All Things Uniq!

I hope this will spur you to go out and help to boost the economy! Here are the two stuff I got from the Uniqlo sale:
For a Parka that is originally $19.90, I bought it at $9.90! Heard from ff that the parkas are all sold-out. Uniqlo, when are you going to stock them up again? (And the jeans?)

And a plain, cotton long-sleeved shirt also for $9.90 (U.P. $19.90).
~


And our long-awaited kbox! I mean, Partyworld. Have to apologise to some who I forgot to jio =( After the fun that we had, it is a guarantee that we will have another session in the near future =D
(Photos courtesy of Fifi)

Partyworld is certainly more colourful than Kbox. And we had student discount! $19.80 for a 4-hour session. Not that bad when you take into account that the room has the disco-feel, and you can add mechanical cheering and clapping when someone is singing =D

Javior can really sing. Pei fu, pei fu. All the bestest for your Impresario! =D

Wang and Jav BFF. Yinghui Karaoke-star wannabe. Kenny Aishwarya Rai wannabe (!!??). Me advertising for a cup. Fifi Caribbean dancer.

And here's presenting to you the Singers' Gallery~
~



JB TRIP - it's City Square again, but this time it was different. I had to control myself so that I can splurge at KL!

Christmas gifts came early this year. The tee on the left is Fungi's gift exhange for me. And the handmade stuff on the right is for Peijun and Yeewen.
~



REVIEWS

Time for some reviews. Starting with Rihanna's Rated R.
I give the album:




Solid and gritty, this is a well-produced CD packed with dark but extremely listenable material. It may be unsettling at times (her first single Russian Roulette ends with an ominous gunshot), but you'll find yourself spinning the record again to hear the different layers of the stories that this grown-up lass is trying to tell.

PUT ON REPEAT: Russian Roulette, Rude Boy, Photographs (ft Wil.i.am)
~


Next up, movies.

Firstly, the disappointing 风云 II aka Storm Warriors.
I give the film:





What you see is what you get?

Partly. When audiences were treated earlier to the great trailer of Storm Warriors, it just whetted our appetite for more. In any case, fans of this classic comic book adaptation have been waiting more than a decade for producers to create this sequel, and inevitably, expectations are high.

What you get in the movie is - thankfully - groundbreaking effects that the trailer promised, but out of all the swirling fire and sword fights, the plot and characterizations fall flat to the ground.

SYNOPSIS
The story tells of an evil lord with superior power who plans to take over China together with his son (a rather extra Nicholas Tse). It is now up to Cloud (a very charismatic Aaron Kwok) and Wind (an effective Ekin Cheng) to battle against the tyrants, since their master has suffered tremendous injury in his battle against the evil lord. Wind has taken up the potentially-dangerous responsibility of learning the art of the dark side, as that would be the only chance to counter the strength of the evil lord. But soon enough, Wind is overwhelmed by the 'evil forces' in him, and Cloud has to make the hard decision whether to destroy Wind to prevent him from wreaking further havoc.

PLUS POINTS
Filmed stylistically, props must be given to the Pang Brothers (the duo who brought us the chiller, The Eye) for translating the comic book's vivid colours and action so beautifully onto screen. Several fight sequences feature eye-popping effects that keep the audience at the edge of the seat; but sadly, relying solely on graphics and dramatic close-ups do not make a good movie.

FLAWS
Featuring two of the most useless female characters we've seen in a long time (one of them being Charlene Choi), the storyline does not bother about characterizations, so much so that when characters die-off, the audience do not get engaged. And a blatant attempt at a love story only results in more rolling of the eyes. Plus, there probably wouldn't be a more unsatisfying ending you'll watch at the movies this year.

FINAL SAY: Watch it only for the decidedly interesting effects, and the cool performance by Aaron Kwok (albeit a one-dimensional one). If not, save your money for Avatar.
~


And secondly, the can-be-better The Reader.
I give the movie:





Academy Award winner for Best Actress? Well-deserved. But Best Picture nominee? The Dark Knight definitely deserved to fill that spot than The Reader.

