Catherine, the "Narcoleptic"

Transformers 3: Dark of The Moon

2011-07-09T22:46:00.004+08:00

Reviews:

Again, I'm gonna skip the synopsis just like last year's review. [click here].

The Bad

I was actually hoping for Megan Fox to be gone while watching "Revenge of The Fallen", but now, I really wish that she'd reprise her role as Mikeala. Seriously, telling the audience that Mikeala had left Sam after what they'd been through in the first and second movie? That's the most ridiculously thing ever. I believe after the incident in Egypt and ...., any couple would have such a strong relationship, one wouldn't just leave the other just because he/she is unemployed. I would prefer watching Megan Fox to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, although I had to admit she's not bad for a model turning actress. But what's wrong with her super thick lips? Collagen overdone? She'd been stunning without that bee-stung lips.

Besides, most of Sam-Carly's romance scenes are so unnecessary it bored to me death, it wasted almost half the whole screening time. It would do more good to the audience if only there's more actions than the stupid, foolish, lack of chemistry love scenes that is proved to pollute the audiences' eyes. As this is the last Transformers movie, we want a great finishing, not some cheesy script on lovey-doovey matter.

I was even more surprised to see Patrick Dempsey as one of the villain. Bad acting and superbly unfit for such a movie. He'd better just sticks to Romance and Comedy instead.

The next complaint would be lack of actions between Autobots and Decepticons. I was excited to see Shockwave finally land down on Earth but I was then disappointed that all he did was to make some mere appearance. Only his Decepticons sidekick, made any contributions by destroying the Chernobyl's plant and the huge building. Megatron is even worse he's taking orders from Sentinel Prime, I really missed the old Megatron in the first movie. Screw it for making him the second-in-line in both sequels. Not to mention that Optimus got tied up during the climatic fight... Sigh!

What's worse is the death of Ironhide, ambushed by Sentinel which is a great let down. It would at least be better if he would to die a warrior during a fight than die unprepared.

The Good

As usual, the effects is amazing and I like the new Optimus which is now stronger and the new Bumblebee which is bigger.

I also like the fact that Josh Duhamel has more screen times as compared to the second movies.

But a couple of good things just couldn't make up for the bad ones....

Ratings: 6/10 (With great expectations, comes great great disappointment?)

Today in History - 709

2011-07-09T22:33:00.004+08:00

I didn't participate, but I THANK all of them who dare to stand up to what they think is right and to fight for our rights. I salute your courage. Good job.

While you all stood up for our nation, I stayed home recharging myself after a week of hard work. While I am safe at home, I wish for the safety for all the rally-ers. Hopefully, no one is harmed.

Today is part of our nation's HISTORY. This day shall be remembered. But I wish it to be remembered without any bloodshed.

Once again,

THANK YOU!

Content

2011-06-24T22:31:00.004+08:00

Found this on Facebook. I find it very true. We often believe that there is someone out there greater and better than our other half, sometimes even believing that we deserve a better one. But how many of us really ever realise that the same goes to us as well, yet our partner had chosen us.

If we keep comparing and keep searching for better one, we'll only end up in an "ever-lasting search project", as there's a saying: "NO ONE IS PERFECT".

Be contented, cherish and appreciate what we have in life. :)

Updates Updates Updates

2011-06-24T18:12:00.004+08:00

Sigh!!! I'm not gonna talk much about the reason I'd not been blogging. But I do owe you all, especially my loyal follower (well, if there is any) what I've been up lately.

Well, continuing.... since i last blogged,

1. I'd now completed my 6 month internship in PJ.

2. I'd completed my degree and now awaiting my convocation in October.

3. For a first time in my life, I did something to my hair - Perm and Dye. Nice?

Will replace with a better photo (larger one which could clearly show the curls) once I can find one. Haha

4. I went oversea for the first time in my life - Phuket (graduation trip)

5. I went oversea for the second time. This time around, a lil further - Perth, Australia.

6. Got a job in Melaka and will start working on July 1st.

Well, that's it so far, for now. Will be back soon. All I need is time, mood and connection. Will blog about my trips soon. I'll not miss these out. ^^

I Love Hong Kong (2011)

2011-02-21T17:24:00.006+08:00

I never like the idea of watching comedies in cinema. The reason is simple - it's not worth the penny I'm paying for it. But... though rules are rules, there's always an exception. And that would be Chinese New Year. Just as Chinese New Year is the time of the year to have McDonald's Prosperity Burger, it's also the time of the year for some good laugh by watching Chinese New Year Comedies.

Homecoming (Singapore) - a Jack Neo movie.

Good Day (Malaysia) - from the producer of Woohoo!

All's Well Ends Well 2011 (Hong Kong) - another installment of All's Well Ends Well

I Love Hong Kong (Hong Kong) - from the producer and director of 72 Tenants of Prosperity (2010)

From the 4 choices above, I chose this (well, to be precised, KS chose this but we all agreed). Judging from last year's 72 Tenants, I feel safe going with this choice though I'd never read or heard of the synopsis of the movie beforehand. Thank god I didn't as it would have ruined the surprise. Isn't it fun watching a movie without watching the trailer or reading the synopsis first? :)

The Story:

The story centers around the Hong Kong public housing area and how harmonious it is to be living close to neighbours and helping one another. The story also emphasises on friendship, trust and being kind to others.

Tony Leung plays a bankrupt businessman who is forced to moved into his old man's house, together with his wife, Sandra Ng and their 3 teenage kids. Tony's father lives in a public housing flat, where Tony grew up. But Tony is not the only one returning.

Eric Tsang, his childhood buddy who had absconded the neighbourhood's charity fund and Anita, his childhood lover, also make their return. Will Anita's presence put an end to his happy marriage? Is Eric really guilty for what happened and will he betray his best friend once again?

Review:

I like how the story begins. It was funny and it was cute, yet still very fresh (well, at least to me :p) And I like how the story evolves, the transition was smooth and the actors and actresses managed to bring their character to live. With the failure of All's Well Ends Well installment in recent years, this is one good CNY movie that has long been lost in the industry.

Rating: 9/10 for a comedy

Seriously, this is worth every single cent I'm paying for.

When AH XIAN meets Raub

2011-02-20T08:48:00.000+08:00

Seeing our hometown getting a good publicity and recognition for its nice things is a thrilled thing. That's exactly what I felt when I saw videos of Ah Xian's TV programme being uploaded on youtube and facebook. And yupe, it's a whole episode featuring Raub's food.

I'd always wanted to recommend Raub's food in this blog but I could never capture satisfying photos. Hence, it's a project I'd been setting aside, well... at least till I have a good quality photo to show. Now that Ah Xian had visited Raub, I could just show you the videos. After all, the cameraman managed to film Raub so beautifully. Nice cinematography.

Ah Xian may not had been to all the nice food in Raub, but most of the famous ones is featured. I'll just let the the video do the talking.

Part 1

Featuring:

Keat Bus - one of the oldest bus in Raub.

Bukit Koman - where the gold mine is located. If you studied Malaysian History, I'm sure you'd heard about Raub. It's mentioned at least once in the history textbook because of the gold mine. In fact, the town is named Raub because after the gold miners found a handful of gold while scooping the sand using "dulang". In Malay language, meraub means to scoop.

Wing Tai (cantonese dialect)/ Yong Tai (hakka dialect) - most Raubians know this shop if not bought kuih from the shop before. The "Maizai" mee mentioned in the video was one of my breakfast back in my primary school life. Their Hakka kuih like "Chargor", "Jianlongbao" and "Ciba" was one of my favourite. I love the fact that Ah Xian made it look so special on TV. Well, maybe we, the Raubians were so used to it that we tend not to find anything special about it. Good job, Ah Xian.

Part 2

Featuring:

Tong Nam Bee - Their kaya and butter toast/steamed bread is my favourite! Bravo Ah Xian, you found it. Mind you, they have the best kaya I'd ever tasted. But you missed out their half boiled egg. I don't really like half boiled egg but they serve delicious half boiled egg according to my parents and my brother.

