The 3-min rule

The 3 min. rule

I love watching infotainment shows on KBS, the Korean channel.

This 3 min. rule is just one of the interesting things I learnt from from one of their programmes; the title which I only recall as, "Secrets..."

Every week, they come up with a theme/topic and they have reporters highlighting secrets of various people/places out there that display interesting abilities which goes along the line of that highlighted topic.

This week the topic was, "Being quick."

They went to a business consultant's office and asked, "What's the secret to a restaurant's success?"

She gave a simple answer. "3 minutes."

They checked various successful restaurants (read: always crowded, high turnover, popular). All of thed had the food served to the customers in the range of 3 minutes. WITHOUT FAIL.

The secret behind this phenomenon? It's just human nature.

Human are at their hungriest 3-4 minutes after making their orders (when they start looking forward to their food).

They test it by putting a food out infront of 3 adults and collect their saliva at various times. Naturally, human drool when they're hungry, right? The more saliva released, the hungrier you are. Most saliva collected is of course, within 3-4minutes after they've been exposed to the plate of food infront of them.

The results are similar when they did a brain scan.

That's why, when you serve food within that time range, customers appreciate it very much. And they show it by the response they give to the food you serve. When you're hungry, everything taste nice, right? And your food taste VERY delicious to them. Keep up that service and your food will ALWAYS taste delicious to them.

They checked on less succesful restaurants and timed the service. Foods are served at a rate of 2.5x later that that of regular restaurants- in the range of 5-6 minutes. hmmmm...

And that's why, at fast food restaurants, despite the crappy foods they serve, are highly popular. The speed at which they serve their food gives their customers ample time to look for seats after collecting thier food and eat after 3 mins have passed.

And does the food taste good?

YOU BET.

bukit timah hike

hiking singapore's tallest hill... ekeke

It's a public holiday and the plan was a harmless hike up Singapore's tallest hill, which, admittedly has a height that is nothing to boast about.

Nothing could have gone wrong, right ?

WRONG.




Anyway, the first part was tough enough. I mean, I have not hiked for ages. Okay, so I've done MacRitchie but the ground there most level, with the exception of that crazy stairs after the bridge. But then again, those stairs are nicely constructed.

But stairs like these...?

I tell you, I wasn't exeggerating when I say that some steps have risers going as deep at 0.5m! And treads embedded with little rocks so sharp that it hurts everytime you landed on them.

They're supposed to be buried in the soil but naturally, erosion cause these little devils to cause menace on hikers (or literally, their feet).

Therefore, it's important that one wears suitable footwear. Never mind that the hill ain't that high. I doesn't mean that the forest trail is any less treacherous.




Entangled tree roots, fallen leaves, eroded paths, rock embedded paths, deep steps and muddy ground. All the things you expect of a rugged trail. Never mind that it's dry the whole week. The ground will still be muddy. Wet. Do go thinking that there's low chance of you slipping.

Because the nature reserve has THIS:

Spring water trickling from a natural source (mata-air), coming from deep within the hill.

Here, they build up an area to contain the cooling water for trekkers/hikers.

The water is clear, as one can see. Even if you see sediments in the water that you have collected, I guess, the water is clean once the impurities has settled at the bottom of the container.

This is one trip that bring forth a lot of blessings (and where my instincts works at full force- if only I'd listened).




I'm glad we started the hike up the main road, namely the easiest route. I've checked beforehand, that the red & blue trail is the easiest and I also took note that a trail of another colour is the most difficult. Problem is, I wasn't sure which one.

Succeeding in reaching the summit in 1/2 hr, I though of getting a tad adventurous. After all, the kids have had their fill and also stuffed their faces with enough chocolate to give them energy to last them a whole day.

So we decided to follow the 'yellow' route. It must have been a bad sign when the route starts with a treacherous climb down some really zany steps. Just when we thought that we should stick to the main road, we got on flat ground so, hey! That wasn't so bad...

So we got deeper. And then I realised that we've stumbled into the green trail but it's too far to turn back to get back onto the yellow trail. All this while, I had thought that the green trail must have been the most difficult. I mean, no trails can be worse rite, after all those crazy steps we have to climb up AND down?

WRONG.

I just read this, when I got back on the nParks website again just now.

Trail 3 (Green) 1-2 hours. Trail grade: moderate to difficult.

Trail 4 (Yellow) 2 hours. Trail grade: Difficult.

Gah! So the accidental stumble onto the green trail had been a blessing after all! Imagine what we would have gone through had we insisted on the yellow trail....

I mean, I have 6 & 11 year old kid, 2 girl tweens, 3 teens and another 2 super-unfit adults. My cousin's daughter brought a fren of hers; a bubbly girl, who got exasperated with every uphill climb, be it the steps or even slopes. But then again, she the same kid who ran/bounced down those crazy steps like an over-zealous gummi-bear. As opposed to her disdain for climbing, she LOVES going down.

I remember screaming after her, "When you climb up, you kept saying you wanna go home. When you go down, you're like a crazy girl. Slow down! BEE CAREE-FUULLL!!!!" Not once, I did that, ok? Many times, in fact.

So why is it that I wasn't surprised when I heard her scream and she was on the ground when I got to her? Geez.

Somehow, the anger inside me quelled by the time I came by her side. No point scolding her right? It's happened. Then there's the crying. Her endless tearing made me wonder if she's broken her ankle instead of just spraining it. Feeling around it, everything semed intact. It's not even swollen yet. But we can't take any chances.

Many other hikers passed by, some even families. To those who stopped to ask about us/give advice/offer help/drop so encouragement, I THANK YOU LOTS. It's really heartwarming to see that you sincerely cared.

Sending all the other kids away to rest at the visitor centre, my cousin and I stayed with her while she rest her leg and let the pain subside. Looking at the way she cry and badly handling the pain, something eventually crossed my mind. "Is this your first time? I know it's your first hike. But spraining your leg. Is this the first time..?"

She nodded.

Ah, I see. I turned to Sue. "I must have sprained my ankle so many times, it felt like something that happened every year... "

"Hey do you remember the first time you sprained your ankle..? Mine was so long ago but I rememebered the most embarassing time, though... I fell down the bus when alighting at the interchange. Imagine that!"

"Ekeke... I feel down at the shopping centre, wearing a skirt. My mum only laughed at me.."

So we got to exchanging funny stories about spraining ankles while that girl looked up at us, smiling amidst her sobbing. I guess my tactic worked after all, for later she said, "Cik CT, jom kita jalan. Dah boleh sikit-sikit.." (Auntie CT, lets move on. I can walk a bit..)