SYNOPSIS
The film follows a 15-year-old boy who falls for a train-attendant who's twice his age. Their sexual routines are interlaced with him reading stories to her, and this continues until their push-and-pull relationship come to an abrupt end, leaving the boy upset and confused. It is only later realised that the woman is harbouring a terrible secret in a sensitive time in Germany, and which begins a heartbreaking story of the two individuals, whose mutual acquaintance forever changed their lives.

PRAISES & FLAWS
The incomparable Kate Winslet is obviously the star of the show here. Her transformation from a strong-headed yet distraught woman charged in court to a pitiful old woman is heart-wrenching to watch. While both Ralph Fiennes and his 15-year-old portrait performed well also, the adapted screenplay suffered from a lack of a clear emotional depth that the audience can connect with.

FINAL SAY: An often depressing film, it is the actors' performances that add colour to the bleak template.
~


Okay, that's all.

Holidays are always too short. Can't wait for KL trip!

Watch out for my year-end countdown of music and movies coming soon.

Take care, people!

Zombie Hilarity

Get ready for a looooong post!

Okay, so I completed my 4-day stint at a Suntec convention. And boy was it a brand new experience~

Working with Fifi and Huiling was fun, to say the least =D And hello new CS friend, Danielle! Thanks for helping us slotting in the show dailies into the show directories! Great to have nice company through the long hours. Raisins, diarrhea, western food, free starbucks, random craziness... it was all in a day's work! And here are the photos:

Damn chio right!? Suntec's Christmas tree taken at sunset. My phone's current wallpaper =)

Getting ready to slot the printed badges according to the type of visitor. I can still recall: "Hi, Sir, don't mind filling in H, I, J and K? Thank you. Have a nice day."

I actually followed these two aunties to rush for the free starbucks. And I'll never forget the sight of Huiling speed-walking and saying "Mai tu liaoooo!" Epic.

Oh man, the mere sight of this burger is making me gag! Went to eat Handburger at 313@Somerset on free-starbucks day. Grossness to the max - when you order the portebello mushroom burger. Ok, boo-me for not reading the description first that there is no meat (yes, the mushroom is that BIG). But boo-them for this vomit-inducing burger. There, I've officially slammed it.

Thanks to Feng Hui for the tip: Uniqlo's opening day at 313@Somerset attracted throngs of shoppers and we joined this crazy queue after our work on that fateful day. Madness, man. Give Singaporeans a $9.90 jacket (u.p. $19.90) and you've got yourself a queue. I'm going there tomorrow MORNING. Can't believe I'm doing this for cheap stuff. But yeah, it's cheap and while stocks last. So you better hurry, too. Offers end 24 Dec.

Thanks to Amanpour for taking this picture. Uber-cool. And fifi, you're in the picture but you don't know who is this!? I need to lend you the awesome-tastic DVD.

Another beautiful christmas tree - this time at Orchard Central.

Random insert: For those people who know her, I BUMPED INTO MISS LORRAINE THAM! Anyone still have her contact? I only chatted with her for a minute then we went our own way. Regretted not staying longer to chat with her.

Our last day. The gals brandishing their cute teddies that were given free by an exhibitor.

And that's our supervisor, Yanyun. Hi! Thanks for your guidance! =)
~

I'll actually miss working there. The supervisors are all so nice to talk to!

Alright, now for a movie review. Zombieland.

I give the movie:





Don't groan. This is not just another zombie movie. This is a freakin' fantastic and hilarious run-for-your-bloody-life zombie movie.

The great thing about Zombieland is that it dives straight into the action. It doesn't bother explaining how this plague came about - you're thrown right into the nerdy protagonist's fight for his life as he battles the undead in zombie-infested America. Along the way, he meets a tough-cookie who revels in killing zombies, and together, after a couple of mis-steps, they join a duo of trickster sisters as they make their way to a seemingly zombie-free amusement park for possible refuge.

Throughout the road trip, laugh-out-loud moments ensue as they battle with the relentless undead, with the audience constantly reminded of our geeky heros' set of (ridiculous) rules to pit yourself against a zombie.

But ultimately, it is the bonding of these 4 unlikely companions that is worth the watch, making the killing of the zombies almost endearing and satisfying to the audience.

The best part of the movie? Watch out for a famous Hollywood comedian's cameo. You'll laugh your heads off.

