapore Flyer
Patriotic Singaporean kids waving their national flags
A view from above
The pit building of the F1 track
Another view of the pit building along with the start/finish straight.
Friday night out
Every once in a while, which is quite regularly, Doreen will send out email or sms suggesting dinner venue for the weekend. I love the adventurous spirit she has when it comes to food, so when I could, I would join her.
This week, she suggested Otto Ristorante, located at the Red Dot Museum Building along Maxwell Road. I met her there along with Chris after work. It is an Italian fine dining restaurant. I ordered Foie Gras for starter and a Duck Breast for main. Chris ordered a pasta for starter and veal for main, while Doreen had two starters - carpaccio and another pasta. I love my foie gras, which was very juicy and literally melted in your mouth. My duck breast was also nicely done, cooked with cranberry sauce, which was very pleasant to taste. The others were also pretty satisfied with their meals, except do note that the chef cooks the pasta al-dente style - which means the pasta is cooked in such that the middle is still slighty hard, chewy style, which is not something I was accustomed to. The bill came to about $300 for 3, so it is not exactly cheap.
After dinner, we walked down the road to check out Breeze at Scarlet Hotel. Scarlet Hotel is a boutique hotel, and Breeze is its rooftop bar. It is a nice place to hang out with friends, but it was not very crowded and we decided to check out another place. Chris has to leave us as he had to finish off his report to his boss. Doreen and I walked further down the street to check out this place called the Screening Room. There are a few rooms in Screening Room where you can rent and screen your own movies, or occasionally, they'll show some art house films. We went upstairs to the rooftop bar called La Terrazza. It was fairly crowded but we managed to get a nice comfy seat after a while and had a few drinks while catching up with each other.
We left at about 12.30 and I was satisfied with a night outing with nice food, nice chill out drinks and nice company.
WHY... SO... little update???
What has happened over the past month? A lot, and yet, not much to be blogged about.
I've watched plenty of movies over the past month... here's a quick rundown and short reviews of them:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army The action and the fantasy creatures kept me glued to my seat throughout. The bad guy (Prince Nuada) is so cool and I think he could really kick Hellboy's butt... but Hellboy's still the man (sic) with the attitude. Selma Blair still looks interestingly attractive after all these years. Apparently, Guillermo Del Toro (the director) wants a chance to pair up Hellboy with some of the classic monsters like the wolfman and frankenstein in the next installment. We can only wait with bated breath.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5
The Dark Knight WHY SO SERIOUS...? Seeing Heath Ledger's portrayal of the fearless, psychotic Joker just gives you the chill. Myself, being a Batman fanboy, can't help but declare that Heath Ledger gave the ultimate characterisation of Joker, straight out from the most definitive versions of the comic book. He proved in this movie just why Joker is Batman's biggest threat and villain. Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent transformation into Two-Face is also done very well. It gives Two-Face a reason to go against the establishment. Does Batman plays second fiddle to his nemesis yet again? Well, Heath Ledger definitely upstaged Christian Bale in this, but Christian Bale still pulls off a very dark and moody Batman effectively, showcasing the struggle he has within - between wanting to be Batman and wanting to be normal so he can have the girl he loves.
Credit must also go to the scriptwriter and director for coming up with a matured story and tight control over the flow of the movie.
Classic scenes for me are:
- Joker fearlessly challenges Batman to run him down on his Batpod, and Batman has no choice but to swerve and crash.
- Joker in a nurse uniform... and uttered a simple "Hi" next to a disfigured Harvey Dent.
My only gripe, I didn't feel Maggie Gyllenhaal was outstanding as Rachel Dawes.
Ratings: 4 of out 5
Hancock It was an enjoyable fare, where you get comedy, action, love and drama ALL in one. What more could you ask for? A superhero who is drunk and smashes thing? Charlize Theron still looking hot even though she plays a housewife? And kid calling Hancock asshole being tossed into the atmosphere? Just enjoy it and don't think too much.
Ratings: 4 of out 5
Kung Fu Panda A very typical loser-turned-hero story. Nicely and smoothly animated, but just doesn't have the 'heart' I feel. Good for the kids no doubt, but Jack Black still shined better in his own body instead of an animated Panda.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Get Smart It's fairly funny, as I vaguely remember watching Maxwell Smart on the TV when I was young. I must admit there's some resemblance between Steve Carrell and Don Adams but I think Adams were funnier. Anne Hathaway were hot though.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Wanted What can I say about this? This is THE movie with attitude. It makes you want to stand up and throw your computer off the windows in your office and tell your boss to f*ck off when you're that close to snapping after days of stress in the office.
