2 Months Glance Into 2011

I am indeed a very lousy blogger... My last post was on the last day of 2010 and this would be my first post for 2011. I've been tring to write something but I keep making excuses for myself and keep saying tomorrow. So finally... I've decided to glue myself to the couch till I update my blog with this post. January and February have come and gone. Much have happened and now, all I can give is a brief glance of the past 2 months of my life...

Myself...

Nothing really extraordinary happened. I guess that explains why there was no regular blog entry. The only change I think is that I've switched my mobile service provider of more than 10 years, Maxis, to join the DiGi family. I'm still using the same mobile number but under a different service provider.

My family...

Everyones pretty excited about my new nephew. By now he's 6 months old already. He's very adorable and cheerful. He smiles a lot too! My youngest sister always comments that he has very luscious lips. Here's what he looks like...

Zachary Micah Victor

So now I have a pair of beautiful niece and a handsome nephew...

Yvette & Zachary

Celebrations & Events...

My New Year was very quiet. I had a countdown dinner at D'Italiane Kitchen, Jaya 33 together with my hubby, brother, Angie and Nigel. The dinner was yummy (once again I failed to capture the food pics) and by midnight, me and my hubby were already home to watch the fireworks display of various locations from the balcony of our home.

After that was Chinese New Year. I always looked forward to this day as this is the day when the whole family is together having really yummy home cooked food and a whole day filled with fun and laughter. When my sister, cousins and niece gets together....they become a bunch of loonies...

Funny photo session with my sister, cousins and niece

This year we all took turns to take our family photo with my grandma.

My recent event would be my youngest sister's convocation. It was a very proud moment for my family. All of us went to witness this very special day.

Working and Holiday Trips...

I've only gone down South for my working trip and I've also managed to spend 2 days in Singapore to accompany my hubby for his company's Annual Dinner. Nothing much done in Singapore... just the usuals...Geylang for my favourite frog porridge, Bugis Junction for my sweet potato tempura, Takashimaya for Takopochi and bought my Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable canned soup. The only thing extra was my bottle of Ferragamo perfume and my Charles & Keith handbag... it was so cheap!!

My next holiday trip was to Melaka with my family during the Chinese New Year holiday. Though it was a short trip but we had quality fun time together. My hubby and my brother in-law became durian freaks during this trip...durian cendol, durian cream puffs and durian candy.

My Current Hobby...

My hubby and I recently became a proud owner of the XBox Arcade Slim 360 and we've been spending quite an amount of time playing XBox games. Our current interest is... Left 4 Dead.

We both have our own controllers so that we could play the 2-player games together. Any games you want to recommend to me?

Music...
I'm currently obsessed with Bruno Mars and Katy Perry.

Movies...

I've only watched 1 movie in the theater so far and it's "I Am Number Four". To me it's a great movie and I highly recommend you to watch it too.

Well, I guess this summarizes my first 2 months of the year 2011. I am actually looking forward for this year because I've got a feeling that this is going to be a GREAT year for me. I will try my best to keep my blog frequently updated and hopefully with good materials and not boring ones.

A Day Without My Car

13 November 2010 started with my hubby dropping me off at the Kelana Jaya LRT station because I decided to give my faithful MyVi a day off. I couldn't even remember when was the last time I took the LRT to anywhere.

With a Touch N Go card in my hand, I was able to skip the hassle of queueing up to buy a ticket. I headed to KL Sentral to meet up with my office buddies, Sharon and Fatin.

Sharon & Fatin

Our first stop, LUNCH! We decided to go to the Legend's Claypot Briyani House. Sharon and myself tried it and we both loved it. So we highly recommended it to Fatin.

Legend's Claypot Briyani House

The Menu

Mutton Claypot Briyani

 Once again the yummy food placed in front of me made me totally forgot about taking the "before"  photograph. When I finally remembered, it was already like this...

There was an elderly man sitting at a nearby table who kept trying to catch Sharon's attention. He was waving, smiling and even tried to get acquainted with her when I was taking the photo of the shopfront. This is how he looks like...

