Summer Movies

X-Men: The Last Stand

Enjoyed it overall. Though had mixed feelings about the deaths. Not actually happy that the main characters died. Brett Ratner did a good job in taking over from Bryan Singer. The film still has the same feel and look as the first two. Only wished that the new characters could be developed more. Here's hoping for another sequel!

Rating: A-

The Omen

Didn't actually remember the original. That said, i do feel sumwhat satisfied after watching the movie. Maybe because i practically jumped out of my seat in one of the scenes. It was a good scare. (the last time i terkejut like that was masa tengok Jurasic Park II). It managed to create a certain creepy mood. P.S: proud of the fact that i watched it on 06.06.06.

Rating: B

The Da Vinci Code

Having read the book, i find this movie: average. I don't think this movie will be able to stand by itself without the book. Ron Howard didn't actually do a great job in bringing the book to the screen. I find the movie lacked suspense and the story didn't focus on the 'sacred feminity' angle. Lets hope Angels and Demons will be better.

Rating: B

Arkham Horror

Played Amin's Arkham Horror board game last Friday nite...

"Huh?" Fit



Suren asking question#154 of the night.

This Week's New DVDs

1. Scary Movie 4
2. V for Vendetta

Pepsi Commercial

"Time of Your Life"

Change

My secondary school friend of whom I haven't been in contact with for ten years (!) IMed me yesterday. We chatted for quite sometime and reminisce of the good old times. I was laughing out loud when he said 'now when I see a picture of Garfield, it reminded me of you'. The thing is, when I was in primary school, I was - for a lack of better word - obsessed with the fat cartoon cat. I used to buy all sorts of Garfield stuff - you name it; key chains, mugs, etc - I got it. Now? Not so much. What got me thinking is how much actually have we changed for the past 10 years? I was reminded of the line uttered by Gwyneth Paltrow in Great Expectations which i love: "We are who we are, people don't change." But how true is it?

I sort of made a mental list of this and to me, the biggest change for me (besides physical) for the last ten years would be my habits, namely smoking. It shocked the hell out of my friend (not to mention my mother when she found out not too long ago). The history of my smoking is quite short. Since I picked up smoking during the years of my study at the university, I have no historic flashback stories of smoking in school toilets and such. Though my mother bugs me incessantly about quitting, I have no plans for changing that habit. As beautifully put by Carrie in Sex and the City, "smoking is the only thing that keeps me balanced".

But one thing for sure that haven't changed is my obsession with Mariah. And that, "obsession" would be an understatement.

Best nyer kereta baru...

(not mine... sigh)

People always leave...

don't they?

photo from www.punkndisorderly.com

My Seven Deadly Sins

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	High
Envy:	Medium
Lust:	High
Pride:	High

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

Song of the Week: Don't Cry Out Loud

I'm not a big fan of Diana Degarmo, but i like this version.

M:I:III

And so it begins. Summer movies season kicked off this year with Mission Impossible:III. Directed by the famous creator of Alias and Lost, J.J Abrams - he gave this movie a fresh take with a simple and not as 'complicated' storyline as the first or cheesy as the second. Actions are a plenty and it keeps you glued to the screen. You also get to see some new faces (Keri Russell,Maggie Q, Jonathan Rhys Meyers) that contributes to Ethan's mission. But the 'star' of new faces is Hoffman - fresh from seeing him won the Oscar recently for best actor. An overall good popcorn movie.

Overall rating: B+

Come what may

OMG. Sooo looking forward to the long weekend. It has been a shitty day so far. Urgh.

The Wild

Watched The Wild last night. It is the latest Disney 3D animation movie featuring voices of Kiefer Sutherland, James Belushi and Janeane Garafalo. The story's about a group of animals in NY Zoo, headed by Samson the Lion (Kiefer) going out to an adventure, through New York City and ended up somewhere in Africa trying to save Samson's son. Wait... sounds like a plot of another cartoon: Madagascar! However, it was reported that Disney had been working on this movie for 9 years. I feel that The Wild is better than Dreamwork's Madagascar in terms of plot, jokes and character likeability.

The first 20 minutes of the movie did not grab my attention. But it progresses and the jokes gets better. Favourite character goes to Nigel the Koala as he delivers the best lines in the movie. The CGI is superb - you can actually see the details (the fur and such) and the lip-synching is almost perfect.