Part 3

Featuring:

Ratha restaurant - Curry fish head as introduced is the signature dish of this Indian Restaurant. But what really made this restaurant one of the Raubian favourite is definitely the roti canai and fried chicken. Well, the fried chicken is introduced but I wonder why isn't its roti canai. Though my family and I as well as some neighbours and friends feel that its roti canai doesn't taste as nice as before (as in when I was still a little school kid), yet it' still one of the best roti canai you can find in Malaysia. Well, at least in one of the best I'd tried. Another favourite dish of mine is their curry mutton. I always asked my dad to buy some for lunch. Yum~!!!

Kacang Goreng Sempalit - one of the distinctive local food that you can buy not only in Raub but also in other States. My bf's familt loves them :)

Part 4

Featuring:

Tau Fu Fa - Smoothest I'd ever tasted (okay, I ran ouf of word to describe, sorry!).

Po Kee Mee - I'll pay this shop a visit every time I go back to Raub. Had to wake up early to have this as breakfast. Never ever take away 'cos it wouldn't taste as good as you eat it there. My all time selection is definitely the chicken slice amongst the chicken, char siew, and pig's internal organs. Yupe, they serve pork internal organs which is my mum and my bro's favourite but not me, 'cos I had internal organs except for pork belly. The noodles is still handmade and I love the preserved green chili. It's one of Raub food that I never failed to miss. XD But no doubt, his father is a better cook. Miss the taste I had when I was a little kid.

And that's it for Ah Xian's food adventure and exploration in Raub. But that's just small part of Raub's great food. He missed out quite a lot of famous ones, like the Shorty Char Kuey Teow and Big Big Bowl Laksa. I'm gonna talk about those in other post when I pay a visit and managed to really capture satisfying photos. Till then, au revoir!

p/s: Writing this post made me homesick. Thank god, I'm going back next Friday (25th of March) and that's like only 5 days left. Time for some food therapy to cure my sickness and not forgetting the left over CNY's biscuits and cookies (mum's handmade) that's still awaiting me at home. Gonna wallop everything. And my internship will be coming to an end in another 2 months time, which means I would be going back to Melaka for all my favourite food. Will definitely blog about it, don't worry. In fact, I have a lot of pending blog post (food, outing, interesting place) to be blogged. Be patient and wait for me, aight? :)

The Right To Be Beautiful

2011-02-19T23:23:00.002+08:00

Isn't it a sad fact that some people in this world is born beautiful but others are born ugly? It's a sad thing that one's look is predetermined. You can't change how you should be born to look like. If you're born beautiful features, you're one lucky gal. Deep set eyes, high nose bridge, fair skin complexion, straight teeth, double eyelids, long curvy eyelashes, juicy lips, V-shaped face, smooth soft flawless skin, matching eyebrows, naturally straight and silky hair. (Beautiful, at least from my point of view) No plastic surgery need, no expensive skincare to treat your problems, no need for expensive hair treatment and styling, no need for fake lashes, double eyelid tape and make up, no need you to put braces either.

If you're born imperfect but still look stunning, good for you. Just a bit of accessories, make up, some great hair style, a good sense of fashion and there you go - A quite pretty looking girl!

If you're born ugly and no make up, skincare, accessories or good hair style can save your look, but you're rich and dare to go under the knives and not afraid to be condemned for doing plastic surgery, Good luck and i'm happy for you as you find a way to beauty.

If you ugly and nothing can save your look nor are you rich to do plastic surgery, does that mean you don't deserve to be beautiful? Does that mean you only deserve being called a "pork-chop" for the rest of your life? Does that mean you need to take all the nasty words and criticism that people throw to you?

It's a cruel fact, ain't it? Who justifies whether one should be born beautiful or otherwise? Who justifies whether one is born rich or otherwise?

Doesn't everyone deserve to be beautiful? I have the right to be beautiful, you have the right to be beautiful, everyone have the right to be beautiful. But it's never our say 'cos our looks are born with. Unlike wealth and many other things in this world that we can fight for, beauty is not something we can have if we hard enough for it. Some people just wouldn't turn into a swan no matter what they do.

It's a cruel world we live in. There are so many things we can't change. Beauty is just one of it and it's enough to drag many people to "hell". Everyone wants to look good, it's an undeniable fact. Just because you're beautiful doesn't mean others can't be. Don't be selfish and let others be happy too. Just because you're not beautiful, doesn't all beautiful girls are bitches. Don't destroy what you want but don't have.

"She only go promoted because she's beautiful and the boss likes her"

Sounds familiar? When a beautiful girl gets what she wants just because she's beautiful, people tend to say something like that. Happen in movies, happen in real life. What is she being condemned for being beautiful? Is she to be blamed for that? In the above senario, shouldn't the boss be blamed for being all shallow? But most of the time, the girl is the one being backstabbed and labelled "Bitch"

"She's not natural. She did plastic surgery. She used to be ugly. She's so fake"

So what if she goes under the knives? If she thinks she's happier that way, then it's her say. After all, that's her face and her life, not ours. And so what if she used to be ugly. She's now beautiful. "The past is not important but the present and future is". If she, her other half and her family is fine with it, who are we to judge?

"Eeeee... Why is that girl so ugly?"

I know there are many ways to look better aside of plastic surgery. A good skin that suits you, make up to conceal your flaws, suitable hairstyle, accessories and clothing, etc etc. But which of this doesn't require spending money and time to find suitable ones. Some people spend half their lives finding the right "cure", some got lucky and found theirs very soon, some never did, some can't even take any chances.

We can't choose how we are born to look like. But we can definitely improve it. Some make major improvements, some make minor ones, some never ever improved. But it's definitely not a sin to want to be pretty (as long as you didn't do any harm to others), it's definitely okay to try all means, but just don't get broke along the way. It's okay if you still look the way you are even after trying, it's fine if you can't even try any possible ways 'cos you can't afford to spend even the slightliest amount. Who are anyone to ever judge you, right?

At the end of the day, it's always important to remember to smile, to be confident and to be contented with what you have. I know it's not fair. But we know from the very beginning that life isn't a fair game. I myself is born with many flaws. But that doesn't mean we can't feel good about ourselves. I might not be one good looking creature to walk the world but I'm trying to be one. Even if I won't succeed, at least I'm a happy one.

A Valentine's Special Project

2011-02-09T19:36:00.003+08:00

Sorry for the hiatus. Was basically busy with work and Chinese New Year. Today is the 7th day of CNY. woah! Time sure flies....

For the Chinese, the 7th day of CNY is human's birthday. Legend has it that Nv Wo, a chinese goddess created 7 different creatures in 7 days. On the 7th day, human was created. Hence, it's the birth of all humankind and thus, everybody's birthday. The Chinese called it Ren Ri (Mandarain) or Yan Yak (Cantonese).

So, happy birthday to all of you!^^

Apart from Chinese New Year, I'm sure most of you have been awaiting for Valentine's Day. Well, at least for those who're celebrating. Talking bout V-day, well I just can't wait. Hope it's gonna be special... *wink*

It's still a few days to V-day but some people has already begun with their project, like this videomaker here, Ren.

Saw WS shared this lovely video on Facebook and I loved it. It's just so sweet. And I told myself I must blog this and share to the world. ENJOY!

So, what about you guys?

1. How Do You Meet?
2. How Long Have You Been Together?
3. What Do You Love About Each Other?

If you're interested to share, do drop me a comment. I'll be more than happy to know ^^

The Burping Marathon

2011-01-12T20:28:00.000+08:00

I've been having this burping marathon for about a month now and i'm getting very very frustrated. It always happen after lunch and continue all the way till i go to bed. Non-stop, till I fall asleep and. Arghhhhhh! It's rude to keep burping and mind you, it's super loud and I can't really control it. I hate my body. What's wrong with you!!!! Please function properly, will you?!

ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunshine

2011-01-07T07:25:00.002+08:00

I WANNA BE YOUR SUNSHINE

I wanna be your sunshine

Melt your heart

Giving you warmth

I wanna be your sunshine

Cheer you up

Putting a smile on your face

I wanna be your sunshine

Clear the clouds

Wiping the tears off your face

I wanna be your sunshine

Close your eyes

Kissing your cheeks

I wanna be your sunshine

Hold your hands

Hugging you tight

I wanna be your sunshine

Hear your thoughts

Listening to your whine

I wanna be your sunshine

Give you hope

Assisting in your goals

I wanna be your sunshine

Be your right hand

Easing your burden

I wanna be your sunshine

Wrap your shoulders

Giving you comfort

I wanna be your sunshine

Erase your worries

Delivering joy

I wanna be your sunshine

Stand by your side

Giving you company

I wanna be the SUNSHINE

Shine down on you

Lighting up your life

童梦 - 光良/卫兰 (Fairytale Dream - Michael Wong/Janice)

2011-01-05T21:29:00.001+08:00

Was browsing throu youtube the other day and found this song sang by Michael Wong and Janice.

I don't think it's a hit as I've never heard of it before on the radio or TV. I find it the melody quite soothing and beat is definitely lovey dovey. Hence, I decided to share. If you know me better, you'll know I never provide any translation for any songs i shared here. Well, being someone who is not chinese educated, it's better not to simply translate right?

But... today's an exception 'cos I've decided to try translating it. Hope I didn't get it wrong.

Title: Fairytale Dream

能有你　快活无可比
If I could have you, it would be an infinite joy
可把臂逛街　像游尽天地
We could walk along side by side, like a tour around the world
任何时候哪肯怀疑你
If ever people doubt you
宁愿不听他人说是说非
I would rather not listen to others' gossip
除了你　没别人可比
There's no one else who could compare with you
只需爱到底　难道天妒忌
I just need to love you till the end, does that make the God jealous?
任何容貌条件都喜欢你
I like you regardless of your look and qualification
其实相爱没因由量你也不记起
I bet you have forgotten that love have no reason

别要欺骗我
Don't you lie to me
流泪一滴亦已太多
Even one drop of tear is too much
重视我大可纵坏我
If you value me you can just spoil me
已片刻难离
Can't leave you even for a moment
一公分可算多
Even one cm is too much
其实我未想知道谁在爱得多
I don't wanna know who loves who more
愿你相信我
Wish you to trust me
明日怎样无助
Even in difficulties
我也可
I would
如平日大几倍爱护我
Love me more than before
如果　花开竟不结果
Even if our love does not blossom
都不枉往日相处谐和
There shall be no regrets for we had our happy memories
梦一同造过
For we dreamt of the same dream before

别要欺骗我
Don't you lie to me
流泪一滴亦已太多
Even one drop of tear is too much
重视我大可纵坏我
If you value me you can just spoil me
已片刻难离
Can't leave you even for a moment
一公分可算多
Even one cm is too much
其实我未想知道谁在爱得多
I don't wanna know who loves who more
凭著已相爱过
Basing on our love
明日怎样无助　你也可 (护花当然找我)
Even in difficulties, you would (I'll be protecting you)
如平日大几倍爱护我 (想得太多)
Love me more than before (Thinking too much)
如果　花开竟不结果
Even if our love does not blossom
都不枉往日相处谐和
There shall be no regrets for we had our happy memories
梦一同造过
For we had dreamt of the same dream before

还太快信任情不死
It's still early to believe that love won't die
只想逛逛街游尽天共地
Just wanna wander around, touring around the world
就如童话从开始多麼美
As beautiful as a fairytale beginning
期望日出身边那位最後还是你
Wishing the one who accompany me for the sunrise will eventually still be you

Well, I know my translation sucks. But I tried my best. Haha. I dont even have a clue why I even bother to translate it in the first place. Anyway, hope those who don't understand Chinese will understand the song with the help of my translation. :)

One Step Closer to the Maxis Om Nom Nom Race

2011-01-04T19:38:00.005+08:00

Residing in Klang Valley without a car is a boring thing. The city has so many things to offer but you'll need a transport to get to it. Food hunting for example, is gonna be total fun. But not if you don't have a car and that the city's public transport ain't efficient enough.

That's why I'm so thrilled when Nuffnang and Maxis is coming up with a food edition of Amazing Race!!!

Set on 15th of January 2011 (Saturday), from 8am to 7pm, 15 teams of 60 selected bloggers (4 bloggers in a team) will be competing against each other. And all the challenges will be food food and food!!!! Isn't it cool? It's gonna be so much fun my saliva is dripping already.... Slurpss!!!!^^

For someone who loves adventure and food at the same time, I wanna be part of it! So, Nuffnang, please show me your mercy for letting me be one of the 60 lucky bloggers. Pleasseeeeeeee....

Well, I'd like to take part in this event. Because:

1. I love food but am too broke to try out everything. This fun race is gonna fill my hungry stomach with all the nice food at all respective stations. And it's gonna be a big save to my wallet.

2. I love Amazing Race!!! Ever since I watch that TV show, I'd always wanted to be part of something like that! Exploration is so so so much fun! Especially when it comes with food~~~~! Yummy!

3. I want to make new friends. I've only joined one Nuffnang event before which is the HP Future Is... Event. But sadly, I was rushing back to Melaka after the event ends and I hardly make any new friend. Now that I'm residing in PJ for the time being, it's time to really mingle around as there shall be no time constraint this time around. Yippie!!!

4. Each team is provided with an iPhone 4 which comes with finder301 and GPS applications installed, a laptop and Maxis wireless broadband modem. Wow!!! This is gonna be cool! The Finder301 will makes finding places much easier to me since I'm not very familiar with the city. It has the largest food listings in Malaysia, and even phone numbers, addresses, food reviews and map to help me get there. Sound awesome isn't it? Maxis Wireless Broadband will enable my team to stay connected to the Internet even when we're on the run. Completing our tasks shall not be a problem to us. XD

5. I'm a Maxis Angel!!! And hence, I have the priority to be selected for this event *winks*

6. I'm dying for an oversea trip. I've never been out of Malaysia and I really wanna go and explore the world and wider my horizons. A trip to Hong Kong for 3 days 2 nights with 5-star accomodation worth RM10,000? The sentence just swept me off my feet! let me win let me win!!!! Yes, to my dear reader, you heard me right!

The 2 teams who earn the most points will win the following:
1st Prize: A trip to Hong Kong 3 days 2 nights with 5-star accommodation (for the winning team members of 4 pax) worth RM10,000- (And also 1 free smartphone each)
2nd Prize: 4 x free smartphone – 1 per winning member.
All 60 participants will be rewarded with Maxis goodie bags.

The prizes is so irresistable... *faint, wake up, faint again*

7. I need a new smartphone. Why? 'Cos Valentine's Day is coming and it's gonna be a perfect gift. Gonna save me a lot if I win. :D

There it goes. A total 7 reasons why I would love to be a part of this Maxis Om Nom Nom Race.

So... PICK ME PICK ME PICK ME!!!!!

Oh... and not forgetting, I need a size S T-shirt. Thank you very much, Nuffnang!!! And don't forget to team me up Nuffnang. I've yet to have a team of my own. XD

Wishlist | New Year Resolution

2010-12-31T00:05:00.002+08:00

First of all, Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year 2011! Thanks to the Malaysian team for winning the the cup, we all (well, almost all) is entitled to an extra public holiday, on New Year's eve! Hurray!!! Really need a holiday to re-charge myself. But, I sensed that many places would be really really crowded today. Sigh!!! The best things to do would be to knock myself out and sleep whole day. But but but... I need to do some very last minute shopping. Really really can't find time to do it if not tomorrow. Long story, so don't ask me why.

Anyway, this post is about my wishlist and resolutions. So, let's get back to topic. ;)

Though Christmas's over, here's actually a wishlist of mine. Well, dear santa, you can still give me these on my birthday. I don't mind, at all!!! LOL. it's coming in one and a half month time. I'll be waiting. Okay folks, here goes.

