La Cullen Cantante - Everything Under The Sun

Nonsensical Rambling of the Day

2011-04-25T17:26:00.001+08:00

Gotta feel for people who slouch down in their seats, even when trains are super-packed. Must be difficult not having back bones!! Just sayin'...

Sunday Breakfast - Mum's Soto Ayam

2011-04-24T12:05:00.001+08:00

Been a while but definitely Yum City!!

Flavoured Buns - Malaysia Truly Asia Style!!

2011-04-22T20:35:00.001+08:00

Got these on my recent day-trip to Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Wish they have them here. Sure beats the usual fare of cream-filled variety we get here!

Day-off Breakkie

2011-04-21T07:49:00.001+08:00

Fried Rice and Fried Yellow Noodles. Thanks mum!!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2011-04-20T21:09:00.001+08:00

Had a hankering for grilled cheese sandwich. Why does the first one always burn?! Still delish notwithstanding, Yumm!

Celebration With Food Part II

2011-04-19T20:47:00.001+08:00

More food in the eve when I got Fadhil what he wanted to eat for his birthday... Canadian Pizza, 2-4-1, LOL!! Alhamdulillah for the blessings of good food and good health..

Celebration With Food

2011-04-19T08:33:00.001+08:00

Mum cooked turmeric rice for Fadhil's birthday. But I get first dibs! Muahahaha.... Happy birthday Fadhil. May His blessings continue to be showered upon u and yours! Amin. Love ya lots!!

Invisible Phone?!

2011-04-18T21:55:00.000+08:00

     Someone asked me about iPhone 5 and I came across this clip. This looks more like a spoof than an actual ad for Apple. Goodness! I can't stop laughing! Do we have to be invisible to use this phone?

     "You can let it go, where did it go? Oh it's over here."

     LOLOLOLOL!!!

Decisions... Decisions...

2011-04-14T18:13:00.002+08:00

Mum cooked Mee Goreng this arvo. Helper cooked Nasi Goreng this morning. Forget decisions, I'm having both! And there's sambal sardines, fried chicken and fish crackers too, all my favs! How lucky can one get! Alhamdulillah for this wonderful spread...

Stubborn, Snarly Male

2011-04-14T16:04:00.001+08:00

That Jaenelle Angelline! She's got the best comebacks ever! But hey, how apt is this man! LOL!!

Thanks Heike for the pic referral!

Nonsensical Rambling of the Day

2011-04-13T16:54:00.000+08:00

Gotta wonder about the idiocy of selfish fools. It's one thing to do an illegal u-turn on a quiet street; quite another to attempt it at a busy cross junction! Especially when the u-turn proper is only a hundred metres away!!!

Women are Angels...

2011-04-07T13:53:00.000+08:00

And when someone breaks their wings...

They simply continue to fly....

on a broomstick...

They are flexible like that...

Manna from Mum's Hands - Bee Hoon Hong Kong

2011-03-25T13:03:00.003+08:00

My mum's one of those women who never follow recipe books. She'll look at certain type of cooked dishes and get ideas on how to make them or she'll have a taste and she'll know what went into the food. Yeah she's amazing that way!

But it gets frustrating when you try getting recipes from her though, LOL. Ask her how to may something and she'll say, "you add a bit of this and a bit of that..." and my next question would always be, "how much is a bit?". For someone who tend to cook from recipes, it could get frustrating, LOL!

Anyway, I finally sat down and got a few recipes from her and this is a good time as any to share. :) Be forewarned that the method used would sound like how your grandmother or mother tells you, LOL!

BEE HOON HONG KONG

1 packet rice noodles

3 cloves garlic - sliced or pureed in the blender

Salt

Light Soya Sauce

Oyster Sauce

Sweet Soya Sauce (or sugar)

Sesame Oil

Prawn, fish cake, meat (depends on your preference)

Vegetables (can be grated carrots, mustard greens, bean sprouts)

1. Soak the rice noodles (use hot water to soften it at a faster rate) and set it aside.

2. Saute the garlic in a medium-sized pot.

3. Once the fragrance of the cooked garlic is emitted, add water until it fills up 1/4 of the pot.

3. Add salt, light soya sauce, oyster sauce, sweet soya sauce; all to taste.

4. Add a dash of sesame oil.

5. Taste the sauce and see if you need to add anything else.

6. Add the either the prawn, fish cake or meat.

7. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the noodles.

