"Escape" movies

When i was small, i watched a lot of movies. My record was 52 movies in a year, achieved during one of my secondary school years. It was a one-off record that was never repeated. Movies was my escape. Ironically, i never like "escape adventure" movies like Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno, Babylon, Airports 'XX... These movie typically would have some heroes (dont know why no heroines...) leading a bunch of ppl running here and there. Watching this type of movies give me phobia until today.... of cramped space, distrust of women as crisis leader (dont prosecute me, ok!! freedom of speech wat!) and fear of going on holidays. So, when that significant relative of mine wanted to watch "Titanic", i gave all sort of excuses like headache lah, cannot get tickets, blah blah blah. I will never watch another "escape" movie. period. Except of course, if it is Tom Hank and/or Steven Spielberg movie. which was why i gambled away 2 hours of my weekend with "The Terminal". I thought it was the most wu liao movie about someone stuck in the JFK airport in NY. Only Tom Hank, an expert in acting with himself (Castaway was a good example) could pull it off. Otherwise how could one act through an english movie as a non-english speaking tourist. "Wat!! i am wrong? Mr Bean also can act without speaking a sentence of English?" Hei! Mr Bean (forgot his name) is a comedian lah, we are talking about serious drama actor here!! hehehe i am still right. Maybe the accidental love story between TH and Catherine Zeta-Jones distract abit. Anyway, our hero wasnt trying too hard to escape after meeting this "Meg Ryan" look-alike. I am a sucker for TH-MR romance movies. CZJ with the pouty lips really looked like the cutesy MR in this movie. Actually "Terminal" look a lot like a rojak of TV "Survivor" and "Friends" with its "no-money many-friends" theme. I mean it cos there were so many CCTV in the airport, Hank's antic was good TV to the sadistic Airport Manager and his kakis. No privacy in American's airports? I am actually surprise why the movie was not banned in Singapore. Tom Hank was really bad here as a role model. Ripping airport property, repainting wall (read grafitti)... vandalism in short!! Canning if get caught in Changi. Maybe Hank's acting was so good, the censors missed it? Well Hank/Spielberg combo is a sure "pau jiak" winner. A really good wu liao movie to spend 2 hours with over the weekend!!

Tribute to S Rajaratnam

Why do we only read about great people when they die? As i slowly read the story on Mr S Rajaratnam in the Straight Times over the weekend, i was amazed by the many achievements of this great man who was a founding father of modern Singapore. I dont know much about Mr Rajaratnam not because of a lack of interest in history nor natural apathy about politic. Just that there is so little on his contribution to modern Singapore in the public psyche. Off the cuff, i can count.... Mr Lee Kuan Yew got his 2 volumes of memoirs Sheares, a bridge Yusof Ishak, our money "face" Ahmad Ibrahim, the highway guy Raffles, the jaga beside the Singapore River Parameswara, etched permanently in our history book Come on, he is the man who wrote the National Pledge, stood up to supporters of Soviet Union supporters like Assad of Syria, Saddam Hussein & Fidel Castro, envisioned Singapore to be a "Global City" before globalisation become a business fad. He was also a staunch supporters of multiculturalism, avid photographer, deep thinker and a great wordsmith. In his late years, he was often quoted as saying: "On my IC, it says my race is Indian. But I don't care if you call me an Indian or Eskimo. What is important is whether you consider me a good man." I know my words would not do justice to such a great man who had contributed so immensely and left such a vast legacy. Nevertheless i like to end my tribute with.... MR RAJARATNAM, SIR YOU WERE, AND STILL ARE A GREAT MAN!

Reading between the lines...

The Straight Times 22 Feb 2006 Poly Student in homemade sex video gets counselling Teachers in other schools say many teens use phones to capture nude photos, sex clips ...Many teenagers-girls as well as boys-have been caught with pictures and video clips showing themselves and their partners naked or having sex. The Straight Times 13 February 2006 Singaporeans lose 22,000 mobile phones a year Estimate based on figures from phone and cab companies ********************************************************************************* Reading between the lines, if 10% of the 22,000 lost phones belong to teenagers, and if 10% of these phones have sexual contents, we are looking at 220 lost phones with sexual/pornographic contents per year. Without realising it, there are actually ample raw material floating in Singapore for the opportunists to make a quick buck....if the figures from the phone and cab companies are to be believed. Btw, what type of counselling given to the poor gal who lost her phone? Wat? Dont play with the mobile phone while romping between the sheets?

Where is Block No: 4?

Where is HDB Block No: 4? Missing Block No: 4 at Jalan Bukit Merah. A neighbourhood that was built more than 20 years ago. Is it superstition to leave out no: 4 as "4" sound like "die" in the Chinese Cantonese dialect? Another nearby neighbourhood without a no: 4 block? This development is also more than 20 years old. What were those guys at HDB thinking more than than 20 years ago?

Found!! Block with no: 4! This was at Toh Yi Drive, a relative new development of 10 years old. No: 4 is not taboo here! How come? I really dont know. Maybe it is the sign of time. A change of guards at HDB management. A new management, like the Modern Singapore, has no place for superstition.