I actually went and bought the comic before I caught the movie and I must say, except for the main setup, there is no resemblance between the comic and the movie, which is not a bad thing. If you've read the comic, you'd know there's no way they'll greenlight a movie based directly on that. And did I mentioned that Angelina Jolie were smoking hot?
Ratings: 4 out of 5
The Incredible Hulk Being a regular follower of the 80s TV series, I throughly enjoyed this version. Edward Norton's portrayal resembled the Bruce Banner in the TV series - a loner who is always on the run while seeking the cure. To see Lou Ferrigno being given a cameo in this movie is also great. And, oh, having Liv Tyler in there doesn't hurt at all.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5
21 After watching this movie, it makes me want to go start counting cards in a blackjack game. Of course, it may be easier than it seems. Entertaining fare to see how a group of young MIT students used their talent to rack up big money at the casinos.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Untraceable I caught this (along with 21, Run Fatboy Run and Sorry If I Love You) during my flights to/from Melbourne. I decided to watch this based on raving reviews by Chern. Well, I was only mildly entertained. While the entire premise is interesting, I felt that the script could have been more high-tech, but sadly it moves to show how helpless the main protagonists are when they are supposed to be some high-tech gurus.
Ratings: 2.5 out of 5
Run Fatboy Run After catching glimpses of reviews about this movie, I decided to tuned in to this one. Set in London, so you can get the typical dry British humour, although it was directed by David Schwimmer (of Friends fame). Simon Pegg excelled as a retail store security guard who decides to compete in a marathon against a rival for the love of his life. There isn't too much depth in it, but watching Dennis persevere in his quest is uplifting.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Sorry If I Love You (Scusa Ma Ti Chiamo Amore) I was contemplating between this Italian fare and the Chinese epic, The Warlords and I settled for this because I was in the mood for something romantic. This tells of a 37 years old creative director who runs into a 17 years old student and how their relationship blossomed and the ups and downs of their courtship. Well, it's a bit of a teenage movie feel to it (except since it's in a foreign language, you get a bit of art-house feel to it I guess...) but sufficiently expresses how love conquers all no matter what's the circumstances or environment.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5
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Apart from the going to the movies, in the past month, I spent a week in Bangkok mostly for work, extending the weekend, which I went for a few rounds of massages. I also took a tour to a floating market in Bangkok. Not to be confused with the more well-known floating market in Ratchaburi, which is about 2 hours drive out of Bangkok, this smaller floating market is called the Taling Chan Floating Market. It is a popular place with the locals over the weekend, with many of them there enjoying the variety of food. It is about 45 minutes away from Bangkok, via the Chao Phraya River on a long-tailed boat. It was a good getaway from the hustle bustle of the city, as you get to experience the breeze as you ride along the river and canal. Along the way, the tour guide will also brief you on the various buildings and temples along the river.
Some snap shots from the tour:
* a temple along the river * view of a long-tailed boat * view of the boats at the floating market * one of the hawkers peddling food * view of the street market next to the floating market *My camera's battery ran flat by the time I got to the floating market, otherwise I would have snapped a lot more pictures. I also wish I had more time to sit down and sample the variety of food there. Maybe next time, with a group of friends.
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I also flew to Melbourne, Australia, for my company's regional sales meeting. I extended my stay there to meet up with Jaime, and she was very kind to offer me a place to stay for the two nights. She also gave me a scarf, which I must say it's one of the best gifst I've got as it really kept me warm through the cold and wet Melbourne winter weekend.
Some snaps from Melbourne:
Give credit where credit is due
Over the weekend, I've watched two fantastic sportings spectacle. First was the Silverstone F1 Grand Prix where Lewis Hamilton displayed some wonderful driving belying his age to win the race with over a minute margin over his closest challenger Nick Heidfeld. The race was made more entertaining by the number of drivers who lost control of their cars on the slippery track made wet by rain. Ferrari drivers proved to be a bit of a disappointment when Kimi Raikonnen and Felipe Massa only managed 4th and 13th place respectively, with Massa losing control of his car in over five incidences. I got to hand it to Hamilton for managing a spectacular win and land himself back into the Drivers Championship race.