GREEN CHILI PICKLES

Green chili

Vinegar
Sugar
Salt

1. Cut up a few pieces of green chili (depends on how much you want).

2. Place them into a small bowl.

3. Add vinegar until they are about half submerged in it.

4. Add a dash of sugar and a dash of salt.

5. Stir the mixture well.

You don't have to eat it with the green chili pickles but it tastes so much better.

Cultivating A Love for Reading in a Fun Way!!

2011-02-26T00:33:00.010+08:00

We've just had our Book Week, this week and part of the activities include playing the Reading Song at snack time where it was hoped students would join the coordinators on the basketball court to 'read, 'sing' and 'jig along' to the music. It's been a hit all week with Friday having the most number of students joining in. I was a little late to the party but what I caught was surely priceless! And oh, it was also the Book Character Dress Up Day, hence the wonderful costumes!

The inspiration for this activity came from Florida’s Ocoee Middle School's youtube video of the same name so I did a little digging to see how it all started. It seems that when they created a video in 2009, titled "Gotta Keep Reading", from Black-Eyed Peas' song, "I've Gotta Feelin", they unwittingly spread a globally infectious message to continue reading! It is definitely an amazing example of the fluid nature of online social networking, youth exuberance and digital media. And what a wonderful message to pass on eh? Incidentally, I'm tickled pink to see the lead dancer holding my favourite book! ;)

I just love the way they've amended the lyrics (with the permission of the original artist's publishers of course!).

Gotta Keep Reading

Gotta Keep Reading

Cause this book’s gonna be a good book

Cause this book’s gonna be a good good

book to read

Ooo hoo

Cause this book’s gonna be a good book

Cause this book’s gonna be a good good

book to read

Pick up that book

And turn the page

You’ll never know

Just what you’ll find

Information

Or Fantasy

Drama and Art

All make you smart!

I know that you’ll have a ball

If you turn off the TV and just read them

all

Just think, with a book you’ll be so

entertained

OMS has the best readers in F.L.A

Fill up my mind

With non fiction

Let’s get the facts

And use them up

Collaborate

Graduate

Feed your brain

And then we’ll just keep on reading

And reading and reading and reading and

reading

And reading and reading

Lets read it some more

Reading and reading and reading reading

reading

Keep reading and reading and reading

Gotta Keep Reading

Ooo hoo

Cause this book’s gonna be a good book

Cause this book’s gonna be a good good

book to read

Ooo hoo

Cause this book’s gonna be a good book

Cause this book’s gonna be a good good

book to read

I got my book!

Do you have yours?

What is the title?

And who’s it by?

Where is it set?

Maybe in Spain?

Is it fiction?

Or is it real?

Will it be happy?

Or maybe sad?

Let’s see what happens

By reading on

Open that book

And have a look

It’s an adventure

So keep on reading that book

Keep reading and reading and reading and

reading

And reading and reading

lets read it some more

Read it and read it and read it read it read

And read it and read it and read it read it

read it read it

Here we come, here we go we gotta read

(read read read)

Easy come easy go now we can’t stop

Fill that shelf with those books

Way to the top

Round and round

Read those books

Around the clock

Action, Sci-Fi, Humor, Adventure

Biography, Reality, Mystery and Fantasy

Read read read read read it up

What ever you like

Read those Sunshine States

Take those Reading Counts

Gotta Keep Reading

Ooo hooo

Cause this book’s gonna be a good book

Cause this book’s gonna be a good good

book to read

Ooo hoo

Cause this book’s gonna be a good book

Cause this book’s gonna be a good good

book!

Ohh hoo…..

Nicole Nasrallah, Janet Bergh

Ocoee Middle School

By The Black-Eyed Peas

(used by Permission)

So many schools have done their version of this too. Here are just some of them...

In Honour of a Great Man

2011-02-15T18:47:00.000+08:00

Been ages since I've posted anything so I thought it's a good time to start today.

In honor of the day 1441 years ago when an amazing man was born. We would be lost without Your guidance, O Rasulullah!

A Lion Called Christian

2010-10-28T20:22:00.001+08:00

A posting of a short youtube clip on a friend's Facebook page about the gratitude shown on by a lion on its saviour...

led to another friend introducing me to another amazing clip of a lion's reunion with his two former playmates...

which then led to an hour of watching clips of this wonderful animal, Christian, on Animal Planet's special feature of Christian The Lion's Cutest Moments. It was definitely an hour well-spent. Thanks Michelle!

