Yuhui's LiveJournal

Omy Halloween party at MINT Museum of Toys

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:49 GMT

Thanks to Omy, I was invited to a Halloween party at the MINT Museum of Toys. Since I'd never been to this museum before, but had wanted to for the longest time, I figured that this would be too great of an opportunity to pass up. So I RSVPed in spite of not knowing who else (besides the one friend I could bring along) would be there.

As it turns out, the weather gods conspired against me, and the thunderstorm that evening prevented me from arriving at the appointed hour of 7pm. Instead, I finally set foot at the museum about one-and-a-half hours later, or about midway through the party. As such, now I really didn't know what to expect. The programme at the registration table gave the impression that the organised events had happened earlier, and the rest of the evening was "free and easy".

After getting some food in the basement restaurant, my friend and I headed up to see the exhibits in this five-storey museum. In spite of its many floors, there are surprisingly few exhibits, mainly because the museum is housed in an old pre-war building, so precious space is limited.

There was supposed to be a guided tour of the museum, but I guess we'd missed that, so we just wandered around on our own. There were a lot of old toys, which shouldn't be surprising since this is a museum after all. So there were no Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, no Ben 10, no Pokemon or Digimon or whatever-mon.

In fact, there were no toys from the eighties (as far as I could tell)! So yes, it was quite interesting to see the range of toys on display, but none of them really struck a chord with me that made go "aaahhhh" nostalgically.

As for the party itself, the main action was on the third floor, where there was a buffet dinner and live music. The people there were just mingling about, resembling a party for people who knew one another already. Almost everyone was in costume, though not necessarily in the "toys" theme, unless you count witches and the like.

Okay, I realise that this was a more-or-less "social media" event, and I had been invited as a blogger. But there really wasn't much of that aspect of activities going on. I recognised one other blogger, but then I can't possibly know every blogger in Singapore. But bringing a bunch of bloggers together doesn't make a "social media" event. And just because we're bloggers doesn't mean that we'll bond automatically.

(Of course, I realise that by saying the above, I'll probably never invited to another Omy event. Oh well.)

The party went on after the supposed end time of 10pm, but I and my friend left then. We were given a free mouse pad (!), some bookmarks and postcards (!!). In the end, I felt like this party probably was either not organised for random invitees, or I had arrived so late that all of those formal introductions had already been over and done with, so boo to me.

Instead, the highlight for me was viewing the toy exhibits... and I gotta admit, I'm really glad I went in free of charge.

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Technorati tags: Halloween, MINT Museum of Toys, museum, party, toys

Review: "Michael Jackson's This Is It"

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:01:36 GMT

Two weeks before the movie premiered, I bought my tickets for "Michael Jackson's This Is It". It's not that I'm that big a fan of Michael Jackson that I "die-die" had to watch the show. Rather, I wanted to see him on the big screen and feared that tickets would sell out fast once they became available.

Thus, on its second day of screening, I was seated in a packed cinema hall to watch the last performance by this legendary singer. Going in, I hadn't really known what to expect, aside from his rehearsal footage. Was this going to be a documentary? Would his family members be interviewed? Was it a retrospective celebration?

As it turns out, "This Is It" was what his concert would've been, if he had been alive to stage it. The few interviews were limited to those with his musicians and dancers, who spoke with such awe-struck tones about working with Michael Jackson. Surprisingly, none of the key concert producers or organisers were interviewed directly, apparently preferring to provide a more "lay man's" point-of-view.

What stuck out most from the interviews was their dedication to their work, and it was because of Michael Jackson's direct and intimate touch with how he wanted his concert to be. Throughout the show, and since this was rehearsal footage, we got to see Jackson focus so strongly on his songs and choreography. One part that brought this out clearly this was when he dictated how he wanted the opening notes to (I think) "I Just Can't Stop Lovin' You", and didn't rest till his lead pianist got it right.

It's little moments like this that make me wonder just how his concert would've turned out "live". Going to a concert, one usually experiences the moment in all of its musical and technical wonder. But there's a lot more work that goes on behind-the-scenes, as this movie showed. Like the shooting of the new videos for "They Don't Care About Us" and "Thriller", when I thought about how those dancers were probably cursing and swearing every time they had to get each minute move just perfect for Michael Jackson's desires.

But then, the movie also showed the singer's dedication to his craft. He danced easily like he was in his twenties. The moonwalk, the snappy hand gestures, everything was there on incredible display. In particular, I could feel his energy in the opening songs, like "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and later with "Beat It". However, there were also times when he did a lot of striding across the stage for the entire song, which made me wonder whether those were moments when he was taking it easy due to exhaustion and in anticipation of the next dance. But this was a 50-year-old guy, I'm sure everyone would forgive him if he wasn't thumping for two hours straight.

It's probably fair to say that Michael Jackson was a truly unique performer, and "This Is It" bears this out. There are few singers who could not only sing and dance, but sing and dance memorably. His old songs still sounded modern and his slick moves are still unmatched. The movie is a testament to his genius and poor substitute for what should have been the pinnacle moment of his career.

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Technorati tags: Michael Jackson, review, This Is It

Review: "Coraline" in 3D

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:34:05 GMT

Thanks to omy.sg for a free ticket, I and a friend had the chance to watch the stop-motion film, "Coraline" in 3D. Yep, that meant putting on a pair of bulky glasses, but it was worth it.

Right from the start, the 3D experience was mesmerizing. I really felt like I could reach out to touch the objects on the screen. During the introduction sequence, when a doll is being sewed, I thought I could feel the doll if I just stretched my hand out. This is one movie where the 3D experience was definitely worthwhile. Yes, there were some parts when it felt like a normal 2D film, but those did not occur often.

And even if there were some 2D-like portions, you would most likely have not noticed. I certainly didn't, as I was drawn into Coraline's fantasy world. Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, I certainly wasn't expecting a run-of-the-mill children's show. Though this movie had its dark tone, I think children, especially those who can appreciate films other than those that Miley Cyrus appears in, will enjoy this show.

And why shouldn't they? I'm sure every kid has always wondered about escaping into a parallel universe, where they are king or queen and life is superbly comfortable. That's what the heroine, Coraline, experiences. Where her mother and father were workaholics who couldn't give her the time of day, in the "Other World", Coraline gets to indulge in some good home-cooked food from her "Other Mother" and dance and play with her "Other Father".