Right after the race, the Wimbledon Tennis Championship match was fought between 5 times defending champion Roger Federer and his nemesis, reigning French Open champion Rafael Nadal. I had predicted that this will be classic match between two players who are the top of their games. However, Nadal raced into a 2 set to nothing lead and Federer looked beaten and his confidence shattered. Late in the 3rd set, rain fell and the match was postponed with Federer still looking shaky. It was unfortunate that it was way past midnight local time and I decided to head off to bed. It is only when I read the news the next morning that I found out Federer managed to clawed back 2 sets and losing out narrowly on the 5th set. I had wanted Federer to win so that he can beat Bjorn Borg's record of 5 consecutive Wimbledon title as well putting him closer to Pete Sampras' 14 Grand Slam title. But kudos to Nadal, who is widely recognised as the best clay court player, who was able to beat the reigning king of grass on his own turf. Federer has exclaimed that this does not signal the start of his downfall and he hopes to add the Olympics gold and the US Open title to his list of titles. I do hope that he'll be able to beat Sampras' total of Grand Slam wins and set his own milestone before he retires. Federer currently has 12 Grand Slam titles.
My first visit to the doctor, as a patient, in SG
I had slight fever and body aches on Sunday, along with sore throat and a bit of cough. I had thought of sleeping it off, but I still woke up with slight fever and decided to leave work early to pay a visit to the General Practitioner (GP) near by my house. I thought I'd better take precaution as I need to fly to Bangkok tomorrow evening.
Somehow the doctors in Singapore, or at least in Bishan don't work the normal 9am to 5pm hours. A couple of clinics here were closed after 3.30pm and reopens only later at about 6pm or 7pm. So I had only 1 choice which were still open at about 4pm and I had to wait for over 45 minutes before I get to see the doctor. Mind you, this is private practice. I wonder if I had to wait this long, I might be better off visit the polyclinic or even a general hospital's outpatient clinic. So, after a 45 minutes wait, I went in, described to him my signs, and he just do a quick temperature reading and listen to my lungs. One cool thing is that he has on some touch screen computer to enter my info and for him to enter the medication.
Medicine's not cheap either. For similar illness in Malaysia, I would probably pay about RM 35, and I had to pay SGD 30 here. No wonders the doctors doesn't have to work long hours here in Singapore. So to you all GPs in Malaysia, consider moving to Singapore :P
Random Rants
I just watched the Boston Celtics blew away the LA Lakers in the Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the 2008 Championship 4 to 2. I am of course a Lakers fan, but I must admit that the Celtics deserved their title this year. They had the league's best record in regular season, and had seem hungrier of the two teams in the finals this year. I'm also glad that KG (Kevin Garnett) finally won his championship ring. He had moved from the Minnesota Timberwolves to Boston Celtics in the off-season to join Paul Pierce and Ray Allen as one third of the Boston Big Three. And they didn't disappoint, delivering the championship title in their first year together.
I first got a taste of the famed Lakers vs Celtics rivalry and basketball generally was when I played the Lakers vs Celtics basketball game on my 286 computer close to 20 years ago. Before Michael Jordan, there were Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I remember playing with my sister and we'll both fight to use Lakers, as they have the great Kareem's skyhook move, Magic's passing and shot, James Worthy midrange shots, and little Byron Scott shooting 3 pointers with accuracy. Sometimes I'd resort to using Celtics who had their big three then - Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. I think in those days, they do show some NBA games on TV late at night, where I caught glimpse of those players that I 'play' in the computer game. Michael Jordan? Yea, he was in the game, but he wasn't great yet. There's Malone, Stockton, Olajuwon, Barkley, Drexler and many other 'legends' of the 80s and 90s.
It's a bit disappointing that the Lakers lost in this year's final, but they had been a surprise package to have won the western conference final, so well done to Kobe Bryant and the team. Let's hope they return next year with a healthy Andrew Bynum who should help them with interior toughness.
Congratulations again to the Celtics. I hope that the Lakers vs Celtics rivalry will be on again for the new few years.