I want her to see the lighter side of this whole incident. So I just told her, "See? The first time you hike, you sprained your ankle. Some adventure, huh? Whenever you go through a bad situation, tell yourself, Nothing Can Be Worse Than THIS!" I gave her a wink.

She smiled. Cool!

I guess this taught her a bit bout pain endurance for later, she was hobbling around by herself, following us around when she should just be resting her leg. I guess she got the hang of it. But I took no chances and drove her back home with my cousin, as the mum of her friend to explain to her mum.

That incident aside, the green trail is still a blessing. Besides the gorgeous sight, that is the trickle of water from deep within the hills, I remember climbing up this treacherous flight of steps and seeing the others lagging behing, I had stopped at one of the steps and leaned on a tree. I gentle breeze made me turn and the sight that greeted me blew me away.

I was overlooking the valley that was overgrown with foliage that make up this tropical rainforest that the authorities were so determined to conserve.

It was such a gorgeous sight and before long, more gentle breeze blew subtly from across the valley and drain my exhaustion away. I can never thank Allah s.w.t enough for that opportunity to view and be part of this gorgeous landscape.


And Cave Path, true to its name - is indeed littered with caves.

Just too bad the entrances are barred. I would love to know what's inside. Though it kind of feel a tad creepy, seeing these dark caverns deep in the hill forest.

All in all, the green trail had been some experience indeed. I think I may just hike up that hill just to get a taste of that natural spring water...


And I shall part with a shot of this gorgeous flower, which to me, is reminiscent of the ginger torch.

MacRitchie - check.
Bukit Timah - check.
Next stop - Sungei Buloh!

a sad tale

sad tale

I really did go for my 2nd round of Mukhsin. Partly to keep Shyba company and partly beacause I haven't had enough of that movie.

Never mind the fact that we have to travel all the way to far-flung Causeway Point, since VivoCity only plays the movie at 1850hrs. Never mind the fact that I end up knocking off late from work and end up taking a cab there (almost $16!).

Oh, I didn't know they don't have subtitles over there. In a way it's good cos' having been forced listen to the dialogue, I was able to absorb the movie fully. However, it's a waste that the initial scenes with the Chinese dialogues may just pass the Malay-speaking audience. And the subtitles to the French song by Nina Simone would have left a better impact as the lyrics are related to the scenes whcih has the song in the background.

I can't help making comparisons, having watched the same movie in 2 different situations. I can't believe I still laugh at the funny scene. The jokes still seem fresh, albeit it being my 2nd time.
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On another note, my cousin had lent me this box-set of dvds since late last year and only today, have I been able to complete watching it.

Out of curiousity, I googled up on the drama (only when I'm almost done, so I don't end up reading spoilers) and got a rude shock.

Apparently, the leading actress had committed suicide on Feb this year. What's shocking is that I had been following this Korean show, Entertainment Relay on KBS and they've reported on her death when it occured.

I had been curious as to who the actress could have been. Little did I know that I had been watching her show all this while.

Yet another case of depression (not the first Korean in the hallyu entertainment industry). It's amazing, how fiesty and jovial their characters can be and yet, life never really imitate art. Somehow, things are more of the opposite.

I'm glad I only found out when I'm coming to the last episode of the show, cos' that discovery left such a big impact on me that I only feel a strange sort of emptiness when watching it.

mukhsin & yasmin

mukhsin & yasmin
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Thank goodness I didn't rush to watch Mukhsin at Cathay Causeway Point last Thu. Thank goodness my cousin informed me of the screening GV Vivocity for yesterday. Thank goodness....

.....for I get to meet her in person.

















Yasmin Ahmad herself.


Yes, she was there at the 1420 screening at GV Vivocity yesterday. I know that the standalone mike at the front of the Europa theatre has got to mean something...

I had that gut feeling actually. And when I heard hushed whispers coming from the back, I was quick to turn. Lo and behold, Yasmin herself had made her entrance!

What was I feeling then?

Delirious. Exhilarated.

I mean, I've watched (almost) all her works,; from Rabun, Sepet, Gubra and not to mention her many ads on M'sian tv. And to finally see the whiz behind those works..? PRICELESS!

I can't can't recall fully what she said when standing at the front... but it kind of goes somewhere along this line: "...I'm glad there's more than 2 persons here (an inside joke; with reference to a certain incident back in M'sia one time).... Laugh loudly if you think it's funny.. cry... Enjoy the movie.."

My memory tend to fail me when I get excited. My bad.

And the movie IS good. The cinematography, breathtaking. The soundtracks, awesome. And the acting, fabulous. Many pleasant surprises here and there. LOVE IT.

And it's so funny! I shall personally label it: "Romantic Comedy". What? You think on Sandra Bullock is capable of carrying off such roles?

In fact, I'm going for a 2nd round. Right, Shyba?

I rushed out to look for Yasmin herslf. I know she's gonna be outside. And when I did see her... *sigh* I got a little bonkers and the pitch of my voice got a tad higher than it should, the speed of my speceh a tad faster and .... yes, I got more than a tad too excited.

Totally failed my calm and collected self horribly (in fact, my cousins did a take on how I've acted when i send them back in the car. I almost dropped them off at the highway). My behaviour was indeed, absurd. *malunyer aku...*

But at least I got to shake her hand. Introduce myself. Complimented Raved about the movie. And took a pic with her.












myself, my cousin Nor, Yasmin and my cousin Imah.


Utterly poor picture quality. It's times like this that makes me regret not lugging my camera along. It's not as if it's bulky anyway... Geez.

My 2nd gripe will be my lack of dress sense, on of all days- that one. I mean, I've always dressed up on weekends and I thought that the unsculpurous heat from that day is a good excuse for me to dress down.

Wrong. Timing.

Great. So what else is new?

Anyway, those who love Yasmin's past works ans still have yet to watch Mukhsin, "..So where the hell are you..?" (quoting from the 'Visit Australia' ad).

spiderman 3 trailer

spiderman 3

Notice at 2.02, when Brock looks up at Spidey, he was wearing a coat. But when the venom fell on him, he's just wearing a tee.

Just another movie mistake... Heh.

mukhsin

Mukhsin - go watch!

It's a movie that I eagerly anticipate. Eversince it opened in Malaysia, critics and regular audience alike, all raved about this movie.

Anxious, I snooped around trying to find the date that this movie will be screened in Singapore. Heard through the grapevine that it'll screen a fortnight after Malaysia. And someone specifically mentioned the 29th.

And yet, I find NOTHING about Mukhsin being screened here. Null, Nil, Zilch. Even yesterday, which is like a few days away from the screening date. Nothing on GV wesite, Cathay, Shaw or Eng Wah. Previous newspaper reports shows that no one has any idea when it'll come here.

