CG NDP Chill-out Potluck Night (09 Aug '12)

Had a nice soiree with the CG people at Yishun, watching the NDP 2012 and Sasuke Singapore on Channel 5 over dinner. The pet cats were friendlier and less afraid of us these times.

Gardens By The Bay (09 Aug '12)

Got an early call from a friend, who last minute cannot go for a day trip to our new Singaporean tourist attraction. Decided to go along for the ride. It's a pretty hot day to go trekking, and many of the places still feels half-completed. Still, managed to get many pretty vegetation shots due to the bright sun. Thanks God for the invention of air-con. I probably will wait for a few more years for the trees and shrubs to grow fuller in foilage before venturing back there again.

Office NDP-eve Lunch (08 Aug '12)

Our bosses decided to give the office staff a treat for a job well-done at last Friday's charity golf event. Went to a superb Korean restaurant and had a whole long room to ourselves. The Korean food was fantastic. The vegetables! The side-dishes! The meat! and the pancakes! too bad I forgot to charge my camera battery and thus couldn't take more pictures.

Lunch at Boon Tong Kee (02 Aug '12)

Took our President of TWR for an office lunch today at Boon Tong Kee @ MacPherson Road. My first time there. Nice cozy environment, fully air-conditioned! The food is fantastic too. Must try is their fish specialty, where they deep-fried the fish bones so crisp, that you can them eat down whole! A good satisfying meal~

Dinner at Skinny Pizza (18 Jul '12)

Had a great time with the people from office who managed to win free tickets for TDKR movie. Since they were catching a show at Lido, I suggested going to Skinny Pizza for dinner. Haven't been there for a while, and had an intense longing for Squid Ink Pizza! The food was shiok, the "fei-lou-ship" wonderful, and the service was superb. All in all, a good dinner ;)

Geylang Food Outing (13 Jul '12)

Thank God for a great evening out with foodies kakis for 田鸡粥！牛肉河粉！！榴莲！！！Been about a year since I last came to Geylang for the naise naise frogs' legs porridge, beef "hor fun", and durians & mangosteens.

Eileen's Present (13 Jul '12)

Notice the BTSS look...

The guys in office got together a little something for our "chia zar bor"~ XD Gotta love this crazy office!

New TV! (29 Jun '12)

Our old Sharp TV has served us faithfully for a long time now. recently shown signs of crankiness, for no reason just kept going onto sleep-mode. And it's not easy trying to get it out of Sleep-mode, since it's not marked as a function on the remote. Finally I got my brother to go and get a new Sony LED TV. Hope my parents will have fun with it, since we kids hardly watched TV nowadays*

*on the TV, that is :P

Quick meal @ Sri Kama Vilas (23 Jun '12)

Mmmmmm, decided to go back to this old haunt for a quick Rava Dosai, sambal egg & kopi tarik meal. Haven't been there in a while, so didn't notice the sign saying you have to order at the cashier first. Still, small hiccup. Service was prompt, and food came fast and piping hot. May start going back there regularly again...

CG Alfresco Style (23 Jun '12)

Had our 1st CG session at John's and Jennifer's new place. It's still undergoing renovation, so we had it al fresco style at the open space besides their ground-floor unit. Thank God for the cooling winds despite the hot start to the day. Went through the 1st 2 days of church camp teachings with those who didn't go, and prayed together. Waiting for our great CG leader to lead us in the next session for the final 2 days of church camp.

Idle Shots 2 (23 Jun '12)

With the hot morning weather, though of whipping out my new camera and take some shots on my way to CG. Alas, started my trek too late, and can't walk all the way there. Nonetheless, managed to take some shots.

Slam Dunk! (22 Jun '12)

Was too full from the dinner at Togi, so decided to take a long walk to Raffles Place MRT. On the way, passed by China Square, and cut through it. Found a toy-shop selling toys at flea-market prices. Found these 5 figurines at $2 a piece, a real steal!

kimi ga suki da to sakebitai
ashita wo kaete miyou
kooritsuite'ku toki wo buchikowashitai
kimi ga suki da to sakebitai
yuuki de fumidasou
kono atsui omoi wo uketomete hoshii

Cold noodles at Togi (22 Jun '12)

Ironically I forgot to take pictures of the cold noodles! And it weren't as cold as I remembered it to be. Still, it was a good dinner at my favourite Korean food haunt at Mosque Street. 아주 맛있었어요!

