A robot with huge responsibilities

Friday, August 29, 2008

After months of missing out on good movies, I finally went for a movie outing with a friend of mine. The thing is...I have 2 advertiser's passes to use up before they expire. It would be a waste not to use it cuz there's no restriction on the types of movies to watch i.e. free listing movies. Hence, I didn't wanna miss out on the opportunity to watch a new movie. And so, we've decided to watch...


Yup! The ever adorable trash cleaning robot, Wall-E. I saw the teaser trailer to this movie months ago & thought that maybe I should give it a try. The robot looked cute, no doubt. As much as I adore every Pixar animated film & never failed to watch all of them in the cinema, I'm starting to get a little tired & wondered what else can Pixar do this time. No doubt it's the usual 3D animation featuring humans, talking animals, objects (you name it) with a moral behind the story. I wasn't particularly interested in The Incredibles in which I don't know why. It was good but not quite what I was looking for. Cars was very interesting to watch but Ratatouille was spot on! I saw the downloaded DVD ripped version & it was so good that I'd wish that I had enough HDD space to keep. Unfortunately, no T.T.

Anyways, back to Wall-E. I definitely thought the movie was excellent & very entertaining. It was a little slow at the beginning but no qualms about that. Disney & Pixar were trying to build the story with minimal narration by solely depending on robotic actions & facial emotions expressions. What's even more hilarious is that they managed to inject some lovey-dovey stuff between Wall-E & Eve, the probe robot. Aww...so cute! The most important thing is the message that the movie is trying to deliver to the audience. It highlighted the issues of pollution & the consequence of not having proper waste management. In this movie, humans no longer lived on planet Earth but in space reason being the planet can no longer sustain life. Pollution level is at its peak & skycrapers were replaced by mountains of trash. Using robots to clean up the waste while they left for space showed how irresponsible humans can be.

Honestly, I was hit hard by the message as I'm convinced that we, selfish humans might do the same thing. It's time to make a change. Let's not wait till matters become worse that is beyond our control. At that time, any remedial efforts will be deemed useless. Our Government's proposal to reduce import duties on hybrid cars is actually a good start. But how significant can it be? How about the public? Are they aware of the need to go green? Are they willing to adopt the "Go Green" attitude & put it into practice? As a matter of fact, my family couldn't even recycle about 50% of the trash we have. What about other households? It's a shame that we can't even follow Japan. I guess it'll be a long, long time before the majority of us would realise the seriousness of the problem. *sighs* It all falls back to the mentality of the public. You know how difficult it is to change people's minds. Nevertheless, a good movie it was. Entertaining yet educational. Now let's see if Nuffnang's gonna gimme tickets to Mamma Mia! The Movie. XD


Pic courtesy of Movie Poster Addict

Mamma Mia! The Movie

Tuesday, August 26, 2008


ABBA was the word that came into my mind when I heard about the musical movie Mamma Mia! The Movie premiering in the US. Surely this adaptation from the Broadway show is filled with unforgettable, addictive ABBA tunes such as Mamma Mia! (of course ^^), Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, SOS & the list goes on. I'm quite a fan of late 70s to 80s music so bands like The Bee Gees, ABBA, Earth, Wind & Fire just to name a few are not new to me. And to actually have a movie featuring all ABBA tunes is awesome cuz the late 70s to 80s is the golden era for all good music, imho. It sure makes me wanna jump off my chair & start grooving XD.

When Nuffnang announced that free tickets will be given to Glitterati members, I jumped at this opportunity & pondered hard about what to blog about. This is my first time trying to get free tickets through blogging so I need to make an impression for me to be selected. But what am I gonna talk about? First off, this movie will feature an all-star casts with the likes of Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth & many more. I personally haven't seen these celebs starring in a musical so I bet this movie will definitely be a feat for everyone. Dance, singing, dramatic acting, love lost & found - what an exciting ride it would be!

I last saw Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada & thought that she did an amazing job in portraying the icy, fearsome Miranda Priestly. Being an Oscar winner, I'm convinced that she'll be able to tackle different roles effectively by injecting her very own style into her characters, especially in this musical movie. I think what's surprising is to see Pierce Brosnan taking up a role in singing & dancing when all this while I have gotten accustomed to his suave demeanor in his Bond films. It would be interesting to see this man shake off his Bond image & strutting his stuff in this movie of romance & music. Not to forget Colin Firth whom I fell head over heels in love with after watching Love Actually. I didn't watch him in action in Bridget Jone's Diary but he's certainly a great actor to begin with. Definitely one of my fav British actor whom I look forward to see vying for the attention of "his" daughter.

The location. Oh my! What a heavenly place~ Choosing to film in a Greek island really sets the mood for this movie. I seriously can't think of a better place for the shooting. The clear blue skies, crystal clear water, white sandy beaches, captivating landscapes...what perfection! It reminded me of the island scene where Lena Kaligaris visited during the summer in The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants. Can you picture it?