Desperate, I already planned with my cousin to hop over to JB's City Square and watch it there over the weekend. Cannot take it la. Read so much about this movie online and I've stumbled upon many spoilers (w/o reading them, of course).

On a last resort, I send Yasmin Ahmad, the director and writer of Mukhsin, a message:

Kak Yasmin,

Adakah Mukhsin akan ditayangkan di S'pore?? Ada yang cakap on the 29th... tak nampak apa-apa pun kat "coming soon" punya category???

I really really wanna watch Mukhsin on the big screen. Pardon me if I'm a step behind when it comes to obtaining info but do enlighten me. If it's coming here, when will it be? And which theatres?

Terima Kasih.
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And this is her reply:

salaam ct,

the publicity for mukhsin in singapore is REALLY poor! it will open this thursday at golden village vivocity cineplex, but there's been ZERO publicity.

ct, if you like my work, pls find a way to spread the news as much as you can!
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Can you believe that? It's incredulous isn't it? That a movie is to be screened here without any publicity. Without any promotions. Do I sniff something here...? Something..... Hmm....

Maybe it's just a lazy arse who's suppose to deal with this, hence the lack of absence of any publicity whatsoever. So here I am playing my part, doing my bit.

Mukhsin is a movie that has won 2 awards at the Berlin International Film Festival ~ Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix & Glass Bear- Special Mention (Generation Kplus - Best Feature Film).

"...Orked is ten. Mukhsin is thirteen. They are the best of friends..."

This story is also about first love. Isn't that just schweet..?

So those who watched Yasmin's past movies, Rabun, Sepet & Gubra or even her touching ads on M'sian tv - and LOVE them, be sure to not miss this latest movie from her.

It'll screen on this Thursday the 29th at Causeway Point & Sun Plaza.

Screening at GV VivoCity on Sat, 31st Mar only.

Go, watch it!!!

**Last minute info update.

2 girlfrens and 2 buddies

2 girlfrens and 2 buddies

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A friday-nite-end-of-workweek meet up. Well for Deanna & me, that is. Been eons since we last met up, man! When was that? The time when we chilled at Tini's place? Did we meet again after that? Geez, I can't remember!

Same old thing. A simple dinner and chill-out till late. Not to mention the girl-talks. now, THAT's precioussss....

Tini & Deanna

Crazy attempt at getting the 3 of us. Putting the camera on an unstable base with nightmode gives you a scary outcome. Look at us. Seems like it's our souls that still linger..

A decent self-shot.

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If you're wondering how is it that the movie 300 survive being at the top of the box office charts, that's because there are people like these 2 around.

One raved so much about it and asked if I could accompany him to watch it for the 2nd time. Turns out, by the time I decide to watch it, he sheepishly admitted to having gone for the 2nd round the night before and that day will be his THIRD time watching it.

That'll be HIM. His name is Bas.

While the other one, I've never expected him to like epic war movies. Turns out, that day will be his 2nd time watching 300. Just what have I been missing out on??! Even my bro have watched it and raved non-stop.

And that's Khama, holding his birthday pressie from us.

They have told me of the gorgeous setting, reminiscent of a comic book. How they 'stay true' to its comic book origins. And of course, the guys' physique.

And I agree. Many times, I just wanna freeze-frame and add a dialogue box at the corner of the screen. And punctuate the sound-effects where it's necessary. And I admit that Astinos (Tom Wisdom) do look juicy. Though I wouldn't encourage fans of Astinos to google up on him, for he looks so bland in real life.

All these British actors are just so pale, no doubt they had their bodies air-brushed for their role. But ah, I now recall back scenes for my favourite part in the movie with a little difference in interest. The one where Astinos and Stelios battled back-to-back? Yeah? And how close they were? Buddies and all? Yeah?

Then read THIS.

A little warning though. Homophobics may not like what they read.

Tell me you don't see the movie in a different light after reading that. That's the truth you know. It's in the history books.

Hong Kong Day 4 & 5

Hong Kong Day 4 & 5
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Ahh... finally. Hafta' wake up early to check out from Stanford Hillview and transfer for our 1 night's stay at Disneyland Hollywood Hotel.

Lantau Island (where Disneyland is) is soooo... cold!

And Disneyland owns such a huge piece of land, eh? The 2 hotels (Hollywood & Hong Kong) are spaced quite far apart and I wonder if the Inspiration Lake also belongs to them. The whole area is not surprisingly, idyllic.

Since we checked in very early, we were given the room on the ground floor. And it is sooo spacious as compared to the one in Kowloon. Their plasma TV played a variety of channels including a Korean one! *whee!* And their Disney channel alone comes in 3 different languages.





Frankly speaking, HK's Disneyland is... small. Well maybe because I've been to Ocean Park & Window of the World and both parks are huge, that's why I could have felt that way. Then again, I'm not the only one who testified that. Even the rides are meant more for kids but the size can actually accomodate adults (thank goodness!).

What I love about the park is the variety of shows that we can watch that makes the exorbitant ticket price worth it.

There's the Simba Jungle Show and The Golden Mickeys - both musicals. Then there's the daily 3pm parade. And the grand finale, Disney in the Stars - the spectacular fireworks showcase held daily.



Oh, oh! The best part is being able to meet life-sized Disney stars/characters and take photos with them! I like!

And yes, I did walk around the park with Pooh's ears. It's not often that one can be like this. Kiddish? Hey, this IS Disneyland!
On the last day, we took the MTR train ride back to Kowloon for some last-minute shopping. Being morning, most of the markets are hardly open.

Had our last meal at Shadowman Internet Cafe and thanked the owner, Mr Abdul Kader for accomodating us (and our antics).




With Mr Abdul Kader himself @ Shadowman Internet Cafe

He had mentioned that we're his most wacky customers and even his wife whom we met when she came by enquired about us when she called him from S'pore (she returned 2 days earlier).

He had been our most reliable source of information and all the tales he told us have been much enlightening. And those words of wisdom, PRICELESS! If we've been wacky, then he's really witty. His endless humour had been such a relief for our exhausted selves. Will definitely drop by there the when I come back to HK (hopefully!).

Rushed back to Disneyland to be transferred to HK Int'l Airport for our night flight. It seems that 5 days there just don't seem enough. I need a week! I wanna go Macau! I wanna go and explore Hong Kong Island. I wanna see Causeway Bay! Wanchai! I wanna drop by Times Square. Oh and that very, very long escalator?

