Han Ga In

Han Ga In



She's gotta top my list of fave Korean actress right now. Ain't she gorgeous?!

Currently watching KBS's reruns of her 2004 hit drama, Terms Of Endearment/Conditions Of Love and man, I'm hooked on that perky nose and big, big eyes. I remember, she got the Best Couple award for her superb on-screen chemistry with Song Il Gook in that drama.

You can see from her school yearbook pics, the features that make her look as she does now are already existent. So that nose and eyes? They're natural (you can't really trust the Koreans with 'natural' beauty).

Sorry guys. She's taken. Taken; as in m-a-r-r-i-e-d. To another actor. 2 years ago.

She's so pretty, pretty, pretty!

Man, I feel so shallow somehow.

gemelli & the sweet stone parad'ice

gemelli & the sweet stone parad'ice

Broke fast with Kai & Khama yesterday. My 'good-food' kakis. The theme yesterday could have been: 'Atas' food in not-so-'atas' locations (read:hawker centres).

First stop is Bedok Food Court/Centre, a.k.a Bedok 'Corner'. Near the army camp, there. There's this stall selling Italian food. Gemelli Pasta & Pizza. Tucked in a corner. The variety is quite impressive. Starters, Soups, Pastas & Pizzas.

Yes, it's Halal.

I can't really comprehend what the dishes really are, seeing that they retain their Italian names. Thank goodness they have these short descriptions. And thumbs up to the service given by the lady for answering our queries regarding the varous dishes and making recommendations.

Each of us got a pasta and decide to share a small pizza, just to have a taste.

Khamz had the Salmon in Cream Sauce.

Kai had the Ham and Cheese Penne.













I had the Crepe with Spinach, Chicken & Mushroom Filling. Yes, with Cream Sauce.

So much for variety...

Guess, no one is game for any spicy or tomato-based dishes after starving the whole day (acidic!).







And we shared this Pepperoni & Triple Cheese Pizza. The base is soft, yet crispy. Just the way I like it.

As you can see, I'm never able to quote the actual names of the dishes. I forgot them as soon as I made my orders.

In fact, I didn't even say out their names. Just point to the pictures.

Not that I know much Italian to start with....

It's nice too see how they try to keep everything authentic - from the names to the ingredients used. Nothing much is localised here. And the price - VERY affordable. Pastas come at a range of under $10. Our bill came up to only $25. Each dish was an average of $6++. Cool!

I dunno if they prepared the food in a hurry or what. The food centre wasn't even packed. The cream sauce was not as rich as we expected. A little bland if I may add. Khama doused his pasta with more parmesan cheese while Kai & I, the chilli flakes (available at the condiment corner). We stopped short at the tobasco cos' there's only one bottle available.

To be fair, I think I'm gonna drop by again and try something non-cream based. Hopefully it'll be better. At least Singaporean muslims have another location to hit when they crave for something Italian.

Next stop - Dessert!

After all that, we were worried we wouldn't be able to stomach this. But I was so determined. Kai too. Both of us had been reading soo much about this place online that I threatened to kick them if we don't go there.

Kai was already showing signs of gastric flu so Khama took over the wheel and I sat in front while the poor guy slept at the back. But he still insist on checking the place out.

The Sweet Stone Parad'Ice stall was inconspicuously tucked amongsts all other regular foodstalls at Golden Mile Food Centre (Beach Road/Army Market). Quite a queue when we got there but we seemed to be the only one to order the 'Royal Claypot Fondue' set. Upon hearing our order, we got the thumbs up from the old guy and lady manning the place (the ang moh was absent).

Kai chose peppermint flavour for the gelato and left Khamz & me (the bimbos) to choose the other. Being our bimboitic self, we chose perppermint and the choc chip flavour. Happy that for once we made up our mind within a short period of time (both of us were known to take ages to make decisions).

Then the uncle asked, "One more?" Huh? "Uncle we chose peppermint and chocolate chip, what.."

"That one is peppermint-chocolate chip flavour..."

Ouwh! It's one and the same! Being homemade, the peppermint gelato is white in colour, unlike the others sold outside. So we choose this new flavour, the 'Speculoos' (I called it 'Superloos'). The uncle said it's some European biscuit taste. Worth trying.


Here's the set.

Belgian chocolate in a claypot fondue bowl. 2 scoops of gelato. A plate of fruits (grapes, strawberries, honeydew {erk?!} and marshmallows. 2 Liege/Belgian waffles.

Ahh... the waffles. That's another thing altogether. Soft and thick, yet crispy outside. And the sugary granules in the middle... YUM!