***
I can't deny it anymore. My waistline is expanding and it is not a pretty sight. Pants bought from one year ago has grown tight but at least I can still squeeze into them. Not exactly a consolation. Back in KL, I used to be able to at least play futsal twice a week, which helped me burnt off some fat, but since I moved to Singapore, my sporting sessions haven't been consistent. Marky invites me to join him and his friend on Monday for futsal, but I have yet to work out a Monday that I'd travel to Turf City to join him. Wilson and his colleagues try to play futsal regularly on Thursday and I'll join when and if I could. Then Khim and gang plays badminton on Sundays in Bishan, which is convenient for me and I try to join up when I can. So there's definitely not lack of opportunities, but just that sometimes I have to travel out of Singapore, and thus I missed many of the sessions. The other problem with these sporting sessions is that you needed more than one person to be able to have proper games, which can be a challenge trying to organise a team to get together. As I am not much of a gym person - I don't quite believe in paying just to use those facilities (although I might change my mind in my later years...) - I decided that I shall go and get a pair of proper running shoes and start running.
And ran I did. But my stamina sucks. I hardly lasted 10 minutes on continuous run/jog. I had to slow to brisk walk, plus the fact I hadn't warmed up properly meant that my shin and calf muscles tensed up and made my legs felt like cement blocks. I managed to still alternate my walk with light jogs and lasted close to one hour before I called time and walked to dinner. At least I had a light dinner - glass noodle with fishball, in soup.
I am still keen for my next run, plus the community park right in front of my apartment is a convenient and peaceful place to run (unlike in KL where you probably have to drive somewhere to have a nice jogging trail with lots of greenery). I hope to build up my stamina, and it'll help me in my futsal too.
***
Juwita Suwito, is a name I've heard plenty of times although I don't quite recall if I've seen her performed. I've definitely haven't seen her live, maybe I caught glimpse of her in some obscure RTM channel some years back. Last Saturday I finally saw Juwita performed live at an event organised by the College of Radiology, Malaysia, in Bangsar Shopping Centre. I admit that she has got very good voice and I've always enjoyed the female singer/songwriter type, some popular like Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, Carly Simon and some obscure ones like Billie Myers, Paula Cole, Meredith Brooks.
I ended up buying her Live EP -
Take Five with Juwita Suwito at Avanti, which is a live recording of her performing 5 songs. Apparently the album is only available at her gigs. She's very friendly and her mom is very supportive too - she manned the sales booth where you can get Juwita's CDs. Her mom asked me if I'd like to get my copy signed and I said why not - and tada - I have my first ever autograph music CD. Having listened to her live and her CD, I am thinking of picking up her two other studio albums. You can also find out where she performs next from her website
www.juwitasuwito.com where she lists her upcoming gigs. I suggest you give one of her gigs a try and you might be hooked.
***
Movie: Sex and The City
I initially had reservations about watching this show. After all, I had stopped watching the series after season 3 and had pretty much lost the plot of what the four girls were up to. But I decided to give it a try, after all, I had enjoyed watching the early seasons with my then housemates Chen Chen and Sandy.
I must say, at the risk of sounding gay, that this movie is more enjoyable than the recent Indiana Jones fare. I mean, I felt that I had to drag myself through some parts of Indy, but I felt engaged thorough the entire SATC. At least I didn't get some guy clapping over the appearance of another guy (read my Indy Jones review...) but I think I can hear plenty of girls/women/ladies going wild over a non-character in a movie - the walk-in wardrobe that Mr. Big built for Carrie.
Story wise, it was nothing extra ordinary. It pretty much tells fans of the movie what had happened since the end of the series and of course the progression of Carrie and Mr. Big's relationship. For me, it does provoke some thoughts and feelings when it come the issue of marriage and its meaning (like why am I not married yet... I do wonder... LOL). But ultimately, there's a happy ending for everyone (oops... spoiler?). I don't think there should be any more sequels to SATC. I mean, what would they be showing? The girls living as mothers in the high society of NY? We already have that, you can watch the Nanny's Diaries and figure out where the girls of SATC fits in there.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5
While I am still slightly inebriated after a short session with the denizens of Block 153 Bishan Street 11 (Fay, Stan and Lawrence), I think I had better pen down my some of my more rational (?) thoughts for the night.
I had needed a 'destress' session after a day filled with some high-tensioned sales meetings, so I was glad to met up with Fay, Stan and Lawrence for a drink (3 drinks on my count...) after one of the meetings ended late close to 8pm. It was definitely a good time as we just talk and laughs at and with each others. Thanks guys. Great night out.