Of course, life isn't that simple, as Coraline quickly discovers. From then on, the movie follows the tried-but-true "hero's journey": heroine faces a crisis, heroine gathers her allies and weapons, heroine faces down the villain, heroine rescues everyone. For a children's show, this works wonderfully and inspiringly. I don't know how many kids would be willing to fight a baddie who has buttons for eyes.

On the other hand, that's what I found too fantastic about this film: Coraline's quest was too smooth, too matter-of-fact. She just slid from situation to situation, without any feeling of "oh wow, what have I gotten myself into?". Even when she first saw the "Other Parents" with their button-eyes, she didn't appear repulsed. That was simply unbelievable.

So, it's a good thing that the show was saved by its strong but simple plot, and also the performances by its actors. Although there were a few big names in the show, their personalities disappeared into that of their characters. For instance, Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher were unrecognisable as Coraline and the mother/Other Mother respectively. John Hodgman, the PC guy in Apple's "Mac vs PC" ads, was similarly indistringuishable from his humorous father/Other Father character.

Which is good, because then I didn't feel distracted from the movie. That's what I wanted and that's what I got. "Coraline" is a movie that is delightful in its simple way. It'll make children feel wishful (if not too frightened by the visuals) and adults whimsical.

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Technorati tags: 3D, Coraline, review

Rat roadkill

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:25:52 GMT

WARNING: This is definitely not for the squeamish! If you don't like looking at dead animals, then leave this page NOW!

While walking outside my house, I noticed a squashed carcass on the road. On closer inspection, and from the look of its tail, this looked like a rat. So being morbid me, I snapped a picture of it. I continued taking pictures of it about every 12 hours. Eventually, someone must've cleaned up the roadkill, because it wasn't there on the third day.

"Enjoy" these pictures!

Judging by the state of the body, including the redness of that organ that's sticking out, I think this was soon after it got struck by a vehicle.

About 12 hours later. Still mostly intact, but much flatter.

About 24 hours later. And I think that dark stain on the road surface is from the body.

About 36 hours later. Flies were buzzing around, but I still stooped down to get the picture.

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Technorati tags: death, morbid, rat, roadkill

What discount??? [Flickr]

yuhui — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:50:03 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

From offer at barber-cum-restaurant at Shaw Towers

Rat roadkill - about 2 days after death [Flickr]

yuhui — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:49:26 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

Rat roadkill - about 1.5 days after death [Flickr]

yuhui — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:48:28 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

Rat roadkill - about 1 day after death [Flickr]

yuhui — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:47:37 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

Rat roadkill - about 0.5 days after death [Flickr]

yuhui — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:46:47 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

Review: "The Time Traveler's Wife"

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:18:15 GMT

Though I had never read the book, I had heard good things about "The Time Traveler's Wife". Girl falls for guy, but girl has a hard time with guy because guy keeps leaving girl alone, because, you know, it's in his genes.

Normally, that would just be another cliched plot for a romance flick. In "Time Traveler's Wife", it's given a twist in that the hero, Henry, disappears because a genetic anomaly causes him to travel in time. So though he leaves the heroine, Clare, alone, he actually reappears in her life somewhen else. Initially, it made the movie a tad hard to follow, because it jumps in after Clare has already "met" him earlier in her life, so the audience has to quickly catch up to follow what's going on. That probably works in the written form, but on-screen, it could prove difficult for audiences who are more used to a chronologically linear form.

But once I figured it out, the plot actually worked. I could see why and how both of them fell in love with each other and were willing to stick it out, in spite of the trouble that his anomaly caused (besides broken dishes and lonely Christmases). I think a lot of people who live with absent spouses or partners, like traveling salesmen, would really understand how Clare felt about her situation.

However, I thought that both Rachel McAdams' performance was rather flat. She portrayed the pining, whiny Clare rather well, but that was the problem: she was pining and whiny. Somehow, she didn't manage to make Clare able to rise above her predicament.

At least her good looks provided some eye candy in the film.

Eric Bana was, unfortunately, relegated to second fiddle. Which makes sense, since this film was entitled "The Time Traveler's Wife". It's a pity, though, because I thought he played his part quite well. As his character aged and became accustomed to his "gift", I could see his attitude change from one of "oh shit, here it goes again" to "hmm, I'm fading, lah-dee-dah". I also thought that he was able to bring across his character's anguish and hopelessness towards the end of the movie.

And once in a while, I actually expected him to "Hulk out" at any moment, haha!

All in all, this was a truly sappy romantic flick. Its story worked hard to tug at my heartstrings, and I understand that it caused some people to actually cry (I maintained dry eyes!). There were moments when I was rooting for the characters, and others when I wanted to scream, "Oh, get on with it!" And the ending was entirely predictable, if a tad dragged out too.

Maybe the end result was because of its "translation" from print to screen, so some bits did not work as well as they should've. But if you enjoy curling up with your loved one for two hours of romantic escapism, then this probably the movie for you.

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Technorati tags: review, The Time Traveler's Wife

Social Media Breakfast 7 at Lenovo

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:07:39 GMT

Picture from Willy Foo

It may have been raining, but that didn't stop me (though it did delay me) from joining almost a hundred other people from trooping down to Lenovo at Lorong Chuan for the seventh Social Media Breakfast outing. Instead of a hall, we were gathered in... the pantry! Well, at least the drinks were easily reachable.

The topic this time was to listen to a few case studies around social media marketing. As someone who's participated in a few of such "social media" events, I was eager to learn from the other side of the table.

Felicia from Text100 presenting on "Search for N". I don't read claudia.sg so I didn't know about this campaign. #smbsg7 11:58 AM Sep 19th from mobile web

First up was Text 100 to present a Nokia case study. This was around the "Search for N" campaign to launch the N97 phone. Organised as a treasure hunt, clues were seeded through blogs like Claudia.sg. Winners would then win the phone. I had no inkling of this particular campaign, but from the results, I'd say that Nokia was pleased with the results and publicity.

Express in Music talking about music personalisation. Something about composing and sales. I'm still trying to figure it out. #smbsg7 12:12 PM Sep 19th from mobile web

Instead of a case study, the next presenter, Express in Music, described what it did. I wish I had more to say about it, but I can't. And from some of the tweets during the presentation, it seemed like I wasn't the only one who shared that view. From what I gathered, it had something to do with end users creating their own music for a campaign because music is more intimate. And then they could sell the music... or something like that. Like I said, I'm at a loss here.