You see just how dark the chocolate dip is? That'll attest the quality of the chocolate used. Dark and slightly bitter. Slightly runny. Just nice for a good dip.

The set cost only $14.80. Though it's said to be good for 2 I'd say, share it amongst the four of you. Just add more waffles.

ma Arsenal boys!

A tale of 2 teams

Ma boys neva fail to impress. All ye, come to momma!


Man, I feel like hugging them! Who would have thought that the average age of that team is around (only) 20 years old?

Number 3 never looked so sweet. Be it last weekend's match and this morning's. Beautiful game!

Managed to catch the game, thanks to having to wake up in the wee hours for sahour.


Like what the TNP reporters rate, 5/5 entertainment value.

All ye Gunners (yes, including you, Wenger). Keep up the great work and (do) wait till' I've saved enough to go watch you play at the Emirates grounds. THAT's my lifelong dream.

Hopefully, Fabregas is still playing there. And Wenger still alive (he looked so darn frail).

And erm.... Goodbye Jose Murinho.

You'll be sorely missed in the Premiership, glum face or not.

You've changed the way the game is played and you've shone. I'm not sure about the spate of lacklustre games recently.

It's difficult, I know. Having a boss that's breathes down your neck, thinking money really makes the world go round. And new buys made not by you but the boss himself and eventually screw up your tactics and dressing room scenes.


I hope you can still stay in the Premiership. There IS a team in need of a new manager if you noticed. It's be nice if you can spruce them up.

Then make sure they got SO good that you kick your ex-boss's A**!

melacca/melaka

Melacca/Melaka

My mum booked this package for 4 when they came down to S'pore Expo eons back. And my mum being the 'kelam-kabut' person that she is, insisted we utilise the package before puasa starts even though it's valid till year end.

I remember when i told my bro about this trip, he was like, "What's there in Melaka?"

He asked his friends and they asked him back, "What's there in Melaka?"

After all that, I also ask myself, "Ya, hor. What's there in Melaka?"

Now, don't go telling me about all those historical sites and other whatnots. My family ain't the explorer types.

The only places-of-interest we go to are the Taman Mini M'sia/Asean because we have the free tix. And The bee museum because my grandma asked for some pure honey. Oh, how practical!

The only things I enjoyed there are the food and shopping. I know I'm not a shopper but my bro, he influenced me somewhat. Our hotel was a stone's throw from Mahkota Parade and the new Dataran Pahlawan S.C. And the M'sia Mega Sale was still on! And most schtuffs in the Quiksilver boutique were going at 50% off!

And the food... despite tasting a little different from what we've always consumed, the Asam Pedas Melaka is not bad, eh? And the BBQ fish.

The hotel package includes a free dinner and I had assumed it to be buffet-style. Boy, who would have expected to be served a 6-course dinner (family-sized) including desserts?

All Melaccan fare. Just the way I like them. Though the foods there are not as spicy as I would preferred them to be. For lunch the next day, the taxi driver brought us to this popular eatery, some Sri/Selera Kampung place. Fwah! It was teeming with locals. I trust their tastes.

Here's some of my fave pics, with my bro as the model.




































































More pics here

Rogue Assasin/War

Rogue Assasin/War

Starring:
Jet Li as Rogue
Jason Statham as Crawford
John Lone as Chang
Devon Aoki as Kira
















Why was I disappointed with the tag, "action movie of the year" for this one? I have expected more, seriously. I mean, it's Jet Li and Jason Statham! I admit, their previous collaboration in "One" wasn't that much spectacular, anyway.

Maybe I've been watching wayy to much action movies lately. I mean, did you watch the 2 HK movies, Invisible Target and Flash Point? Even Bourne Ultimatum, despite being more of an action/thriller gives a more adrenaline rush!

Federal officer Crawford loses partner to assasin, Rogue.
3 years later Rogue comes back and turned against the Yakuza to work for the triad boss, Chang.
He was like the devil/satan. Seeking to destroy. Harm the Yakuza when potraying as the triads, harm the triads when potraying as Yakuza. They eventually declared war on each other.
So on whose side is he on? What are the motive for his actions?

And where does that leave Jason Statham's character, Crawford in all this? He seemed like some extra, playing this cat & mouse game.

Devon Aoki's Kira can never be so fake. Like, hello? She's supposed to be the daughter of the Yakuza for goodness sake! Her japanese has this weird, distinct accent, meaning she has just managed to grapple the language! Jason Statham spoke better Japanese, believe it or not.

Let's not go into the acting, shall we?

The plus?

Check out the bevy of gorgeous, gorgeous, super hot cars on display. Yes, even the Lambos. The highlight has got to be the car driven by Rogue. That silver Spyder C8 Spyker. The roar of the engine... Ouwh!