Nuffnang, you know how I much want to watch this movie soooo badly. It would a memorable one reason being it'll be my first free movie from Nuffnang. Just like the movie tagline, Take A Trip Down The Aisle You'll Never Forget. I'll definitely take a trip down the cinema entrance that I'll never forget if I get to be part of this event. Pls, pls...gimme the tickets to the premiere of Mamma Mia! The Movie. I'll ♥ you forever!! ^^


Pic courtesy of Movie Poster Addict

Farewell Beijing, Hello London

Monday, August 25, 2008

Yesterday marks the end of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. How time flies, eh? The 16 days seemed to pass by in a breeze. After watching the Closing Ceremony last night, I told myself that I'm gonna miss Olympics very much. This is the best Games I've ever witnessed so far with many records broke & new ones made. Coming from a Chinese background, I'm proud that the host country had succeeded in promoting the rich culture for the world to understand more about us. Let's see how the London Olympic Games in 2012 can fare up to the new benchmark set by China. Meanwhile, farewell Beijing 2008! All the memories you have given us will leave behind a legacy in years to come.



Pic courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Fedora & trench coat

Saturday, August 23, 2008

I took this pic for fun while playing around with my cousin bro's fedora & trench coat. The size obviously doesn't suit me. Boy, I look like a midget XD. Tee-hee!

Goodies & so much more

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A couple of weeks ago, I received several packages one day after another from US & Japan. I don't know what got into me as I ended up having a shopping spree on eBay & Yahoo! Japan Auctions. I reckon it's all thanks to the pre-exam stress XD. Geez...it's not a good thing to hear, is it? Imagine the amount of money I can actually spend if I encounter stress again in the future. o_O

Packages from US

Bet y'all haven't heard about sewing patterns before. It's actually ready-made patterns that can be cut out & sewn together to form a dress design. There're several variations in design to choose from for those who prefer more choices. If only I found these patterns earlier, I could've made them & wear it to prom. The patterns are not too expensive (in US dollars, of course) but they can only be found in the US. So far, I haven't come across any of these stuff in my country which is why I decided to buy them. I haven't got much use of the patterns yet but hopefully in the future. What a total waste of money, eh? XD

Honestly, the designs look a lot like bridesmaid dresses XD.

Next, the one shown below is actually a travel set that comes with a silver pouch, an aromatic candle, an eyemask (the one you strapped over your eyes to sleep) & a huge postcard. If you click on the thumbnail, notice that the zip handle on the pouch is a shape of an airplane. The items look familiar to you, right? Well, I did blog about it here. I have no idea why I bought them. Maybe cuz I'm always attracted to all things shiny XD. But the pouch definitely has some purpose especially when I'm planning to travel out of town this weekend ^^.

FOMA N706i Francfranc travel set

And then, we have two phone straps in which I also got from Yahoo! Japan. The one on the left is actually a mushroom character called ドコモダケ, the current mascot for NTT DoCoMo which comes free if you purchase a DoCoMo handset. Cute fella, isn't he? ^^ And the gold phone strap next to it is a limited edition FOMA N906iu STNY by Samantha Thevasa that is included in every purchase of that particular model. Those Japanese sold the strap separately to make a quick buck. Which is good news for me cuz I absolutely love the strap design. What's missing now is to match it with my dream white SH906i keitai. *sighs*

ドコモダケ & STNY by Samantha Thavasa

Last but not least, the much anticipated Dong Bang's 3rd Live Tour DVD has finally arrived. Awesome concert, I would say. Makes me wanna be there so badly. The concert started on my birthday that's why this tour seems special to me. Gotta tell ya that the boys' concert gets better each year. I wonder when will I have the chance to witness them live in action in Japan. *sighs again* Lucky you, Pei Xiang!

The shiny~

College life is coming to an end

Monday, August 18, 2008

I've officially completed my tertiary education. What a relief~ Althought I'm feeling ecstatic, somehow I felt a little awkward about the absence of assignment datelines & exams. Everything happened so fast & here I am now supposedly ready to move on to the next chapter of my life. To be stepping out to join the fierce working community. All these years, I've always anticipated to complete my final year of degree with a blast. Little did I expect that things turned out simpler than I thought. Seems like just another ordinary day.

I've pondered a lot on the night after my last paper ended. Like...what's my next move? What should I do from now on? I couldn't sleep a wink as I could hardly believe that I have total freedom to do whatever I want now. Decided to stay up late again & watch my Dong Bang concert DVD that I've been deprived for months. It was just to keep my mind occupied rather than sitting down doing nothing. Though I kept on telling myself I'm very eager to leave college asap cuz I didn't wanna lay eyes on some ppl ever again & also leave this sad chapter of my life. I'll be happy again. But...deep down inside, I dreaded the feeling of the need to put this behind me. I seriously do. And the more I think about this, the more I felt guilty. I'm starting to become a hypocrite myself.