Among the things we talked about were the political scenes in Malaysia and the 'environment' that we were brought up with - the education system. Having just read Tun Mahathir's recent blog entry with regards to the 'racialism' situation in Malaysia, Stan and I had a debate about the merits of the national-type school and the chinese and indian language based schools in regards to having a more 'united' citizen in the face of the recent race issues that are plaguing Malaysia.
My thoughts are that the education should be revamped and only one type of school should be allowed - a school where the national language is the primary medium, and more importantly, the children of different races are raised and educated side by side, sharing and at the same time competing equally. That said, I still address the importance that the parents be given the option to enroll the child into classes pertaining to his/her mother tongue and origin, particular language and literature. I believed the that's what the Ministry of Education aimed to achieve with it's Sekolah Wawasan thing... I am saying... why give the choice on such a broad scale? Why not 'force' everyone to study and grow in the same environment? And I will not deny that we can't forget our 'roots', thus I'd still offer the flexibility to have subjects that focuses on the literacy and history of our origins. The diversity in cultural heritages and languages are way too precious and unique to this country to be forsaken altogether, but it shouldn't be the cause or excuse for segregation and discriminations.
The Malaysian education system is very outdated. It probably dated back from when Malay, Chinese and Indian educationists set up schools to cater for the population within the 'contained' community - the kampungs, the estates and the new villages. But time has changed, in the modern and metropolitan cities, people of all races are living side by side and if Malaysia truly wants to be a harmonised and united country, I believed that we need to start at the stage where all of us are best influenced and educated - the schools. Have one standardised curriculum for every schools. Make every children enroll into a school that are consist of children of every races, but give them flexibility to attend classes that are relevant to their races. At least in this case, every Malaysian child are growing up together and not segregated while casting suspicious glance over their neighbour. This is possibly the first step in creating a Malaysia that is void of tension caused by the inequality among races... because the race won't be a factor - everyone should be just Malaysian.
Review: Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
I think they should have named the show "Indiana Jones meets ET during Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones and His Close Encounter of the Third Kind".
While not entirely uninteresting, I had expected better, even though I actually went in with little expectations. I guess when you grew up being enthralled by the adventures of Indiana Jones in his three previous movies, you can't help but look forward for another exciting escapade through the jungles and ruins filled with booby-traps and treacherous creatures. I actually enjoyed a National Geographic documentary of a leave-like insect in the Sumatran jungle more than the first hour of this movie. While the movie picked up pace in the second hour, particular during the chase scenes in the jungle, the plot and storyline is just kind of flat. While Harrison Ford still exudes that coolness persona that is Indiana Jones, I think I rather look forward to Brendan Fraser in the next installment of the Mummy (with Jet Li as the villainous mummy) for a real adventure. Shia LeBouf does seems like a good fit for a young Indy Jones (maybe a future role for him, as stated by the producers), he is still far from being a season adventurer. Oh, I heard claps from my side when Shia made his entrance. I turned around to see a GUY clapping excitedly... this is, definitely not right.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas definitely left their marks there although in pretty much a self-indulged kind of way by putting in elements that they like. No doubt these two are fine film makers, but I think the time has come for them to hang up their 'cameras' and 'thinking hats' as they seem to have ran out of fresh ideas.
Ratings: 2 out of 5
Perhentian Getaway
I took the opportunity to go for a proper beach holiday during the recent long Wesak Day weekend. It has been years since I was in Terengganu to visit Pulau Redang (twice). I had fond memories of nice white beaches and clear blue seas and enjoyable snorkeling trips exploring the corals and fishes, albeit from the surface.
They say the journey to a destination is half the fun and this is indeed a journey that pretty much took up half of my holiday time. We left Singapore on Thursday afternoon, and after approximately a 18-hour journey via cabs, bus, train and speedboat, my friends and I arrived at D'Lagoon Chalet at Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Take into account the return trip from Sunday till Monday, the traveling definitely took up a bulk of the holiday schedule.
Our accommodation is located on a secluded private beach, so there are less activities as compared to the other resorts nearby. The rooms are really basic and of budget nature, no air-conditioning, no hot water and no luxury beds. We spent most of our days just lounging by the beach to read and play cards. At other times, we'll just put on our snorkeling gears and swim out to recommended snorkeling spots just a short swim away from our beach. We also trekked through jungle trails to reach two other beaches that were nearby (10 and 20 minutes trek respectively to Turtle Beach and Adam & Eve Beach). These two beaches are also pretty isolated and quiet, in fact, on our trip to Adam & Eve Beach, there were only the 3 of us. Again, these beaches are great for snorkeling, as there are nice corals and good collection of fishes just minutes away from the beach. The downside to this, is that the beaches are filled with dead corals that you don't get those smooth white sands and comfortable water to really swim in. I decided that my next trip would be to a beach that is more 'swim-able'.