FINAL SAY: Handsdown the funniest movie of the year so far. A delightful and rockin' good time through zombie mania.

~
After the great movie, it was off to Crystal Jade Kitchen with the guys. It's always fun reminiscing about the craziness of army life back then.

Kang, all the best for your upcoming 'tour'. And Daniel, hang in there!

~

And now, here's presenting to you her best 'live' performance in a long time. The over-the-top style suits her, but you can't deny that it's a beautiful rendition.

Mariah Carey's I Want To Know What Love Is LIVE at UK's X-Factor, singing in front of Simon Cowell. Simply wonderful. (Damn it, Youtube disabled all the embedding for all versions of this video, so click on the link to watch it!)
~

Lastly, you'd have noticed the brand new picture for my mom's beauty salon: 360 Jess Beauty Boutique. Click it and you'll be directed to her official blog (which is managed by me, but it's not fully done up yet). Here's her latest promotion:


Okay, on that high note, shall end here.

Take care, people!

In Awe

Before I let on as to what I am in awe of, shall shout something first:

WOOHOO! THE EXAMS ARE OVER!!
But this is not a very loud exclamation because there's still that sickening, tight feeling of the impending results.

Shall show you what I've been up to so far for the exams later, but first..
I give the film:





Film critic gods, please don't scold me. I know by critical consensus (37% on rottentomatoes.com) that 2012 'sucks', but I did really enjoy this disaster flick, silly storyline plus extravagant effects and all. I am going as far to say that in this decade of Hollywood, I am probably hailing the film as this generation's Jurassic Park, in terms of visual effects, that is.

Probably until James Cameron's Avatar come along. But more on that later.

2012 is based on the prophetical premise that the world will come to an end on that titular year, since the Mayan calendar concludes at that time, too. The film portrays this by explaining that the Earth's core will melt due to solar explosions on the surface of the sun, and this results in the movement of the tectonic plates, and you don't have to take Geography to imagine how that will turn out.

The myriad of characters that litter the show are mainly stereotypical, but its universal themes of love will undoubtedly move people. This is another reason, besides the effects, to catch this in the cinema. It's the collective company that matters, and it will definitely improve your movie experience, as it did mine.

And now for the star of the show. I've proclaimed on Facebook that 2012 is "going to be a shoo-in for Oscar's Visual Effects", and nobody can refute that. And judging from the lacklustre trailers of the reportedly US$500million Avatar, I am rooting for this to win.

I walked into 2012 expecting 'just another blockbuster', but look how I have rated the movie.

FINAL SAY: I forgot how many times I've said 'wow' during the film. It's a solid, terrifying and technically groundbreaking movie. What is stopping this from becoming this generation's Titanic? Probably Twilight: New Moon, which I still don't understand why.
~

And now for some pics~
New love: The fries of Carl's Jr.


New-found friend: Muji's (very affordable) food products. That bag of delicious tortilla chips only retails at $1.50.


This is related to my 4-day job (no, I'm not going to work at Prada, just a tongue-in-cheek moment I had, that's all) =D Speaking of which, I need to get black shirts.
~


And.. Impresario. Am excited for this. My song is getting some meat on its bones, thanks to the brilliant Tess Moh =)

Shall leave you guys with one of my fave country songs at the moment: Lady Antebellum's Need You Now. The other 'lady' that I like.



This post rocks. Good movie, good music, good food. =D

For those who've not completed the exams, I know how you feel, but you must hang in there okay! Promise to party like mad after that then ok liao.

Take care, people!

I Wonder, Alice...

I know I shouldn't be blogging, but procrastination wins. And it is a bigger win when there are so many distractions... especially one in the form of exciting news that Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is well on the way! (I did that wallpaper myself, by the way. Credits to Rottentomatoes.com for the pictures.)

And here are more that I've compiled from Photoshop to further whet your appetite:

The beautiful landscapes of the Wonderland...

A-listers like recently appointed Sexiest Man Alive, Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter), Anne Hathaway (The White Queen) and the director's wife, Helena Bonham Carter (The Red Queen), headline this whimsical classic. And then there's Alice, played by relatively unknown Mia Wasikowska (wasi-what!?).

People have complained she looked too mature (old) to play the role. But apparently, this is a revisit, thus, she's supposed to be 19, instead of 12. Erm, okay.