And the scene at the teahouse. And all scene involving the samurai swords.

And the twist(s) at the end. I can proudly say I figured out one of them halfway through the show.

This movie was released with the title, "WAR". I dunno why, here in S'pore it's changed to, "Rogue Assasin." Like, is the name "War" a tad too sensitive, somewhat?

teh tarik ice-cream

teh tarik ice-cream...yum!

Island Creamery
Serene Centre #01-05
















This is what you indulge in when the boss is away. When it's raining cats and dogs outside. And your collegue happen to be in the Bt. Timah vicinity.

I can't say their ice-cream is the best but their teh tarik flavour is superb! I gotta drop by there one day. I heard they have milo and horlicks powder in what is usually the salt & pepper containers.

That's what I always do with my brother back when we were young. Sprinkle milo on our ice-cream. Hmm... Nostalgia.

Flavours tried:
Teh tarik (power! like any good 'teh peng' out there)
Nutella (good, check out those nutella chunks!)
Chendol (ok, la. But I prefer the brand 'Coolen')

Flavours to try:
Apple pie
Green tea & red bean
Bubor pulot hitam

I heard their mud pie is a killer!

I think it's cheaper to buy 3 tubs. Cost only $24 (I think). Each tub is usually $9.50 (I think). One scoop $2.50. 2 scoops $4. I can't say cheap, la. But affordable!

Maybe I should discard bubor pulot hitam and buy another tub of teh tarik.....

wake-up song

wake-up song

Do you always encounter the "post-lunch syndrome"...? Happens usually between 3-5pm. Where your eyes start getting heavy, the attention span decreases and your focus is anywhere but at work. What more, given the weather nowdays, you'd wish you can snuggle up somewhere cozy and zzzz...

Here's something to wake you up. It works for me cos' it bolted me up from my slumber when my bro accidentally played this song w/o his earphones, late one night (oh yeah, he got one good smack on the back for that dimwit stance).

Be sure to PLUG IN YOUR EARPHONES before putting the volume on high. I mean it, or you'll end up waking up the WHOLE office. Even your boss in his room.


This guy's voice was sooo high (octave-7, maybe) that the level was almost unlisted. Talk about dynamic. Powerhouse. Fwah!

If his voice didn't wake you up, maybe his hairstyle will. I fell like putting my hand thru' the screen and flick his hair off his face.

By chance, I saw a lot of Korean names amongst the list of "Steelheart-She's Gone" videos. Most of the got their pitch at almost decent level while some had me wincing from the sheer horror of their forced over-strained vocals. I remember one Korean guy singing this song during the Asia Bagus! contest.

And this one here is the best. His voice was smooth, natural and the pitch. Almost there. Almost there, all right. Comparable to the original. But pardon his korean-accented English though.

Double dose of wake-up songs. Freshened up??

Should really consider using this song as my alarm clock.....

Fireworks Aug

fireworks celebration @ Marina Bay
170807



For the sake of my poor arms (nopes, no tripod), I took vids of the fireworks in parts. And this one here is the last one, which includes the (grand) finale.

I tell you huh, during the fireworks display, there was this ONE voice to stood out above the crowd. And WHAT A VOICE! I was the most SHRILL and FLAT voice I've ever heard coming from A MAN! And he was carrying his daughter going, "Waaaah!!!"

An the most irritating one has got to be, "Wahhh... Look like shooting star! Quick, Make a wish! Make a wish!"

WHAT THE....? "Make a wish..???!" Oh, gimme a break! And he repeat that over and over!

The best part...? My camera actually captured his voice!!!
Arrgh! All my earlier vids have his unmistakable voice, la!

ghost bus?

Ghost Bus???

I'm sure most of you are aware, that the Hungry Ghost festival has started. It's pretty evident yesterday, when you see people utilising the communal burning bins - burning 'hell-money' and joss-sticks rimmed the grass verge along the drains.

Won't be long before you see makeshift stages witht heir getai and wayang performances. Not forgetting the auctions. Then, there's always the ... ghost stories.

Anyway, this story was recounted by my brother's collegue. She had taken bus no. 14 from Orchard to Bedok around 2330hrs yesterday. Bus no. FOURTEEN ...Gettit? (according to some Chinese superstition, 14 is a 'bad' no. because it means, "sure-die")

She sat at the front-most seat on the upper deck. So she got a full-view of what goes on. Her gripe was that the bus moved at a pace "where it's faster if I walk". Maybe it's some exaggeration on her part but the bus was DEAD SLOW (pun intended).

If that wasn't bad enough, the bus driver actually stopped at ALL the bus-stops, despite there being NO ONE who hailed the bus or even alight. He even opened the door, okay?