Sometimes it is possible for wild animals to interact successfully with humans. It's not surprising though that the most majestic of them all, the lions, would provide such startling examples!

An Earnest Finding

2010-10-13T14:50:00.008+08:00

A few weeks ago, one of my 2nd graders came into the office with friend and told me that she'd found something.

This is a regular occurrence so I stopped what I was doing and paid attention, especially considering how earnest she looked.

She carefully unzipped the coin section of a pink wallet almost as big as her palm - probably because she had coins in the notes section of the wallet, too! - so I thought it was a few cents. So it amazed me when she took this out.

Holding in my laughter, I thanked her for her finding and told her to put all her coins into the zippered coins section.

Oh to give an idea of how 'big' a find this is, here it is again next to a stapler.

Gotta love kids and their honesty eh?

A Hugh Distraction...

2010-10-07T15:01:00.001+08:00

My sis and I were in Johor Bahru, Malaysia over the weekend and as we were walking, I got distracted...

So of course I had to stop and admire and pose...

Not clear enough? Let's zoom in, shall we?

So Lipton Iced Tea gives Hugh Jackman a "Positive Taste"! Now doesn't that just make you want to go to the store and get yourself one too?!

Tropical Delight....

2010-08-26T22:09:00.000+08:00

My whiz of a mum who is a genius in the kitchen surprised us with this wonderfully delightful concoction this evening which I've enjoyed thoroughly after Iftaar. It's always been a favourite of mine and I am always eager to have one but she's never made it before. How wonderful! Oh it's Pineapple Drink, not exactly a juice probably a syrup base but when translated from Malay that's what it's called, LOL. Oh well, whatever you want to call it, it is sinfully delicious! This is already my second glass. Fantastic!

Ramadan Al Mubarak

2010-08-11T20:17:00.000+08:00

Photo courtesy of myVerbage

Ramadan begins today, 11 August, and will be practised by millions of Muslims all over the world. Ramadan Al Mubarak to all those observing it.

This is a wonderful article explaining Ramadan that was featured in The Telegraph UK today:

In the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, in which the first verses of the Qur'an are said to have been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, participating Muslims refrain from drinking, eating and sexual activities from dawn until sunset.

Fasting is intended to teach Muslims the virtues of patience, humility and spirituality, and is carried out as an offering to God.

In the Qu'ran, Allah proclaims that "fasting has been written down upon you, as it was upon those before you".

Participants rise in the darkness to eat a pre-dawn meal called “sahur”. They must stop eating and drinking before the dawn call to prayer, and must not break their fast until the fourth call to prayer at dusk.

Muslims are expected to start observing the fasting ritual once they reach puberty, as long as they are healthy.

The elderly, the chronically ill and the mentally ill are exempt from fasting, although the first two groups are expected to try to feed the poor instead.

People who are travelling long distances do not have to fast – nor do pregnant or breastfeeding women and those who are menstruating.

During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance on new problems, and ask for help in refraining from everyday “evils”.

They are expected to perform their religious duties with greater diligence than usual and to reflect on the teachings of Islam.

Participating Muslims are encouraged to try to read the entire Qur’an during the month of Ramadan. They must strive to maintain pure thoughts and avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds.

The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, which is called called Shawwal.

When fasting is over, celebrations are held and Muslims go to their mosques in their best clothes to say the first Eid prayer.

Later, they give out presents to children and greet their friends and families. Food is donated to the poor and a feast is held in the evening.

The Last Airbender

2010-08-05T23:43:00.000+08:00

I've been waiting for this movie since I heard it was being made. I adore the animated series and thought it would be awesome to see it made into a movie.

So the day finally came for it to be released here and I couldn't help but go on the opening day. I thought it was very well done. It was really amazing. I loved it! I seriously cannot fathom the level of criticism it has received. It's only Book One: Water. The story improves as the series progresses, after all.

I really, really hope they finish the series. I'd be devastated if it never gets completed! Aang is just E-PIC in the finale!

A Truly Blessed Day!

2010-07-29T22:11:00.005+08:00

So I turned 36 today. Like one of my favourite characters, Bella Swan, I've never been comfortable with birthdays and being celebrated. If it was up to me, I'd fast-forward the day and just get on to the "plus-1-day-older" day, LOL! But it seemed the universe had other plans for me. I received countless wishes on Facebook, a few cakes, a birthday whistle, lunch, chocolates, cards and hugs! I even had the opportunity to blow out birthday candles and made a wish, after being sung to, Oh Boy! It has indeed been a blessed day.