But judging from the teaser trailer, I still trust Tim Burton and team to deliver a splendid 3D spectacle.


~

And now...
Let WOOHOO for awhile. For once my fave won! =D The dork won cycle 13! And I like her quote: "I'm a dork, but I'm America's Next Top Model."

I have another favourite from this season that featured 'petite' models (all below a certain height, which I forgot). And she is the one with the Asian blood that takes very good pictures, too: Jennifer!

I did those two montages on Photoshop during this period. You can see how much I'm procrastinating. Shit. Shit. Shit. But don't you think their water shots are damn chio?? And don't you think I'm totally wasting my time??

Okay, am going to rest. Then Saturday and Sunday is 201 and 203 day. Intro to Psych was... quite psychotic.

Take care, people!

Scary Stuff

This is the last Themed Tuesday of the semester =( *sobs* but it's one of the cutest and most colourful! =D It's Geeks+Hats day! Woohoo.

Well, talking about scary stuff, this post is going to be filled with quite mind-boggling things. Firstly, we had our fun with Mac's photo booth! Check it out~


And here's presenting to you two of the silliest ones:
This last one is EPIC. No one is spared here. Look at Huiling's disproportionately LARGE hand! LMAO.

~

And now on to some real scary sh*t. My review of Paranormal Activity.
I give the movie:





Whenever I tell someone I've watched Paranormal Activity, the first question is this - Is it scary? Well, I guess it is inevitable, since this movie is gathering rapid word-of-mouth, along with the fact that this is supposed to be this generation's Blair Witch Project. The answer is this -

It is scary. And for the faint-hearted, it'll haunt you for nights to come.

Why nights? Well, save to say, the movie has successfully created so much fear in a single setting alone, you become afraid even for a single, open door.

Micah and Katie are engaged and have moved in together. It is only recently that Katie has revealed that since she was 8, a restless demon has been disturbing her. Micah decides to bring in a video-cam to film their bedroom every night to see if they can detect any paranormal activity, because to him, seeing is believing.

It doesn't take long before he believes. For consecutive nights in a row (eerily at 2:09am), strange sounds of footsteps and unexplained movements have been detected by the camera, and the impatient Micah starts to taunt the demon to show himself, much to the distress of Katie.

I shall not reveal anymore of the plot, but clearly, it is precisely these nights that we witness, one-by-one, the horror that is unfolding before our eyes in 'real time'.

Although we don't really get to see the demon itself, a scene depicting a violent contact with Katie will go down in horror film history as one of the most frightening sequence ever.

FINAL SAY: Forget about the lack of a strong storyline. This effective ghost story will still work its scares even after you watch the final shocking scene, simply because it hits so close to home.
~


Phew, the movie is really kinda freaky. Go watch it if you're brave enough.

Okay, on to happier things!


Sweet, shiok Shaved Ice! Wanted to eat MOF after Paranormal but it was closed =( so we koped fifi's mango shaved ice. Nice.

Grabbed this two for a steal at Lot1! On the right, the Cotton On tee, was on sale. $10 only! Ff caught me red-handed buying it. And then she song yong me into buying the berms on the left! But it's so cheap right.

And to prove that I'm being influenced by Fashionista Fifi...
That's me and my $20 outfit =) (okay, minus the agnes b. belt)

Whoaaa. What am I doing here?? Okay, nevermind. Just one last video to show.

To end this 'scary' post, shall share with you guys Lady Gaga's latest video, Bad Romance. I know some of you might've seen it on my Facebook, but this is a video to watch. She is the Madonna of our generation. Freaking insane, but freaking smart.



Alright, this might be the last post before the exams.

Study hard! Stop procrastinating!

That line's for you and me.

Take care, people!

Of Udders and Meatballs

I AM SO LOVING THEMED TUESDAYS! Blue, blue beautiful was the latest one. There are two photos because our dear Rachel was MIA for the first one. Looking forward to the upcoming. Two themes combined.. nice!
~

Oh man, need to give me a moment to sort out some things first. I've not blogged for so long and so many things has happened. Okay, for one, I'VE DECIDED TO JOIN IMPRESARIO 2010. Yep, that nationwide talent-search organised by NTU. I'll be taking part in the Original Composition category, and I've already came out with a melody and lyrics. For those who have heard it and helped me, a BIG THANK YOU to your feedback and constructive criticisms =D Really grateful. Wish me luck =)
~

And now, for a spread of delectable stuff that I enjoyed before officially starting to mug for the examzzzzzzzz...