Around this time, Daryl Tay had to quieten the noisy folks at the rear of the pantry. I guess people were just too lazy to walk out to the driveway to chat.

Waggenner Edstrom up next. Long intro, probably used up half their allotted time! *lol* #smbsg712:28 PM Sep 19th from mobile web

Melvin Yuan started his Waggener Edstrom team's presentation with a long, somewhat rambling introduction. Anyway, the team then went on to present about last week's Twestival, in which they succeeded in collecting donations amounting to about $17,000 for the Children's Cancer Foundation. They also touched on Kiva.org (as an example of the power of micro-financing) and an HP event.

Brandtology introducing itself. No specific case studies? #smbsg7 12:41 PM Sep 19th from mobile web

Like Express in Music, the next two presenters didn't provide anything specific in terms of case studies, but were more like an introduction to their services. Brandtology described their business of monitoring sentiment, giving the example of looking at the online chatter around four blockbuster movies this year. Kelly Choo also said that he would be giving away a free self-painted Twitter bird. (The part about giving away a bird generated sniggers around the room.)

Ammado introducing itself. Platform to support the cause you want. Again, no specific case studies. #smbsg7 12:53 PM Sep 19th from mobile web

From what I learned, Ammado is a (U.S.-based?) platform that allows charities to collect donations. Corporations and organisations can also purchase vouchers, which can then be used to donate to any Ammado-listed charity. The service seems to have launched in Singapore, though the freebie voucher for SMB attendees was in U.S. currency. But as a friend remarked, it's a mystery about how it generates any revenue.

Blogathon case study on now. Eager to know how Tangs benefited from it. #smbsg7 1:04 PM Sep 19th from mobile web

Finally, the team from Lenovo, Intel and Tangs presented what Derrick Koh promised to be the "best presentation" of the day. They screened two videos from Blogathon, the 24-hour event at Tangs that had 10 bloggers staying awake to do stuff in the shopping centre, while getting their friends to vote for their favourite. Based on what they shared, it seemed like this event was all about generating awareness about... blogging? I don't know. Tangs apparently didn't fix any target in terms of sales or dollar return on investment, which I thought was unusual behaviour for a retailer.

After that was the food and networking moment. I caught up with some folks whom I hadn't seen in a long time. Almost everyone joked that we only meet at such social media events! Anyway, it seemed like people weren't staying for long, with most leaving within 10-15 minutes of the presentations' end.

What I liked about this SMB was that its continuing use of a fixed agenda suggests that its maturing beyond just a "talk cock" session. I'm sure there are those who prefer the old format (and thus were making all the ruckus during the presentations with their chatter), but this current format seemed to work in bringing in new attendees.

With that in mind, I thought that the venue was a letdown. The event announcement said that the place would be larger to accommodate the growing numbers, but it was actually quite small. And with two kinds of attendees (those who wanted to hear the presentations, and those who wanted to mingle), a venue that allows different activities would have been appreciated.

Unfortunately, even with a proper agenda and venue, it would still be up to the presenters to make attending SMB worthwhile. I was promised case studies and got only half of that. The rest came across as marketing spiels. And preparations were clearly inadequate, with presenters needing to fiddle with the sole laptop between their presentations.

Of course, it isn't easy to organise an event like this, especially from a logistics standpoint. And as SMB continues to grow, I guess details like these will be worked out eventually.

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Technorati tags: bloggers, case studies, gathering, Lenovo, marketing, networking, social media, Social Media Breakfast Singapore

RIP: Patrick Swayze

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:18:23 GMT

Like most people of my generation, I first got acquainted with Patrick Swayze in the movie, "Dirty Dancing". Back then, I didn't really understand what the big craze over the movie was, but I watched it all the same with my sister.

And well, for a young impressionable boy, the sensual dance that led to the sex scene was quite an eye-opener.

But the movie stuck with me, and Patrick Swayze epitomised the kind of guy that I wanted to be: handsome, suave, and chicks dig him. His dance moves also captivated me, since it would seem that I'm born with two left feet.

Years later, I watched him again portray the anguished spirit who had to protect his girlfriend in "Ghost". Besides learning a new use for "ditto", I was again taken in by his tragic portrayal of the man who just couldn't let go of his love. Yes, the pottery scene was extremely fun to watch, but it was his overall performance in that show that made me admire him even more.

And like most people, that's all of his movies that I really watched. It wasn't until years later that I bought the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack and realised that the man could sing as well! "She's Like the Wind" is my perennial favourite. The lyrics are actually quite depressing, in that he seems to be singing of a love that cannot be (thus, she's like the wind and blown away). But the way he sang it made it seem more like an anthem.

More recently, I watched the pilot of his TV series, "The Beast". It was painful to see this hunk looking so worn and weary during his real life fight with cancer. His performance in that show was gritty and seemed very real. And it showed that he could take on such versatile roles.

And at least with "Dirty Dancing", he gave me a show that has made the time of my life.

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Technorati tags: death, Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Patrick Swayze

Where's the escalator yellow box?

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:01:06 GMT

As everyone knows, in Singapore, we have signs that teach you how to use basic things. Like how to wash your hands. And how to queue.

And how to use an escalator safely.

Almost all escalators have a safety guide. One of the key things that you're supposed to do is to stand within the yellow box that's marked out on each step. This is to prevent your foot and/or footwear from getting caught at the sides, and for you not to trip over the edge of a step.

Now here's the thing: when you stand on an escalator and look down, here's what you see:

So... where's the safety yellow box?

Logically, you'd paint around the entire border of the steps. It turns out that most escalators just have the box painted on the inside of the steps. As a result, if you're especially rule-abiding and try to stand within a yellow box on the escalator, you'll probably find yourself unable to do so. Which makes you feel unsafe.

Which goes against the whole idea of making escalators safe to use.

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Technorati tags: escalator, safety

@clicktokill gets dunked [Flickr]

yuhui — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:56:00 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

At Singapore Twestival 2009

@clicktokill gets dunked [Flickr]

yuhui — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:55:29 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

At Singapore Twestival 2009

@clicktokill gets dunked [Flickr]

yuhui — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:54:55 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

At Singapore Twestival 2009

MC Joe Augustin [Flickr]

yuhui — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:54:17 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

At Singapore Twestival 2009

Crossdresser performing at getai [Flickr]

yuhui — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:53:31 PDT

yuhui posted a photo:

At open field next to Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Lunchtime train of thought

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:35:05 GMT

"Comex was this weekend. I wonder if my lunch buddy went for it. I didn't go because I had nothing to buy. But I'd really like a Blu-ray player. Need to check it out. Also need to learn more about Nike Free and Adizero. What are those shoes about? If I buy one of them, then I'd need to start exercising again. Hmm, exercise. I remember when I trained hard for my Sec 4 physical fitness test. Class actually cheered when I did a pull-up! Trained with repetitive stretches and push-ups. Reminds me of repetitive squats done by Mr Ying. Ah, Mr Ying, that strict discipline teacher. He and Mr Wee. Everyone feared Mr Wee, but we all loved him at the end."

