A robot with huge responsibilities

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

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

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

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

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

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

EXAMS. EXAMS. EXAMS.

*dies*

Officially on hiatus for the whole week.

T___T

An extravagant opening

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

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

Snog

I stayed back at campus till 5.30pm the other day to have a discussion with my fellow members for one of our assignments which will be due soon. The discussion ended early but I had to hang around an hour more as I had no one to fetch me home. And so I walked out of the Student Affairs Office (my usual hangout place) to look at the exam timetable. There were booths still left arranged as it was at the concourse even after the Engineering fair had ended. As I was walking across the concourse, little did I expect to see...

...a couple kissing behind one of the booths. They were so engrossed that they didn't realise that someone passed by. Feeling a little embarrassed & not wanting to disrupt their precious moments, I quickly walked away but unfortunately stepped on a loose manhole cover that led out a sound. I pretended that I didn't see them as I didn't wanna make them feel embarrassed & awkward either. In the next few mins, I could hear the girl gasping "OMG!" loudly maybe cuz she found out that someone noticed them sneaking such act on campus. Oh well... *shrugs*

Basically, the whole idea is that I'm still not used to the public display of intimacy especially in college. Ain't there places more romantic for a smooch? Park, no? Still, this is Malaysia. It's not a norm in our country to perform a kissing act in public. Respect that & deal with it. If you can't, go somewhere private. Believe me, I'd had had enough of witnessing couples caught in the act -_-. They even dared to think that their secret spot is safe from prying eyes at neighbouring colleges. Guh.

It's not that I despise these ppl; it's about when & where they do it irritates me. I won't deny that I kissed someone before. In fact, several times at somewhere quiet without anyone spying on us. Besides, we didn't wanna get ourselves into trouble cuz lip-locking in public is illegal. Honestly, I wouldn't hesitate locking lips with my other half if I'm living anywhere but Malaysia that legalises public kissing. Back to the couple. Can't blame that they were a little...desperate. To me, there's no harm kissing someone just to show how much you love him/her. Like I said, the concourse wasn't the right place. What if they got caught by the management? They're doomed, that's for sure. *sighs* Seeing them makes me feel like loving someone new again. But, I don't think I'm ready yet...

Contour glass

I'm a fan of the Olympics, in case you didn't know. As far as I can remember, I've been following the sports since Atlanta 1996. Back then, there wasn't many live coverage of all the sports & Astro was still at its infant stage which makes it too expensive for the general public to afford. Everything is so different now. Just switch on to Astro & you have...what, 11 channels featuring live matches? I'm proud to say that I've been watching the sports event a lot for the previous 2 Olympics, all thanks to Astro. Can't imagine how my life would be without this good 'ol satellite TV.

Even marketing has taken a different step nowadays. I'm sure y'all are aware that McDonald's has collaborated with Coca-Cola to release a limited edition contour-shaped glass in conjunction with the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympics. For every Gold Medal meal, you'll get a free glass with 5 different sport emblems to choose from. I was greedy enough to actually think of getting 2 designs - swimming & archery. Sadly, I have to settle for one only cuz the meal set is pricey. =( Luckily I told Mum to use my McD vouchers so she only need to add another RM4 or RM5. Yet, she still complained about the price -_-.

Since the meal is that expensive, there're a myriad of food included. Here's what McD offers:-

1. Spicy Chicken McDeluxe
2. Onion rings (7 pcs) or french fries (L)
3. Carbonated drink (M)
4. Sundae (Chocolate/Strawberry)

If price is not the main concern, then go for it. The contour glass is a novelty item that you can't miss. Just like the Hello Kitty plushies. XD

Ta-daa!

From top: Coca-Cola logo & archery emblem

*stares at the curveness of the contour glass* =D

Hot, steamy soup

My friends & I were having lunch nearby Taylor's Business School yesterday & decided to check out the Vono soup bar out of curiosity. It was a mini truck stationed at certain locations promoting Vono instant soup. Each box is priced at RM3 & there're 8 variants to choose from to cater to all those picky taste buds out there. Samples of the 8 different flavours were distributed to entice students buy at least one box. Buy 2 boxes, get 1 wooden soup spoon free. Buy 4 boxes, get 1 soup bowl/cup free. Buy 6 boxes, those 2 gifts are all yours. That was what the promoters told us.