1. To have brighter and fairer skin

2. To have reduced skin pores (please, this is important. it's been years i wished for)

3. To have my hair fall problem cured.

4. To have more blouse, dress, pants, belts, bags, and killer heels.

5. To smell good 24-7, no matter where I've been and even after sweating.

6. To not age so quickly. (any good skincare recommendation)

7. To get a good job offer after my graduation with a pay level that could support my living, commitments and still enough for savings.

8. To have all the scars on my skin removed.

9. To have a enjoyable and wonderful graduation trip, be it an oversea trip or local one.

10. To live happily ever after with... well, you know who I mean :)

11. To be more photogenic.

12. To have a camera - DSLR, semipro, compact or lomo. Anything will do. Thanks santa.

13. To stay young forever!

14. To always be in good terms with my family.

15. To have dinner companion 24-7.

16. To learn more at work.

17. No more OT.

18. To have longer chinese new year holiday.

Now, here's 11 resolution for the year 2011.

1. better

2. nicer

3. happier

4. prettier

5. bustier

6. healthier

7. smarter

8. richer

9. younger

10. taller

11. merrier

Guys, Happy New Year 2011!!!!!! ^^ Enjoy the last day of the year.

Happy Winter Solstice!

2010-12-22T07:40:00.002+08:00

The Winter Solstice Festival or The Extreme of Winter (Chinese: 冬至) is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the dong zhi solar term on December 22 or 23* when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest; i.e., on the first day of the dongzhi solar term. The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching hexagram 'fu' (復, "Returning"). Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get togethers is the making and eating of "tang yuan"(湯圓) or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize reunion.

Happy Winter Solstice Festival to all!
OMG, i'm craving for glutinous balls... sob sob

***

Note: I have nothing to blog about this year so I'm re-posting what I posted in 2008. Arghhh! I want glutinous rice balls so so much. Tong yuen ar tong yuen

The Lost Footage of ME...

2010-12-17T07:57:00.001+08:00

As I promised to blog more often, here’s another updated post of mine. Well, more like a recap of what I’ve been doing while I was away from blogosphere. The thing is, I thought that I’ve only left for 6 months (since my last updated post before my return was in June), but then, after checking my older posts, I realized that I’ve actually not updating this blog, for… about 1 year. Yupeeeeeeeeee! That’s a long long time. Feels like I’ve been disappearing from the blogosphere and got sucked into Tron. Hohohohoho. :p

So many things had happened for this whole period and so many changes had occurred in my life. Even the blogosphere is quite different now. Sigh. I’m a lousy blogger. You might need to jot that down.

So…

I’ve been doing some thinking, and I thought it’s better if I could recap what happened to me and where I’ve been within this period of time. Besides, 2010 is coming to an end in a few weeks time. Hence, it’s perfect timing after all to review what I’ve been through in 2010. Since my updates basically stops somewhere after 2010’s Chinese New Year, let’s continue from where I left behind.

But instead of putting it into months like my normal yearly review, I’ll just sort them into events, major events/changes so to make the post shorter and straight to the point.

***

The Final Effort

For this 4 and a half year in MMU, my results have only been degrading instead of improving, I guess, basically due to the fact that I’m sick of studying and there is a significant increase of distraction from my studies and attraction to “extra-curriculurs”. Hence, more play and less study, since the third year, or shall I say not studying at all till the very last minute, unlike in my first two years when I was rather more hardworking. And more and more involved in blogging. But unavailability of internet connection have seriously delay most of my posts. I still have tons of blog posts pending in my draft right now. All about outings, food review and movie reviews. I guess I’ll gotta forgo the movie reviews as you guys are only interested in the latest movies showing on cinemas, aren’t you?

But things changed last trimester and my study mood kinda came back. I guess I was worried about failing my final trimester and it would delay my graduation. I ended up concentrating more on my academics instead of my fun time with my besties.

Thank god I did as my results climbed up. It’s good to have your results improved. You fulfilled your responsible to your parents and to yourselves and you feel a little smarter. But the downside is that I spent a significant less amount of time with my besties and sorta like withdrawing from them gradually. Hopefully they don’t hate me.

And talking bout my besties, I start missing them already!

Outings

Have been to some nice places, and enjoyed nice food with my besties right up till June. Will update it when I’m free.

The Worst Fever Ever and Drastic Weight Loss

“Hey, Catherine! Wow. I can hardly recognize you. You’ve lost so much weight! Were you on diet? ‘said one of my foundation coursemate when I bumped into her one day in campus. In fact, many of my friends had been telling me that I’m getting skinnier and skinnier.

September 2010

May 2009

To be frank, it’s not what I wanted to. How I wish I’m a little fatter than I am now. Don’t get this the wrong way. I’m not trying to boast about my slim figure. It’s just that I’ve lost my curve along the way and I really wish to get it back. I think that a woman should not be cursed with a slim figure but should be blessed with curves to die for.

And trust me. When I say I didn’t go on a diet, I really didn’t. If I would have to blame something, I guess it would be the fever I had during Chinese New Year. It’s not a normal fever but a serious one. The fever come and go and I couldn’t recover until my mum finally figured out that it might be what the Chinese called “GI MOU DAN” which literally means pig’s hair fever. It’s kinda an old folks’ saying that one can only recover by rubbing his/her back with chicken feather. So, my mum went to the market and bought some chicken feather and using a cloth, she wrapped up the feathers and rubbed my back. When it’s done, she opened up the cloth and discovered some silver needle-like objects, of which they claim to be the pig’s hair. Besides, there is also a transparent round objects, which mum said are fish scale. Which indicate that my condition was kinda serious. And that the heat in my body was very high. I recover the very next day and a few days later, I went back to MMU to continue my studies.

I slimmed down a lot because of that fever and since then, I hardly gain any weight.

6 months of Practical Training

As mentioned earlier in my return post, I’m currently doing my practical training in PJ. It’s actually required by my University in order to graduate. It’s a 6 months internship in this 2 trimester (2 last trimesters of my studies) in any audit/tax/accounting firm or in any company so long under the supervision of an MIA member. Like most people, I chose an audit firm since it’s the best way to learn. Sorta like a stepping stone in my career path. I’ll stay if I like and if I don’t, at least I’d equipped myself with the necessary knowledge after all.

*wink*

I’m now in one of the Big 4 audit firm. Sorta unlucky to be having my training during the peak period. My allocation sheet is basically fully filled. Basically working at client’s place till at least 8.30pm. In audit, there’s no such thing as 8.30-5.30. Consider myself lucky to not having to work till midnight like some seniors. Talking about my seniors, almost all of them who I’d worked with so far, are pretty friendly and kind. It’s fun when you’re working with a bunch of good colleagues. I guess I’m a lucky gal after all.

Will talk more about my work and colleagues in other posts. :D

Make Up

Make up does wonders. It conceals whatever imperfections on your face and makes you look, like… 10X more beautiful than you are. But if you get it wrong, you’ll few years older. It’s not easy to master the art of makeup. It takes time and effort. I’m slowly learning from someone who knew nothing about make up to a quite ok beginner.

Eating disorder

Throughout the year, I’ve also been having some eating disorder. I always felt very hungry but when I started eating, I felt full instantly and I couldn’t finish my usual portion. That is also one of the reason why I just couldn’t get fat.

But recently, as I started my working life, I find myself getting hungry even quicker than before and eating more and more portion than I used to. Sometimes I feel hungry 2-3 hours after my meal and start searching for things to know. It’s pretty abnormal to me and I’m beginning to turn into a glutton that I could eat double of what I used to. However, there are no changes to my weight still. Maybe it will in the long run. Let’s just wait and see.

The Sisters Gap

while my sister is 2 years, older than me. When I’m in kindergarten, they’re in primary school, when I’m in primary school, my bro is in secondary. When I’m in secondary, he’s in University. When I enrolled in university (even though same university), he’d graduated and started working. Even if my sister is only 2 years apart, we don’t talk much about personal stuff. We love each other but we’re not closer than we are with our very own besties.