"Wait, how did I end up thinking about Mr Wee?"

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Technorati tags: thoughts, memories

Viral in Singapore - when juicy news is leaked and a newspaper gets caught flatfooted

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:38:33 GMT

On Sunday, the headlines of the local English daily, The Straits Times (ST), was about a change in the off-peak car (OPC) scheme. This was something that was really big news given the government's obsession with reducing vehicle ownership and traffic congestion in land-scarce Singapore. The changes in the scheme promised to make it even more attractive and cheaper for drivers to own their own vehicles.

FYI the OPC scheme is one where cars are registered to be driven only at non-peak hours, i.e. early mornings, late evenings, and weekends. It's supposed to alleviate traffic congestion.

So that was the big news on Sunday: a massive change in a key land transport policy. And I found out about it like most other news-reading Singaporeans -- through the local press.

But it turns out that that wasn't the big news, as I was to discover on Tuesday. While going through my Twitter feed, I came across this tweet:

That got me intrigued, though I was to find out through later tweets that said link had been removed. But those tweets also recapped what had happened. In summary:

the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had briefed journalists about the OPC scheme's changes, ahead of the weekend
the news was to be embargoes until after Minister Raymond Lim's speech on Sunday
but a press release went up on LTA's website, which local car enthusiasts discovered and started discussing on car forums
ST asked LTA if they could run the story since it had been leaked, and LTA said no
but LTA later said yes, given that the leak had spread far and wide
ST journalists blogged about this incident, but later censored themselves

What did they censor? These are what I gather:

That an LTA executive had screamed at the journalists not to run the story
The phrase "red faces" in reference to LTA

You can read a fairly detailed recap at Mr Brown's blog.

I guess this is some kind of milestone in the government's dealings with cyberspace. Given the ease of connecting with people of common interests at certain online channels (forums, social networks, instant messaging, etc.), it is possible for juicy news to spread very quickly without control, like wildfire.

However, here's my additional two cents, from my personal perspective. As a non-car enthusiast, I had not known about the leak until I saw my friend's tweet. And in spite of my so-called digital connectivity, I had not known about the ST blog entry, again, until I saw those tweets.

Therefore, it is entirely possible that I would have missed out on this sensational news, had it not been for my connection to a well connected friend. Currently, I wonder how many people, especially those who are interested in the OPC scheme, are still in the dark about what had transpired.

In my view, this goes to show a few things about online connections and their impact on viral content:

Content must be extremely alluring to key recipients in order for the former to spread. In this case, it was the juiciness of a government news leak and a screaming government official.
It's really about who you know, i.e. whether you know the "influencers", not what you know or what you are. Like if I hadn't followed my friend on Twitter, I would be none the wiser of this event.
If you're an entity (person, company, society, etc.) with a sizeable and deeply engaged following, what you say and/or do online can be picked up immediately, and no change you make subsequently can cover up for it. Like ST censoring its blog entry to reduce LTA's embarrassment.

The above observations apply to the current craze of social media marketing, which I think is what makes that kind of marketing so difficult to do. I'm sure someone will eventually crack the methodology for effective social media marketing. And I'm sure the government will eventually figure out how to handle viral news to its benefit.

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Technorati tags: censorship, government policy, Land Transport Authority, news leak, Straits Times, viral content

Review: "Up"

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:49:29 GMT

It was only recently that I finally managed to watch the newest Pixar movie, "Up". Though I was still able to watch it on the big screen, I had to settle for the non-3D, non-digital version. Fortunately, Pixar's storytelling strength remained as good as it's ever been, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying this movie.

In my view, "Up" is the first Pixar movie that was purposely produced for adults. Not that there's raunchy sex or random acts of violence. Rather, the story of an old man fulfilling his promise to his late wife's dream is one that would resonate more closely and dearly with the grown-ups. Besides, I don't see how a grumpy old fart could be endearing to children.

I also thought that there were some parts that children would not necessarily understand, like when the kid Russell says that he appreciates doing mundane stuff with his dad rather than their exciting antics. Most kids probably feel that way, but would never express it the way Russell did.

Perhaps this movie was a sign that Pixar is growing up from its kiddie toy roots. Pixar has experimented with old people in its earlier short films, like "Geri's Game". But it hadn't then achieved its current reknown. I'd like to see how Pixar further experiments with the computer animated film genre to reach a more diverse audience.

Of course, there was still a lot for the kids to enjoy. This is, after all, a Disney film. So there are the dogs with their squirrel fetish, the funny looking birds, and basically the grand adventure of being whisked away on a fantastic adventure. Who has never dreamed of floating away on a balloon, let alone a house with a huge number of balloons? This is why I still prefer Pixar's movies. Its themes are more simple and universal, and not the gawdy humour that Dreamworks uses.

Of course, that's not to say that it's a perfect studio that produced a perfect film. Russell, the boy scout, started off as a very whiny irritating character. Even halfway through the film, I still had a desire to wring my hands around his animated neck. Fortunately, he developed well in the third act to save the day.

There was also the gross under-characterisation of the villain, Charles Muntz. His ability to stoop to such low levels showed a very one-sided personality. Or maybe I'm thinking too hard, since this is still a kids film that requires simple characters.

So I should probably stop over-thinking about:

the ability of the balloons to remain intact after passing through a lightning storm
the strength of an old man and a young boy in pulling a two-storey house -- with just a hose!
the dexterity of said old man in clambering over an airship

But don't let these shortfalls stop you from enjoying this show. Especially if you're an adult who's always wished for a marvelous adventure.

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Technorati tags: review, Up

I passed the Google Analytics Individual Qualification test!

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:20:56 GMT

Big day for me today! After procrastinating for one year, I've finally obtained my Google Analytics Individual Qualification! Yay! What this means is that I've shown that not only do I know my stuff about Google Analytics, but Google also thinks I'm good enough.