His lame pick-up line was, "You look familiar. Have we met before?". He even asked if she was single but she told him she was married. He immediately apologized and walk away.

Then we walked further up along the stretch of shoplots to look for Hindustan movie DVDs and bangles. We couldn't find any DVDs but we manage to get the bangles.

We went in a few shops selling accessories and the variety was quite amazing. But we finally came to a shop called, Dazzle & Sparkle.

The best thing about this shop is that we were able to customize our bangle set to the colour and pattern of our choice. The 2 uncles there were also very professional and gave really good recommendations to form a great combination.

It doesn't look that great in the photo but believe me, the actual thing looks really great.

After we've finished our bangle shopping, we decided to walk back to KL Sentral to go home. Me and my family used to live in Brickfields and I have some fond childhood memories of this place. So when I walked past the road where we used to live, I couldn't help it but took a photo of the street sign.

The walk back to KL Sentral seems forever because we were already tired and thirsty. And because of this, we forgot to buy the Laddu (a popular Indian sweet) that Fatin so wanted to try.

Since both of them were travelling back to Shah Alam via the KTM Komuter, I decided to accompany them till Setia Jaya, the station beside the Leisure Commerce Square. It was ages ago since I've travelled on a KTM Komuter.



I almost forgot how old school it was. It moved so slowly along the railway tracks that I became quite impatient. I kept asking, "Are we there yet?" When I finally arrived at the station, it looked so old that I once again can't help it but to take a black & white photo of it.

The day did not just end here.

Later in the evening, my brother and his girlfriend treated my hubby and I to an amazing Birthday dinner. Our dinner destination was Da Sa Rang, SS15 Subang Jaya.

Please forgive me once again because I was distracted by the yummy spread on the table yet once again. When I finally remembered, it was already like this...

We then headed to Sunway Pyramid to watch the new released movie, Skyline.

Not only this movie was a HUGE disappointment, we also discovered that TGV is now charging RM14 per movie on weekends. RM14 for this movie was simply not worth it at all. I don't even want to waste my time reviewing it. But trust me, even buying a pirated DVD for this movie would be too expensive.

After the movie was our usual tea session and then we all headed home.

My Name Is Khan

I've just watched the movie - MY NAME IS KHAN. I would recommend everyone, and I really mean EVERYONE to watch it.

No, it's not a James Bond wannabe movie. And NO, it's not just another Sharukh Khan movie and surprisingly it's NOT one of those typical Hindi movie filled with lovey dovey stuff, singing and dancing. I find it very moving and inspiring.

I think that this is a very important film that people need to see. It shows one must not stigmatise a culture just because of the actions of a few. The events of 9/11 were horrific but the racism which followed only added to the hate.

Put your movie preference aside for a moment and just give this movie a chance. Watch it with an open mind. Don't shove it aside because it's a Hindi movie or because you don't like the actor or actress. It's not about who's acting, who's directing and the creativity of this movie. It's the meaning and the learning found within are the ones I found most inspiring.

Watch the whole movie first, THEN tell me what you think about it.

Guess The Movie - 1

Today's 21 May 2010 (Friday) and I've finally presented the prize to the winner of this challenge.

The Prize - 2 TGV Movie Voucher

The winner - Mr Lee

So you see, the prizes mentioned are genuine and the winners are real. So, if you would like to win some goodies from me, follow me on my blog for more challenges.

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Let's see if you can guess the movie title of the scenes below:

SCENE - 1 : ANSWER: 10 Things I Hate About You

SCENE - 2 : ANSWER: Blast From The Past

SCENE - 3 : ANSWER: Sweet Home Alabama

SCENE - 4 : ANSWER: The Sweetest Thing

SCENE - 5 : ANSWER: The Lizzie McGuire Movie

SCENE - 6 : ANSWER: Just My Luck

SCENE - 7 : ANSWER: Bring It On

SCENE - 8 : ANSWER: She's The Man

SCENE - 9 : ANSWER: The Princess Diaries

SCENE - 10 : ANSWER: Maid In Manhattan

The first person with all the correct answers will win 2 movie vouchers from me. So, please state your answers (example: Scene 1 - Movie Name) in the comment box and don't forget to include your name. Have fun!