Hong Kong is still not my idea of a shopping paradise (got an earful from my frens for saying that). But the sights are really worth coming for (including the guys.. heh!). And be sure to go during the right season. Their summer I heard is pretty treacherous. Autumn will be nice. Maybe next time I'll go in autumn. That'll be in a few month's time.

Hmmm...


Disney in The Stars - The fireworks display held daily at 8pm.

Day 4 & 5 pics located H.E.R.E

Hong Kong Day 3

Hong Kong Day Three
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Wake up and smell the roses. We literally did that. Left early to check out Flower Market & Bird Street. I've never seen sooo many flower shops at once! And being springtime, the flowers are at their best.Gorgeous, gorgeous!

If not for the strict laws controlling the kind of goods we can bring into S'pore, I would have lugged back pots and pots of them flowers. Those tulips... *sigh*

And we took the bus! Haha. Similar to our super bus, except that it's much, much cleaner. And they make announcements for each stop. Cool! And they have directories at EVERY bus stands! Different types of buses stop at different stands, though.

We're gonna spend the day on Hong Kong Island.

Okay, so I have planned for us to hit many places but we know that Ocean Park is worth spending almost the whole day at. It's not to be missed when one goes to HK. The dolphin and sealion show (left) is worth the ticket prize alone. If Bangkok has Siam Ocean World and KL has Aquaria, HK had Ocean Park for the longest time.

There's the Shark Aquarium, Atoll Reef (deep sea aquarium), The Jellyfish Spectacular, Panda bears and many more. And lots of fun rides. And take the cable car that rides alond the hillside (left), giving you a spectacular view of the Aberdeen Bay.

We ended the day with a visit to Victoria Peak. Took the 45deg tram which makes you feel like all the buildings you see outside are slanted instead. I had wanted to be there before the sunset and stayed there till night so I can see views at both daylight & at night.

But it was 6pm when we left Ocean Park and made it to The Peak like than an hour later. Knowing that the sun set early in HK, well...
And it rained. We had wanted to catch the Symphony of Lights from The Peak but too bad..

And it was blardee cold...! The slight drizzle, the mist/fog, the cold winds.... But I like it! However, the view... Visibilty was like only 60-70%. Geez!

And there, we made it to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. All those bevy of (wax) stars on display.. *yikes!*I have to warn you that I did some insane poses and it might turn you off. Heh. Happy, mah!

Pics for Day 3 located HERE

Hong Kong Day 1 & 2

Hong Kong Day One & Two
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5D4N Trip to Hong Kong with my collegue, Sri & cousin, Sue.

We bunked in at Stanford HILLview Hotel for 3 nights. We should have taken the name seriously. HILLview. Should have known better.















With a slope gradient of 1:5, getting to the hotel is no mean feat!

One thing that caught my eye is HK people's fashion sense. Are they trendy or what? Even the plainest of faces dress well. From head-to-toe. I'm really missing the sight of the guys there. *sigh*

1st Day's activity is mainly to get adapted, check out the Avenue of Stars and view the Symphony of Lights. The latter is not as spectacular as I've expected it to be. Nowhere like what they put in their tourism advertisement. Then again, the word 'advertising' already carries another meaning altogether.















(T) With a bronze statue of Lee Jun Fan, a.k.a. Bruce Lee. Founder of Jeet Kun Do.
(B) The Symphony of Lights. Nothing much, really. A tad too hyped up.

It must have been a blessing in disguise that we're unable to find the 1st two places we intended to head to for an early dinner and saw ourselves eventually heading for Shadowman Cafe. Turns out, the owner (who's Singaporean) was there and upon knowing that we're fellow countrymen, was only to happy to give us tips for sightseeing & shopping. PRICELESS!

We weren't too keen to head for Shenzhen beacause we do not know what to expect over there but after being reassured by Mr Abdul Kader (Shadowman's owner) himself, we head there on our 2nd day.

The fact that we went to CHINA.... wow! Never have I thought that I'll be heading to China. C-H-I-N-A. I didn't even tell my parents for fear that I'll just scare them.

Never have I thought that getting into China from HK is is so darn easy! Just like entering JB but more efficiently. More smoothly. Definitely easier.

The KCR train station is right where the border is. And the distance to Shenzhen, China from the HK border is a mere 200 metres apart.

Forget the language barrier. All the people we enquired with in Shenzhen spoke fluent English (dun mind the accent, though). Even the train make annoucements in English! But I have to warn you that the signages are not necessarily in English, unlike HK.

And most of the people there have to-die-for noses and complexion. Including the guys. Heheh.

And it's so clean!















(T) The idicators inside Shenzhen Metro train. Red shows stations that have passed. Yellow are those coming up.
(B) Window of the World.

Window of the World is a pretty interesting place to venture to. Miniatures of various monuments around the world in display. These little structures are so immaculately crafted that it's really amazing!

Did mention that it's springtime over there? The weather is kinda' cold, somewhere between 18-22 deg C and the flowers in full bloom are a sight to behold. Gorgeous!

PICTURES LOCATED **HERE** (1st 2 days only)

HK pt 1

Hong Kong (Pt. Uno)

I am missing Hong Kong so much, it hurts. All the things I've packed and brought back, I think I've forgotten part of my heart. And soul.

Do I like Hong Kong?

I LOVE it. So much. I'm contemplating going back there. Possibly alone (my parents' are so gonna strangle me).

I love taking long walks from one street to the other. I love the bright lights. I love the cold air. I love the views. I love the infrastructure. I love their transportation. I just love the ease at which I'm able to get around.

And I love the men there. Or how they dress for that matter. The hair. The shoes. And their nicely-shaped noses.

There's a lot that I missed venturing to. No more Disneyland. No more Ocean Park. Next, it'll be Star Ferry and Causeway Bay. The Peak in the day. Soho. Wanchai. Macau. And more of Tsim Sha Tsui! The streets! More men! Haha.

I LOVE Hong Kong. Have I said that already? *sigh*

The wallpaper currently on my handphone.

Taken in the middle of Nathan Road, while waiting for the traffic lights to turn green.

I miss that place...

eh, got fireworks, la!

eh, got fireworks, la!

Do you know that? Well, I don't.

I was in a shopping mood yesterday. And those who know me will know that I'm not the shopping type. Only when the mood kick in, then will I get off my ass to wander at the malls. Otherwise, it's just a go-straight-for-the-stuff-and-buy affair.

Thing is, when I really do shop, I usually ending up inflicting some serious damage to my pockets. Luckily I know where to head for the discounts.

Dragged my cousins, nephews and nieces all the way to Queesway S.C. just to get a pair of Crocs. FYI, there's this shop there that sell (original) Crocs excluding gst so my mary-janes cost $49++ instead of $52++, as sold outside. At least Sue also bought a pair so I don't feel so bad having them following me there...