Initially, I wasn't planning to buy anything as I was only tagging along. When I saw the complimentary gifts, I became tempted to purchase 6 boxes. But getting all 6 at once seems too expensive for me. So I settled for 2 boxes instead as I was keen to get the wooden spoon. It looks so cute! My guy friend wanted the mushroom flavour so badly that we decided each of us paid half for 2 boxes. I get to keep the spoon cuz he was more enthusiastic about the mushroom soup -_-.

I realised that the spoon seemed incomplete without the bowl & felt determined to get another 4 boxes. Yes, just for the sake of the bowl XD. This is not the first day you know me. I'll go all out to get it if I really want something. Off I went during lunch hour today, keeping my hopes high that the truck is still there. It's there! At the very same spot. Then I immediately selected 4 flavours, paid the cash & asked for the bowl. I was really disappointed when it was out of stock. But the girl assured that stocks will be replenished within 2 hrs & she gave me 2 spoons first.

At 4pm, I went there again & the gals were smilling gleefully at me. They must be thinking I'm the only one who's crazy enough to return just for the bowl. Who wouldn't? I already have a spoon, I don't need another 2. So yeah, they even took a shot of me with my best smile while holding the bowl & spoon. Just for contest purpose. Sighs. I'd probably looked...weird.

Mum was telling me that I'll most likely get sick of instant soup in no time. -_-

Soups, spoon & bowl.

Pink does not stink!

As much as I hate some ppl who're overly obsessed with pink stuff i.e. cellphones, bag, shoes, skirts etc., I can't help being one of the Barbies at times. Especially owning a pink J-phone specifically designed for girls. You hear me right ^^. I was captivated when I came across NTT DoCoMo's new model under the 706i series. It's the N706i Francfranc limited edition by NEC. Sooo pink, yet simple & stylish. The best part of it is the slimness, an essence in every female-inspired phone. Not to forget that the original box includes a travel set in conjunction with the travel theme, N meets Francfranc. Now if the price ain't too expensive & can be unlocked with HyperSim, I wouldn't mind asking my friend in Japan to purchase one unit for me XD. Gah, why can't we own gorgeous J-phones like this? T.T

To find out more about this phone, click the pic below. (special site in Japanese only)

Pics courtesy of Just Another Mobile Phone Blog & NEC Corporation.

Fan made of silk

Recently, I bought a sensu (silk fan) directly from Japan together with a chirimen sensu holder. What for? For no particular reason, to be honest. I always have this crazy behaviour of buying something that is usually of no use. If I see something that really caught my eye, I have a strong desire to own it. Most of the time, the price tag is not an important factor. It's the matter of whether the item is beautiful, pretty, shiny, rare...you name it. Lets just say this behaviour started ever since I had more allowance, owning my very own credit card & having my friend in Japan who's ever willing to do big favours for me. Of course, my childhood love for anything Japanese played the biggest role to encourage such behaviour. Not that it's a good thing XD.

Nevertheless, I still do have my senses. I wouldn't spend much on items that are incredibly expensive...something that I seriously can't afford. There were times that I felt like telling my friend to get a J-phone handset & delivered it to my house, knowing that the phone doesn't function in my country at all. So the only thing I could do was salivate over countless pics of those elongated, geometrically-designed phones over the Internet. Later when I found out that there're ppl who managed to unlock these exotic phones, I was thrilled. But I still couldn't afford one yet cuz they're sold at exorbitant prices. The phones are in high demand & once proven usable overseas, ppl will flock to J-phone importers to grab one. Obviously the importers would take advantage of the high demand to earn big bucks.

Anyways, enough of those incessant ramblings. This item I bought is made of silk, Japanese paper & bamboo which makes it really delicate & fragile. The silk material is semi-transparent & gives out a sheer tint. It looks very thin, easy to tear & fall off anytime if you add any extra ounce of energy holding or opening the fan. On the contrary, the holder is made of chirimen fabric in which the colour is matched according to the colour & design of the fan I've selected. No doubt I chose red & pink for the holder but the exact colour motifs were not decided by me. And I'm pretty impressed that the website matched the colour combinations so perfectly that it feels so exquisite to slot in my fan (not just for the sake of protecting it) & carry it around. All I can say is...it's simply beautiful. Love it to bits~ *grins*

Sensu holder. The part shown by red arrow is grey in colour. Stupid camera made it blue... -_-"

Sensu design inspired by lotus flowers.

INTIBALL 2008

Okay, the ball was finally over last Saturday night. My very last ball before I leave university. Honestly, the event was way below my expectation but at the very least; it was a memorable night for me cuz I felt that I looked more beautiful than ever. This is the first time I put so much effort to achieve the best look for prom. And I did it! ^^ With a considerable amount incurred, of course. It was worth every cent spent, anyways.