Few months ago, she went to Singapore for a better job. Hence, an even larger gap than before. We’re now in different countries. That’s even worse than before.
It’s kinda sad to come to think about it. I only get to meet her like… few times a year. Well, Singapore’s holiday is very much different from ours.
Hate it when she’s around and I wish for separate lives and when she’s not, I wish she’s here, near me…

Two is Better Than One

No, I’m not talking bout Taylor Swift and Boys Like Girls.

Ahem..*clear throats* Okay here goes….

I’m actually in a relationship now. Hopefully any of my friends reading this right now won’t get shock about this. Been kinda low profile. Even my relationship status on facebook is not updated. Probably only those who are real close or frequently stalk me on facebook or twitter will know. And my coursemates, colleagues and housemates of course. If you’re a family member (when I say family members, I also mean relatives) and are now reading this, do erase off your memory after this or seal your mouth. Some of my aunts/uncles are still unaware of this and I don’t really like to publicize this. It’s best to keep things low profile till the right time comes along.

When? Who? How? – might be your question now. So, here goes my answer. It happened during my disappearance from this blog. In fact, it’s part of the reason why I have not been updating frequently. When you have new commitments, and many other major important things happening in your life, you tend to become busier and busier and your schedule got tight, like real tight. More time for the other half and less for yourself. He’s my coursemate back in MMU (no further description or photo of him to be disclosed in the mean time). And as for how it happened, it’s gonna be confidential! :p And for goodness sake, I have no idea why ppl keep asking me this question. It’s rather personal don’t you think? And most importantly, I don’t wanna spoil your imagination.

Anyway, we’re both doing our practical training in different states. So, it’s a 6 months long distance relationship for now.

Accounting Nite 2010

Attended my class graduation dinner, also known as Accounting Nite 2010. It's a annual event of MMU accounting students in their final semester as a form of gathering before we all eventually left the Uni and head of to our working life. I initially thought of not attending the dinner since most of my close friends are not attending. But what kind of gf I am if I let my bf attend alone? So, I ended up going anyway. And thank god I did. I enjoyed myself and I'm grateful that I ended up taking lots and lots of photos with my coursemates before we bid farewell to each other.

Definitely a night to remember.

As we're working now, it's rather difficult to to meet up again. So... no regrets.

Pre-Graduation Photoshoot

Although my friends didn't attend the dinner, we had our very own pre-graduation photoshoot in our campus. At least, a memory to cherish. :D

New Phone

Remember my last year’s post about my new w910i? It’s the very first phone I bought using my very own savings. A lousy phone indeed but nice design, so who give a damn right? Plus, it’s my property. Anyway, I lost it! Yup, I tweeted bout it. Lost it during my journey back home (Melaka home) from my dear’s sister’s wedding I attended in Penang. I think I dropped it at one of the highway’s R&R. Sad max I tell you. It’s a phone I own for only 1 year. I don’t even think it has fully depreciated yet. Total loss. Sob sobzzzzzzzzzzz. My dear bought me a new phone – J105i - Naite. Love you dear! I’ll be extra cautious about keeping my belonging safe next time. I’ll take good care of it.

Side note: The phone is not anything expensive but more than enough to me. I wouldn’t go into detail but it’s far greater than the w910i. Another thing I like about the phone is that it is an environmental friendly phone, made from recycled plastic and power saving charger. It’s even wrapped in a smaller size packaging to reduce transportation costs. Nice concept. For more detail, visit this website

2 weddings and a funeral

I attended 2 weddings and was jimui for both. One was my cousin’s and the other was my bf’s sister’s. One was a Chinese style wedding while the other was a chapel wedding. It’s the first chapel wedding I ever attended and I liked it. Too bad I won’t be having one for myself as I’m no Christian. And I’m really into beautiful gowns.

I also attended a funeral this year. Happened a few months ago. It was my uncle’s. He passed away after his hemodialysis. I’m pretty afraid of funerals as it’s so gloomy and full of grief. The hardest part is not accepting the deceased’s death but to see the grief of the family. Life is valuable. Take good care of your health.

Hair Fall

Talking bout health, I’ve been having hair fall problems for months now. Just changed my shampoo for healthier scalp and started using hair tonic to boost hair growth. Hope it works.

First Flight Experience

I flew for the first time in my entire life about a week ago. Yea, call me noob or jakun or whatsoever if you like but I seriously have never been on a plane before this. I’ve never been out of Malaysia, not even the Pennisular. Anyway, I’m still passport-less. Why? I guess you all can guess it. I flew domestic, that’s why. :p

It’s not for vacations but to visit my dear in Penang. And it’s way more convenient that way since travelling by bus would take approximately 5 hours, which is very tiring, as compared to a 55 minutes flight.

I’m looking forward to more flights in the future, especially international ones. Hoping for a graduation vacation abroad. XD

****

Well, I guess that ends the recap of what I’ve been through. Omg! This is longgggggggggg… hehe :p

I’ll get back with more updates, mostly food review that’ve been pending for months.

Au revoir *winks*

Bad Things Do Come in 3...

2010-12-09T23:08:00.000+08:00

First, my LCD screen crashed.

Then, I get a new laptop (to replaced the crashed one) but the battery ain't working.

I told myself that I won't be that 'sui' (unlucky) and that the saying: "bad things come in 3" ain't true.

Today, sigh, today...

Today a lizard fell onto my head!!!!!! Urghhhhhh! Gross to the max.

Okay la, it's not related to my laptop, but still.... sui right??? Hate it. Hate lizards. One day I'm gonna kill them all.

The Laptop Incident

2010-12-07T21:59:00.001+08:00

In the audit firm which I am currently doing my internship, every staffs including trainees are provided with a company laptop. But of course, when you’re just an intern, you’ll end up given old laptop. The age doesn’t matter to me as long as it’s still functioning perfectly. And it actually did. Until…

Yup! The LCD screen crashed, in a nice, beautiful, artistic way. Every colleague who pass by me were asking me the same question. How do you do that? Teach me!!! LOL.

Well, don't ask me how it happen. It's real silly. But... I didn't drop it for sure...

Lucky thing for me, the people from the IT department are willing to replace it with a new one.

So now, I’m using a new laptop. The LCD screen is in good shape, thank god! But the thing is… the battery is not functioning. I’ll have to plug it in every time I have it on. The IT personnel told me that it’s the only machine they can find for me. Damn! Now I’m stuck with an importable laptop.

What’s a laptop if it’s rather importable? A mini desktop?

They say bad things come in 3. I wonder what's next...

Reborn

2010-12-05T20:52:00.000+08:00

It's been so long since I last blog. Life's been getting more and more hectic leaving me less and less energetic, hence more time for self rejuvenation instead of spending the same much time blogging i used to. SORRY!

Anyway, as the post titles "REBORN", I'm hereby declaring that I'm resuming this blog and it shall be updated on a regularly basis (i.e. weekly if not 2-3 times a week) and if not possible, fortnightly. Hopefully i successfully bring this blog back to life.

As for me, I'm now starting a new life. Student's life has finally come to an end. I've completed my unofficial final semester last September. I've also shifted to KL, well Selangor to be exact as I'm currently doing my internship in PJ. I guess this explains to you why I'm been abandoning this blog. It's not easy to maintain a blog when you are struggling to not fail your final semester, spend more time with friends before you finally leave them and settling down in a new stranger place, somewhere far far away from the sight of your lovely cosy hometown and from the sight of your loved ones. Besides, the part of blending into a new environment, making new friends and familiarizing with your new assignments take off most of your time. But I'm sure to be coping in gradually.

So, you're see me blogging more often from now on if I'm not too busy. Stay tune for I have more posts coming up!