Then I got myself a new digicam at $499 instead of the usual $600++ because of the CNY promotions. Funny thing is, I had aimed, researched and intended to buy the Nikon S8 and yet, I walked away from Harvey Norman with an Olympus Stylus 740. And that includes a free 512mb SD card, card reader and screen protector (almost $90 worth). And I'm claiming another (free!) 1gb SD card and an Adobe software (more than $60 worth) from the Olympus office. And $10 off my puchase of a new battery.






I was so tempted to get the coloured ones but I was reminded that scratches will be obvious so I opt for the silver one instead... :P

After having dragged them through Suntec, Millenia Walk and Marina (I dunno Dorothy Perkins Suntec is closed), I compensate by offering to chill at the Esplanade with some ice-cream. We chose to sit on the bridge, seeing that it's not as crowded as the waterfront. Little do I know that our choice location was brought on by a stroke of luck...

When it's almost 9pm, I can see that more and more people are packing the waterfront and even the bridge. And curiously enough, most of them were leaning on the railings at where we're sitting. My cousin Nor had mentioned that there could be a fireworks display. Hmm...

At the stroke of 9 I heard someone doing the countdown at the River Hongbao fair on the other side and true enough, a brilliant display of lights actually exploded in the dark night sky. I also realised that the place we sat at was a strategic spot cos' we got a direct view of the fireworks. Superb!

Got a new camera, might as well use it, right?



Do you get dizzy viewing that? Well I do. There are other videos to upload actually but I chose that one. That's just the sadist in me, there. Heh.

Remind me to NEVER allow my cousin Yati to take videos EVER AGAIN. Her hands are super unsteady, man!

public holiday, avoid sentosa

when public holiday, avoid sentosa at all costs
Monday, 19th Feb

...seriously.

I think that the brood of 3 adults, 3 teens, 9 little nephews & nieces that I came with are the only handful of locals at Sentosa that day.

That island was teeming with foreigners of all shapes and sizes. And that include those who are based here.

I felt like a foreigner in my own country. And the weather didn't help much, either.

Driving to Harbourfront (parking only at $2/= per entry on PH.. so cheap!!), I came across a traffic jam which I wrongly assume to be leading into Vivo City. Turns out, all the cars were turning into the Sentosa Gateway. And my cousin told me that there was a snaking queue at the bus interchange. Need I even mention the Sentosa Express (monorail)?? Oh, oh... And the tram service to the beaches??

I almost turned back.

Then it also rained. I assumed it to be the usual passing cloud and that's it. But it lasted for over 15mins and it was a DOWNPOUR, actually. Then the skies poured its load again and AGAIN. We adults were so worried for the kids' well-being while they took the chance to frolick in the afternoon showers.

And you know what's the irony? That when the tide was receeding and the water gets shallower, the crowd comes in full force. The lagoon was like an overcrowded bathtub. I think the lifeguards must have had a big headache handling the onslaught of picnickers.















And taking the bus transfer back was another issue. Sentosa practically hired some private buses on top of their own fleet of buses to shuttle the mass of visitors back to Harbourfront.

But the kids were so happy. I guess the smiles on their faces makes all the ordeal worth enduring.

Sigh... So much for the kids... ; )

Protege

Protege (Mandarin)

Starring: Andy Lau, Daniel Wu, Zhang Jingchu, Anita Yuen, Louis Koo

I know I have to watch this movie when I viewed the trailer and saw the casting line-up.

Frankly, as much as it is compared to Infernal Affairs, I'll dare say that watching this is like viewing a documentary. You can imagine some Discovery Channel production crew getting the scoop by having an access into the dark realm of heroin production.

Right from when it's harvested in the poppy fields, to the production of 'U.S dollar' slabs , the delivery, the process where they are converted into 'H.K dollars' and the trafficking in progress. We're then briefly explained as to what measures are taken to minimise infiltration. You can sense just how much director Derek Yee has researched about this trade and how he tried to fully utilise what's been learnt.

What an eye opener.

Most of the drama comes in the form of Jane (Zhang Jingchu), a junkie who came from the lower rungs of society, as she struggled to overcome her addiction and hold on to her daughter; while at the same time, running away from her fellow junkie (and almost deranged) husband (Louis Koo).

The main character, Nick (Daniel Wu), is an undercover from the narcotics bureau, who's 8 years into this job; who was given the chance to view both ends of the drug trafficking spectrum.
Right from his alliance with drug-lord Kwan (Andy Lau), as his protege, down to planning out the trafficking and seeing for himself, the impact of the poison he supposedly deals with, on a person whom he had sub-consciously become close to.

It's interesting to see Andy Lau's role as a drug lord is much unlike the stereotypical potrayal of such characters as we've seen in past HK movies. Here is a guy who totally detest the goods that he painstakingly trade in because he know that they're bad. His stellar acting shows when he becomes delusional when discussing about the evils of his trade. And he hams up his role as a family man with deteriorating health.

Daniel's acting is pretty consistent, seeing that most of his roles all seemed similar; a good guy in a broody, dark-themed movie. You can see the pain in his eyes as he struggles with his guilt towards his mentor, tried to control the sympathy he had for Jane & her daughter and the anger he supressed towards all those involved.

Zhang Jingchu, she's awesome! Her acting is definitely notable. That anguish on her face, her helplessness as she succumbed to her addiction. Then there's the love for her daughter and the fear of her husband. It's all seem real. One wonders if she had even tried being a junkie, seeing that her potrayal had seemed so real.

The plot is direct. Not exactly ambigious although there's a lot of grey areas. It's not surprising if at one point, you end up sympathising with Kwan and almost despised Nick.

It's such a waste that the charismatic Anita Yuen only carry a cameo role here. Same goes for Louis Koo. Anita acts as the Kwan's dutiful wife who held him to the ground while Louis's antics brought on some humour into this otherwise brooding movie.

They could have contributed more. Not that this movie is bland anyway.

And why is it that the girl acting as Jane's daughter; who's supposed to be under-fed and malnourished, so chubby (albeit being really cute)?

The message here is clear: Drugs are bad evil. No matter who you are, never get involved. It's a menace after all.

My take on this? Go watch it. Of all the movies that open this week, my money's on this one. But it's definitely not for those who wants to be entertained. Just like watching Blood Diamond. It's almost depressing.

release tension...

release tension...

The past 2 weeks have been a pretty downslide at work. No thanks to the overtiming of course. I dunno if it is their belief or just for the record but is it necessary to have work done by chinese new year?

Maybe yeah, praticality is one thing. The long holidays and all but seriously???