The food was not bad. In fact, the mutton curry tasted pretty good. However, the feel of the event was lacklustre; leaving much to be desired. It was supposed to be magical. That's what it ought to be. I supposed the only thing that is fuelling the fun & excitement are friends or dates for the night. Cameras were flashing endlessly & I can assure you that I was "blinded" aplentiful times. Especially no thanks to my camera that flashes twice each time a shot is taken. The pics came out fabulous so I shouldn't be complaining XD.

Performance was mediocre but there was one performance that I was looking forward to see. Though it wasn't superbly outstanding till it made me tear, I was watching in awe at the cute guy working on his rendition of Chopin's I-forgot-the-song-title piece. He is an excellent pianist, I must say. *salutes* There were too many bands doing performances & my lack of interest in rock bands is not doing any justice. Therefore, I shall refrain from providing comments about them.

I think what's noteworthy is that my cousin bagged the award for Best Dress. Obviously none of the guys could outmatch his outfit for that night. Just like me, he planned his outfit months before the event & even sourced certain pieces from overseas. Crazy, isn't it? XD If I had more funds, I wouldn't hesitate to order my dress online. There're so many dresses in US sites that I've been eyeing for months but couldn't bring myself to order as they're insanely expensive. The most I can do is achieve an elegant look just like the one below. For more pics, click here.

While my bunch of friends went for an after-event party at Scarlet, I went home instead & camwhored a lil bit with my cousin bro. Surely you guys will be asking why I didn't join them. I wasn't in the mood to go & home is only 2km away. And I didn't wanna dirty my beautiful long dress walking around the mall & street. I'm...not a clubbing person, you see. *shrugs* Here are the snapshots of the programme book. The concept & design is pretty interesting but if only the pages weren't stapled together (shown in 2nd pic). The staples somehow made the book look sloppy. Oh well, this post basically sums up the whole event. I shall go to bed now.

Just a quickie

I'll be going to the ball tomorrow later tonight. I'm pretty excited about it reason being this would be my last one before I graduate. And to top it off, I actually planned for this event a few months ago i.e. getting a dress way back in April & imagining the look that I intend to achieve. It was tough getting all the accessories & finally everything is complete now. Here's a sneak preview of how I would look like for the ball sans the makeup & proper hairdo. Oh boy, it's so late now. Gotta run. Ciao!

Britain's Got Talent!

I decided to look up on this new reality TV series, Britain's Got Talent after hearing my friend mentioned about the 6 year old girl who sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow. If this sounds unfamiliar, it's actually a talent search TV show reminiscent of American Idol with 3 judges commenting & scrutinising the participants. Seems like there's no age limit in this competition so practically anyone from all walks of life who thinks that he/she's got what it takes to win can sign up. You can sign up as a group or solo, which is different from the typical idol search shows that we see today.

This talent show doesn't refer to singing alone; it comprises other talents such as dancing, miming, throwing daggers...you name it. As long as it's a special skill that other ppl don't. Do I even need to elaborate further? To sum it all, the show started in 2006 & attracted lots of Brits to attend the auditions. The participants would have to demonstrate their talent in front of the judges & audiences in a hall. Three judges (2 men, 1 woman) in which one of them is Simon Cowell, you can expect lots of nasty remarks from his mouth. Audition process is pretty much similar to American Idol therefore I shall not go over the details.

In the first season, both finalists Connie Talbot & Paul Potts battled it out with the latter emerging as the winner. Connie was the first youngest participant to audition for the show & this has encouraged many kids try out in the following year. Paul, a mobile phone seller; wowed the crowd with his opera singing prowess. Citizens voted for Paul maybe cuz they felt that Connie was still young & had plenty of opportunities to prosper. Her voice was still at the growth stage so there's still lots of time before she matures & develop better vocals. Nevertheless, she still sang really well ^^.

As for the second season in 2007, the two finalists were dancers. Interesting ppl, I would say. I won't reveal much for now as I strongly encourage you to watch them in action in YouTube. The winner was Paul Sampson, 14 year old cute teenage street dancer. His rival was the group, Signature which consists of 2 members. This group really amazed me & after watching the video link below, I couldn't stop replaying it. It's just so hilarious yet entertaining. I even downloaded the video clip to add on to my collection. Do watch it & lemme know what you guys think.