So, if you are a non-local staying in a flat (yup, thats what the call HDB residential home in Singapore) you can roughly determine the age of the neighbourhood by looking at the signage to your neighbourhood!!

HDB = Housing Development Board (HDB) . HDB is the Housing Authority that was responsible for building 80% of the public residential homes for Singapore citizens.

Expressway to No Where

Everyday doink! doink! doink! The sound of infra construction works ...arghh!!

Since the 80s the proliferation of highways and MRT lines seem never ending.

Someone told me, this is called progress. I agree cos i am a driver too!

Started with a small PIE, then CTE, BKE, SLE, bigger PIE, upgraded ECP, TPE...

and the still unfinished KPE & PPSE.

KPE, the longest tunnel-highway in the world looks like a dragon.

This dragon of whole 9-km long goes in, goes out, goes in... of the earth so many time

i think we better change its name to RCE - Roller Coaster Expressway!

Just look at the pic above. The highway just seems to just disappear into the ground...again.

The one that didn't make it... one of the Circle Line MRT stations. My condolence to the families of the those who perished. For all the convenience and comfort that we enjoy now, we should spare a thought for those who lost their lifes in the name of development. May their souls rest in peace

Pls enbloc me!!

The Straight Times 20 Dec 2005 (abstract) HOUSING MARKET STIRS AFTER 5 SLUGGISH YEARS Recovery focused mainly on high-end segment, but may turn broad-based next year IT LIVES! After nearly five years of sluggishness - and quiet despair among owners - the sleepy property market finally came back to life this year. By Fiona Chan & Joyce Teo ************************************************ Fiona's & Joyce's, i marked your words on it, on this so-called Property Market resurgent. Whatever the direction of the property market in the next 12 months, any one of the followings happening will put a smile on my face

• property price go up by 20%. fat hope but a hope is a hope...
• my block kena en-bloc. more likely but dont know when, so still fat hope
• someone offers 20% above market value for my property. my flat got seaview one, ok!!

In the event of any of the above happening, Fiona & Joyce, i will buy dinner for both of you at any restaurant of your choice!! You can mark my words, too!!

Multi Tasking

My new pencils holder My old pencils holder

I got a new pencils holder today!! Ok, not really pencils but stationery. The new one got masking tape , multiple holders & a swivelling base. My old plain vanilla pencil holder just lost its job and heading to the bin. Even pencil holder, a simple device nowadays come with "multi-tasking".

When come to multi-tasking device, i guess no progress in science and technology beats the speed of the development of the mobile handphones. It is so fast, i am not surprise that by next year, i will be able to shave using my Sony Ericsson Gillete mobile phone!!

Staying Relevant

Hei! Fancy having your sec-school days idol belting out disco number on your daily morning traffic jam... We are not talking about remix oldies but serious new work. Well, the queen of disco, Madonna is back! She had released a new disco compilation last year: "Confession on the Dance Floor". Aiyoh! I dont know how to describe it. But really, listening to her music is shiok! Disco music was part of life then and it had brought back many nostalgic and sweet memories...

Parties. Girls. Camping in Pangkor. Bell-bottom Pant. 50cc motorbike

For a 47-year old, Madonna is really mo tak teng (incredible). She had changed over times to remain relevant. And am i glad that she had gone back to her root in disco with this new compilation!! Madonna is the chameleon that had adopted, adapted, changed, shocked ... to remain relevant in this fast changing music world. She is a woman, mother, wife, icon blah blah... Can we draw a lesson here? Yes, i can think of a few...

• there is still life after 40s
• breast feeding increase creativity
• do what you do best ....

Bluerain had landed!!

Bluerain: request permission to land Seefei: Permission granted MSN (in chinese): Bluerain had landed! Bluerain: Request video and audio connection Seefei: Permission granted Bluerain: Can you see me? Seefei: Bluerain, we can see you Bluerain: Can you hear me? Seefei: We can hear you. Bluerain(my niece), we are through!! Can you please get your daddy (my bro)? The marvel of technology! Click, click, click... two families that are thousands of kilometres away are linked. For the first time i can see my bro and sis family and talk to them at the same times. Call me a dinosaur but at this particular moment, i feel like i just call someone from the moon!! I don't know what's the implication of this is. It is great and we are enjoying it. Family gathering and chit-chat session can be more often - thats what we need in this everyone-is-busy world!!

Will they talk to one another?

Dont know whether these two babies will talk to one another? Just keep my fingers crossed that my new bluetooth earpiece will "connect" with my old mobile phone. Well, if i dont answer my mobile phone during the next few days, most probably they dont and i am on the road.

I actually bought the device from one of the big telco shops and had expected better customer service. The one who sold me the bluetooth earpiece couldn't be sure whether they would be compatible. I had to take the sweet sales girl's assurance that the compatible brand bluetooth earpiece would work just fine. Testing was not possible as all showpiece models were not charged. I also suspect the sales girl was a part timer as i was very surprise at the lack of knowledge of the products on show and their compatibility. If not for the $50 loyalty voucher, i would had walked out and patronise another shop that was more customer-friendly.