The poor girl was so scared out of her wits that she alighted when the bus reached Bedok South. Her destination was Bedok nterchange. She did not even look back when walking away.

Since it's that time of the year, my bro and I decide to catch a movie or two and see if the same thing happened like when we watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory last year. You know, about how some cinemas had a whole row left empty during ther shows, despite a full-house..?

Ungu live

Ungu Live in SG

**click on pic to get to album**

Taken during Ungu's showcase at Singapore Expo on 100807. Pretty small scale, actually.

Definitely not a full-blown concert, although I hope there's one in the works.

Opening acts by this talented instrumental guitarist, Rosli Mansor & the 'not-as-talented' New Boyz (did i get the spelling right?).




The show's was supposed to start at 745pm but they screwed-up the sound test/check and the first performance started only at 855pm. Made to queue for almost 1hr. That sucks big-time!

Despite the fuss about the sound, it still kinda suck doesn't seem good.

Anyway, I've watched a lot of live feeds of Ungu's concerts on the Indonesian tv channels and I know that Pasha's (the singer) voice quality kinda' dwindles towards the end and this one was no different.

But kudos to him for having good interaction wirth the crowd (though with the bad sound, accent and the speed at which he talked - I hardly understood what he said).




Good performance, nontheless. More showcases in S'pore please (not in Hard Rock, ah). Maybe by Nidji? Radja? Letto? Samsons? Or another one with PeterPan? Or SO7???

















A short video I took when they perform the song, "Andai Ku Tahu". I spare you the agony of watching my other videos, where my hand got cramped up and shook so bad, I got giddy watching them.

However, if you insist, I got one other vid uploaded on multiply: Tercipta Untukku

**warning: vid taken with a pair of unsteady hands!**

Flash Point

Flash Point

Having watched this one and Invisible Target within a fortnight of each other, I can't help comparing them both.

Both had their baddies in a group, with Invisible Target (IT) having the close-knit-former-soldiers-turned-robbers and Flash Point (FP) having 3 hardline-refugee-turned-smugglers from Vietnam who happend to be brothers.

Naturally being a tad shallow than I've always been, I preferred the much younger (and better-looking) cast in IT as compared to the older faces in FP, with th exception of Louis Koo, whom I believe help to draw in the female audience to watch this movie with their guys who came to gawk at the action sequences.

Then there's the obvious difference in the budget allowance. While in IT, you see this gorgeous mobile like the Lotus Exige (think it's just a model), other cars, posh restaurants and the new police station (also a replica) being made a wreck, with every glass on scene being smashed into smithereens.

FP only turned a roadside stall upside down and the most damage was done in an open lalang field, a riverside hut and a dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere. It helps that the movie was supposedly set in '97 so old cars were used (and damaged) and now-defunct phones were utilised. Although I suspiciously point at this certain car to be of a post-2000 model. hmm.... *rubs chin*

And the action scenes. More specifically the fights. Ahh..... The main reason why I totally dig HK action movies. Despite the action in IT being more consistent and evenly distributed throughout the movie, the fight sequences pale in comparison to FP. The fights done by the 3 youngsters come off as a tad ameteurish as compared to Donnie Yen's swashbuckling moves*like duh!*

This is a movie where the fighting scenes pack a superbly mean punch! Well, with Donnie Yen at the helm, I guess it all comes as no surprise. With martial arts choreography that come across as a mish-mash of kungfu, aikido, judo, boxing and even wrestling, one can't help being impressed and the speed at which they're executed.. wow! Breathtaking, to say the least.

If you stayed back even after the credits start rolling, you'll see how the stunts are done and not all are 'camera-tricks'. Like what they said in WWE, "The Pain Is Real"

Surprisingly, despite being heavy on the action, the movie doesn't stray from its plot (not that much there to start with). The touching bits are not really the love between Louis Koo's character - Wilson and his girlfriend but the obvious show of fillial piety in Donnie Yen's character and the antagonists (3 brothers) towards their mum. Guess there are lessons to be learnt there.

It's a pity that Donnie's dominace in this movie with all his fighting moves (despite his poor acting) kinda' overshadow Louis Koo's parts. I believe Louis have lots more to offer (besides looking good on screen). Even his previous movie role in Protege seemed so minimal.

Action movie buffs (esp. those who dig one-to-one fight sequences) should catch this. Girls, aside from Louis, you can ogle at Donnie's hot bod (shows it a lot). This movie makes me wanna invest in a punching bag. Bashing someone had never looked so good....

thanks for the gratitude

thanks for the gratitude

My boss gleefully told us of the little bonus he got from a client who totally understand and appreciate the trouble we wen thru' to get his project approved.