I'm beat. Even my masseuse had said that my body screams, 'Fatigue!!!"

Anyway, after a whole week of OT and even coming back that Saturday (27th Jan) to burn some hours at work, I realise that I need to release the pent-up tension. I called my most reliable source of fun-seekers - my cousins Sue & Yati and Yati's brood of kids.

I remembered that I hadn't been able to talk to my father that few days because I came home late from work and he slept early. So I resolved to spend some time with my family; considering they're pretty immobile without the car and my bro (the other driver) has gone for re-service so I bring them out for a dinner of Ayam Penyet before jetting off to the west (in this case, Jurong) to fetch my brood of fun-seekers.

I had no idea where to bring them for dinner so I just drove to the 1st place that comes to mind, Al-Ameen (Bt. Timah). The food there is pretty mediocre. The standard's been slipping, I think. But I've seen people ordering their North indian dishes and the fact there's a chef dealing with their real tandoor oven intrigue me enough. Maybe next time I'll just stick to ordering JUST those.

And we also tried this.

Fried Ice-Cream

Just some ice-cream inside some fried doughnut. Interesting. But I much prefer the Belgian waffles that's offered by this certain fella in the same premise (pay differently).

I think there're 5 flavours to choose from but we forgot to cite our preference and got only strawberry & vanilla. -_-

Then it's off to West Coast Park.

...You may ask, why there?

C'mon. Admit it. Every one of us still have the inner child within. What better way to release tension than goofing around in a playground? Who say adults are no longer capable of such fun? Besides, West Coast Park have equipments that facilitate adult use.

Dun even think of using those regular ones u see in your neighbourhood, lest you wanna risk damaging them. Those are meant for KIDS aged max. 12 yrs old.

Yati & her kids. One of her boys are absent.

(L) Yati on this crazy 'pogo-merry-go-round' that spins real fast.

(R) Sue shrieking and laughing away as she zip down the flying-fox thingy.

I miss climbing the massive triangular rope structure cos' this brood aren't the climbing type. Maybe next time, I'll bring my brother.

We goofed and played till pass midnite. The time I called it quits is when I start getting dizzy from too many spins at the merry-go-rounds and was desperate for a huge cup of limeade from macD.

I met junior of mine from poly who also opt out of the architecture line to be a cabin-crew with SIA. He told me he'd rather go around the world 'seeing' architecture than getting involved in it.

Wise guy...

He was also there to play. Cool.

Anyway, after sips of that limeade, the dizziness dissipated and I felt that my head is clearer that ever. Playground can bring such great theraphy.

Maybe you should try that too.

CINTA : A Story About Love (Malay)

CINTA : A Story About Love (Malay)
**vcd**



When this movie was about to be screened in M'sia, many were pretty apprehensive, given the less-than-good reputation of the romantic movies there. As cliched as can be, one might say.

And after the preview, everyone raved about it; the critics, media and the general public alike. And the main reason they rave? Because it's different. And it IS good. Many ladies remarked, "Bring the tissues. You'll need it."

I was dismayed to see that none of the S'pore cinemas are screening it. Apparently, no local distributor think it to be worth bringing in. I asked the M'sian online community, even those familiar with the media or film industry, if anyone know if this movie is to be screened here but no one had any idea. Sheesh!

I know that I can just head over to City Square in JB (the nearest movie theatre across the causeway) but that's not an option.

ANYWAY....

My cousin informed me that she had bought a copy of the VCD (original, ok). Apprently, it's been released and immediately, I got her to purchase one for me.

Is it worth all that raving?

DEFINITELY.

They say it's different. I say it's not even worth comparing to. It's on a league of it's own. Sure it's reminiscent of that British movie, Love Actually but it's just the concept. The 5 stories are all seemed original.

And how the stories flow, well, it's inter-connected yet at the same time it can be independent of each other. It's just some mere/minute detail that intertwine each story together.

And the plot, it's straightforward. There's no beating about the bush in getting the message through. Emotions are openly expressed through the character's physical actions or facial expressions.

And they explore different aspects of love with each story.

Like in the first story: Does compassion & sympathy lead to love? What if you are already in the twilight years? Is it too late for love?

How does it feel to love a married man? And having your only brother despise you because of that? How far will you go for sibling love?

A private man who's a public figure. Just how far will you go in keeping you life secluded from the public eye? Even your love life?

Have you realised that you've been blinded to the affections of the very person close to you, as you yearn for the very person who's pushed you away?

What do you do when the person you love betray you? Do you hold on? How do you move on?

Golden words of wisdom I learn from this movie.
"Sometimes the person we love most is the most difficult to love."

"A little girl taught me that to love someone is to let go."
....................................................................................................................
My only gripe is the poor picture & sound quality of the vcd. I should have just waited for the DVD. Even the subtitles are sparse.

The soundtrack is good. Enough (good) songs to let you get 'the feel' throughout the movie.

My verdict: Watch it. Dun worry. This movie is no Yusof Haslam. Far from it. I assure you.

i dislike changes

i hate dislike changes

...and that's the truth.

But at the same time, I adapt easily to new environments. *bah*

Work is crazy right now. I have not seen my dad for the past few days. My working late isn't compatible with his sleeping early habit.

And my bro's gone for re-service!!! 2 weeks liao! He did come back last night, though. Talked the whole night. But then he'll be gone from this afternoon till next Saturday!! *boo hoo*

It still is weird to see my mum at home on weeknights. Though I used to dislike the routine, I now kinda miss those times when I send her to work.

Those were the days when my nocturnal activities had to be worked around my mum's working schedule, "Either before 10.30pm or after 11pm. Need to send my mum." Or, "I'll ask my bro if he can send my mum."

And now the flat is accomodating 5 of us (no longer 4). I have a feeling there'll be a 6th.

I need a new flat. A bigger flat. If not for the words running through the grapevine saying that my block is up for en-bloc in maybe 5 years time, I would have paid *HDB a visit last week.

Now my pc is right smack facing my front door. Accompanied by my bro's PS II. Our 'mini entertainment centre'.

We hardly eat out nowdays. Previously we ate out at least once a week. Then chill at the beach before sending my mum to work. Now my mum cooks rice on a regular basis. Gone are the days when a 2kg rice pack can last us almost 3 months.

And we receive visitors EVERY weekend. The past 2 Sundays have been like Hari Raya all over again.

Then there's the conspicuous wheelchair and foldable walking aid beside the front door.
....................................................................................................................................................................

For those not in the loop, my gramma is now staying with me since she suffered "brain-stroke" almost a month ago.

We've been warned that she's to be under surveillance 24/7 given the critical condition she's in. Her eyesight seemed to be affected too. And her left knee's up for another operation.