Back But Lazy

2010-06-09T13:32:00.008+08:00

Noticed my abandoned blog? Yes, I'd been away since May and it's about a month already. Well, I had my last trimester's final examination on the 3rd of May till the 14th of may and then it's a 3 weeks trimester break without Internet for me and I was busy applying for firms for my upcoming Industrial Training a.k.a. Internship in Oct.

And when I was back in Melaka during the weekends, I was busy preparing for my interview at KPMG, KL. Had WKD to drive me up KL for the interview two days ago (Monday). Planned to enjoy ourselves around KL after my interview which was scheduled at 9am since we'd never been outstation together before. But both of us didn't get enough sleep the night before, especially me who was nervous about the interview - Heard there would be a assessment test besides the usual 2-way interviews. We both ended up tired like hell right after the interview, especially WKD who had to wait for me for almost 2 and a half hours. I was energetic right after the interview and really looked forward for some shopping, well window shopping I mean. But since he was extremely tired with deprived sleep, long waiting hours and all the driving, we came back to Melaka right after lunch.

While hunting for food at 1U, we came across a Lego's exhibition on the LG Floor. Those cute little blocky toys that we used to play when we were a kid are too stunning we managed to forget our hunger for a little while and snap some photos. There were some ppl with DSLR taking pivtures and we are only using my w910i phone camera. LOL. So shy.... But who cares??? :p Really need and want a proper camera.... Here's a lil photos a compiled.

The first thing that caught our attention was the Star Wars series. The size was enormous and it's just astonishing.

The second focus would be the Taj Mahal at the other end. Also get carried away with the red Ferrari F1 car, all those big trucks that resembles Transformers and one of my favourite - the plane and the VW Bettle.

WKD's favourite is no other than the fleet of armies displayed. Look out also for the latest Prince of Persia's.

Since Toy Story 3 is releasing in cinemas, they also had it displayed as well. The greenie 3-eyed aliens and Buzz Lightyear are the ones of this series that steal the limelight away.

Not really into wars and vehicles? Then there're also somethings more harmonious like the building, train track, Christmas theme and etc.

Anyway, the photo quality is kinda poor and blurry. That is why I edited and compliled using Photoscape to conceal the flaws. Well, blame it on the gadget that isn't powerful enough and the fact that we're just too tired to catch good angles...

Anyway, updates coming up soon. Will try to blog as frequent as i can but don't say I never warn you, I'm much busier than I was before and way more lazier. Hahahahahha. Try not to be disappointed. But no... I wont stop blogging *wink*

Gtg folks, time for some nap. :D

Nang my post here.

Being Human (2010)

2010-04-28T17:58:00.004+08:00

Watched this movie about 2 weeks ago but forgot to write its review. And the fact that not many has mentioned about this movie actually kinda contributed to my short term memory loss. I guess Jack Neo's extramarital scandal is a killer to this movie. But to boycott watching his movie just because of his disloyal to his wife and marriage, is unfair as Jack Neo always makes great movies. After all, the movie isn't only about him, but also all the actors and actresses as well as the whole casts and crews of the film.

"Being Human" is another Jack Neo's typical movie. It's educational. It tells some moral values. It satirize Singapore's aspects in comical ways. All of this... just like his previous work. Not only does it reflect Singapore, it also is a mirror to the nowadays society, every where in the world.

*This part may contain spoilers>>>In "Being Human", Mark Lee plays a employee of a slimming center who is about to be fired, due to his unethical ways of doing business which is not congruent with the company's goals. Resented with his termination, he decided to avenge his former employer by opening his very own slimming center. But whenever he is about to do something unlawful or unethical, his conscience (played by the famous Taiwanese TV host, Nono) will appear and try to stop him. Meanwhile, He and his wife (Yeo Yann Yann) has been trying to conceive a baby but fail despite their effort for many years, all because of the his wrongdoings (as repeatedly indicated).

Plot is simple, but the script is good. Message is direct: Never do wrong or there shall be karma. I wouldn't talk much about the plot as it is really so simple, I bet everyone can easily predict how the movie will go on. But the lines are nicely written. Watch out also for the ending of the movie as it promises many unpredictable twists, a not-so-common thing in Jack Neo's movie (correct me if I'm wrong). At some point, I was afraid the twists will bore me and the other audience to death or it will spoil the ending, but thank god, it didn't. In fact, I kinda like the way it is done.

Performance wise, the only complain here I guess would be Nono. Chemistry between Nono and Mark Lee is definitely lacking here, maybe due to the fact that Nono is a TV host not an actor. As for Mark Lee, he deliver his performance the way he always does. Nothing lack nor there improvements. Other supporting actors and actresses are great, especially the old man who played the limped old man. Even the guy who played Yeo Yann Yann's brother who kep spitting is fun to watch. But the limelight of the movie is definitely Yeo Yann Yann who played mark lee's wife. her performance is simply splendid, she make the character came alive. watch out for scenes when she wanted to get hot and steamy with her husband. her performance overall totally outshone the rest, even Mark Lee, the main subject of the movie.

All in all, "Being Human" is an average Jack Neo's movie. Be prepared to enter the cinema and come out feeling like you just watched something you'd watched before. Perhaps due to the familiarity with his previous work or maybe the fact that his favourite actor, Mark Lee is in it. Even so, you money would not wasted watching Yeo Yann Yann's performance and be touched with some out the heartbreaking, touching moments during the climax. After all, I cried like a baby. Oh yes... I'm a sentimental person *wink*

Ever heard the saying: Immoral people is always the person who know moral most? Once again, Jack Neo proved this right.

Rating: 7/10

Nang it here if you like this post. Thanks

When In Rome (2010)

2010-04-27T18:45:00.006+08:00

Has anyone ever told you never ever to watch a chick flick in cinema 'cos it's just not worth the price you're paying? Well, When In Rome is exactly that kind of movie people keep warning you about. Though "From the studio that brought you The Proposal" is really tempting as The Proposal is seriously the best chick flick of 2009 (and perhaps one of the best of many I'd watched), I never planned to watch When In Rome in cinema. Simply because my movie gang is never interested at watching romance movie and I don't have a special someone to watch with. However, never did I expected an invitation from my coursemate, Anne. Ended up watching this with Anne and our coursemate, Andy Poh. It was actually our first movie outing together and my first outing with Andy (as he remarked). Yes, Andy... you should ask me out more often you bad bad coursemate. XD

Review:

I'll keep my review short and straight to the point this time around as it's not really a movie I'd encourage you people to watch in the cinema. Plus, I'm currently struggling to finish my studies for my final examination next Monday (don't worry though, I'll still find time to write movie reviews). So here goes...

First of all, there is no chemistry between Josh Duhamel and Kristen Bell. It's undeniable that Kristen is one of the cutest and prettiest girl casted for a romance movie with your wavy blonde locks, captivating blue eyes and petite frames (I'm only 1.56m but she's 1 cm shorter than me!!!), and not forgetting the beautiful dresses she wore throughout the movie.

Simply love her dress

Simple and nice

And do i have to say more about Josh Duhamel? Gaining popularity from his role in Transformers, I guess every girl out there is now jealous of Fergie as much as I do. But Josh Duhamel pairing up with Kristen Bell, sadly... produces no chemistry at all... Handsome and pretty, cute and hot but you won't have the feeling that they MUST end up together like Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal, Rachael Lee Cook and Freddie Prince Junior in She's All That, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman or Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymoore in 50 First Dates, well... just to name a few. Josh and Kristen look great together but there's just no chemistry.

Nick (Josh) and Beth (Kristen) - Lovely but where's the chemistry?

Besides, the director did a lousy job at joining the scenes. Scenes transitions aren't smooth but weird as we find ourselves jumping from one scene to another. Like Andy pointed out, it's more like watching an on-stage drama rather than a film. It seems like the director had got all these crazy, funny ideas and decided to jam pack it into a 1 hour and 20 minutes show, which is a huge mistakes. Those scenes are of course funny but I guess the director could have at least linked them in a better way that we, the audience wouldn't feel lost in between. As a result, the movie is easily forgettable and at the end of the movie, I bet if anyone can properly remember the whole movie flow...