The test consisted of 70 multiple-choice questions, which had to be answered with two hours. It costs US$50 per try, but if you are fairly familiar with Google Analytics and have watched their free, online training videos, then one try should be all that you need.

For me, the hardest part actually wasn't in answering the questions, but hoping throughout that no one would bug me and cause my two-hour limit to expire!

This qualification now gives me more confident to take on other certifications, like the one for Omniture SiteCatalyst. That's another one that I've been procrastinating over.

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Technorati tags: certification, Google Analytics Individual Qualification

Why I don't use Google Latitude

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:21:13 GMT

Google Latitude seems to be all the rage now. I don't recall ever receiving so many invitations to join and share my location. Is it suddenly popular to let everyone know where in the world you are?

Not for me.

Over at Mocca's "Techie Monster" tribe, I've explained in detail "Why I don't use Google Latitude". Do you share the same sentiment as me?

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Technorati tags: Google Latitude, privacy, security, stalking

My first time at Heineken Green Room

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:18:55 GMT

So there I was, about to have dinner, when a friend called me up to say, "Do you want to go to this Heineken party?" And I thought, well, why not? He said that it was at a warehouse along Keppel Road, opposite the Keppel train station. I thought he meant that it would be at St James Power Station (a refurbished building), which is next to HarbourFront MRT station.

No, he really meant a warehouse at Tanjong Pagar Distripark! I thought that that was a weird place to hold a party. But when I approached the venue at around 10pm, I saw the big "Heineken" banner and could hear music from the main road. And as we approached the warehouse itself, we saw people milling about outside.

There was a momentary slip-up when we were shuffled from the VIP queue to the "regular" queue, all because the Heineken people had not briefed the security people properly. But soon, we got our wrist bands and were stepping into a cargo lift.

On the third floor, we were greeted with... a near empty warehouse. I guess 10pm is too early to start a party. Anyway, we decided to get some drinks. Now this being a Heineken Green Room event, we thought that we would get free drinks, or at the least, one free drink. Hey, that's a great way to promote your drinks right? But nope, we had to pay for our own booze. $10 for a bottle, $45 for a bucket of five. There were also other drinks, but we stuck to the green bottles.

The lone DJ, Cherry, spun her music to an empty dance floor. With only a handful of people, almost everyone was just hanging around, drinking and talking. My friend and I did the same, while people-watching at the same time.

Then, to spice things up, he told one of the Heineken models that it was my birthday, so as to get me to take a picture with her. Yay.

After a while, we made it to the front of the dance area and just enjoyed Cherry's music. I thought that the party was in danger of becoming a snoozefest. But at 12am, there was a change of DJs. The trio from Germany, Moderat, took to the stage and suddenly, everyone was screaming and cheering. As for me, I didn't know what to expect. This isn't my scene after all. And all dance music sounds the same to me.

But as the hour went on, I realised that Moderat had its own unique tune. It was jumpy and catchy and made you dance. Except for the moments when they slowed the beat, like an interval. Maybe it was to get the crowd to cool down before pumping the beat later. For me, I thought that it broke the rhythm unnecessarily. However, as I've come to learn at other parties, such fast-slow-fast-slow tempos are apparently a pre-requisite for succesful DJing.

Anyway, yeah, the music was fun to dance to, when the beat was right for dancing. The visuals were also well synchronised with the beat. There was only one part that I didn't enjoy, when the white lights were flashing. Bad enough that I was going deaf in this place, I didn't want to become blind too.

And another visual I wasn't too pleased about: when they flashed the statement, "Hell is Love". Nope, that's just wrong!

10 bottles of Heineken and three-and-a-half hours later, we decided to call it a night at 1:30am, which also turned out to be the time for the next set of DJs. But we didn't stay to catch that. It was a fun night and though I didn't get to score with any hot babe (I did get a funny face from one girl, however), I can at least now say that I've been to a Heineken Green Room party...

And would prefer the quietness of a lounge any night.

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Technorati tags: dance, Heineken Green Room, party

Hack your Apple TV 2.4

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:37:36 GMT

For a long time, I've been resisting the urge to upgrade my Apple TV to version 2.4 of the firmware. That's because I watch videos that don't necessarily come through iTunes. As such, anything that removes the hacks that I've already applied would be very unwelcome.

But as luck would have it, after accidentally pressing the "Update Now" button, I was forced to re-hack my Apple TV. It took some research and trial-and-error, but I've pretty much succeeded in "restoring" my Apple TV to its hacked glory.

Over at Mocca's "Techie Monster" tribe, I provided a recount of my experience with hacking my newly upgraded Apple TV, "Hack your Apple TV 2.4". Hopefully, I help to reassure any other upgrade-wary Apple TV user as well!

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Technorati tags: Apple TV, hack, television

Discovering gems in old mail

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:28:34 GMT

I've just spent the last hour clearing three months' worth of mail that had been piling up on my desk. While I didn't find any long-lost love letters, I found that most of my mail consists of:

bank statements
credit card bills
insurance policy notices and receipts
investment statements

Yes, very boring stuff. But I did also uncover the following gems:

a one-month-old cheque for an insurance policy - which I need to find out why I received anyway
a three-month-old cheque from Google Adsense - and my first ever cheque from them! How could I miss this???
a reminder for my dental appointment next week - whew! Luckily I found this now.
(while strictly not being postal mail, but it was buried at the bottom of the pile) my long-lost Kinokuniya book vouchers... that expired three months ago!

I guess it would serve me well to go through my postal mail more regularly from now on...

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Technorati tags: postal mail, snail mail

The Lab: Targus USB Hub for Mac

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:14:40 GMT

A long time back, I was given the chance to try out one of Targus' Mac-targeted products, a USB hub for notebooks. With its rubber exterior and four USB ports, it's designed for maximum connectivity while ensuring that it can survive the hard knocks of mobile usage.

Over at Mocca's "Techie Monster" tribe, I've written a review of this computer peripheral, "The Lab: Targus USB Hub for Mac". Did I give it the thumbs up or thumbs down? Read on to find out!

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Technorati tags: accessories, Targus, USB hub

Michael Jackson and me

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:02:41 GMT

My first memory of Michael Jackson was when he had won his Grammy for the "Thriller" album. My family had then bought the Grammy Awards cassette tape, a collection of 20 (I think) of the winning songs from the year. Two of those songs were "Beat It" and "Billie Jean". And they were so good that my sister and I added them to our own mixtapes. (And yes, I'm that old!)