Idle Shots (21 Jun '12)

Took my new camera out on my off day, and wanted to take some shots. However, weather forecast was cloudy and rainy in the afternoon, so didn't take much pictures. Still had fun with it on the feeder bus ride...

Dinner at Nanbantei (20 Jun '12)

We had a quick dinner at Nanbantei before our show "The Dictator" on Wednesday night. The guys are pretty pumped over all the meat, but weren't so crazy about the ginko nuts. Will definitely come back again for more yakitori!

Photos courtesy of Mark. Thansk Marco!

Father's Day Dinner (17 Jun '12)

had a traditional charcoal dinner at home, to beat squeezing with the crowds at restaurants today. Good simple home-cooked dinner da best!

Church Inter-district Games Night (14 Jun '12)

ok, basically, it's like Royal Rumble, save we dun use folding-chairs, ladders, or anything like that. It's really physical, and involves intricate mental calculation. All in all, I'm glad we played this; 'cos it led to over-time, which meant we couldn't played the 2nd game :D I did get a very sore throat from cheering on my team. I actually felt pain behind the back of my eyeballs as I cheered. Ah, the signs of aging...

Covenant Church Camp '12 (12 - 15 Jun)

Finally got to go for church camp! Missed the previous camp, so this is the first time in 4 years. Had great fun at Mariott Putrajaya. Lotsa drama going for church camp, had really good fun. Only regret was didn't arrange enough meetings to catch up with the kakis from Bukit Panjang. Pastor Benny Ho is really a "ho"* speaker, was really blessed by his sharing of the Word. Hopefully can still go for the next church camp!

*yes, corny to the max. :D

Prometheus (2012)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

Hmm, the prequel to Alien. The dots only connect rightly in the end. The 3D effect was a bit underwhelming. Think read an online observation, stating the film is "more grandiose, yet less spell-binding" - have to agree with this.

There are truly scary moment, since it was meant to be a thriller in the vein of the Alien franchise. The soundtrack certainly lived up to create the creepy ambiance. Am very surprised to see Charlize Theron pop up in the show. Fassbender as the android was a more fascinating character to me. The film take on science and faith, question of origins of humanity and God is pretty

Official Site:
http://www.prometheus-movie.co.uk/

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus_%28film%29

Snow White & the Huntsman (2012)

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

Supposedly a imaginative re-invention of the fairy tale. Loved the medieval treatment, and the fantasy element. However, Kristen Stewart as Snow White failed to impress. Even the seven dwarfs showed more personality! Wondering if Charlize Theron is becoming the Samuel L.Jackson pf movies, as keep seeing her popping up in films thesedays... and yes, Chris Hemsworth did his Thor stuff again, even though he was carrying an axe rather than a hammer.



Official Site:
http://www.snowwhiteandthehuntsman.com/

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1735898/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_and_the_Huntsman

Men In Black 3 (2012)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Comedy

Much better than the 2nd film, but not as good as the 1st. Still, it's a real great blast seeing K & J back in action. The 60s retro references are really funky and hilarious. And the ending song will sure get stuck in your brains... :P

Official Site:
http://www.meninblack.com/

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1409024/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_in_Black_3

Pitbull - Back In Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIDwgpBh0Aw&feature=related

Dinner at Nanbantei (09 Jun '12)

Been years since I last stepped in this place at Far East PLaza. And since I missed having this delicacy in Tokyo, decided to go there tonight with my buddy and have a good dinner. Service was friendly; sure was crowded. Next time must make reservations liao~

http://www.nanbantei.com.sg/

Soiree at Bugis & Dhoby Gaut (06 June '12)

Had a blast of a time catching up with friends over nice Thai-Chinese fare and Hong Kong desserts in town tonight.

ロボジー/ Robo ji/ Robo-G (2012)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Foreign

Oooo, from the director that gave us "Waterboys", "Swing Girls" and "Happy Flight"! Another heart-warming show I watched on the flight back from Japan.
i <3 Yuriko!!!

Official Site (Japanese)
http://www.robo-g.jp/index.html

映画「ロボジー」主題歌 MR. ROBOTO by 五十嵐信次郎とシルバー人材センター
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leq5chTC6Wo

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1805492/

Wiki entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robo-G

Asian Wiki Entry:
http://asianwiki.com/Robo-G

鴨川ホルモー/ Kamogawa Horumō/ Kamogawa Horumo: Battle League in Kyoto (2009)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Foreign

More like a Japanese summer show for the kids. Pretty weird. Cutesify demons or oni?* More like pokemon... but it did have pretty female leads and a truly weird plot...

