| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Animation |
Official Warner Bros' site:
http://corpsebridemovie.warnerbros.com/
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Official Warner Bros' site:
http://corpsebridemovie.warnerbros.com/
Friday, September 23, 2005
on woe is teeth...
Just came back with my mom from the dentist. She has been complaining of teeth pain and gum woes intermintently for the past 6 months, but hasn't been doing anything about it. Finally, the pain got so bad last night (giving her headaches) that she decided to go see the dentist. I can understand her fewar of seeing the dentist - no fun sitting on the dentist's chair, being drilled with big scary equipment in your mouth.
But she had to go through the procedure, in order to get her teeth checked out. She asked one of us to accompny her, because she was scared. So I had to drag my tail out and go with her to the dentist. No fun leh, watching your mum being subjected to the dentist. Thank God the dentist is an experienced fella, and he was patient and kind. Halfway through the extraction, the tooth broke into two. Thankfully, he was still able to extract the remaining half of the broken-off tooth... well, it's all over now. My mom can now go about nagging wothout tooth pain. 
Last night was talking with my two friends on the LRT ride to church. One of them just went through a minor sugery operations, to remove his wisdom tooth. Had 3-4 days' MC, but still had to go back to work yesterday. He was saying at least the pain was not that bad already, compared to the initial day when the tooth was freshly extracted. But he he still experienced pain when he takes his ffod at meal times. The other friend also has the same problem with his wisdom tooth. Think this other friend also apporaching the edge liao; he's booking an appointment with his dentist to extract his wisdom tooth.
Me, I haven't been to the dentist in a while. Last time i checked my teeth out was about a year ago. The painful memories still linger. oh, it's nice to have them fresh lingering feeling, of getting all the built up tartar removed from your teeth, and to be able to feel the spaces in between your teeth again. But even a simple scaling will set me back by at ealst $60. Maybe after I find a job la.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children (FFVII:AC)
| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
The battle sequences in FFVII:AC are superb, which will please fans. Plus the familiar music accompaniment (from the battle victory tune to the various characters' themes) are performed amazingly now on instrumental pieces, which are different when heard in MIDI format. The characters has lost their super-deformed (SD) appearances for more realistic forms (akin to Final Fantasy 8 or FFVIII characterisation). So for above 3 aspects, this film would have easily rated 5 star in any review.
However, the plot would be confusing to the person watching it without ever first played the game. Oh, you can be wowed by the technical superbness of the computer-generated (CG) rendering, the tightness of the battle action sequences, blah blah blah; but without a clear plot-explanation to the novice, I feel this is a major flaw to the film. Also, the use of actual CG cut scenes from the actual game is nostalgic, if you do it once; but to repeat them twice in the film actually feels like you dun have that many new scenes to contribute (or you don't have that much plot).
oh, I'm a whiner in this case. I guess lotsa fans would bash me over the last few negative comments. But I guess I'm a perfectionist when it comes to FFVII - it's a fabulous story, and I don't want it to ruined...
Fans site:
http://www.adventchildren.net/ff7ac/movie/about.php
Square-Enix Japanese site:
http://www.square-enix.co.jp/dvd/ff7ac/
Square-Enix English site:
http://na.square-enix.com/dvd/ff7ac/
Monday, September 19, 2005
Night watch (Nochnoy dozor Ночной Дозор)
| Rating: | ★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
on seeing a rainbow and the full moon
saw a near complete rainbow at sunset yesterday evening. Best part it wasn't even raining. l was so entranced that I kept looking up at it while walking to church. one of the rare moments, where you witnessed God's wonders. 
Too bad I din have a digicam to capture the moment; but it was still nice to see it.