How To Train Your Dragon

Language: English

Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Director: Peter Hastings
Voice Cast: Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel.

Synopsis: The story centers around a Viking teenager named Hiccup, who lives on the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. The teen's smarts and offbeat sense of humor don't sit too well with his tribe or its chief... who just happens to be Hiccup's father. However, when Hiccup is included in Dragon Training with the other Viking teens, he sees his chance to prove he has what it takes to be a fighter. But when he encounters (and ultimately befriends) an injured dragon, his world is flipped upside down, and what started out as Hiccup's one shot to prove himself turns into an opportunity to set a new course for the future of the entire tribe.

My Rating : 5 out of 5 - To me it's the best movie to watch in 3D so far. Watching it in 3D gives me the experience similiar to a motion master. I feel I'm gliding even when my seat is not moving. The storyline is great too. It's one of those movie that you MUST watch on the big screen, watching it in 3D would be the best! I wish IMAX, Time Square was screening this movie. I wouldn't mind watching it again on IMAX though.

Alice In Wonderland

Alice In Wonderland - 2010

Last night I watched Alice In Wonderland with my friends and luckily we didn't watch it in 3D. It would be a waste of money.

For me it was not fantastic, it was just so-so. I would rate this movie 2.5 out of 5. It's one of those movies where it's still ok to watch it on DVD instead of watching it in the cinema.

The storyline to me was normal. The Alice in the movie looked sickly all the time. As my brother in-law mentioned in his blog, she looked pale and sad. She looked like someone with critical illness and going to die soon.

Children may like this movie as there are many animals in the movie and it's colourful. But to some adults, they may even find it boring. But there are 2 characters that I liked in this movie. They were The Mad Hatter and The Red Queen. Both of their performances were good as their character in the movie were quite unique. They also had really nice costumes. I'd rather watch both of them than Alice.

I'm Officially A GLEEK!

I'm currently watching Glee, the American musical comedy-drama television series that focuses on a high school Glee Club. If you like musicals, this is one series NOT to be missed.

It's very entertaining and it's been so long since I've been so addicted to a TV series. No offense, but it's nothing like High School Musical. It would be a mistake to think that it's similar to High School Musical coz it's not. People don't suddenly burst out into songs all the time in Glee.

Here are some teasers for you to have a rough idea about what Glee is all about. However, I would recommend that you try watching the first episode to see if it strikes your fancy.

2010 CNY Movie Marathon

We were suppose to start off the 2010 CNY Movie Marathon with All's Well Ends Well 2010 on Saturday night, CNY eve. We arrived at the cinema, collected the tickets I purchased online, bought our drinks and corn-in-cups and waited for cinema 6 to light up. The movie was scheduled to start at 9.20pm but 9.20pm came and cinema 6 still did not light up. I looked at the tickets again and this time I noticed the date printed on the tickets...15 February...Monday! SO EMBARRASSING!!! The tickets were not exchangeable so we finally decided to keep the ticket and bought tickets for Little Big Soldier which starts at 9.50pm. So, we started off our 2010 CNY Movie Marathon with Little Big Soldier.

Little Big Soldier

Language: Mandarin
Running Time: 1 hour 37 minutes
Director: Ding Sheng
Cast: Jackie Chan, Wang Lee Hom.

Synopsis: A foot soldier and a general from rival states became the sole survivors of a war. As they're pursued by the general's brother who would kill anyone for the throne, the soldier also struggled if he should betray the general for the ticket home.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 - It was ok. The usual Jackie Chan stunts.


Then we continued our Movie Marathon on Monday, 2nd Day of CNY.

The Wolfman

Language: English
Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
Director: Joe Johnston
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt.

Synopsis: When a man is called home to help find his missing brother, he finds a town terrified by a legendary werewolf, finally discovering that his father is the beast. After he's bitten and turned into a Wolfman himself, the son battles the father to the death in an effort to put an end to the curse.