To be honest, I miss the good ol' days when the relationship with my college buddies were less strained; less complicated. I wished for so many things, especially the fact that I didn't have to fall in love. With that, I could've at least avoided suffering alone for months. I wished everyone weren't so selfish in the pursuit of their own goals. If only each & everyone of us were that innocent. Ppl grow up & change, so do friends come & go. There'll always be meetings & partings that intertwine one another. This is life, after all. *sighs* I don't know exactly what I'm trying to point out here. All I know is...I'm so confused. =(

EXAMS

Sunday, August 10, 2008

EXAMS. EXAMS. EXAMS.


*dies*


Officially on hiatus for the whole week.


T___T

An extravagant opening

Saturday, August 09, 2008

No words can describe how spectacular the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games opening ceremony was last night. How I wish I was there to witness history in the making. The lightings, performances, fireworks & pyrotechnics were absolutely stunning. The beauty of the Beijing National Stadium aka Bird's Nest was simply breathtaking, imho the most uniquely designed stadium in Olympic history.

Photograph by Bullit Marquez/AP

The performances were filled with splashes of colour, depicting China's richness in history & culture. One of the best moments of the opening ceremony was the 1 minute countdown to 8.08pm, the official time for the opening. This is probably the first time the countdown was manually performed by thousands of men while incorporating the modern, state-of-the-art effects reminiscent of a digital countdown clock.

Photograph by Adam Pretty/Getty Images

As you can see here, the drummers are hitting their drums that illuminate light for the man-made countdown. What brilliant idea & awesomeness!

Photograph by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

There were lots more beautiful moments during the ceremony that it would take hours for me to put them here. I think what most ppl are looking forward to most which is the climax of the event - the lighting of the Olympic flame cauldron. Rumour has it that a panda will be igniting the cauldron. Not true! It would've been interesting, really. But it doesn't sound very realistic either reason being the panda is a rather timid creature. Giving that poor little creature the huge responsibility to officiate the event means the organisers are asking for trouble. Here's the fact: Li Ning, Olympic gold medalist for artistic gymnastics was selected as the last torchbearer, suspended mid-air & running around the upper lip of the Bird's Nest while images of past torchbearers from around the world were projected on the walls.

Photograph by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Now that China has set a benchmark for such an extravagant event, I can't wait to see how she lives up to it for the closing ceremony. And it looks like the Chinese athletes are in the head start of the medal tally, battling the Americans. This is definitely the most exciting Games I've ever seen.

The M is back

Saturday, August 02, 2008

The MTV Asia Awards 2008 is finally back! Not bigger or better but the fact that it is to be held in Malaysia for the first time. At Arena of Stars, Genting of all places -_-. I began thinking how much the MTV organisers can do from this small venue. It only houses merely 6000 ppl. Been there. Seen it. It's THAT small. The trophy design for award winners was shocking. Simply cuz it's a gold-plated "M" shape bar with the award categories engraved on it. I wasn't very much impressed. Reminded me of a Toblerone bar.


I saw the delayed live telecast on Saturday night. And guess what? The event turned out to be surprisingly good. Though lacking sufficient award presenters, I must say that I'm indeed satisfied with the artiste lineup this time. All the performances were awesome except the ones by Project E.A.R & the collab between Electrico & Stefanie Sun. I'd have to stress that my favs for that night were One Republic & Leona Lewis. Hands down to Leona Lewis cuz she pwned them all. Bleeding Love is not her best song. In fact, Better in Time is 100 times better. Nevertheless, thumbs up to One Republic's main man for such a warm interaction with the crowd. ^^

Did I mention that Jared Leto looks incredibly hot? *drools* I believe not many ppl are buying his rather flat-ish hairstyle but I'm so intoxicated by his puppy-like eyes. They add on to his cool, emo & slightly gothic image. Why didn't I know that he acted in Troy? Oh right. I didn't watch the movie. For the list of winners, log on to mtvasiaawards.com as well as the latest news of the event.

Now if it wasn't due to assignments & upcoming exams, I'd definitely get my ass there. It's the experience that makes the trip worthwhile. The room rates for that weekend were deliberately jacked up, obviously. But if I were to go, I'll just to stay in the more expensive Genting Resort rather than the smaller but not-so-cheap First World Hotel. Ah well, I guess there's always next time. I still have SM Town in Bangkok 2008 to look forward to, right? XD Btw, congrats to the MTV organisers for the event's success. The team made us feel proud as Malaysians. =D


Pic courtesy of mtvasiaawards.com

DESIGNED BY ECLAIR DESIGNS