Later, as I left church after service, saw the full moon in the sky. Last night marks the 15th of the 8th Chinese lunar month. We celebrate the mid-autumn festival on this day, and stuff ourselves silly with mooncakes and play lanterns. Well, I'm too old for lanterns, and mom told us not to get any mooncakes these year. Still, I enjoyed the full moon, and started sending out this Chinese poem via sms (which I received earlier on in the day):
人生是一道风景，
快乐是一种心境，
春看桃，夏看柳，秋看菊，冬赏梅，
愿幸福快乐伴随你，
月园是诗，月缺是画，
日上灿烂，日落浪漫，
祝中秋愉快！
yes, full moon brings out the strangest in people... 
Starship Troopers
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
| Author: | Robert A. Heinlein |
From back cover of Ace books edition
In one of Robert Heinlein's most controversial bestsellers, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the Universe - and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankind's most alarming enemy!
See plot, sypnosis and commentry using the following hyperlink:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers_%28novel%29
Commentary:
ah, another great classic. It's amazing the technology detailed is so far advanced ahead of its times (this novel was actually written in 1959), detailing powered armour exoskelton, the drop, tactical nukes. Man, it's a geek guy's fantasy comes true... ;p Besides the gadget, the commentary on politics and militarism is also fascinating. A must read.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
The Amazing Maurice and His Eeducated Rodents
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Childrens Books |
| Author: | Terry Pratchett |
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Maurice_and_his_Educated_Rodents for sypnosis. WARNING: Spoiler ahead in this link.
Comment:
ah, though it's an old book, first time I'm reading it. A great book, though I won't really call it a chidren's book. Usual Discworld madness, from the maestro himself. A must-read for Pratchett's fans
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Training Day
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Drama |
"So, do you wanna go jail, or wanna go home?"
on getting drenched in the rain, weddings and chilling in the library
ah, crazy Singaporean weather again! 
Haven't been cycling the past few days, because all the air had been let out of my dad's bike tyres by pesky kids*. So yesterday decided to just use the manual pump and get re-inflate the tyres. After that, seeing the sky still has plenty of sunshine, decided to go for a quick ride to test the bike out. I was barely 15 minutes into the ride, when it started to pour cats and dogs. Talk about an unexpected summer / autumn's shower. Thank God there weren't thunder and lightning. But I sure looked like a drenched chicken when I reached home... Praise be to Him that I also din come down with a chill, as I just did in my last flu bout.
Haven't been updating this blog much, because was caught up in my friend's wedding that was just over on last Sunday. Yea, another of my guy friends "bites the dust", figuratively speaking. 
that's been happening plenty the past 2 years - guess it's the milestone / phase of life that people go through at this stage of life. After your tertiary education, find a job, saved up a few years, and you pop the big question to your partner-for-life-to-be. I've helped out as "brother" and helper in so many weddings, think I've given a third of my savings away in terms of ang pow "blessings".**
I'm not begrudging the giving; in fact i support giving cash rather than gifts. All too common complaint i heard from my newly-wedded friend is "wow, this is the 6th toaster / blender/ tupperware I've received for my wedding; it's great but what do i actually DO with so many of these things?" well, my friend, I guess you just pass it along to next LUCKY gonna-get-married couple. 
Much as it irks me to say this, cash is the most convenient way of blessing the couple materially. It irks me because it makes me sound like a materialistic person - you know, along the lines of "钱不是万能地，但没钱是万万不能地“。^
But thanks be to God that the whole wedding went quite smoothly. Din had to do too many forfeits^^ while getting the bride from her home in the morning. The tea ceremony went on smoothly. The church wedding didn't have hiccups, as far as I remembered correctly from the rehearsal.*** The wedding dinner was on time^^^, and was over by 11pm. The couple was bushed by that time, so we didn't stay to "闹洞房"****。All in all, it was a good wedding. Once again, thanks and praise be to God.
Went to chill out at Jurong East Library yesterday afternoon. Been a long time since I last visited the place. Been there twice only after it was renovated about 2 years back. I still say it's the best in concept amongst the national libraries I've been to in Singapore. I just wished there were more seats in the Quiet Reading room, and that the users would be more considerate i.e. dun leave your bag to "chop" / reserve the place while you disappear for 2 hours on end. But that's like wishing for the sun to rise from the west, i guess...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* my dad's bike is parked downstairs at the void deck, for convenience's sake. We lived at the 11th floor, so it's kind of a hassle to bring the bike up and down. My mom was totally against the idea, so she was very smug and happy when she learnt that the air has been let out. Talk about extreme "I told you so" attitude... 