An overall enjoyable movie especially for kids, but i've seen better Disney movies (The Incredibles, Finding Nemo).

Just Like A Pill

"...where i can run, just as fast as i can, to middle of nowhere, to middle of my frustrated fears.."

New DVDs This Week

1. Underworld: Evolution
2. Jarhead
3. Casanova
4. Stay
5. The New World
6. Munich (Fala's)

You Drive Me Crazy!!

Was reading Reader's Digest (at work), and saw a survey in Asia on what irritate us most. Below are the findings on Asia's Top Irritations:

Bad Drivers: 86%
Queue-jumpers: 86%
Spitting in public (gross!): 84%
Poor services in shops/restaurants: 82%
People who drop litter: 79%
Poor personal hygiene(yuck!): 77%
Dog mess in street/park: 75%
People who swear: 74%
Noisy neighbours: 69%
Smoking in public places: 69%
Unpuctuality: 68%
Computer crashes: 66%
People talking loudly on mobile phones:66%
Crowded public transport: 60%
Telemarketers: 58%
Internet pop-up ads: 56%
Road works: 55%
People who don't say please/thanks: 49%
Automated telephone switchboards: 43%
Plastic wrapping you can't open: 40%

I kinda agree with the list. Other things that make me go nuts these days:
1. The question "bila nak kawin?" - enough already ppl!
2. The statement "you look fat"
3. The thought "i can't afford that" (sob, sob)

Gubra

Just finished watching Gubra with Fala, Fuad, Suren and Sani. It's a sort of a sequal to Sepet. We all agree that it's a good movie. Indeed, it's not a 'perfect' movie - you're somewhat left feeling wanting, but it's a brave effort by a Malaysian film maker. We especially like all the underlying messages on our current society. You have to watch to understand what i mean.

The five of us laughed the loudest in the cinema. There are plenty of funny moments - Pak Atan and Mak Inom doing macarena on the bed, Yam's comment on the ambulan service - however, my favourite part and i find the funniest is not even spoken in Malay. The part where the nurses spoke Tamil and made a small remark in the hospital after attending to Pak Atan. Nasib baik Suren was there to translate! Next time if i decide to watch again, i need to bring a Chinese friend to translate the Chinese dialogues.

To Fit: yes, it's true, you can see a guy's bare ass in the movie. I'm sure you will appreciate that.

p.s: Make sure you stay until the end of the credits.

Contra

Was really bored at the office today. After breakfast, i decided to go to the bank and pay my income tax. It was certainly sad to see my iPod dream going into flames; but you gotta do what you gotta do. My friend said it was 'patriotik' of me to go and pay the tax so early. When i think about it - paying your income tax is a patriotic thing to do. I mean, the money does go to the goverment, but the goverment will (should?) use the money to help other needy Malaysians and improve our way of life in terms of facilities and stuff. Isham keeps telling (lecturing?) me on how he understands the whole system works and we should not hesitate to pay our taxes. But then again, his income tax form always shows 'cukai terlebih bayar' and need not to pay anything upon submitting...

One Tree Hill

Since today is a public holiday, i finally got the chance and the mood to watch DVDs. Decided to watch Season 1 of One Tree Hill. The DVD has been sitting on the player for quite some time now. My verdict: loved it. For those who like The O.C, i pretty sure you will enjoy this series. It's somewhat a more toned-down and more 'real' version of the over-the-top OC. Not that i don't like the OC (gotta love Summer), i find OTH more subtle and has more emotions attached to it.

I did watch OTH before this on Star World, but did not manage to follow it because i can never seem to remember what day it was on. However, i find watching it on DVD back-to-back and advert-free is far more entertaining.

So for those who missed this series on T.V, i do recommend buying the DVD.

This Week's Best Quote

"Should i go and get a ruler?" KATE (EVANGELINE LILLY), WITNESSING A MACHO-MAN STANDOFF BETWEEN JACK (MATTHEW FOX) AND SAWYER (JOSH HOLLOWAY), ON LOST

(credit to EW.com)

Income Tax

Finished calculating my income tax for last year. And i have to pay more than a thousand ringgit for it!! Serves me right for not deducting my salary for PCB or zakat. Starting this year, i have made a point to deduct my pay for zakat pendapatan. Hopefully it can dramatically reduce my tax for next year. There goes my plan for a new iPod. Sob.