I rounded off the day by having some Me-Time at the movies. Inception was awesome. Christopher Nolan is a genius film-maker! Just wished the crowd was thinner though!

This came for me over the weekend, all the way from the US. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it!

      It definitely made my day! Thank you Mar! Sure Edward, I'd love to enjoy several hundred more years with the Cullens!

   I got this wonderful ecard on Hallmark from Maria today. Man oh man, it was perfect! I managed to take screen caps of it. Too bad, I couldn't capture the sound. They should really consider making those ecards downloadable!

   And gosh, check out this gorgeous one from Caro! My goodness, what talent! I wish I was as pretty as her drawing, LOL!

I left this message on my Facebook page when I got home this evening but it seems apt to repeat it here as well....

There is no greater blessing than having loved ones and friends in one's life.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes, prayers and gestures.

My days shine brighter with such wonderful people in my life.

You are all truly amazing and I'm greatly humbled!

How to Order Coffee, Miss Swan Style!

2010-07-29T10:56:00.000+08:00

My boss was buying us coffee this morning from Starbucks and my colleague, Sharon, was gonna call it in. We were discussing the sizes of the drinks since it can get a wee bit confusing at Starbucks with them being called Tall, Grande and Venti rather than Small, Medium and Large.

The conversation went something like this:

"Which size is the general one?"

"I think Tall is Small..."

"No, what is the normal one?"

"I dunno but Tall is Small and..."

The conversation was starting to remind us of another attempt to order at Starbucks and we both burst out laughing. No one can order coffee like Miss Swan! You'll see why...

Unique Way to Cool Down

2010-07-23T09:56:00.000+08:00

How cute is this dog! Spotted in Central Park, USA, trying to cool down in the summer heat! Came across it on Socialite. Too adorable not to share! He sure looks like he's enjoying himself!

Sudden Death

2010-07-19T22:04:00.000+08:00

There's nothing I love more than being drawn into a book; when I can't bear to put it down; when I'm thinking about it even when I'm not reading it and wondering when is the next pocket of time that I can sneak a few lines.

It's been a while since I've been so engrossed in a story that is so intriguing that it sucked me in. But I reckon Allison Brennan's Sudden Death managed to do just that! I confess that it was a slow start even thought there was enough action but I reckon I was just disappointed that it took so long before the two leads met - 153 pages long! But once they did, it was full speed ahead! I'd never read any of her books before but I came across her name as a recommendation and though I didn't take that particular recommended book, I can see now that I shall be reading more of her work!

Sudden Death is a mix of Criminal Minds and CSI and even has a dash of Christine Feehan's enhanced super soldiers in there. I love a good intrigue but more often than not, the intrigue books that are usually written doesn't have any romance - okay so I love romance, what can I say. So this is a definite mix of both. And oh boy, that psychotic twist was so far-fetched it was amazing! I sure did not see that one coming! It was definitely worth my three days!

When a homeless veteran is found dead in a squalid Sacramento alley, FBI special agent Megan Elliott vows to find the murdered hero's killer. Her investigation gets complicated fast, for the victim, a former Delta Force soldier, is just one link in a nationwide spree of torture and murder.

Straight off a job rescuing medical missionaries, soldier-for-hire Jack Kincaid returns to his home base in the Texas border town of Hidalgo only to receive the news that one of his closest colleagues has been brutally murdered. Faced with an inept local police force, Jack takes matters into his own hands.

Now, as part of a national task force to stop the sadistic killings, "by-the-book" Megan and "burn-the-book" Jack form a tense alliance, sparked with conflict and temptation. But they struggle against more than passion, for a vicious pair of killers has only just begun a rampage of evil . . . and the primary target is much closer than Megan suspects.

You Gave Me Your Heart...

2010-07-16T16:15:00.000+08:00

I thought this song was perfection after watching the movie and was super thrilled when it was revealed to be an Edward-Bella song. How well done is this clip though. Sigh.... For all the Edward and Bella fans out there.... Enjoy...

Getting Back Into the Groove with Nothing But Trouble

2010-07-15T14:13:00.002+08:00

Anyone who know me is aware of my book-addiction but I'd been stuck in a rut for a while. The last few books I'd chosen were good but weren't outstanding. It was like surviving on tofu, nutritious and keeps you full but not quite satisfying.