** not that I give a lot away in ang pows; just that I don't have that much savings...
^ Translated as "Money is not everything, but you can't ever do without money".
^^ I wonder who came up with this custom of making the groom jump through the hoops while going to get his bride from her home. In the name of "making the event memorable" and "showing your undying love for your wife", the groom has to be subjected to physical stress (push ups, sit ups, crunches, jumping jacks), mental torture ("name her 10 favorite things/ what did she wear for your first date/ when's the first time you kissed"), torturing gouramandise ("here's the paste/ drink/ soup of wasabi in soy sauce blended with egg yolk, bitter-gourd and and cranberry + carrot; which you must down to show your undying love blah blah blah") and monetary loss ("You must pay $9999.99 to the sisters, before we will open the door, so as to show blah blah blah").
I think it's just a despicable ploy of the brides' "sisters" to soothe their injured ego that they are not getting married. I'm sure ain't going with the theory that these "rituals" allude to some past mythological ancient rites of proving the groom's manhood / virility. Hello, it's the 21st century, haven't you heard of fertility clinics, if you really wanna checked?
*** which also mean "...I'm not sure".
^^^ which meant it started an hour late from the "dinner starts at xxx o'clock" on the wedding invitation card, and ended 2 hours later. That's "on-time" for Singaporean Chinese wedding dinners. 
**** translated as "rock the nuptial room". Basically, another silly ritual of making both the groom and bride jump through hoops. Talk about ultimate loss of dignity, i've heard of some strange stories of the things the couple have to do, that borders short of the occultic practices^^^^. I just have a word of wisdom: DO UNTO OTHERS, AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. Remember, the couple you "sabo" might well be the ones who are gonna organise your wedding "afterburn party" 
^^^^ involves banana, egg, rubber-band rope and toothpick. Go use your imagination.
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
on getting better, dead like me and needing to pray
yea, was feeling better on Monday, so decided to go for a short cycling trip to get the blood circulation going. Dad was off on that day, so before I went outta the house, he asked me where was I heading off to. I said "Just around the area la", and he told me be extra careful, lotsa vehicles in the morning, and why not go try that little stretch near the beach front. There's this small road that's about 5 minutes' bike ride away from my home, from there you can see the J.B. town-scape across the Straits of Johore.
So I went there on my dad's "lau pok chia"; but no kick leh. In the end, I cycled all the way to end of Admiralty West Road (near Sembawang Beach liao). via Senoko Road. Thank God for the great weather* - it was a good 1 & 1/2 hour journey to and fro. Then U-turned via the relatively new road through Sembawang, Admiralty and Woodlands New town. Even managed to cycle past the new church site. So funny, there a lot of buntings and flags on the other site (the proposed CC site). Think they held a 7th lunar month-end or 8th lunar month-start temple celebration la. But there was none of our church site. Said a short prayer and headed back home.
in the afternoon plonked down in front of the laptop and watched 3 episodes of "Dead Like Me"
Last night went for the opening of the 7th All Asia EFC Conference. It was at the Furama Riverfront Hotel. I have seriously no idea where that place is, cos' I'm really bad with hotel landmarks in Singapore. But when I reached there, I recognized it as the hotel besides the "lak sa bar" place. ok, before i get sued for defamation, I must qualify my statement. "Tian an men" is a "VIP KTV Executive lounge"; I've never been inside the joint**, so I don't know on a personal level what goes on inside. But the gigantic gaudy neon display outside the joint does remind me of all my NS-buddies' tales of yore of the seedy places they visited. So there.