Then, for a moment, I stopped listening to his songs because I learned that he was a Jehovah's Witness and his albums supposedly made use of "backward masking". But as I grew older and more discerning, I came to enjoy his songs for what they were: fun, little ditties that got me dancing (though I don't dance).

It was also around this time that I became a big fan of his song, "Heal the World", for its strong message of hope. Through some reason, this song came out at the time that Superman died in the landmark Superman #75 comic. As a result, when I hear the song or read the comic, I'm reminded of the other.

I don't remember when, but I remember being amazed at his music video, no, short film for his "Bad" album, in particular, the segment for "Smooth Criminal". The part when he and his dancers leaned forward at an impossible angle harkened back to his other slick dance move, the legendary Moonwalk, which I never failed to perfect.

A few years back, I finally decided to put down some good money for his "HIStory" album. It was a collection of his hit songs, and listening to it was like taking a trip down memory lane.

And this is what I'll remember the King of Pop for. Not his bizarre antics or his ever-changing appearance or his criminal trials. Like many fans, I'll remember him for his music. My parents' generation had Elvis Presley, we'll have Michael Jackson.

RIP Michael Jackson.

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Technorati tags: death, memorial, Michael Jackson, tribute

Review: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:19:57 GMT

I finally managed to watch "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". This was after it had been out in theatres for about half a week, enough time for the bad reviews to pile up and influence my expectations of the movie. And, sad to say, those negative reviews were spot-on. Michael Bay has really made a mess of the franchise.

Unfortunately for me, I had spoiled myself by reading the comic adaptation first. As a result, I had already known just how bad the storyline was. Even in the comic, Sam Witwicky came across as the whiny boy who refused to grow up yet got handed every responsibility in the world. Optimus Prime appeared less heroic than in the first movie. The major plothole about why the Fallen hadn't discovered the tomb of the Primes when he had millenia to search Earth was never explained satisfactorily. And all of the other robots, whether Autobots or Decepticons, were relegated to second-stringers next to their human counterparts.

Also, the new robots didn't make a difference at all. With more characters, one would expect a diversity of relationships and sub-plots. The only one that I thought would've been cool would be to see some robotic romance between Ironhide and Arcee. However, given Bay's disdain for the female robots, this was a dream that would never be realised.

Instead, Bay's favourites, the Autobot twins, were given too much screen time for their usefulness. As the other negative reviews had pointed out, they were the worst characters ever to make it to the big screen since "Star Wars"' Jar Jar Binks -- and I thought Jar Jar was quite tolerable! In contrast, the twins were just irritating. I hope someone does an edit of this film and calls it "Transformers: Absence of the Twins".

But removing the twins would still not do justice to the "Transformers" part of the title. The story was just nonsensical from the start. Like the attack in Shanghai. After two years of fighting huge robots, you'd think that the Autobots and U.S. Army would have a better idea of containing the fight. (Or maybe not, given how events have unfolded in Iraq.) And the final battle between Optimus Prime and the Fallen, where supposedly only a Prime could kill the Fallen? It seemed like after two punches, the Fallen just basically, well, fell. What the...?!

Even Devastator, the mother-of-all-bad-ass robots, was reduced to a bumbling gorilla for the most part. Where was the menacing robot who terrified the $#!+ out of the Autobots in the cartoon movie? And -- BIG SPOILER -- he was the robot with the testicles!!! DAMN YOU, MICHAEL BAY!! I had wanted to buy the Constructicons toy set (if it ever sees the light of day), but I've changed my mind now. I'd rather lay my hands on the classic green-and-purple ones and reclaim my innocent childhood.

Devastator's transformation, though, was rather cool, especially seeing as how it seemed like he forced the other Constructicons to merge with him. If only it had been shot in a wider persepective or a bird's eye view, so that the audience (and us fan boys) could really grasp the enormity and awesomeness of the combination.

Alas, for a "Transformers" movie, the robots were just pitiful. All except Soundwave. His voice was just... creepy and menacing at the same time. Almost like in the cartoon, but more bad-ass. Too bad he was seemingly absent (or indistinguishable from the other robots) during the final climactic battle.

Okay, and Jetfire too, when he made his entrance with his clarion call, only because it had a swashbuckler feel to it.

Not that his presence would have made a difference, I think. The humans would've still smashed the Decepticons. Yup, the humans, not the Autobots. I thought that this was a "Transformers" movie? Why were the humans doing all of the fighting? And as one would colloquially ask, "Bombs don't need money, is it?" There were too many explosions, enough to distract you from the absence of a storyline.

And if explosions weren't enough, Bay filled the movie with fratboy humour that would be better suited to a "National Lampoon"-type movie. Like the testicles scene. Or the university filled with sex-starved sluts in every nook and cranny. Or the guy caught with his pants down next to another passed-out guy. Or a robot humping Megan Fox's leg (poor Miss Fox!). I was particularly concerned about the reactions from the parents who had brought their preteen children. Parents, this is not a children's movie. It's rated PG - Parental Guidance, and believe me, you'll need to provide a lot of guidance!

This was just a terrible, terrible movie. This is one for the gutter. Now excuse me while I rewatch the cartoon movie and remember how the death of Optimus Prime was treated with so much dignity that children cried when they saw it.

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Technorati tags: review, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Facebook is everywhere in APAC, right? Well, almost.

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:00:13 GMT

Over at the company's blog, I wrote an article, "Facebook is everywhere in APAC, right? Well almost." The topic came about while doing some research about the usage of social network services in the region for a project.

I think we'd all like to think that Facebook is the only social network service that we should care about due to its immense reach. But the thing I like to remind myself about Singapore is that we're a very Western influenced country, unlike the rest of the region. As a result, though we follow the U.S. and European trends, our neighbours may not.

Read on to discover what I learned about Facebook and other social networks in APAC!

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Technorati tags: APAC, Asia Pacific, Facebook, social networks, XM Asia Pacific

Review: "Monsters vs Aliens"

Tue, 19 May 2009 16:38:58 GMT

Thanks to omy.sg, I had the opportunity to catch a preview of "Monsters vs Aliens" on Monday night. Unfortunately, due to last minute delays, I had missed the first 10 to 15 minutes of the film.

As a result, the film felt much shorter than expected. When the final credits came scrolling up, I realised that little more than an hour had passed. In fact, by the middle of the film, I had a funny feeling that this was going to be a short film.