There's no way that we're going to let her live alone. No matter what she says, knowing how fiercely independent she is.

So my mum, being the only daughter, took it upon herself to look after her mum. Yes, she resigned from her job with a 24-hour notice, despite her company's objection. She got the neurologist to write a letter and simply hand that over to the upper management.

Wham-bam-thank-you-m'am. My family's lifestyle have gone through an upheaval.

There's nothing that I'm griping about here. Okay... maybe the tightness of space at home. And maybe in the car. And our less comfortable financial situation.

Ahh... financial. I felt the first effects of my mum's resignation when the car went for it's major 40, ooo km sevice. A major overhaul is definitely not cheap and I literally baulked at the cost of it. And we'll be dividing the amount amongst the 3 of us instead of 4. My mum's contribution is sorely missed.

But hey, just some petty sacrifices. It does take some getting used to. We're Singaporeans after all. We adapt to changes quite easily (despite making a lot of noise initially).

Besides, it's nice to see another presence within midst. As the saying goes, the more the merrier. Another person to greet in the morning. Another person to keep company. Another face at the table during dinner (if I come back early that is).

This morning, as I dug around the wardrobe for clothes to wear, my gramma asked, "Aren't you going to work?"

Later, as I came to her before I left for work, she spontaneously put out her hand and put her cheek forward. It amused me to bits to see her do that. I realised that she's been looking forward to me kissing her cheeks before I go off every morning.

I realise that her presence keeps me aground. My mum- her only daughter, taking care of her. And me- my mum's only daughter, taking care of my mum as she takes care of HER mum.

HOWEVER...

...if the idea of hiring a maid to help my mum care for my grandma is indeed in the works, please let me be informed.

I really need to go to *HDB then.

*Singapore's Housing & Development Board. Where Singaporeans buy their flats (public apartments) from.

u noe smth?

u noe smth?

Something cute happened yesterday.

It's my bro's off day and we had made plans to do a little shopping. However, given the fact that it's a Sunday, we woke up really late, ate brunch and almost forgot to wash up.

By the time we decide to leave the house, it's after 2pm. And my cousin's coming by with his mum, wife and new baby in a few hours.

We saw my mum's masseuse friend trying to catch a cab and offered to send her to her destination. I came up with the idea to just hang out at my cousin's workplace at this shopping centre and come back together since he's coming by anyway.

Who would have expected the roads to be so jammed up?

The carpark was so darn full that we end up parking near where we entered (yes, we went one BIG round). By the time we met my cousin, bought my brother's boxers, pack some snacks it's almost 5pm.

ANYWAY...

When we get to the carpark, I bugged my cousin to tell me of any supernatural encounters in that building (he do work night shifts). We came by outside this staircase and he pointed to it. "There's this 'thing' that like to sit at the bottom of the stairs."

I went in and pointed at that last step. "Here? What does it look like?"

"I'm not sure. Very dark. I think it's like some kinda' kid. It's not me who saw it anyway. But it's here almost everyday."

Walking to the car, he said, "This place feels warm, right? At night, it's HOT. And there's this unknown thing that runs around the empty carpark at night."

"Oh you saw that on camera? What does it look like?"

"I dunno. Just some blurry thing moving around pretty fast. All over the place."

My bro on the car engine and I munched my snacks in the backseat as the both of them smoked behind the car, in front of this store room.

Since we're near the erp gantry, you can imagine the noise as cars enter and exit the busy basement carpark.

Then I was surprised to see both of them suddenly standing beside the car and I overheard my cousin saying, " ... did she hear?"

I jumped out of the car and asked, "What? Hear what? That evo that just passed? Of course I heard that!"

He pointed to the storeroom wall behind us and said, "Just now we clearly heard 2 long, deep scratches coming from INSIDE that room. Man, look at my goosebumps!" he replied as he stretched out both his arms.

Like plucked chicken skin liddat. I pulled my bro's arms as he walked back to the car and I saw that same texture on his skin.

I went over to that very wall and said, "Here? You heard it here?"

I put my ears close and strained to hear something above all that vehicular noise. "Nothing le. What did it really sound like?"

"You know, long fingernails scratching the wall. Downwards. Twice."

Looked at my watch. 1646 hrs. Went back there and tried listening again. I began to pout and my cousin laughed, saying, "Hey maybe she's a bit shy with other ladies."

Hmmm... I remember what was said about these beings. 'They' feel inferior with other ladies because unlike us, they're considered imperfect/incomplete.

So I replied, "Yar, both you guys stood so close here, no wonder she like it. That's why she try to get your attention."

As my bro drove off, I looked back, almost hoping to see something materialising itself from inside the storeroom. Fat hope.

That night, my bro sheepishly admitted that while smoking near that storeroom, he had playfully rapped on the door. "Just for fun," he said.

"And soon after that, the scratching from inside that room occured?" I queried.

He nodded. Cheh!

PS: It can't be a cat in there. The scratching was done at human height.
And those wondering what is that I'm insinuating about; it's the possible presence of a... ghost. 'She' refers to this female being cladded in white, has long hair and nails.

rain rain come again

how's the weather been lately?

pretty miffed that I can't make it to his concert.. Not like I can afford the time (or moolah) anyway.

Been receiving guests like it's Hari Raya all over again. So much so that I seek respite at my uncle's home when I'm supposed to fetch my aunts from there. Cannot take it la. I guess it's good that my mum resigned from her job after all. Though it's kind of funny to acknowledge her as a "full-time housewife" now when she's been working all her life.

And yesterday the temperature's been risingthroughout the day... I remained in the car after sending my bro, with the a/c at full blast, listening to my K-pop. Even then, the sun streaming through the windscreen had been merciless.

Just discovered that my uncle's been watching his 2 dramas that were shown EVERYDAY on hubtv. He literally tried to summarise the storylines for me. Goodness!

That's it!

Pardon me while I continue watching his "It's Raining" concert dvd. The one where it's held in Korea. Yeah, where he stripped down topless, get wet, dress up then get wet and strip again.

I LoIKE! hahah

Hey, it's my bro who bought me that dvd, ok? It's comes with this big poster of him.

And my cousin just passed me dvd box-set of yet another Korean drama series. I'm sooo doomed. I'm slated for multiple OTs at work this week.

Oh, here's his latest MV. I dunno what I like more. His dance moves, his fashion sense or that hot hot car... Ouwh!


Rain ~ In My Bed ~ Rain's World

FYI, that hot hot car is an Aston Martin Vanquish S V12. Hot rite...?!

I hadn't been online for the past ONE week.

Boy, I sure felt lost.