I thought I'm hearing things.

He then passed around this little note writen by the owner himself. And the dazed me, stricken by the monday blues and super-lack of sleep briefly read it and put it aside. By gosh, 've never heard of such a thing so what's the deal here, man?!

Mind you. The above-mentioned project is one that had me totally drained. Never had we have to go through so much when submiting to this authority body to get the proposal approved. NEVER!

All in all, I must have prepared like 4, 5 or even 6 sets for the drawings to be submitted over and over again. And when we don't want to waste paper, we cut and paste small changes onto new sets while tring our best to salvage the titleblock for they had the precious signatures that the owner and contractors have painstakingly signed on EVERY page. 4 drawing types. And average of 4 pages per set. 4 sets for the different depts. in that governing body.

I don'tunderstand. While other bodies embrace the e-submission sstem, having softcopies submitted online, for the ease of e-storage and paper conservation, here is one that insist drawings be submitted in hard copies and full colour with multiple sets.

And had the proposals returned many times over because the officer (not even the engineer) was nit-picking on teeny-tiny discrepancies which can easily be rectified on site. As my boss had said, "Here is one lady, sitting at her desk, unaware of the hassle she had put everyone through on site."

Man, was she EVER aware of the kind of trouble she brought upon everyone because works!can't proceed without the needed approval! And we've submitted similar drawings without much hassle and had them approved afer a max. of 3 days! This project was 2 weeks overdue!

And I had trouble meeting most of my recent deadlines because everytime she asked for changes to be rectified, it became top priority. I despised this project because of that, I dread doing it and yet I have to give it my utmost care. Even our civil enginner was gritting his teeth. Much less his poor assistant.

Could it be because my boss and that civil enginner had once (or maybe even twice) argued with their officers over issues which they deem to be unecessary hassle? And maybe some other technical issues. If they had it agaisnt either one of them because of that...

Oh, how professional! Geez!

Anyway, enough of my ranting there, imagine my relief when I finally saw the approval letter on my desk this morning.

So my boss wanna bring us out for dinner with that little gift. And asked my collegue and myself what we want to have. "What is that you want? Buffet? Ala carte? What flavour?"

Seeing our blank faces, she asked again, "What do you girls REALLY want to eat? Think."

I looked and my collegue and my face lit up. With a big smile, I turned to my boss and said:

"...DURIANS!"

Man, if looks could kill.... :P

another obsession

egad, it's (yet) another obsession!

What do you do when you were early for a meet-up? Well, I end up burning a little hole in my pocket....

Okay, so I reached the meeting point (Jurong East mrt) early. Went to Aries, end up buying 3 pairs of earrings.

My cousins have yet to arrive. So I went to Popular bookstore next. And stumbled into CD-Rama. I wouldn't have gone there had I not seen the Tohoshinki poster for their latest Japanese album - 5 in Black.

The next 15 mins saw me standing at the Korean pop section - befuddled, as I wasn't aware that their different albums have MANY different versions. Then there's their concerts. I finally decided on their latest album and even THAT has 2 versions.

A pre-teen girl girl came by and begged her mum to buy their album; just because she liked their song, Balloons. Honestly, I think she like them, la. Ha!

Even when my cousins had (already) arrived, I'm still there, choosing between these 2. I ended up buying the one with the darker cover (the original??).




Seriously, I don't even know why I want this CD so badly. I've had most of their songs, watched all their videos and dramas. Even their movie, Vacation which is in the DVD (it's in the package). Maybe it's their poster. Yeah, gotta' be their poster... *convincing myself, here*


Then it's a (heavy) Korean lunch.

Beef bibimbap, kimchi soup, fried mushroom and seafood vermicelli.

YUM!









Took the bus to town with (what else??!) Korean voices singing in my ears. Sigh...

Ended up in Carrefour Plaza Singapura for some snacks. While I was wandering down one aisle, my cousins, who were in the biscuits section, called me over.

One of them showed me a red box with somebody's face. Took me a few secs to register who it was and a few secs of, "What the..? No way!"

*SHRIEK!!!* OMG! DBSK on chocolate boxes??!

(Mind you, that was a real shriek, okay? In a crowded supermarket. Much to my own embarassment....)

So I made my cousins help me search for all 5 different faces. We managed to get all except for the one with Jaejoong (Hero).

Uwah!!!!!!!! Will sooo hunt for that one!





This year's fireworks display is nothing short of spectacular. Totally dig the ones from atop the 3 skyscrapers in the CBD. So reminiscent of the ones in Hong Kong.

I can't help thinking, "Singapore sure is generous with their fireworks."