Official Site (Japanese)
http://www.horumo.jp/index.html

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1381065/

Asian Media Wiki:
http://asianwiki.com/Battle_League_Horumo

*not our local dessert of yam pudding 芋泥

キツツキと雨 / Kitsutsuki to Ame / The Woodsman and the Rain (2011)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Foreign

A quirky yet heart-warming Japanese show I watched on my midnight flight to Japan. Really Japanese in essence, even though it's set in modern times. Loved how the director finally comes to actualization, and finished his zombie movie. And how the woodsman* also grew in this journey.

Official Site (Japanese)
http://kitsutsuki-rain.jp/

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1867566/

Asian Wiki Entry:
http://asianwiki.com/The_Woodsman_and_the_Rain

Trailer (Japanese):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb0KtUeOBAg

*no relation to Snow White and the huntsman

P.S. Found this MV which supposed to showcase the main theme song of the film. Only make sense if you watched the show beforehand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEo3WyL3Lsk

Dinner at Marukin Ramen (31 May '12)

Went to dinner at Scotts Tower, to try out a new ramen place. Think they served exclusively chicken and vegetables ramen. No pork.If this was before my Japan trip, I would have found it to be okay... However, there's a certain "Je ne sais quois" feeling? ((*゜Д゜)ゞ”

Lunch at Ashton's (31 May '12)

After a gruelling morning of fasting and praying... okay, I can't say this with a straight face. (≧∇≦)/

We had a nice morning of devotions, followed by lunch at our favorite restaurant at the Cathay, Ashton's Specialties! My order took the longest to cook, and was the last to come. But I tell you, the lamb loin chops ala medium rare is superb! Greasy! Gamey! Fabulous with mint! :D

Day 9 (19 May '12) and after trip - Ikebukuro

Final set for the night~

Day 8 (18 May '12) - Ikeburo, Ueno, Akihabara and Shinjuku

Day 7 (17 May '12) - Tsujiki and Shinjuku

Day 6 (16 May '12) - Yokohoma

Day 5 (15 May '12) - Harajuku and Shibuya

Day 4 (14 May '12) - Asakusa, Akihabara and Tokyo Tower

Day 3 (13 May '12) - Ikebukuro and Hakone

Day 2 (12 May '12) - Ikebukuro, Harajuku and Yokohoma

Japan trip (pre-flight) and Day 1 (10-11 May '12) - Ikebukuro

Finally done re-sizing my Japan trip photos!

Early Mothers' Day Dinner (09 May '11)

Went to an early celebration of Mothers' Day, because I'll be away over the weekend. Good thinking on sister's part to go somewhere different. 阿母,我爱你!!! :P

Kakushi Toride no San-Akunin: The Last Princess/ 隠し砦の三悪人 THE LAST PRINCESS (2008)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Foreign

A modern remake of Kurosawa 1958 masterpiece, which inspired George Lucas for his first Star Wars movie. if that doesn't make you salivate... :p Still, the remake focuses more of special effects, so it lost a little something in the telling of the tale.

IMDB ENtry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1134519/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakushi_Toride_no_San-Akunin:_The_Last_Princess

AsianWiki Entry
http://asianwiki.com/The_Last_Princess

Secret Reunion/ 의형제/ Ui-hyeong-je (2010)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

Didn't feel like watching this at first. cos thought it was another generic brotherhood story. But once you started watching this, you'll be sucked into the intense storyline. Another film that plays on the North-South Korea tensions, it has a bit of everything. Also tells of the social tensions of immigrants into the Korea homogenous society.
A great watch on Mio Home TV

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535491/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Reunion

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac/誰かが私にキスをした/Dareka ga watashi ni kiss wo shita (2010)

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Foreign

Strange Japanese teenage flick. The shots are pretty interesting, but the plot meanders...

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1330229/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_of_a_Teenage_Amnesiac

AsianWiki Entry:
http://asianwiki.com/Memoirs_of_a_Teenage_Amnesiac

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Comedy

Oh, nearly forgot, they're offering this on Mio TV now. I didn't catch this at the theatrical release back in '05. 1st time watching this, and found it to be genuinely funny. Despite plenty of swearing and crudity, there is a genuine level of human-ness in this comedy.