Chiong ah!! Thank you Cant 5 steamboat uncle for this free plate of humongous ice kachang. Very smart hor. Keeps the customers coming.

Merci to Eve for these Merci chocolate sweets. Chocolates make people happy =D

Random photo of Huiying's necklace taken during COM204. This reminds me of the Miley Cyrus' song 'Party in the USA' with the lyrics: "...the butterflies fly away." Which reminds me of this MLIA post: "Today, after listening to Miley Cyrus's Party in the USA, my 7-year-old son asked me if I knew why the butterflies fly away. I said I don't know, whereby he proceeded to explain that because they were scared of her face. MLIA." xD

Wang enjoying his Gong Bao Ji Ding with his 'inherent-drama' face.

Oops.

Pasta Mania. Just had to get out of NTU to eat some better food.

Whiskey Java Choc and the white one I've forgotten the flavour :X But still, Udders, you've got a newfound fan.

IKEA meatballs rock. While waiting for Darius and gang to finish with their interview, Ying Hui and I wasted our time, money and stomach space eating the crap spaghetti at Spring's cafeteria. It was due to a desperation for good food, fuelled by the grossness of the food we just had, that we decided to chiong down to nearby IKEA@Alexandra for the wonderful meatballs. You can say we were satisfied.

After 25 years in the business, Sembawang Music Centre is going to fold. And because of that, they're having a storewide closing down sales at all their outlets, 50% off all stock. I bought Hitchcock's 'Dial M for Murder', 'The Orphanage' and 'Finding Neverland' starring Johnney Depp and Kate Winslet all for only $41+! Yay.
~

On the topic of movies, shall review two pics now. Although two of them are quite dated (one my dad rented, the other one from Choy), but they were both released this year, so they'll still make it to my year-end movie countdown =)

First one is the religious mystery, Angels & Demons.
I give the movie:






Right after anti-matter was successfully created, the leading scientist was killed and the substance stolen. It is later discovered that the mastermind is apparently an ancient brotherhood called the Illuminati that is bent on destroying Vatican City, on the same day the Catholics are to elect their new Pope. The history books state that the Illuminati are a group that believes - in an extremist point of view - that Scientific reasonings of life should be made known, and that Religious beliefs should be set aside in light of the 'truth'.

Famed symbologist, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks reprising his role) is chosen yet again to follow a series of ambigrams (illustration of a word that reads the same even upside down) to find the path of Illumination, which will lead them to the whereabouts of that deadly substance that threatens to eliminate the city.

In comparison with The Da Vinci Code, also another Dan Brown adaptation, Angels obviously has a bigger budget to play with. The final explosion scene is quite stunning, but that is probably the highlight of the film, in what appears to be a standard by-the-numbers mystery ride with a few controversial elements peppered in.

FINAL SAY: Exciting and intriguing enough to sit through, but nowhere as fun as National Treasure.
~


The next film is the excellent District 9.
I give the film:






Filmed partly-documentary style and partly-movie format, District 9 tells the story of an area cordoned off by the South African government because of a large alien spaceship that has been stranded above that spot. The aliens, known as 'Prawns', however, wreak havoc in the town, and the people want them evicted. The plot unfolds when an officer from the Multinational United (MNU) gets contaminated by an alien substance during a raid, and he eventually mutates, making him a fugitive by the government.

He seeks the solace of a fellow alien, while trying to plot a breaking-in into MNU's facility to eventually aid him in turning back into his normal self.

Opened to both critical and audience acclaim, District 9 is an unorthodox science fiction movie that works on many levels. Being both funny and shocking, as well as an apt social commentary on segregation in the society, the film is definitely a breath of fresh air from all the previous bloated Hollywood blockbusters.

FINAL SAY: It will make you uncomfortable but you can't take your eyes off it. The final scene will probably haunt you for days.
~


OKAY! Done. I need to get back to mugging.

Take care, people!