So that's another one to add to the "Reasons I'm Proud Of My Country" bin.

Here's something taken when I watched Invisible Target at The Cathay.

My bro & The Simpsons.

This picture is tame, ok. Should see the one that I took with my camera....

(Psst... He did something to Bart).





Update: Hey, I figured that I can play the CD in my car when I drive alone! Wakakaka! Finally found a use for it.

song of the moment

my song of the moment

My parents did a double take when I sang this song in it's original language (it's available in 2 languages - none being English).

Well, it didn't help that I use the deep-set earphones and didn't realise that I was screaming - NOT just singing the song out.

And don't say that I sang blindly w/o knowing the meaning, okay? Here's the translation.

And NO, I'm not putting the video. It's embarrassing to show the brand of music that I'm getting into nowdays. It just drips with lotsa' cheese.

Guess I'm not me anymore.

Not when I'm crazy o'er them.

DBSK - Rising Sun

Now. I cry under my skin..
My tears have gone to the skies and made the rain
That falls onto the earth and washes my newly imprinted pain

No!
Forgivness is an endless luxury of mine
No!
My anger has flown off without target and lost its way
No!
I pray for atonement with words of attachment
No!
Here I go come back

My wings have lost their strength
And the days only seem to be filled with sin
I'm greeted with fragments of my poisonous dreams in the morning
There's no sparkle

Truth is what everyone wants
But they only show lies on their faces
I've been abandoned in eternity, are they looking for me?

Chorus*
Be like me
My heart is filled with a growing Innocence
Like a flame burning brightly,
Like the last radiant sunset
(I'm) waiting for Rising Sun

Now, burn my eyes,
Sun comes up, blowing the fog
Never lies, to be your mind
Got to be a true

Realizing that my path is 101,
I can't reach reality.
So that I won't be shy next to the Sun,
I just try to be me, and now

Where's the end to this chaos?
Somebody talks.. its not the same answer everyday
Desire, Is it the sketch of happiness?
Somebody talks.. but it's not the solution to the moment

Life's like star trailing after an endless orbit
You go looking for questions and solutions,
Drawing an incomplete picture
(Do) you know why?

Time is always passing by
And I know that it can't ever come back
Don't leave regrets day after day...
Try to swallow the anger spawn from poison

Try to believe the worth of happiness
That you realize in the tears of your worn out sadness

A kiss on the hand of trials,
My innonence has bloomed in the garden of suffering
There's nothing set in stone because a new day will keep coming

Chorus *

Rise up! Rise up!

I LOVE THIS SONG!

Times like this, I ask meself, "Just how old am I, really?!"

the invisible target

the invisible target


















I LOVE Hong Kong movies. Oh wait. I LOVE Hong Kong ACTION movies.

It's been ages since I last watch an action movie in the theatres (do Pirates of Carribean count..?).

I dun give a damn about Die Hard. I want the old John Woo brand of action film. Note the word 'old' there. Those old school action films are the best! I grew up watching these movies on Saturday nights . Just too bad there's the batch of shoddy romantic comedies that are dominating the market.

I don't bother with a review for this one. Not when it's been screening for more than a week now. But if I do write a review, it'll be like this one here from Twitchfilm.

Reading his review, I was like, "Ditto!" Right to a T! Like he took the words out of my mouth. I couldn't agree more.

I bet some girls tagged along with their boyfriends for this show beacause they thought they can get some eye candies in the form of Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue & (maybe) Jaycee Chan. Must be a tad disappointing, huh?. Nick & Shawn both sport shabby moustaches & goatees with are soooo not sexy (to me lah). But I appreciate the close up on Shawn's hazel eyes, though.

Oh yeah.... That bedroom scene.... 3 topless guys (with great abs). Touching each other. All that moaning/groaning sounds they make? Oh and the grandmother passing by. Niiiice!

*wipes drool from table top*

And despite me saying that the Lotus Exige (driven by Shawn Yue's character - lucky guy!) is one fugly car, I don't appreciate it being blown up liddat. Hope they used a replica for that scene. I almost cried.

I hate directors who gets a dig from seeing nice, nice cars being blown up (I'm looking at you, J.J. Abrams).

Guess who drove the nice cars in this movie..?

By 'nice cars', I mean a Porsche Cayenne SUV and a Mercedes SLK. It was this Ah Pek who kena fined by Jaycee's policeman character in the beginning and Shawn's (demoted) policeman character in the end. I think he got windfalls by playing high stakes in horseracing. Pfft...!

By the way, what was the word 'invisible' in "The INVISIBLE Target" about??!