I wasn't based in my office last week and I've been procrastinating the idea of checking what wrong with the internet connection at home.

My collegue and I had been stationed at some industrial building in Hillview, where I had to do site survey for over 60 units. While Sri sat in the office allocated to us, draughting in the layouts, I had to go in & out of those units with my boss's bro-in-law, measuring the layouts and checking the sprinklers etc.

Bless the fact that the buiding manager is pretty helpful. And that most of the occupants are pretty accomodating. Of course there are some of the really anal ones but I didn't allow to dampen my waning spirit.

I was told I looked pretty drained at the end of the 1st day. My boss remarked to his wife yesterday that I had sported the same drained look since Monday. Yeah yeah.. Try doing this and THAT time of the month, I sure can't help looking pale can't I?

And I drove there for the past 3 days. I got my 1st hand experience of going thru the harrowing peak-hour traffic to and from work. I discovered that between leaving home early and going thru the congestion & leaving late and experiencing smoother traffic; both allow me to reach the Hillview at the same time. I'd rather go for the latter. Wouldn't you?

And after being let off at 6pm yesterday, I spontaneously decide to bring Sri to West Coast Park to pass the time in order to avoid congestion. There we kicked about the massive playground before chilling at MacD.

I sure miss my office....

hola! i'm back

...literally.

Many things happen the past fortnight. I reeled so far back and I'm making my way back on track.

A major change in my life sees my grandma moving in with my family for good. Not that I'm complaining but I remember the anxiety a week back. I've never liked changes and I don't know what to expect from this one. At one point, I even contemplate seeking for a bigger flat. We don't have that much space here for the (now) 5 of us.

But my block may be going thru' en-bloc in a few years time and I've been told that it'll be such a waste to move out now. My bro had mumbled about renting a room somewhere and somehow, that kinda' affect me. I mean at one point, we've been trying to figure out where to relocate his games console. Right when he was so into his games. Imagine his frustration.

And my grandma, well, given her state, she can't do much, whether she like it or not. But she doesn't relent when it comes getting her food cravings. One moment, she asked for goreng pisang (banana fritters), then it's satay, young coconut, putu piring. One point she requested for sambal goreng and my dad got his elder sis to cook for us and had it sent all the way from Jurong. One time, she asked for mee goreng and my bro and I rushed to get her just that. And she ate only a tiny portion of those.

And just now, she remarked that she can smell durians from the bazaar in front of my block.. *hint hint*.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not griping here. My experience with my late great-grandma had been much worse. This is nothing much, I guess. Both ladies had been fiercely independent and it sure ain't easy for them to live with our family. I believe tolerance will eventually lead to acceptance. Then it's harmony.

I can only hope for the best.

bad, bad timing

bad, bad timing

Almost 7pm. Still in office. I dun feel like going home yet but my parents wanna eat out and my bro is nowhere in sight. I really wish my dad hadn't revoked his license. geez!

It's almost that time of the month again and I think it's hitting me pretty bad, psychologically. I try to keep track of the vitamins, evening primrose and fish oil supplements but I had that Monday-migraine again yesterday.

And tasks for this upcoming big project at work are coming in fast & furious. And loose ends from previous projects need to be tied. And my cousin just passed me a new set of Korean drama dvds which I can't resist watching (clocked 2 eps. this morning and slept at 3++am).

My 3-day leave application for next week had been rejected. But let's not talk bout' that.

Okayyyy.... this is sooo out-of-topic. But heck it. I forgot what I wanna talk about already.

Blood Diamond

Blood Diamond



Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio .... Danny Archer
Djimon Hounsou .... Solomon Vandy
Jennifer Connelly .... Maddy Bowen
Kagiso Kuypers .... Dia Vandy

Excerpt from IMDB user 'dnlcmch' comments:
The year is 1999 and war has wrecked loose in Sierra Leone. Rebellions have consumed the country and its citizens. Families have been separated, mothers and daughters go to ill-fated camps, fathers are held as working prisoners, and sons are taken to be brain-washed and induced with the most disturbing of lifestyles that includes drugs, rage, violence, and terror. All of these sinister actions are to support a civil war. What funds the civil war? Diamonds. Priceless rocks from Africa's lush soil...

Soloman Vandy (Djiman Hounsou) is among the men held prisoner by the rebellion, forced to find diamonds in the rivers of Sierra Leone. Once Soloman comes into the possession of a priceless (pink) diamond, he immediately takes it as a ticket back to his family, witfully escaping the clutches of the rebellion. Making his way back to central civilization, Soloman meets Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a South African ex-soldier, a former mercenary, and a current smuggler who finds opportunity in Soloman, grants him his guidance, and together they seek the priceless diamond that Soloman hid and the son that has been left in the mists of the most sinister evil. Also matching wits is Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Conelly), an American journalist who wants to do more than just write an article that will have someone shed a tear. She wants to make a difference in Africa and for its society, yet, with the impossibility clear in her conscience. As Danny and Maddy build a loosely steady relationship, they find themselves helping each other see their true purpose in Africa, with the help of Soloman and his powerful devotion to his family's love, proving that morality can be found in an abyss of greed and corruption."

I don't know why I have to watch such a depressing movie at the end of my work week. However, while leaving the cinema, I realise how much the movie had opened my eyes; to the plight of the men, women & children alike- in Sierra Leone.

It's just like another war movie; this time I don't see soldiers fighting one another. I see a man hurting another man. I see kids become merciless soldiers, having been brain-washed by the ruthless rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). I see women and children alike, being massacred.

And for what? Some of them have never even seen a diamond before!

But the violence and sombriety doesn't go all out in our faces. The movie had scenes showing breathtaking views of the African countryside, scenes that remind me of Lord of The Rings.

The movie is also peppered with some light humour, mouthed by the various characters despite the turbulent goings-on in the background.
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Yet another movie with Leo at his acting best. Years back, I would have been embarassed to say this but now, I declare that he's up there amongst my list of favourite actors. I really, really hope he gets that darn Best Actor award, be it for The Departed or Blood Diamonds.

Jennifer Connelly, she took the pain to actually prepare for her role as a journalist. She said she tried to observe details, such as the types of notebooks journalists have, the things that they pack into their bags and even what kind of shoes they wear to war zones.

And Djimon Honsou's facial expressions.... So real.
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During a press conference for the movie, Jennifer Connelly was spotted wearing a pair of diamond earrings.But 36-year-old Academy Award winner politely assured reporters that her diamonds were politically correct.

'I'm wearing diamond earrings right now and they're from Bulgari. I have done research into retailers that can certify their diamonds are conflict-free,' she told reporters.
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After this movie, I can never look at diamonds the same way again.