But enough digression, back to the conference. Pastor Edmund gave an opening note to start off the conference. It was on Exodus 18:19-22, on Jethro's advice to Moses on how to delegate out duties to capable men. By the way, the theme of the conference is "Leadership for Global Missions". Pastor Ed was using this passage to remind the various leaders in the conference that much as we are to select capable men out for leadership roles, as leaders ourselves, we are not to forget the 2 things which God ask us as leaders to do.
The 2 fundamental things leaders should do is to pray, and to teach the Word of God i.e. the apostolic role echoed in Acts 6:4, which is also found in Exodus 18:19-22. As the "people's representative before God" (v19) i.e. a priest of God's people, leaders can only only do that via intercession and prayer to God. In "teaching them the decrees and the laws, and showing them the way to live^^ and the duties they are to perform^^" (v20), i.e.a prophet to God's people, leaders can only do it through teaching the Word of God to His people.
Time and time again, I am reminded that I need to pray constantly and consistently to my Heavenly Father. Not only because I am taking up leadership responsibilities, but for the singular fact I am to build up a relationship with the Lord and Saviour of my life. How can one get to know a person better without spending time with the other party? Sad to say, I'm still far from this. I can only ask the Lord to continue to grant me perseverance, and to continuously remind myself I need to come before Him constantly. As I hear all the great men of faith who went before me, don't even think about anything else, of ministry, of growth, or reaching out, if our own faith and lives are not anchored in the Lord. If we truly want to soar, we must first surrender to Him and let God take us up on His wings.
*by great, I meant it was not pouring. It wasn't cloudy, and the sun was quite hot by 8.30am. but it was still GREAT weather
^which they eventually would anyway, from radio, internet, magazines ... 
** and not wanting to.
^^ Pastor Ed paraphrased it as the Manner to life, and the Mission for Life.
Monday, September 5, 2005
3 nice Songs
Nichole Nordeman - Holy
From the album Woven & Spun
How many roads did I travel
Before I walked down one that led me to You?
How many dream did unravel
Before I believed in a hope that was true?
How long? How far?
What was meant to fulfill only emptied me still
And all You ever wanted…
Only me on my knees
Singing holy, holy
And somehow
All that matters now is
You are holy, holy
How many deaths did I die
Before I was awakened to new life again?
How many half truths did bear witness to
‘Til the proof was disproved in the end?
How long? How far?
What was meant to illuminate shadowed me still
And all You ever wanted…
All I have is gratitude to offer You
--------------------------------------------
Newsboys - He Reigns
From the album Adoration:The Worship Album
It's the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It's the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God's holy fire
It's every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir
(CHOURS)
It's all God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns
It's all God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns
Let it rise above the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this
And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they've just heard
'Cause all the powers of darkness
Can't drown out a single word
(CHOURS)
When all God's children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns
All God's children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He Reigns
All God's children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He Reigns
----------------------------------------------
Matthew West - Next Thing You Know (Thirteen)
From the album History
I remember when I was thirteen
I saw a picture on my TV screen
The Reverend Billy Graham and the people sing “Just As I Am”
And I felt like You were talking to me
And the whole world seemed to fade away
Until I heard my mother say
“Son, are you ok? Do you wanna pray?
And that became the hour I first believed
Chorus:
And next thing you know
I’m high and flying, next thing you know
My heart is in Your hands, next thing you know
There is no denying, next thing you know
I’m a brand new man
Well I wish I could say I always stayed right there
And I did until my freshman year
But the world was pulling me along way from thirteen
And You were calling but I didn’t hear
Still I knew there was something more
So one day my knees hit the dorm room floor
I said “If You’re there and if You really care
Come and talk to me like I was thirteen”
Chorus:
I Got a picture in my head today
Of how Heaven might look someday
I see the people there so I pull up a chair
And their stories they blew me away
‘Cause I can see it on every face
Their evidence of grace
And as I listen it occurs to me
Everybody’s got their own thirteen
(2X’s)
So what’s your story about His glory?