Lines are also not exceptionally memorable nor is there any scenes that took our breath away like some other romantic chick flick. Script is simply terrible, I dunno what the writers are thinking about when they wrote it...

Kristen Bell (as Beth), one of the very few blonde I adore

And when it comes to performance, as much as I hate to say this, Kristen Bell seems to be the only one acting (taking aside supporting actors) whereas Josh Duhamel is only there to show his pretty face. Perhaps it's the little screen time he's granted, and the not so interesting role he's got, 'cos i seriously think he's got potential (seriously, I'm not being bias here). Well, throughout the whole movie, he's only shown as a clumsy guy with a painful past who's crazily in love with a girl he met for only one day, although he's not under a spell. Even the other supporting actors stole the show like the narcissist model, the shorty sausage man and the artist.

Dax Shepard as Gale, the model who is also Kristen's fiancee in real life (rumoured to have already separated)

*This part may contain spoilers>>There's also a serious plot hole that shouldn't have appear at the first place. When Beth is talking to her sister on the phone, she is told that she must be the one to physically put the coins back in the fountain for the spell to be broken (the reason why she can not just mail the coins to Rome). At the end of the movie, it is Nick throws the poker chip in the fountain, not Beth, but the spell on priest is still broken. Well, it wouldn't have been so obvious if it wasn't emphasized greatly in the first place...

Anyway, it'll do the movie no justice if I didnt credit its positive side, right? But sadly, it's hard to think of something to praise... Frankly speaking, I did enjoy the movie as the scenes are pretty funny, but that's it. Nothing more. Oh wait, not forgetting the lovable Josh and Kristen. They really look good together and I have a feeling they'll make a better chick flick given a better script, better directing and better roles... Hope there's still chance.

Beau and belle... I just love the combination

But I guess it's not what matter here as at the end of the day, girls like me would still pay to watch Josh Duhamel. Can't help it, can we?

Isn't he gorgeous? *faint*

But if you are rational enough, you should know this is not a movie to be watch in the cinema. Get a DVD or just download it. It's not even worth a collection.

Rating:
~~3.5/10~~ okay la... 4/10 'cos they are just so lovely...

ps: oops! ended up long-winded after all... :p

Nang it here if you like this post

Ice Kacang Puppy Love (2010)

2010-04-25T14:59:00.003+08:00

Pre Note:

I'm supposed to be writing reviews on 2 other movie before I proceed to this as I always write movie reviews in the order I'd watched them but I couldn't help myself from writing a review on this one. And since I'm still pretty much in the mood for this movie, I guess I shall jump off the routine once in a blue then...

The Movie:

I'm sure everyone should know by now that Ice Kacang Puppy Love is a local production. Yes... It's a Malaysian movie. Directed, co-written and starred Ah Niu, the Malaysian singer who sang the famous 对面的女孩看过来 (directly translated as: The girl opposite looks over).

I'm sure if you lived in the 1990s you'll remember this song as much as I do. It was a hit song back then that even the non Chinese and our counterparts in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan (not sure bout Singapore though) are familiar with it. Ah Niu gained instant popularity because of this song which he composed and wrote that he even managed to land on a supporting role in the 2000's Hong Kong movie, Summer Holiday, starring Richie Ren and Sammi Cheng. Years had passed now and Ah Niu had since seemed to disappear from the industry. Now we know why --- 'cos he finally figured he's better off as a director instead?

The Story:

Set in the 90s (or probably the late 80s) somewhere in rural Malaysia, the story tells the puppy love of a group of high school students, from Botak the timid but talented boy, Fighting Fish the though girl who fights off bullies, the slacky Prince Charming, Malinfan the bully, his sister Barley Ice and Botak's overweight sister. Loosely based on Ah Niu's personal childhood experience, the plot is simple where it centers around complicated relationship, first love and crushes among these kids in a small town, probably somewhere in Ipoh. But at the same time, the plot subs into family conflicts, pursuing dreams, and most important of all growing up.

The Review:

Maybe simplicity is the essence here as audience can easily relate to their own experience and instantly feel intact. Everyone have their very own story of their first love, crushes, puppy love and this movie brings back all those memories that may or may not have left behind. Ah Niu did a great job at pulling together each and every character's puppy love, giving enough screen time for their part without any of them crowding out another. It's like each stories are pulled together by invisible strings, forming a strong spider web - a strong base for the movie to develop towards the growth of this bunch of teenagers...

Every character is unique in its own way with a different kind of love - protection, hidden feeling, admiration, sudden sparks, and gratitude... all told in childish energy of the teens. So original, fresh and pure yet at the same time nostalgic, as we get caught in between the atmosphere and the style of living in the 90s - playing "guli" (marbles), "masak-masak" (cooking) and fighting fish. It's like you're reliving your childhood memories for the 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The casting was also done cleverly with the number of pop singers turned actors/actresses here such as Fish leong, Gary Chaw, Victor Wong and Ah Niu himself. Taking acting aside, the casting is already a sure promise to bring dollars to the producers as their fame would do publicity wonders and fans would definitely not hesitate to watch their idols on the big screen, especially alongside the award winning actress Lee Sin Jie who played the lead actress in this movie. The rumoured of her being Ah Niu's love interest during his childhood also serve as free publicity for the movie. But the result was surprisingly marvelous. Though originally singers, these actors/actresses gave their very best for their performance as teenagers though most (if not all) of them are already in their 30s.

Looking as young as a high school student in the movie, Ah Niu is totally promising as Botak, the timid boy while Gary Chaw is really goofy as the playful bully, Malinfan who always wants to win. Lee Sin Jie is undoubtedly great but I think the deserving credits should go to Angela Chan who plays her mother. There is real chemistry between them and her ubber pity character is cleverly portrayed.

*This part may contains spoilers* >> Watched out also for funny scenes of Botak's overweight sister as she secretly dreams to be Prince Charming's girlfriend. Malinfan pursue for Fighting Fish also delivers non-stop laughters that'll keep you entertaining. I also love the idea of having Fish Leong's character not talking throughout the entire movie. Though a disappointment to the fans to have her mute, I kinda think it's an interesting way to portray her as an ordinary girl who's just too ordinary, someone who doesn't stand out of the crowd. Abstractly unique in my opinion. << *This part may contains spoilers*

1 hour and 45 minutes may be a little long for the plot to develop but fret not as Ah Niu has got this awesome cinematographer to keep you at the edge of your seat. Each scenes are pinned together with background buildings and scenery captured so beautifully you feel as though you're looking at a piece of beautiful drawing or a photographer's masterpiece, only that they are moving in motion. It's like watching another National Geopraphic's documentary on the nature's beauty. This Oscar-standard cinematography is sure to sweep you off the seat.

*This part may contains spoilers* >> Last but not least, I love the whole idea of childhood's puppy love being narrated through the memory of a grown up Botak and his ending line: First love is like drinking ice kacang during a hot weather. It's so cold it numb your tongue but before you get to taste the sweetness of the syrup, it has already melted in your mouth (translated into English as remembered). Indeed, that's how puppy love is like to all of us. The feeling struck us in our puberty, it was as exciting as the ice numbing the tongue but too brief it ended too soon before you even know what true love is. But first love always stays in our memory, you'll never forget... << *This part may contains spoilers*

All in all, one shall enjoy this bittersweet story. Filmed in a way so nostalgically beautiful and stories told as though you lived it, it's a great local production not to be missed. Best Malaysian film I'd ever watched. Seems like Ah Niu made a successful debut in directing after all. I'll definitely count myself in for his next movie...

Be swept away too with the theme song that suits perfectly into the film's nostalgic mood and atmosphere...

Rating:

10/10 for cinematography
7.5/10 for story/plot
8/10 for casting
9/10 for setting
8/10 for the theme song

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Saving The Stripes

2010-04-19T16:01:00.007+08:00

The other day when I was having a Sunday morning walk with MJ, Nelson and Chua in Taman Tasik Perdana, we walked pass some bamboo trees along the lake and MJ impersonated a panda while taking a photo. And there we were talking about which animal represents Malaysia the way panda represents China. Chua mentioned the mousedeer while MJ suggested the tapir. They even thought of the cute orangutan. I, instantly thought of the Malayan Tiger....