Lazy Man Game

Squash is the game. Not really a lazy man game as there is really lots of running to do chasing that little ball. But it is very effective and fast to work out a sweat. Hence, very suitable for someone who want a good workout with minimum spare time. You can get a good work out for 45 min and it doesn't come with co$tly equipment outlay. Maybe thats the reason i have been playing the game since univ days when cash were a lot tighter.... with the same buddies. Rain or shine you will see us at a squash court between 7.30 to 9.30 pm. The only time i broke the routine was when i sprained my ankle and later picked up golf. Some of the courts we had played on are no more. Casualties of redevelopment and change of use probably due to the general waning of public interest. Well, as a group we also lost a few members to golf and family commitment. We are not chasing the balls as hard and worry too much about the score line nowadays. However, the joy a quick adrenalin flush and meeting of old buddies is driving us on. Occasionally we get free coaching tips when, Zainal Abidin the ex-National player is giving lesson next door. Our squash days are numbered but till then we look forward to our Tuesday of squash fix.

The Flu...

On the last few days, i had come across a number of blogs with entries of flu hitting either the bloggers' family members or the bloggers themselves. If bird flu can mutate into a strain that kill ppl, can e-virus evolve into the common flu bugs and transmit through the internet? NAH, crazy thinking!! Wish these bloggers will get well soon and continue to illuminate the blogsphere! I dont have to name names as you know who you are!! Did a quick goggle on "flu" and i got like 222 million hits!! the followings links maybe of use and were found on the first page http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/flu.html http://www.fluwikie.com/ http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/flu.html

Valentine ... the journey

Despite the numerous politically correct answers "Celebration is not important but the thought thats count" on the radio on the VD yesterday the huge traffic jam on the road on a mid-week working day would tell you that there was still a group large enough to rush to downtown for the celebration to cause such a huge jam. VD celebration was turning into a Very Delayed celebration for a lot of people. Of course there will be some collateral damage as those poor fellows who lives in Town will also be caught in the jam. Sorry to these fella!! Convenience comes at a price$$.

I think the traffic police would not be too happy with us drivers yesterday as we turned the roads and highways into parking lots yesterday. However, the taxmen and petrol station operators would not complain too much with current state of the oil tax and prices. A normal drive of 15 min turned into 1 hr 30 min, not the kind of travelling duration drivers are accustomed to in Singapore. Anticipating a long journey i had purposely dropped our favourite italian singer into the car CD player earlier in the morning. The long journey had provided a good activity-less one and a half hour of talking and communication between See and i. With soothing italian music in the background, it was the perfect opportunity to ease our mind into the VD mood that we had not felt during our courtship days. With a little early planning, the journey with the anticipated jam had been turned into an integral part of the celebration...

Another Birthday?

Today just felt like another day of CNY with so much festivities around and my visiting bro family still in SG. However, Bro is flying off today and there is a tinge of sadness in the air with the impending departure. Hence, my BD elation is somewhat tempered this year. With VD just 2 weeks away and wifey's slightly further away, it seems like there is a lot to celebrate in the span of 45 days. I opted for a simple dinner at Sushi Tei and a slow walk along Orchard to catch the rehearsal Chingay 2006 - Parade of Dreams. Another BD... Yes!! No big deal? No!! Another BlesseD year... thats how i look at it!! I am looking forward to the next and the next and the next....

CNY 2006!

Chinese New Year is here again! After the mad rush to tidy up last minute work and getting the preparation done for CNY, finally can sit down and "wait" for the CNY to come. The theme for this year is "SIMPLE". Out are yesteryear stuff that really drained our energy and spirit which we are not ready to tackle this year. My "OUT" list

OUT list

Home-cooked re-union dinner, replaced with Crystal Jade Pun Chooi which is not bad!! Chief cook (my mum) had retired and we are buying time to do up the kitchen and training the replacement cook...

Heavy "Spring" Cleaning, replaced with close monitoring of cluttering in the household whole year round and weekly cleaning. We are replacing Sprint Cleaning with Marathon Cleaning...

Elaborate decoration, replaced with simple and easy to take off decoration.

Chinese New Year is always an enjoyable occasion but good time really fly... before you know it CNY is coming to an end. officially this Sunday at 12 Feb. CNY is never complete with a tour of China Town but this year we just viewed the festivities from our car. Too tired to walk... This CNY is really special as this is the first time the two families (my bro and i) are celebrating together... and playing bowling together. For the record, my team was thrashed by big bro. average score 136 ag 86. "Hei! there is a lot of Milo here for $2..." my niece from HK on her first encounter with the SG Milo Dinosaur at our local sarabat stall

Ipoh ACS83 Gathering on the 2nd day at Tuck Kee at Pasir Pinji. First time see a decent pic taken by the serving waitor. 17 came, see and sapu ....

YC played host this year for the SG leg of ACS gathering. Our usual pot luck arrangment had upgraded to a very much grander affair with YC's wife mini buffet line. The mini buffet line was special with is special dishes like fusion fried spaghetti, beef rendang etc.