Among my more memorable moments of the trips were the roti canai brunch we had at Kuala Besut, swimming with giant sea turtles who were merely metres away from you when they swim up to the surface to breathe and me spotting a blacktip reef shark. The company at the trip, Jo, Wilson, Stanley and Pek Bee were also superb throughout the trip.
[Pictures from the trip]
David Cook is American Idol
Rocker David Cook clinched the American Idol Season 7 when he trumped young David Archuleta in the finals. It was a bit of a surprise as Archuleta did very well in the final, but nevertheless I am glad that David Cook won the title. He certainly showed his mettled and along the way, produced some memorable performances - Hello, Billie Jean, Always Be My Baby, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing and The World I Know.
I must say that YouTube has been a wonderful media for those that wish to watch those performances again. Did you know that there are studio recordings of some of the songs, that you can get off iTunes... but some folks managed to upload those via YouTube so you get to enjoy some of the songs. Do a bit of search and you might find it.
I look forward to David Cook's album, and I hope he gets a hand in the artistic direction and not to be forced to do songs that are not his style. I think David Archuleta's album should do well, although I am not too sure what kind of genre it'll be, as he shined singing a lot of oldies, but I doubt that will do well in the market.
So many things to review... all-in-one-post
Book: My Favourite Wife by Tony ParsonsBill Holden, together with his wife and young daughter move to Shanghai in search for a better living, hoping for a faster way to become a partner in the law firm he works in. Living and adapting to a different culture proved to be a challenge for Bill and his family. When an incident occurred that prompts the wife to bring the daughter back to London, Bill finds himself being the type of man he doesn't want to be... a man that seeks solace and company with the one of many pretty young things that the city has to offer. While he tried to rationalise his feelings, and that of his new lover, he struggles to figure out the one that represents the real meaning of love.
I think for those back in the western countries that read this book without having been to this part of the world, they might be captivated and probably enthralled by the mystique and pitfalls the eastern world offers. But for us here, I think while it may be a bit condescending, it probably reflects a possibility in real life. Heck, it probably reflected real life. I felt the ending could have been more dramatic (this is supposedly a drama novel after all).
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Book: The Day Trader by Stephen FreyAugustus McKnight hits a jackpot on some shares trading and was brought down to earth when his wife demanded a divorce. A day later, the wife is murdered and he is into another windfall, courtesy of the wife's life insurance policy payout. While he struggles to come to term with his wife's death and the events leading to her death, he began to day trade full time and came into acquaintance with a myriad of characters at the trading office. As more information unfolds and more dramas
While I was initially intrigued by the idea of some power play over shares trading, I was left a bit disappointed that it didn't delved too much into the trading part, rather focus on the characters and the build up to the uncovering the mystery of Augustus' wife's death. That said, Stephen Frey still managed to weave an engaging plot and story line that had me finishing this book in about 3 days. The ending is a bit too stretched from plausibility though.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Movie: Martian ChildRecently widowed David (John Cusack) is a successful science fiction writer on Mars. Dennis is an orphan who thinks he is from Mars. This should be a good match, no? But David isn't convinced he is ready to be a single parent. He had wanted to adopt a child together with his wife, but since his wife is gone, does he really want to go through it? However, after a couple of encounters with the shy and eccentric Dennis, he is determined to help Dennis adapt into a normal life. But will he make it?
That's the general premise of this movie. John Cusack plays his usual character, the blur-but-kind-hearted guy who struggles in his quest but eventually make a breakthrough. I had expected it to be more touching movie, but I felt it was just average. Perhaps a child who thinks he is Martian aren't that 'real' and the struggles just didn't connect to me at least. Still, it does have its moment for a movie about being a parent and dealing with an eccentric kid.
Ratings: 2.5 out of 5
Movie: Iron ManI can skip the synopsis here, you probably seen enough of the trailers or read enough reviews to know what the story's bout.