Close My Eyes

I was wayward child
With the weight of the world
That I held deep inside
Life was a winding road
And I learned many things
Little ones shouldn't know

But I closed my eyes
Steadied my feet on the ground
Raised my head to the sky
And though time's rolled by
Still I feel like that child
As I look at the moon
Maybe I grew up A little too soon

Funny how one can learn
To grow numb to the madness
And block it away
I left the worst unsaid
Let it all dissipate
And I try to forget

As I closed my eyes
Steadied my feet on the ground
Raised my head to the sky
And the time rolled by
Still I feel like a child
As I look at the moon
Maybe I grew up
A little too soon

Nearing the edge
Oblivious I almost
Fell right over
A part of me
Will never be quite able
To feel stable
That woman-child falling inside
Was on the verge of fading
Thankfully I
Woke up in time

Guardian angel I
Sail away on an ocean
With you by my side
Orange clouds roll by
They burn into your image
And you're still alive (You're always alive)

As I close my eyes
Steadied my feet on the ground
Raise my head to the sky
And though time rolls by
Still I feel like a child

As I look at the moon
Maybe I grew up
A little too soon

Lyrics by M. Carey

Gossip

Hari ni i had a course or "workshop" at Vistana Hotel. I admit i hardly pay attention to the course. It was basically an awareness course jer (read: excuse). Plus i was busy listening to office gossips from a friend sitting next to me. He has so many stories up his sleeves that can put Mama Juwie to shame. It was such a guilty pleasure listening to them.

Came back home with a splitting headache... probably trying to digest too much information (from the gossip, not the course material.. but you already knew that).

Gifts

Must be gifts week 'cos i received gifts and tokens - and it's not even my birthday! Today, got a new digital camera from the company i'm working with (performance token), a pen (for registering for pemotongan Zakat pendapatan) and yesterday i got a manicure set for 'attending' an AGM. Cool.

Happy 7th Birthday, Almaz!!

My niece celebrated her 7th birthday last Saturday with a party.
Themed football.





The football cake

Kak Muni ala Rebecca Apprentice...

..at Sports Barn to be exact



My 1st nephew, Rifqy

Zayn in his Liverpool t-shirt

Almaz in her jersey

This Week's Best Quote

"'Kevin is my heaven,' huh? Simon is my hell."

RYAN SEACREST, RESPONDING TO A FAN'S SIGN, ON AMERICAN IDOL

I Don't Wanna Cry

Rare live version

Answered

Thanks to EW.com for answering my burning question (even though it's not me who actually asked):

What is the best way to organize DVDs in a way that shows how awesome your collection is while remaining understated? And how should they be arranged (alphabetically, chronologically, autobiographically)? —Brandon Otte

Brandon, I love a question like this, because I recognize a kindred spirit: You're intensely interested in how your object-of-obsession — in this case, a DVD collection — appears to others, because you and I know that people judge us not merely by what we watch but how we choose to present those choices. I'll confess: I tend to let DVDs pile up in stacks on my desk and the floor until I have trouble finding the titles I want, but once I DO organize 'em, I do as I do my book collection: I group them by genre (thrillers, documentaries, TV shows, classic dramas, screwball comedies, cartoons, etc.). I don't bother with alphabetical, because that way lies madness (Alphabetical by title? By studio? By lead actor? By director? Gaaaaaa!!!...).
Then I just shelve them neatly, spine facing front — I NEVER put the DVD cover face-out on my shelf, the way they sometimes do with books in bookstores; to me, items facing out means you don't own enough of the things to cram them into a delightfully, brilliantly chosen shelf of material that proves to even the most casual pursuer that you are, indeed, an awesome dude or dudette. This system also has the added benefit of making you look like you know where everything is (which you do) without any system so mundane as alphabetical organization. ''Billy Wilder's The Apartment? Right here, Jim! Season One of Deadwood? Lower shelf, to your right, Jane!'' You're not a library — you're a connoisseur!