I'd also been reading a lot of paranormal romances of late, having already zipped through most of the light-hearted romances of my favourite authors. Nothing wrong with paranormal romances, of course, I love them. But there is only so much of that macabre sense of doom one can stomach and unless they are written by Jayne Anne Krentz or Sherrilyn Kenyon - who have the very uncanny yet exceptional talent of injecting lots of humour into such a genre - most paranormal romance writers have the usual level of seriousness, paranormal mystery and yes, that impending sense of doom, that often accompany such books.

To top it off, I was bracing myself to cut off ties with Sunny Bookstore. It was regrettable but their move to a new location has made it less convenient for me and the departure of the gals who used to recommend me amazing books made my choice easier. I'm rather sad about it. It's like the end of an era. I'd been going there on and off since I was 15 years old but I guess it's time to move on.

I'd been satisfying my craving via e-books on my iPod, which is wicked cool, though the problem with that is with so many titles at my immediate disposal, I tend to jump between books, LOL! As if that was not enough of a problem when I was reading physical books, I assure you that annoying habit can be even more magnified with electronic books. I'd managed to finished two or three books and would have continued along that vein when I had the urge to pay a visit to Woodlands Regional Library on Tuesday. I thought why not, I'd brought the book bag after all and felt kinda 'empty' so I thought I'd give it a shot - usually a trip to Sunny always ensure a full bag since it would mean an exchange of books.

I dawdled along the shelves and had one book in my hand which I was not really in the mood to take and it was about 20 minutes before I had more in hand (we are entitled to six books for three weeks) but even then I was in two minds whether I should even borrow any. See that's why I'd always preferred Sunny. I may have had to pay for them but the books are sorted in alphabetical order by genre so it'd be a quick matter of looking for specific books I wanted. With the National Library I had to go through shelf upon shelf before finding the books I wanted. They may not even have the books of authors that I'm familiar with, though to give them credit, they have vastly improved their collection in recent years.

In any case, I didn't get any book that truly appealed to me and was contemplating putting all the books back until I chanced upon my seventh book. I gasped out loud (luckily no one was close by, LOL). Just by looking at the cover, I knew I'd not read it before but the published year confirmed it for sure. Without even looking at the synopsis, I immediately grabbed it and returned one of my other choices back to the shelf.

There are some authors whom I trust explicitly to be able to pique my interest. Rachel Gibson is one of them. I'd already read every book written by her and had no doubt that I would enjoy this one too.

TROUBLE...
Chelsea Ross's acting career has been a total bust. The closest she ever came to stardom was her brilliant performance as "Pretty Dead Girl #1." But leaving Hollywood to become the personal assistant to a famous hockey player could be her stupidest career move ever.

MORE TROUBLE...
Injured superstar Mark Bressler's glory days are over. The one time bad boy jock could at least be civil to the pint-sized, pink-haired bombshell who the Seattle Chinooks hired to be his P.A. If Chelsea didn't need the money, she'd be skating away from the world's biggest jerk-on-ice as fast as her feet could carry her.

BIG TROUBLE!
Chelsea can deal with Mark's rotten attitude and dark moods. The problem is those biceps and that red-hot hockey-toned bod! And when the bad boy starts to put the moves on her, Chelsea knows it's time she banished him to the penalty box...if only she could resist the kind of trouble he has in mind!
   Suffice to say I was not disappointed. I started the book at 7.20am on Wednesday morning and by 8.45pm of the same day, I was finished! The story is so charming and hilarious, it was like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. I laughed out loud at many parts - and hopefully no one thought I was loon when I couldn't hold back the smiles on the train, LOL. I was almost reluctant to see it end.
   I'd forgotten how enjoyable it is to read such a light-hearted book and more importantly, how wonderful it is to hold a physical book rather than an iPod. There are advantages of carrying an iPod around since means you are never out of a book but nothing can surely beat the feeling of flipping through pages and seeing how much of the book you've covered and how much more you have to enjoy the moment.
   I'd also missed zipping through stories at such speed, not because I can't wait to finish it but because I couldn't put the book or at least can't wait to get back to it. The thrill is just amazing! So thank you Rachel! May you write many more beautiful stories!

A Truly Eclipsed July...

2010-07-09T13:20:00.002+08:00

So July is finally here! Usually I don't really look forward to July, or rather the end of it - *Cough* stupid birthday thingey *cough*! - but this July is very special! I finally managed to assuage a yearning though strangely it has far from dissipated.