Yes, it's animated. Yes, it uses modern computer graphics instead of the old animation cels. Yes, it's in 3D. And yes, it has some big name voices. But if those were budgetary excuses to make a short film, then I'm sorely disappointed.

But first, I have to say that watching a 3D film was quite an enjoyable experience! Firstly, the glasses provided by Cathay Cinema were quite well designed for comfort, even for a person wearing spectacles. And the 3D effects were very well done, especially in the battle scenes, when it felt like debris was being littered all over the cinema hall. The first time that happened, I nearly wanted to raise my hands to shield myself! Haha, that would've been a very suah ku moment.

Unfortunately, the 3D experience was just a glossy finish. With underdeveloped characters and a penchant for slapstick humour, especially embodied in the buffoon of a president, there wasn't much to like in "Monsters vs Aliens".

The story was a simple one: girl gets strange powers, girl is confined with other strange creatures, US government uses said creatures to defend Earth from an alien attack, girl embraces her powers and becomes a hero. But then, this is a kids' show, so the story has to be kept as simple as possible, you know, unlike that of an old man who flies his house UP to distant lands with balloons.

But then, my expectations had already been lowered even before watching the film, because this is a Dreamworks picture. To me, that meant that it wouldn't have the same level of enjoyment that I get from Pixar films. For some reason, Dreamworks cartoons have always seemed a bit more... adult.

I don't mean this in terms of the level of violence or language (and there's no on-screen nudity either, obviously). Rather, it's the type of jokes that were used. I felt that adults would have been better able to appreciate the funny moments than the children. Which is ironic, since "Monsters vs Aliens" is a cartoon, i.e. targeted at children. Sure, there are the usual sight gags, weird characters and odd body shapes. But those somehow just weren't funny or endearing enough to lift the film.

Here's a very telling anecdote: the adults and children in the audience laughed at different moments of the film. The adults enjoyed listening to the retro "Beverly Hills Cop" theme and caught the relationship jokes. But the kids laughed most loudly when a male character said the word "very" many times. Ideally, I think the filmmakers would want everyone to laugh at the same time and share the humorous moment together.

Or maybe I'm just wrong. After all, I'm an adult, what do I know about children entertainment? Maybe "Monsters vs Aliens" really is a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very enjoyable show for those in primary school.

Aside: this time, moviegoers not only got to keep the card stock movie ticket, but also a brochure on Cathay's 3D cinema experience and a set of "Monsters vs Aliens" stickers of Bob. Yay!

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Technorati tags: Monsters vs Aliens, review

Review: "Star Trek"

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:48:51 GMT

Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship "Enterprise"... and those voyages start right here! Thanks to omy.sg, I had a golden opportunity to watch the much-awaited "Star Trek" one week before its premiere in Singapore -- and the rest of the world!

Some caveats first: I'm a fan of Star Trek, having watched almost every episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Voyager", "Star Trek: Enterprise" and nine of the previous 10 movies. So I more-or-less know my Star Trek mythology. But I'm not a hardcore Trekkie, so don't debate with me about warp drives and transporter technology.

With that aside, you don't need to know the Star Trek lore to enjoy this movie. By itself, it stands well as an action-drama-comedy-science fiction feature film. It tells the story of how Kirk went from a smart aleck flirt looking for the next fight to a mature and capable leader of the flagship of Starfleet. Along the way, we meet the other members of the legendary crew, particularly Spock, Dr "Bones" McCoy and -- in an interesting character twist -- Uhura. (I never knew Uhura could be so sexy -- or that she lip-locked with a key crew member!)

JJ Abrams, best known for "Alias" and "Lost", has done an admirable job in making "Star Trek" approachable to the general audience. There is enough science to keep the Trekkie sated, yet not overwhelm the average Joe.

In place of the emphasis on science, "Star Trek" treats us with a strong and thought-provoking storyline about consequences and the tapestry of life. Unravel one thread, and history can change forever. Hardcore Trekkies would know what I mean from what was shown in the trailer. For the rest of us, it's explained cleanly, clearly and simply.

To bring that story to life, action and humour are weaved neatly so that there is no let-up in the movie's pace. Whether it's good ol' fist fights or a free-fall space dive or Dr "Bones" McCoy chasing after Kirk to administer injections, there's something to keep you entertained. And humour was put to good use to reduce the tension at key moments while helping the audience build a stronger affinity with the characters.

Like any good movie, it is the characters who make you relate with the story. Almost everyone is likable, which could be sickening to the average moviegoer, but to the Trekkie, you'd know that that's exactly how Star Trek founder, Gene Roddenberry, would've liked it. Sure, Spock delivers some serious whoop-ass on Kirk, but it is their strong camaraderie that defines the movie.

Unfortunately, I thought that the show focused too much on Kirk. I'm sure it was supposed to play out as a buddy movie between Kirk and Spock, but perhaps that aspect was trimmed to keep the movie lean and tight for non-Trekkies. As a result, you are left with the certainty that both Kirk and Spock would become the best of friends, but you also wish that that bond could have been depicted more strongly.

Another bit that left a bitter taste in my mouth was the whole plot. Without revealing too much, I think I can safely say that whatever we Trek fans knew before is not true any more. Just throw it out of the window. The unraveled tapestry has led to a whole mess of threads. Like the movie's tagline says, "The future begins". That is so true, it's scary. But I guess a reboot was necessary to keep the mythology fresh and exciting for a new generation.

Special effects-wise, well, this is "Star Trek", so we are treated to fantastic visuals. I especially enjoyed the creative use of light and sound. In the all-white Enterprise, the bright lights were surprisingly not very blinding. But the little flashes of light that peeked at the corners made the set seem even more futuristic. And that saying about you can't hear a scream in space? That was driven home almost deafeningly in the opening act and some of the later scenes.

But even if you take away the fanciful lights and sounds and the iPod-like sets and the loud explosions, you're still left with a very good, watchable movie. Star Trek has definitely returned to form, and ready to boldly go where it's never gone before!

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Technorati tags: review, Star Trek

MTV show, "College Life" + alma mater = nostalgia!

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:59:38 GMT

I've just discovered this show by MTV, "College Life". A few freshman are given cameras to record their new lives in college. And which college would be a better setting than the University of Wisconsin-Madison!

I watched the first episode and it was fantastic! It brought back all of my memories from 10 years ago! (Wow, it's been that long!) Views of State Street, the tiny college dorm rooms, the parties, the people...