You gotta find your place in the history of grace
Chorus: (2X’s)
-----------------------------------------------------
7th All Asia EFC Conference
| Start: | Sep 6, '05 7:30p |
| End: | Sep 8, '05 10:00p |
| Location: | Furama Riverfront Hotel Ballroom |
In the early 1990s, EFC America disengaged themselves from Singapore and Malaysia so as to focus on other countries. Meanwhile, the Asian EFC Churches started to gather together for mutual partnership in Missions and ministry encouragement. Hence, the Asian EFC Churches began to meet once in every 4 years and different countries took turns to host each conference.
Singapore EFC is privileged to host this 7th All Asia EFC Conference. Currently we have 90 foreign participants from 8 countries and 60 local Singaporean participants. The theme is: Leadership for Global Missions. The Day Conference will seek to minister to these 150 participants. However, we have specially scheduled 3 Public Nights for congregational members' participation. Please see details below:
Date: 6-8 September Evening (7.30pm - 10.00pm)
Venue: Furama Riverfront Hotel Ballroom
(405 Havelock Road S169633)
Program: 6 Sep Evening - Opening Night Celebration with an exhortation
by Rev Edmund Chan, Chairman of EFC Singapore
7-8 Sep Evening - 2 Sessions on Empowering Leadership by Tim Addington, EFC America Missions Director
Come and experience the fellowship of the larger body in this &th All Asia EFC Conference!
Saturday, September 3, 2005
Fly Away
FFH - Fly Away
From the album Have I Ever Told You
Ok you win, you caught me day dreaming again
About our sudden evacuation
Ok I give in, I can't help but wandering
But it seems I can't get enough information
Curiosity has got a hold of me
Tell me how it's gonna be-when
One day I'll see you coming back for me
And all together we'll fly away
One day I'll hear that trumpet loud and clear
And all together we'll fly away
O how I long for the day
When we fly away
Don't ask me why I keep starin' at the sky
It's just I'm lost in anticipation
I know it will be in the twinkling of an eye
It's just I get lost in my imagination
http://klove.musichristian.com/sys/product.php?PRODUCT=4068&
on being down with the flu bug
oh glorious 3rd day of being down with the flu bug. Nose like a drippy tap, drip, drip, drip snots and clear water. What fun. It all started out with an innocent gobbling down for 1/4 can of BBQ flavored Pringles chips + 1/4 can of Sour Cream chips Pringles chips + 1/3 liter of chilled "Ceres" Cranberry + Kiwi Juice. Nothing to do at home ah, so snack la. But I'm dun usually snack so much one, therefore am really asking for it...
Moral of the story 1: Dun think your are stronger than you are; assess your own self REALISTICALLY.
My sis also came down with the flu bug. She had it worse than me, i think. We're the kind of people that's usually hale and healthy - dun fall sick easily. So when we DO fall sick, we will have it worse than others. She asked me to bring her to the doc the other day, and being the good brother, I did la. But I guess it aggravated my own condition, or should i say it's more of mutual infection. I infect her, she infect me back. think we carry so much virus with us both that we are making our second brother fall sick. talk about the flu bug running amok in the family...
Moral of the story 2: Birds of a sick feather shouldn't flock together. or should i say "sick birds of a feather"? ah, you get the idea...
Then I also quite "garang". These few days being going out. My usual cure of going out for a swim to flush out my flu virus didn't quite worked out. Yes, I went for a swim in the midst of my flu. Surprisiningly, i did better timing this time, managed 22 laps in under 40 mins (compared to my bare 16-17 laps in an hour the last week). Plus it was under a blazing sun; i was expecting all the UV rays would have helped zapped any unhealthy flu bugs. But it turned out that way.
On top of that, being going to town and hanging out with friends. The vicious bugger in me was trying to infect them with the flu bug, so that they would be sick too... NOT! Just joking. My friends needed some stuff to be done, so I had to go help them out a bit. Enjoyed myself in their company, but guess my body need to recuperation more. That is why I chose to take today out as Sabbath + recuperation time. Stay home, not go out and have a good rest.
Moral of the story 3: Sleep and water is the best cure for flu, period.
“ This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. ”- Isaiah 48:17
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