Kudos to Marvel Studios for making Iron Man a cool superhero... cooler than Spider-Man in my opinion. Growing up, I was never a big fan of Iron Man comics, but after this show, I'd gladly go catch the next installment of the movie when it comes out. The movie is as much about Tony Stark as it is about Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. performed superbly as the arrogant and driven Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow is a tad disappointing, doing nothing more than just looking good. Even that, I think Leslie Bibb, who plays the reporter that Tony Stark had sex with, looks a lot hotter.
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5
Movie: Over Her Dead BodyKate (Eva Langoria-Parker) was crushed to death on her wedding day. One year forward, Henry (Paul Rudd), the still grieving husband, agreed to his sister's request to visit psychic Ashley (Lake Bell) in attempt to contact Kate. Over the course of various meetings and psychic readings, Ashley and Henry find themselves falling for each other, and Kate's ghost appeared, figuring that she is supposed to protect Henry from Ashley. And the comedy ensues as Ashley (being quite a psychic, as she's the one only that can see and hear Kate) and Kate battles each others over Henry. Throw in Dan (Jason Biggs) who pretended to be gay so that he gets to be Ashley's best friends just so that he can be close to her.
I think this is another typical run of the mill romantic comedy. While there are enough laughs to last through the show, I don't feel it is very romantic at all. Or maybe it's just me.
Ratings: 2.5 out of 5
Restaurant Review: Vintry, Damansara Heights
Vintry is located in Damansara Heights, in the middle of the row of shops that is just behind the Victoria Station along the SPRINT highway towards Pusat Bandar Damansara/Bangsar. I've loved this place since Weng introduced this place to me a couple of years back.
The highlights of my visits have always been the good company (my friends, of course), choices of wines (as Vintry is essentially a wine cellar), comfortable seating (I always get the couch area on the ground floor) and its delicious and mouth watering roast pork, done chinese-style (ala siew yoke). I admit I do miss this wine-siew yoke combo when I moved to Singapore. So I was kind of glad that I managed to arrange a night out last Friday at Vintry to catch up with some friends.
The downside to its popularity though, is that the place has gotten so busy, that even though I managed to get a reservation at 7pm, I was 'politely' asked to vacate the couch area at 10pm because the place has been reserved for another group. I was a bit cheesed, as we were just getting into the mood and the wines were just starting to flow. I admit that I was told earlier that my reservation would be from 7 to 10, but I was hoping that there'll be empty seats that we could move on to, but nope, the whole place is packed. Also, the roast pork was all sold out by 10pm, so all the fame has definitely brought the place down a notch.
I was a bit embarrassed that my 'guests' had to leave when we were just getting started, but we just walked over to this outlet a couple of doors away (I didn't really took note of its name, but I shall find out...) that had table for the 7 of us and we end up sharing a big bottle of sake.
Vintry: 3 out of 5 (I just need to remember to book the table for the ENTIRE night the next time!)
Food Review: Yuzu @ Gardens, Midvalley
One thing I looked forward to when coming to work in Singapore was the choices of fine dining outlets that litters this tiny island. The options are aplenty for sure, but my visits have been far and between, probably due to lack of appropriate company to savour the tastes of these fine outlets.
So, during my recent trip back to KL, I took the opportunity to visit the Yuzu at the new Gardens at Midvalley shopping mall. It is a Japanese restaurant with contemporary layout and design. The menu claims that the food are freshly flown in from Japan itself. The place is very spacious and expansive.
Food wise was nothing to shout about. Two of us had a plate of salmon and tuna sashimi. Salmon was good, tuna was just average. We also had a few maki rolls, but I've definitely had better at "cheaper" restaurants. The highlight was no doubt the King Crab dish, recommended by the captain. We were basically served two legs of a King Crab, grilled with eggs. While it is quite tasty, I don't think it is that special that it warrants such a expensive price. I had enjoyed the chinese-style cooked Sri Lankan crabs as much. Well, the King Crab obviously dwarfed a Sri Lankan crab, but I paid RM 240 for that one pair of legs, I can imagine the whole crab would have cost about RM 2,000? I could have like 20+ Sri Lankan crabs for one King Crab.
Well, while I don't mind paying for good food, the food quality for Yuzu doesn't justify its price. Even if I took away the price of the King Crab legs, I still paid about RM 200+ for sashimis, tofu and a couple of maki rolls. I could get better quality at a fraction of the price at Sugimoto and probably slightly cheaper even at Iketeru at KL Hilton.
Ratings: 2 out of 5