A little overdue but to be fair, I have been overdosing on Eclipse since its release on 1 July, LOL. After all, what can one do when Forks and the Cullens keep beckoning? Why, keep visiting of course! Wouldn't do to disappoint the Cullens after all!

The soundtrack didn't resonate with me as much when I bought it, even as I was stoked when I had my hands on it, LOL! Oh, I tell a lie, I was really excited about Muse's Neutron Star Collision but the rest weren't making an impact on me much.

I was tickled when there was a poster in it too. First pic I see, aaahhhh my beloved Cullens, oh what joy! Then I see the wolf pack, awesome. But what it becomes on the opposite side and all on its own, what a gorgeous sight! Oh my Bella!

   Of course now that I have seen the movie a time or two or more, that is no longer the case. Alexandra Patsavas, the Music Supervisor, has done a wonderful job yet again and her collaboration with David Slade, the Director, is wicked cool!

   Furthermore, I've never pay much attention to movie scores before this even as I know how important they are to a movie. So I was not able to fully appreciate everyone's excitement when Howard Shore came on board. Yes, Howard Shore of Lord of the Rings fame and Oscar winning too! I confess I loved Lord of the Rings in its entirety but if one is to ask me about its score, I would have to give a blank look.

   But oh my word... his score for Eclipse just kills me! It complements the various scenes so perfectly it's totally surreal! I can listen to it now and it will leave an impact, as though I'm instantly imported to Forks yet again! Sigh.... These are some of ones that really left me breathless.

So the film is amazing! Even as I understand the impossibility of putting every delicious bit of the novel into a 2-hour movie, I think they were able to get the essence of the story and has managed to enhance our appreciation of the series thus far, even further. Thank you David Slade!

As for how many times I've seen this film to date... well, let's not ruin the moment, shall we?

Video of the Day: Dennis Quaid's Hilarious Hidden Camera Prank - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2010-07-06T00:55:00.000+08:00

God I totally lost it when I watched this! Ellen is such a meanie to him! I thought the Starbucks prank was bad but this definitely tops that! Dennis is such a good sport. Gotta love him!

A Very Special Birthday Party!

2010-06-22T22:44:00.000+08:00

I attended a very special birthday party (of sorts) on 20 June though the guest of honour was only there in spirit. In case you're wondering why the guest didn't show up, it's because he's a very busy family man, LOL.

Yes, that's right, it was Edward's birthday on Sunday and I attended it.

Okay, okay, it was an Twilight Saga Eclipse event jointly organised by Twilight Singapore and the National Library Board. Didn't win any prizes this year and frankly the event seemed to whiz by in a blur but it was all in good fun.

Check out the cupcakes for Edward. Well, we ate them for him since he doesn't like human food. There was a Volvo, a piano, a Cullen crest, a mountain lion and the phrase "you are my life now". Awww....

There was a little reception outside. Great company and good food. What more could one ask for....

Oh and look what made into the Life section of The Straits Times today, 22 June.

Definitely did not see that one coming! They said they wanted to show Summit the local enthusiasm. Oh well....

Flooding in Singapore??!!

2010-06-17T00:55:00.003+08:00

That has not been in the headlines here since the early 1980s, let alone to affect downtown Singapore but it seems it is still possible. We've had massive rain before but it's never flooded this badly, let alone in Orchard Road, the heart of Singapore's shopping district.

According to Singapore's Channel News Asia and the national water agency, the amount of rain recorded just between 8am and 11am on Wednesday, 16 June, was 100 millimetres, approximately 60% of the average monthly rainfall for June. Amazing what just three hours of heavy downpour could do!

These pics circulated among local netizens within hours of its occurrence.

And this gentleman got excellent footage of some of the damage affecting a lot of well-known and well-frequented areas. Wow! I've actually gone to that Starbucks before!

Free Hugs Anyone?

2010-06-11T13:23:00.000+08:00

My friend, Maria, sent me this clip which had me in tears and going aww practically throughout the whole clip.

I wonder if it's for a Sociology project. It sure took them a while before they got any response. When the waiter gave them their first hug, awww... and he chose the guy too! I thought he'd go for the girl! And when the first teenage boy ran to hug the them, awww.... And that elderly lady that danced away after she got her hug, awww.... What a great clip and a great project!