Britain's Got Talent - Signature

Japanese Handicraft for Dummies

It was already 9.30am when we boarded the train at Asia Jaya. I kept on telling myself, "We're gonna be late, we're gonna be late!". It takes about 40 mins to arrive at Ampark Park where we'll head to Menara Citibank for our workshop. The fact that we'll be late can't be avoided as I woke up 50 mins later of my scheduled wake-up time. Sis was already awake but busy enjoying cornflakes in front of the TV while Mum was err...doing her chores, I think. By the time I was ready, I was waiting for the both of them instead -_-. Mum went for shower while sis only started washing her cereal bowl & packing her bag. Geez.

There's no way you can miss the tall building once you take the exit from Ampark Park leading to Nikko Hotel. The Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur (JFKL) is situated on the 30th floor. Yup, it's THAT high up. Your ears will start cracking & hurt a little when you take the lift 30 floors up & down. I'm not surprised as it wasn't my first time here. Been here twice many years back & the 3rd time was last Fri to collect the tickets to the workshop.

Once we arrived, each participant is given a piece of cloth which looks like this.

We were supposed to do a back-stitch along the vertical & diagonal lines to secure the two different coloured fabrics. As you can see here, I'm struggling trying my very best to sew the two pieces together XD.

After the stitching was done, the piece of fabric is to be folded into half & pinned together like the pic below. We were told to sew along the lines on the upper & lower part of the fabric.

Next, the fabric is flipped over to reveal the top side. This is how the finished product should look like.

TA-DAA! Behold, the masterpiece of dodgy workmanship XD

As we left the buiding, we chanced upon this really nice sports car. We had to take a pic of it cuz it's super cool.

Porsche Cayman (not sure if it's the latest model *shrugs*)

Overall, I really enjoyed the workshop. It really kept my mind busy & made me forget lots of things that I dun wish to recall. You guys are right, getting myself busy is the only way to recover quick. ^^

Learning handicraft the Japanese way

I'll be attending this handicraft workshop this Saturday at KL. Mum & sis would be tagging along too, especially Mum being overly-eager to learn how to sew a chirimen pocket tissue case. On the contrary, I had mixed feelings cuz though I'm deeply interested to know the process but my sewing skills is an embarrassment -_-. And to show my un-proud technique to the Japanese lady who's guiding us through the whole process is not making things better. *sighs* Oh well, let's see how things turn out. Will keep you guys posted.

Date: July 5, 2008 (Saturday)
Time: 10am - 12pm
Venue: JFKL, Menara Citibank
Admission fee: RM15 per pax
Things to bring: Sewing kit

Tale as old as time

edit:

I stole snapshot of the stage before the start of Act 2. Fyi, cameras aren't allowed during the show. So yeah, sorry no pics of the cast.

After the show. As you can see, the middle section below is the live orchestra. Pre-programmed software was used to generate the orchestra sound, I think.

This is the programme book that I mentioned earlier. Indeed, it costs RM30. *sighs*

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The musical was really good, just as I expected. It wasn't superbly awesome which made me go "WOW!" but overall it was worth watching. Heard that there were mixed reviews; some saying that it was disappointing whereas many spoke highly of the show. Well...the costumes were beautiful, the casts' voices were as sweet as angels & dances were a little goofy but nevertheless it was pure jolly good fun. At least the casts kept me entertained throughout the 2 1/2 hours.

The show pretty much lived up to what I've expected so far. But I was quite disappointed that the production team decided to inject some humour to it by changing the characteristics of the Beast. I've known since childhood that the Beast is a fierce & ferocious one, unlike the one on stage trying hard to be funny to please the crowd. He acted childishly, not to my liking unfortunately. Perhaps the team attempted to entertain the young audience who were also present with their parents. Dialogues were cheesy but funny I never ever thought of that when I watched the cartoon. *shrugs*

Speaking of kids...geez. I think it's a waste of time for parents to bring their children along. They're total distraction! The cartoon was originally targeted at kids who love fairy tales, fantasies, dragons yadi yada. But musical is NOT for the young. I mean, how can you expect them to appreciate live action stage shows? They just don't know how. Wait till their older. Imagine how irritating it is to have a 5 year old girl pulling the back of your seat every few mins & then asking her Daddy, "Is that the Beast?". And parents letting their kids stray away from their seats, running around like a maniac. Gawd.

Alrite, enough about rants. There were merchandises sold at the venue but I chose not buy any of it cuz they're ridiculously expensive. Only got myself the programme book & that already costs me RM30 T.T Thank God I brought enough cash or else I wouldn't have anything to bring back home. I just wanna keep some evidence to show that I was there XD. Pics will be coming up soon. Need some time to upload them cuz my sis has been hogging the camera lately -_-.