All i have to do now is find space to display them. I must say i do buy lots of DVDs. I actually lost track of what i own. I can't even remember who borrowed what from me, and whether or not they have returned them. Sometimes my dvds hilang gitu jer. I need a system to track where my dvds are. Haven't thought about it yet.

Team Building Pics

Thanks to Fit for taking these photos and the other 100 of them with his new and expensive camera!

The BBQ Dinner

Banner Painting

Aweng and his lamb (not Fit, but the one in his hand)

Ming Chai giving a helping hand

Banner painting

Aweng as the leader

One of the groups with their banner


Suren leading the 'Reef Knot' game


Kak Ida making her mark

Suria Cherating Resort, where it all took place

Teaming for Global Championship

I'm off to Cherating again tomorrow. Apparently i was elected (selected?) by my boss as the leader/Project Manager in organising my department's Team Building - which is ironic because the thing i hate most is attending Team Buildings. Just the thought of climbing trees and going through obstacle courses seems too much of a work for me. Too much of a reminisce of the horrid experience i had during Orientation Week before joining my University. (And that is why i didn't put any Obstacle Course or anything of that sort in the program)

The first session was two weeks ago (we're doing 2 sessions because the large number of staff and some work in shifts - a bit complicated to explain; alright, i'm just too lazy to explain). The first session went OK; i think.

Luckily, we're allowed to engage a consultant to handle the activities. And they did quite a good job considering the limited time they had. So what's our job? Basically, my team ensures the event went smoothly. My favourite part of this Team Building is that the committee need not to take part in the activities!

However, i'm constantly stressed throughout the event because i'm afraid the participants might think the event sucks. You see, I have this constant need to please everybody, despite being told by my committee "you can't please everybody - we try our best".

I'll post some pictures from the event later - in the mean time, i'm looking forward to the BBQ dinner (again). Can't wait to have the lasagna (sorry Dr Atkins: just for another week...).

Ikhlas Tapi Jauh

I have been looking for the Ikhlas CD for quite sometime now. Can't seem to find it anywhere. It was one of my favorite albums masa Form 1 dulu. Last time, i only had the cassette which is now gone. Yeah, i know i could download the songs on Limewire and such, but it's not the same as owning the CD. Anybody want to sell theirs?

This Week's Best Quote

"So just to be clear; some slutty chearleader gets knocked-up by the soccer coach behind the local Gas & Gulp, and she's making sure we're quality people?" PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE MOTHER GABRIELLE (EVA LONGORIA), AFTER BEING TOLD SHE AND CARLOS NEEDS TO "AUDITION" TO BE PARENTS, ON DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (S02E16).

Note: I'm really excited Prison Break is returning next week!

American Idol: 1st one to go

After forgetting her lyrics, Melissa was the first one to leave the top 12...

Article from EW.com:

There are plenty of mistakes you can make during the American Idol finals without having to pay the ultimate price. For instance, you can try out a disastrous new hairstyle (like Bucky Covington). Or perform with only a smidgeon of your previously displayed charisma (like Kellie Pickler and Elliott Yamin). You can even deliver your song in a painful warble and then sass off when Simon Cowell rips your performance to shreds (à la Kevin Covais).
The one thing you cannot do, however, is mess up your lyrics, as perpetual underdog Melissa McGhee found out during Wednesday night's Idol results show. The Florida native, who struggled with the words to Stevie Wonder's ''Lately'' on Tuesday's performance show, repeatedly substituting ''recognition'' for ''premonition,'' received the lowest number of viewer votes, becoming the first season 5 finalist to get the old heave-ho.
Many EW.com readers thought she had it coming. ''Forgetting the lyrics is unprofessional,'' Rooney argued on yesterday's TV Watch message board. ''I realize that well-known singers do it all the time, but Melissa only had one song to learn.'' Still, the raspy-voiced songbird handled her elimination with panache, admitting to host Ryan Seacrest that her sad fate came as no surprise.
The evening's other two residents of the bottom three — Lisa Tucker and Ace Young — were slightly more unexpected, though as I contended yesterday, both Lisa and Ace are among the contestants who ''might be better off spending the next couple of weeks mailing head shots to their local cabaret lounges and dinner-theater directors'' than actually dreaming of a major-label recording contract. Indeed, Ace's ''Do I Do,'' his third consecutive performance plagued by serious pitch problems, proved that luscious locks and male-model posing do not necessarily an Idol make. Lisa, meanwhile, who received the second-lowest number of votes, is going to have to realize that merely staying on key won't win her a sizable fan base. Unless she can shake that lingering whiff of precocious pageant kid that she brings to every performance, she'll be a goner before April Fool's Day.