There was even a short scene in the Underground Textbook Exchange! I remember that! That was the second book store to buy and sell textbooks, and everyone was so glad for the Underground because it broke the University Book Store's monopoly. Yeah, that was an awesome trip to see the store, even for a minute.

The best part is: I can actually watch the episodes online -- legally! Which is good because it hasn't started showing in this part of the world and I have no idea what MTV Asia's programming schedule is (I rarely watch it). So far, I haven't encountered any geographic restriction for the shows, which means that I can savour more nostalgia through the streaming episodes there. Yay!

I didn't have a chance to go to Madison the last time I was in the United States, so this is the next best thing for me. It's always enjoyable to see the ol' town. Unfortunately, MTV seems to focus too many scenes on State Street and the Capitol and not enough on the rest of the city or campus. I hope more of these show up in later episodes. There's more to UW and Madison than just State Street!

On Wisconsin!

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Technorati tags: College Life, MTV, nostalgia, UW-Madison

Save 1-4 cents per bus journey!

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:33:42 GMT

On April 1, the two major public bus transport operators, SBS Transit and SMRT Buses, reduced their trunk service fares by two cents across the board, while also increasing the transfer rebate to 50 cents. This was, of course, greeted to great cheers from the bus-traveling public, especially after years of fare increases -- and corresponding profit increases.

But how would you like to save a few cents more? More specifically, you can save between one and four cents per trip. It's possible and entirely acceptable! This isn't a hoax. I've tested it on several trips since the fare changes came into effect, and have managed to achieve the savings. And you can do it too!

(Aside: Gosh, I sound like a spammer/telemarketer/TV advertiser!)

First, you can get these savings only if your original fare is $1.11 or less. That works out to a distance of about 19 bus stops. (The bus stop that you board the bus counts as one.)

Second, you need to pay for your fares with an EZ-Link card. In that way, you qualify for the 50-cent transfer rebates -- a HUGE factor in getting your extra savings.

Third, you must be willing to transfer buses, because that's how you can get your 50-cent rebates. In addition, you cannot transfer to the same bus service, e.g. don't transfer from service 63 to service 63. If you transfer between the same service, you lose your 50-cent rebate!

With those three points in mind, here's how to get your savings:

1. Save one cent
First bus journey: no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops.
Second bus journey: no more than 91 cents in fare, or about 12 bus stops. (You should reach your destination by then.)
Total fare = $0.69 + $0.91 - $0.50 (rebate) = $1.10
Original fare = $1.11
Savings = $1.11 - $1.10 = one cent!

2. Save three cents
First bus journey: no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops.
Second bus journey: also no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops. (You should reach your destination by then.)
Total fare = $0.69 + $0.69 - $0.50 (rebate) = $0.88
Original fare = $0.91
Savings = $0.91 - $0.88 = three cents!

3. Save four cents
First bus journey: no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops.
Second bus journey: also no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops.
Third bus journey: again, no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops. (You should reach your destination by then.)
Total fare = $0.69 + $0.69 + $0.69 - $0.50 (first rebate) - $0.50 (second rebate) = $1.07
Original fare = $1.11
Savings = $1.11 - $1.07 = four cents!

(There's no method to save two cents. At least, none that I'm aware of!)

Personally speaking, I'm sure that the bus operators had realised before implementing the fare changes that commuters would be able to save the additional few cents with these methods. But I think they also determined that commuters would be too lazy to make so many transfers, so there would be no need to recalculate the base fares.

But now that you know, it's time to stick it to the man! Deny SBS Transit and SMRT Buses your four cents!

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Technorati tags: bus fare, SBS Transit, SMRT

Tweet (Twitter)! Tuesday: a tweet recap

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:24:44 GMT

The first Tweet! Tuesday SG was held on 31 March. Though it was the day before April Fool's, what transpired was certainly no prank! Instead, attendees were treated to a presentation on what Twitter (and micro-blogging, in general) was about, and attempted to glean some information about its usage in Singapore and the region. Laurel Patworth, a social media marketer from Australia, also presented her two cents' worth on the micro-blogging and social media scene.

Upon arriving, Kelvin Lim had said that he had quoted something from my post about the non-agenda for Tweet Tuesday, so I eagerly awaited for it. (It was the "stand-around-and-talk-while-eating-free-food session" line.)

But more happened that night as well. So, in Twitter fashion, here's what I twittered about during the night:

Leaving for #TweetTuesdaySG now. Somehow, I don't think I'll be the last. Oh, and I'm going empty-handed too *bad karma* #sgtweet 6:43 PM Mar 31st from web
About 50 people at #TweetTuesdaySG. It's the eating/drinking/socialising phase 7:30 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Tweet Tuesday SG starts now with an intro of what this is #sgtweet 7:42 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Somehow I didn't get the survey. Hmm... #sgtweet 7:42 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Intro to microblogging and Twitter #sgtweet 7:46 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Twitter vs Plurk, haha. #sgtweet 7:51 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Question time about Twitter, Plurk, and microblogging. The questions sound familiar... #sgtweet 7:54 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Discussion about corporate and government use of Twitter #sgtweet 7:57 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
@claudia10 demoing SplitTweet #sgtweet 7:58 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Done with the formal presentation #sgtweet 8:03 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Laurel Patworth @silkcharm is speaking now #sgtweet 8:15 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Viral is the antithesis of social media? Hmm... #sgtweet 8:40 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Back to the socialisation phase of Tweet Tuesday #sgtweet 8:50 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
@mhisham says there's only one can of Carlsberg left - and lots of Tigers! #sgtweet 9:11 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
Leaving The Sail now. Not bad for a first event of Twitter Tuesday #sgtweet 9:32 PM Mar 31st from mobile web

(Note: the "correct" Twitter hashtag is #sgtweet, not #TweetTuesdaySG, though the former has been messed up by including any tweets about Singapore.)

And two more that were tweeted later:

#Singapore city skyline from the 44th floor of The Sail. http://bit.ly/SYAo7 Missing one integrated resort tower due to incorrect overlap. 12:08 AM Apr 1st from web
Turns out that I did receive the #sgtweet survey. This is what happens when I check my email and Facebook inbox once a day! 12:25 AM Apr 1st from web

In the end, Kelvin remarked that it had become another "talk cock" (or "tweet cock") session. Ah well, I guess you can't stray far from that.

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Technorati tags: micro-blog, Plurk, Tweet Tuesday, Twitter