And I start to miss Hong Kong real bad when watching this movie. Really really bad.... Uwahh..!

trip to the far east?

the far east

My boss took the opportunity to discuss bout' a possible company trip (usually during CNY). He asked bout' Japan. And somewhere in the discussion the word 'Korea' tumbled out.

"If I go Korea, I may never come back." (not surprisingly, that came from me)

Pause.

"Ok, we'll go to Japan." (yes, that came from my boss)

"At most, I'll come back with a man." (I must be reaaally pushing my luck)

Pfft.

Alone

Alone (Thai : horror)

A highly anticipated sophomore movie from the same people who directed the horror hit, Shutter.

It tells of Pim, who moved to Korea after being ridden by guilt since her conjoined twin did not survive the operation meant to separate them.

She was eventually forced to return to Thailand, where strange things began to happen and she kept seeing the form of her late twin. Is Ploy (her late twin) out to claim the promise they made? That they will stay together forever? Even from beyond the grave?

Or is it just the burden of the guilt weighing in on her for having indirectly caused her twin's death, since she was the one who initiated the separation?
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This movie, we see the pop star Marsha Wattanapanich taking on the role of Pim and I'd say that it helps that she looks good, seeing how the director is pretty fond of doing close ups - Korean style. She acted well, too. Thumbs up to that.

The thing about the character having moved to Korea, I guess it'll be too cliched to have her moved to the now common destination of USA or even Europe. It's refreshing to hear the Korean language being spoken at the start of the movie and I assume it help to draw the crowds?

The appeal of having a Korean touch will go far, seeing how the 'Hallyu' (Korean wave) has become much widespread in Thailand. I know because being into the 'Hallyu' myself, I felt this slight tingling inside, upon knowing that she's in Korea.

The flashbacks of the twin's childhood showed how their relationship eventually deteriorate as they grow up. Especially when one learns that having to be literally stuck to another is coming to be a burden.

This part of the movie helps to weave the story in between the parts when she got freaked out by the presence of her dead sister's spirit, which frankly, is very cliched as one learns to assimilate such oft-repeated scary scenes that's common in movies of this genre. Especially if you are a fan Korean and Japanese horror flicks.

The scare-factor in this case, well I dare say that I've seen better (and scarier). This is just another horror flick. However, on it's own I think this to be a pretty good movie. The storyline's good. Pretty original. Maybe that's why an American company has bought the rights to make the US version soon.

Although the twist in the end is nothing as bizzare as that in Shutter, it does help conclude the story and personally I wasn't much taken aback by it. Maybe my knack for figuring out endings midway do create a possibilty of that happening.

sad video

tell me this isn't sad...

This is a Korean variety programme, Ya Shim Man Man, where guest stars partake in a no-hold-barred Q & A session. The guest stars were Micky Yoo-Chun, Yunho & Max Chanmin from the popular boyband, DBSK (TVXQ) and Kangta.

So far, it's been pretty funny when they take on light-hearted topics (mostly thanks to Max's honest-to-goodness recollection of his childhood - despite his mum's presence in the studio).

Then Yunho talked about the time in his childhood where he took on jobs to support himself. You can see the camera keep shifting the focus to Micky Yoo-Chun. He had on this pained expression which can't go unnoticed.



Background check: I only know that he came all the way from L.A. and I was supposedly impressed. Gawd, I must have been SOOOOO shallow. *smacks forehead*



That's is wayyy sadder that those sappy Korean dramas. This is SAD, man! Now that he so damn popular in East Asia, I hope he can do something for his bro back in L.A.

timeless

Timeless ~ Jang Ri In feat. Xiah Junsu

I've gotta share this.

Maybe you have not been aware but some korean music videos (MV) can be a lil' over the top and don't be surprised should you mistook one of those to be a movie trailer or soundtrack video.

I call them: Blockbuster MVs.

Some videos can last like, 15-20mins? And some come in parts, like the one I'm highlighting later. Man, I wonder how much money goes into the making of these MVs alone.

I was introduced to this song by my fellow k-pop-freak-of-a-cousin, Effy sometime back and the video(s) blew me away. Stumbled upon them again on youtube so I decide to share them here.

A duet between Jang Ri In and Xiah Junsu from the uber popular boyband, DBSK/TVXQ. The video(s) had Choi Siwon & Han Kyung from yet another popular boyband, Super Junior starring as the 2 main characters.

Here's part 1. I chose a vid with subtitles so you can relate the beautiful song with the sad, sad lyrics and heart-wrenching video.

**Warning: Queasy operation-room scenes at start. Not for the faint-hearted!



Did you manage to understand that one? No...?

Maybe you should continue with part 2 for a better understanding. Do get the tissues ready if you tend to get emotional easily.