Bad Day

My theme song for this week...

Lost S02E15

Just finished watching Lost latest episode. I have to say, the show gets better and better each week. This week, Claire is starting to remember what happened to her when she was abducted by the Others. Which now raises more questions (sigh) about the Others' intention and their connection to whole Dharma thingy. I won't say much more because it will spoil the fun for those who haven't watched the latest episode. All i can say is, Lost is definitely the best show on t.v.

Zayn

This is the latest addition to my family, my nephew Zayn

We Belong Together

This is definitely the best live version of this song...

Small Reunion

My high school friends got together last weekend. It's been awhile since i saw them. Fariza's now pregnant, Maton is pregnant (again!) and Cit's wife is pregnant. Well, basicallly all the women at the table are pregnant. Hell, i'm the only one who is single at that table! We had lunch at Chilli's (yum).. i wish i can afford to have lunch there everyday! We manage to catch up on the latest happenings of ourselves and other colleagues we haven't seen. It was fun and I hope the next time will be really soon and other old friends could join too...

The pregnant ladies

Call the cops

Robbed! Our house and cars were broken into last friday! Talking about a shitty week. My housemate's wallet was stolen, along with some money... and i lost... my mariah cd casing! Of all the stuff from my car, the only thing the damn robber took was my Mimi's cd casing... And so, we did all the police report thing... but of course, you don't expect to see your stolen stuff back! That's the way it is.

I'm still mourning over our loss.

SIS

I texted an old friend from school today. He called back (how nice of him). Anyways, the reason i texted him is that some of my schoolmates are planning to have a get together next weekend, just to catch up. This whole thing reminded me of the good old days. Nothing much to worry about, less responsibilities... That's weird 'cos masa sekolah dulu, can't wait to finish school and get a job! Weird huh? Maybe it's the idea of earning your own money and being independent makes it worth while. When i think about it, i don't think i would want to go back and having the pressure of getting good grades!

I'm having quite a stressfull day at work. Everything that could go wrong, did. To top it off, this month, it's time for employees' appraisal. Urgh. It's kinda difficult being judged and graded by a superior.

Waiting for American Idol repeat at 11.30pm.. to relieve the stress. I'm a sucker for reality shows :). But that's another story.

Urban Batik

The company i'm working with is having it's 15th anniversary dinner tonight. Of course, yours truly kena jadi balachi (correct spelling?).. jaga registration... Theme for the night is the pollitically correct theme of BATIK.. So, kenalah pakai baju batik... So, i've asked me mom to buy me a new baju batik (cos the old one is more than 6 years old).

Ok, it was just an excuse for me to get new clothes.

Bought a new book today. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Supposed to be good. Haven't started reading it yet.

I can see clearly now

I am officially rabun. Got my glasses last week after a year or so in denial (that i don't need glasses). Of course, the glasses is branded. Spent a fortune on it. Hehe. Can't help it. My friend told me that i turned something that i need into something i want. And only I can do that, ladies and gentlemen..

p.s: Did i mention i got a new handphone last two months? No wonder i'm broke...

iLuv it!

What can i say? I love iTunes software! It took me forever to update the info of the songs and making sure all the info are correct (an OCD of mine). One of my favorite feature is the album art display. It displays the album cover of the song being played. You can download the software here.

Lapo nyer

Suddenly hungry. Kept thinking about the mee kari that Alfa ate last few nights. It came in a huge bowl and huge prawns!

End of the Year

Well, it's almost end of the year. Maybe i should recap what has happened the last 12 months:

1. Closed a credit card account (hurrah!)
2. Lost 8 kilos on Atkins diet (my greatest achievement!)
3. Work!
4. Moved to a new house
5. Watched a lot of DVDs and TV series (go Prison Break!)
6. Mariah is the biggest selling artist of the year (and 2 #1 songs - tied with Elvis for most #1s!)

Hmm.. that's not much... oh hell, hope 2006 will bring joy and happenings!