Official SIte:
http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/the-40-year-old-virgin/

IMDB Entry:
www.imdb.com/title/tt0405422/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_40-Year-Old_Virgin

Battleship (2012)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

Eh, nice movie, but not that great for me. The sound effects and CGI are pretty terrific. Considering they came up with a movie based on a board game, it's pretty alright.

2 questions though: (WARNING: SPOILERS)

1. My friend asks how can an alien civilization that managed to do faster-than-light travels through space still be using projectile-based trajectory weaponry? I mean, where's the "pew pew pew" laser and plasma weapons?!

2. For me, it's how can the main lead, a lieutenant (not a lieutenant commander, just a lieutenant) be the next highest commanding officer of a destroyer when the CO (Commanding Officer) and XO (Executive Officer) gets taken out?! Where did the other 30 officers go?!?!?!? ... Hollywood artistic licencing, or the reality is stranger than the truth?

Official Site:
http://www.battleshipmovie.com/#

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440129/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_%28film%29

Freud's Last Session (2012)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

Fantastic play of an imagined conversation, between the renowned father of psychoanalysis and a young, just-converted academic. Chuckles abound at the clever scripting and the superb acting, even though some of my friends found the accent to be a bit thick. First played on Broadway in 2009, won the Best Play Award from the Off Broadway Alliance in April, 2011.


Broadway Site:
http://freudslastsession.com/

Esplanade Link:
http://www.esplanade.com/whats_on/programme_info/the-studios_freuds_last_session/index.jsp

(picture from
http://dribbble.com/shots/493711-Freud-s-Last-Session)

About the playwright, Mark St. Germain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_St._Germain

Actresses/ Yeobaewoodeul / 여배우들 (2009)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

A nice film featuring strong-willed actresses on a Vogue photo-shoot on a wintry Christmas night. Apparently there are no scripted lines, the director just gave the actresses the scenario. So it felt pretty "live-wire", as you see the tension being played out. A superb offering from Mio Home TV.

Official Site (Korean)
http://cafe.naver.com/actressmovie?&t__nil_upper_main=homepage

IMDB ENtry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1459219/

AsianWiki Entry:
http://asianwiki.com/The_Actresses

Rinco's Restaurant/ Shokudo Katatsumuri/ 食堂かたつむり(2010)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Comedy

Another quirky Japanese summer show from Mio Home TV. Fun to watch the cooking, and the silly antics...

IMDB Entry:
http://asianwiki.com/Rinco%27s_Restaurant

AsiaWiki Entry:
http://asianwiki.com/Rinco%27s_Restaurant

The Flowers of War/ 金陵十三钗 (2011)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

Another great movie from Zhang Yimou. A bit arty-farty in certain scenes, lots of interpretation if you analyse the scenes. Moving human stories abound in this tragic war story set during the Nanjing Massacre of 1937. Pretty graphic in violence, don't bring your kids to watch this (think it's at least a NC-16 rating in Singaporean theaters)

谁说婊子无情无义?谁说兵士无血无泪?

Official Site (US)
http://www.theflowersofwarthemovie.com/

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1410063/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flowers_of_War

The Hunger Games (2012)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

Good film. I was surprised this was adapted from a young adult's fiction book, cos the themes are pretty dark and chilling. Wonder if the books will be any good. Hopefully they will make a trilogy of films to follow the books.

May the odds ever be in your favor.

Official Site:
http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games_%28film%29

Joyful Noise (2012)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Other

Like I said on my FB post, superbly Hollywood version of what church & worship is, but "Sister Act" this is not. The songs are Christian and soulful, yet the values portrayed are pretty off. And the way the competitions are portrayed, it's pretty scary. Still, the element of human drama and problems are very real. There are genuine hilarious moments, like the fight scene in the restaurant; there are genuine moving moments, like the rooftop scene, the hotel lobby scene and the alone-in-the-church singing scene. Still, it feels like a mish-mash.

Official Site:
http://joyfulnoisemovie.warnerbros.com/index.html#/home

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1710396/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyful_Noise_%28film%29

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax 3D (2012)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Animation

Hmm, enjoyed the movie quite a lot; but i haven't read the book. According to most critics, the film does not do the book justice. But I found the story to be pretty alright. And the animals are so cute! One of the few ecological-minded animations I've seen. The titular character don't appear a lot, but... SOMEONE NEEDS TO SPEAK FOR THE TREES. UNLESS!

Official Site:
http://www.theloraxmovie.com/index.php

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1482459/

Wiki entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lorax_%28film%29