The Malayan Tiger is also known as Harimau Belang in the Malay Language, probably because of the stripes.

Scientifically named Panthera tigris malayensis, the Malayan Tiger is depicted in the coat of arms of Malaysia, symbolising the government and appears in various heraldry of Malaysian institutions such as Maybank, Proton and FAM. It symbolises bravery and strength to Malaysians. The tiger has been given various nicknames by Malaysians, notably "Pak Belang," which literally means "Uncle Stripes." Pak Belang features prominently in folklore as one of Sang Kancil's ("The Mousedeer's") adversaries. (source: Wikipedia)

And there's even a Malay proverb about the tigers' stripes:

Harimau mati tinggalkan belang, manusia mati tinggalkan nama.

which (when translated) literally means as tiger leaves behind its stripes, man is remembered for his deeds.

Tiger is indeed the signature animal for our country and a national personification. But do you know these stripy cats is currently one of the endangered species in the world? Found only in Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia, the Malayan Tiger is near to facing extinction. Scientists found that there are only less than 500 of them remain today. And note that this figure is a mere estimation based on the knowledge of average numbers of tigers that can be supported by tropical forests, the tiger’s energy needs, and the preceding tiger distribution map. The exact numbers of them is probably lesser than 500. (source: malayantiger.net)

Most declining tiger populations are threatened primarily by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and wildlife trade, declining prey base and human-tiger conflict, with illegal trade being the more urgent threat. Tigers are hunted for illegally for their skins, bones, meat and other body parts. Throughout Southeast Asia, tiger parts are use in traditional medicines, and meats are sold in exotic restaurants. Ewww... how cruel is that!!!!

Deforestation in the country also greatly reduces the tigers' habitat. Together with the hunt, both legal and illegal for tigers' prey, the reduce of livestock and natural habitat push the tigers from endangerment to near extinction. Poaching incidence of these species are also a threat.

In conjunction with the Earth Day on April 22 and Tiger Blogfes t 2010 this week, I hereby pledge all of you (yes! It's all of you who are reading this) to do something for this striped cats.

to not eat, buy or sell tigers, their parts or products that claim to contain tiger essences;
to report wildlife crimes to the Wildlife Crime Hotline at 019.356.419

And if you have extra to spare, you can also consider donating to any funds out there aimed at regaining the number of the Malayan Tiger. Here's one of them: [link]

You are also strongly encouraged to spread the awareness around. Tell your family and friends, tweet, blog or even share it on facebook and let's bring together unity to preserve our symbollic icon. It's up to us whether or not our child, grandchild and more generations to come could see the Malayan Tigers...

The tiger is our national animal. Our heritage. But today only less than 500 of them remain in the wild. As Malaysians, we need to stand up!

For further information, please visit MYCAT (www.malayantiger.net), WWF Malaysia (www.wwf.org.my) and Department of Wildlife & National Parks (www.wildlife.gov.my)

Self-Declared Holiday

2010-04-13T22:45:00.003+08:00

I am currently too busy to be update this blog. At such, i'm declaring my own holiday. Catherine, The "Narcoleptic" will not be updated for some time. Most probably a week more.

But don't worry. I'll be back. Just not so sure when that is...

ps: You can still follow me on twitter. I'll try to keep it updated :)

Clash of The Titans (2010)

2010-04-05T10:40:00.000+08:00

I've always been a fan of Greek Mythology though I often find the family tree kinda confusing. That's how movies about Greek Mythology never fail to attract me. Made into graphical presentation, coupled with visual and audio, it's much easier to understand than by merely reading the stories from online resources (speaking of which... I think I should consider getting myself some books about Greek Mythology).

So, when I saw the trailer of this movie, I'm already tempted to watch. Not to mention that the previous Percy Jackson was a success (in my opinion). But things aren't quite the same with this movie. Percy Jackson is a rather modernised spin-off of Greek Mythology, creating the character Percy Jackson which is not mentioned in the mythology. It is an entertaining movie with nice visual graphics of Medusa, Hydra, etc etc. But it was more "disney" I would say, making the whole movie light and warm.

Unlike Percy Jackson, Clash of The Titans is nothing light and warm about the plot nor is it anything funny and joyful. It's rather dark, but not as dark as I hoped it to be. The plot is created in the sense that it is supposed to focus on the heroic adventure of Perseus in order to seek revenge for his foster family's death and to save Andromeda from being sacrifice. But the movie failed at this. Instead of putting more effort on the character development and putting more emotions among the characters, the director decided to go for more actions and make it more like Transformers. And undeniably, the fight with the scorpions does resembles Transformers. In fact, you'll see much more resemblance with other movies as Kraken looks a lil like Godzilla. As for Medusa, it's not as fascinating as Uma Thurman in Percy Jackson. I prefer watching the latter where you can really feel Medusa's seductive power into luring you to gaze into her eyes. In Clash of The Titans, she just happened to appear in front of them and they looked into her eyes.

But I did enjoy watching the actions (especially the Scorpions part) though hoping for more emotions and character development. Actions are actually kinda good. The fights are good, the creature are fearsome enough (except for the Kraken) and there're some (but not a lot of) suspenseful (and also predictable) moments (but not heart-pumping enough). They did what they can with the fight, I don't see a need to complain in this aspect. But some characters are killed rather too quickly, like Solon in Medusa's lair and many other small potatoes during the fight with the Scorpions (yea, maybe that's why they're small potatoes huh?)

And as I previously mentioned, it failed to deliver emotions to the audience, they don't feel connected to the movie. Scenes moved to fast from one to another but dragged a little at the fights and actions (that's why I said they emphasized on the actions), and at certain scenes, they're just merely using lines to tell the story. Big mistake, as they're plenty of good actors who are able to do more with their acting. Liam Neeson totally underperformed, I'd better off watching Taken and his many other movies, but Zeus here is a lot more better than the Sean Bean's version in Percy Jackson. Sam Worthington did okay as Perseus but he was way better as Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation. The girl who played Andromeda was just a flower vase, I don't see any acting in her. Not to mention that I don't see her beauty (which is claimed to defeat any other goddess) at all. Io, the immortal, is way more beautiful and is definitely, one of the best character created for the remake. In the original, Perseus is in love with Andromeda and set off his journey to save her (typical!!!) But in this, his love interest is Io, his half mentor half lover. I pretty much enjoy their moment with each other though as I said, there isn't much scene time spare for anything other than actions. At certain time, Io steal the limelight away. She's one worth watching besides Ralph Fiennes's Hades.

As beautiful as the graphic is (average, if not above it), this is not a movie you should watch in 3D. The movie is not shot to be in 3D like Avatar, Alice In The Wonderland or How To Train Your Dragon. The production only decided to add the 3D effect in to follow the Avatar trend and to rip the most out of our pocket. Just watch it in 2D like I did.

Overall, the movie opened (i certainly like the introduction) and ended beautifully ( I like how he Perseus flew off with his Pegasus and the ending, where Io came back from the death, thanks to the courtesy of Zeus) and linked with actions (But as good as the actions are in the movie, the Kraken scene is disappointing though...). But that's just it. Don't expect any Oscar-worthy performance for this one nor a great storyline. After all, it's just a pre-summer popcorn flick to warm us up before the release of the big movies like Iron Man 2, Inception, Kungfu Kid and Ip Man, etc etc...

It's an okay movie, with everything just okay, you'll enjoy it (but only if you don't set your expectations too high up). Is it worth a collection? Nope. Is it a forgettable one? Yes it is... My advice? Download, watch and delete. Unless, of course if you have too much money to spare...

Rating: 5.5/10

Honestly, despite all flaws, I did enjoy the movie and pretty much like it. But review is a review, I'd gotta be honest.

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