My Rating: 1 out of 5 - It started off ok but became draggy and boring in the middle right up to the end. I even fell asleep during some of the scenes. I would say, don't waste time!
 

All's Well, Ends Well

Language: Cantonese
Running Time: 1 hour 33 minutes
Director: Raymond Wong Pak Ming
Cast: Angelababy, Louis Koo, Lynn Xiong, Raymond Wong Pak Ming, Ronald Cheng, Sandra Ng, Lam TzeChung.

Synopsis: Another all-star Lunar New Year comedy.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 - Very entertaining.
 
 


Then came Tuesday, 3rd Day of CNY.
 

Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief

Language: English

Running Time: 1 hour 59 minutes
Director: Chris Columbus
Cast: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano, Uma Thurman, Ray Winstone.

Synopsis: Based on the first of a series of best selling novels, PERCY JACKSON & THE LIGHTNING THIEF is set in a modern world where the twelve gods of Mount Olympus (perched 600 stories above the planet on New York's landmark Empire State Building) are alive and are creating a new race of young mythological heroes who are demigods -- half mortal, half god. Percy, the teenage son of Poseidon, is suspected by Zeus of stealing his lightning bolt, the universe's most powerful weapon. To prove his innocence and avoid a devastating war among the gods, Percy embarks on a transcontinental odyssey to find the real thief. Along his journey, he confronts fierce enemies determined to stop him, and attempts to save his mother from the deadly clutches of another Greek god, Hades.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 - It's a GREAT start for the Percy Jackson movie series. It's a MUST watch for fantasy movie lovers. After watching the movie, I'm planning to buy the books to read the actual story in writing.

72 Tenants of Prosperity

Language: Cantonese
Running Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
Director: Eric Tsang
Cast: Eric Tsang, Jacky Cheung, Anita Yuen, Bosco Wong, Stepfy Tang, Linda Chung, Wong Cho Lam, Charmaine Sheh, Lam Ka Tung & many more.

Synopsis: In 1970s Hong Kong, rapacious landlords try to evict 72 tenants but sworn brothers Ha Kung (Eric Tsang) and Shek Kin (Jacky Cheung) help the group of 72 defeat the landlord (Lam Ka Tung) and landlady (Charmaine Sheh) and coincidentally rescue Pinky (Anita Yuen) from a planned forced marriage. When both sworn brothers fall for Pinky and propose to her, she flips a coin and Ha wins her hand in marriage.

The sworn brothers become sworn enemies and Shek’s hatred fuels intense rivalry against Ha in business dealings. Even after 40 years they continue to clash in Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mongkok, but when the street is hit by acid-attacks and rents raised to triple the cost, the 72 tenants unite and pledge to safeguard their home.

Against a background of fear and turmoil, with the old love triangle between Ha and Pinky and Shek still festering, the next generation of the Ha and Shek families embarks on their own heroic love affairs.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 - It's very entertaining. Laughing Out Loud (LOL) is guaranteed. Personally, it's even funnier than All's Well, Ends Well.

And that sort of ended the Movie Marathon. We were suppose to watch 2 more movies, 14 Blades & Valentine's Day, but there wasn't enough time.

Paranormal Activity

Language: English
Genre: Horror
Running Time: 1 hr 26 mins
Director: Oren Peli
Cast: Amber Armstrong, Michael Bayouth


Sypnosis :
A young couple suspects that their house is haunted by a malevolent entity. They set up video surveillance to capture evidence of what happens at night as they sleep.



"...one of the scariest movies of all time."

"Nightmares are guaranteed."

Yeah, right! I've watched many horror movies of different languages and I can say that the above comments are a bit exagerated.

It was because of some comments from some of the guy callers on Hitz.fm that made me decide to watch this movie. Thank goodness I didn't waste my time watching it in the cinema. I watched it alone at home and it did not scare me at all. I don't even think it will scare a kid below 12 years of age!

My recommendation : Don't waste your time!