.....Still don't get it?

Ok, fine. I shall re-tell the story. In proper sequence.

It's about a masked robber who held a girl hostage when surrounded by the police. She turned out to be a (cute) policeman's girlfriend. Things turn awry when a nervous policeman at the scene misfired a shot and the robber fired back at the (cute) policeman upfront.

His accomplice crashed into the scene in a van and as he made his getaway, he managed to snatch the girl's necklace, which had a heart-shaped locket.

The shot policeman remained in a coma and finally his relative signed his organ transplant papers.

There's this cute, smartly-dressed fella who collapsed while clutching at his chest. He was THAT (cute) robber. He was then wheeled into the operating theatre for a transplant. He woke up upon recovery, with nightmares of the shooting scene. He must be ridden with guilt.

He kept having flashes of a guy and a girl together. Does it have to do with his new heart??

While driving one night, he saw a lady whom he found to be familiar, at a florist. He met up with her. He asked if he's known her somewhere. She denied. He looked at the shop and asked about it. She replied about having set it up with her boyfriend. Visibly upset, she left him. He looked around the shop interior. And saw a framed picture of her with a guy... A VERY familiar face.

As he tried hard to recall, he remembered the policeman that he had shot. He got into a records room (no idea how he can access that) and discovered that that guy in he picture is the very guy he shot at. And his heart donor.

He rushed back to dig for the necklace which he took from the girl. Inside the locket was a picture of her and the late policeman. The very guy, whose heart beats within him right then.

Extremely guilt-ridden, he went back to the girl and and hand her back the necklace. It should occur to you that the girl knows that the only person who had the necklace should be the robber who shot at her late bf. And there stood the guy who received her late bf's heart, holding out that necklace to her.....

I'm a Cyborg

I'm a Cyborg But That's Ok (DVD)

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Starring:
Su-jeong Lim ... Cha Young-goon
Rain ... Park Il-sun

















I felt a bit kooky watching this initially. I almost go bonkers trying to grapple with what this movie is about. Frankly, I was very much befuddled.

I thought it's like a patchwork quilt, with different pieces of cloth sewed side-by-side and it distract me greatly. Then again, when viewed with an open mind, this movie is like a patchwork quilt, allright. A myriad of contrasting colours and textures when seen up-close, but a beautiful piece of art when seen from afar.

What do you expect, when the characters were patients in a mental asylum and the movie was supposedly set in one? You watch this as a sane adult, it's of no surprise you have a hard time figuring out the story!

I'm not saying you should go insane before you can understand it. Just open up your mind a little. Broaden your horizon. You'll see the full picture, eventually. This movie can easily be categorised as odd. Like those artistic foreign films. Very layered. You need lots of (active) imagination for it (think Gus Van Sant). But they're good aren't they?

I know that there are many of those who complain about not understanding the ending. Like how we were supposedly left wondering as to what the grandma's take as to what "The Meaning Of Existance..." was. What exactly happened to the characters in the end? How do things turn out that way? What was the plot about exactly?

Simple. Here's a girl who grew up with an off-centre granny (who thought she was a mouse and only eat radishes) and a mother who was too busy for her. The mother was so worried that she thinks herself as a mouse, too when in fact, she thinks herself as a cyborg instead. She only 'recharges' herself by licking batteries, communicated with the vending machine, radio, lights and other what nots. Anything except REALLY eating (that's just SO human!).

Then there's Rain, who believed that he can 'steal' one's personality (he can hypnotise, you see but does anybody realise that??). In my opinion, he's not exactly off-centre. In fact he admitted that he stayed there to avoid being jailed (for stealing). Hence, he was the only one who was supposedly sane and YET have as understanding of all the fellow patients' quirkiness (he spent time following and observing them before 'stealing' their personalities).

And if you think some parts don't seem to make sense, just account that to the erratic minds of the characters (in fact I almost thought that I'm watching Willy Wonka's chocolate factory).

When asked by Su-Jeong's character to 'steal' a part of her personality, he had to follow her around and learn of her habits. However, he was alarmed to see that she had not been eating (another patient helped to 'clean' her plate).

So he got on a mission to make her eat. And eventually fall for her. Easy as that.

**SPOILER ALERT!!!**
And yes, she did eat eventually. And from the last few scenes, we can see that she preferred her food wet. Yes, quirky still but at least she starts eating again!

And there's Rain with her. We may not know what her grandma's take on the 'Meaning of Existence' but we know that the meaning of HER existence is to be by her loved one - Rain.

And it's not their imagination that they're outside. Only in the last scene did the camera zoom out to show that. It only means that they've been discharged. YAY!