Coffee Art Just for Me

2010-05-30T22:22:00.001+08:00

My colleague, Sharon, was always telling me of the great coffee art that she gets at McCafe but I never seem to get them. She told me later that I have to request for it. I've never felt comfortable requesting for it even as I kept hoping that I'd get it, LOL.

I was at Civic Centre's McCafe the other evening and the barista who made my coffee was someone I'd spoken to before. A nice young Indian man, very friendly and with a wonderful smile. So I asked if I could get some coffee art on the Mocha I'd ordered. He was happy to oblige so I finally got my authentic coffee art. Aaah, little pleasures....

A Saturday Morning with Mum...

2010-05-29T22:41:00.006+08:00

It was my Saturday off today so I spent it with mum, having breakfast and marketing at Geylang Serai.

I remember frequenting this guy's stall with my parents from a very young age. His nickname is "Fatty", not complimentary I know but he was a big man or seemed thus when I was a young child.

My mum's gone to this meat stall for as long as I can remember too.

That's our beef on that weighing machine, all 2kg of them!

This stall has the best fish crackers in town! Of course she sells other types as well. Take your pick! They also sell coffee and while I was there I couldn't miss the wafting scent of fresh ground coffee. Hmm mmmm mmmm!

No Rest for the Wicked...

2010-05-25T16:46:00.001+08:00

With less than two weeks left to the academic year, things are starting to really get busy! Sigh... This is the time that reminds me how much I hate paperwork! Oh well, no rest for the wicked, eh?

Billy Burke's Removed Official Video

2010-05-23T00:03:00.000+08:00

Man oh man, Billy Burke is totally SMOKIN'!! in this video!

This is his first single, by the way. I love it. It's folksy and edgy and suits his voice. But I am surely surprised at the video. Oh and if I'm not mistaken, that's Mrs Burke in the video too!

Love is Forever...

2010-05-22T19:32:00.001+08:00

I've been eagerly anticipating this song when I heard that Muse was confirmed for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse's soundtrack. As with most of Muse songs, I needed time to get used to it but the end result is inevitable, I loved it. Matt Bellamy has the great talent of mixing such wonderful lyrics to equally powerful music and he did not disappoint.

Then on Thursday, they released the official music video. OH! MY! GOD!! It was totally epic! The amazing song with clips from the upcoming movie (some of which have never been seen) pushed the song's calibre into grandiose! To say that the final effect outstanding seems an understatement! It was spectacular, it amazing, it was totally epic!

Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)

I was searching you were on a mission
Then our hearts combined like a neutron star collision
I have nothing left to lose
You took your time to choose
Then we told each other with no trace of fear that

Our love would be forever
And if we die, we die together
Well I, I said never
Cause our love would be forever

The world is broken, halos fail to glisten
We try to make a difference but no one wants to listen
Hail the preachers, fake and proud
Their doctrines will be cloud
Then they'll dissipate like snowflakes in an ocean

Love is forever and we'll die
We'll die together
Well I, I said never
Cause our love, could be forever

Now I've got nothing left to lose
You take your time to choose
I can tell you now without a trace of fear

That my love will be forever
And well die, we'll die together
Will I, I will never
Cause our love will be forever

Now I only hope that the song would make the actual movie itself. Judging how the first singles released from Twilight (Paramore's Decode) and New Moon (Death Cab for Cutie's Meet me on the Equinox), did not make it into the actual movie but were only played in the credits has me a wee bit worried though. It would be an absolute crime to exclude this massive song!

Looking Good Even After 17 Years....

2010-05-15T01:02:00.001+08:00

On Friday eve, a few of my schoolmates and I from the now defunct National Institute of Commerce (later known as Institute of Education Bishan) finally got around to meeting up for dinner after 17 years!

I'd met a few in passing but this was the first time we really sat down and chatted. Better late than never I guess.Great food, great laughs and just plain great company, What more could one ask for! A few of us couldn't make it for one reason or another but hey, that'll surely give an excuse to meet up again. =D

Bite Me...

2010-05-04T23:44:00.005+08:00

Look what the postman brought me today.....

Not too long ago, the postman also brought me these...

In case you're wondering about the title of my post, it's because of this little note I got in today's post. There was a wee message at the back but the note itself was what caught my attention.

Not clear enough? Not to worry, I've zoomed in on the note.

Yup! It does say "Bite Me..." and it has two columns. One says "Do", where you can write the things you want to do, and the other says "Dream". In that column, there is no room to write anything but there is an outline of Edward Cullen. Now how tempting is that?!

Upon closer inspection (only as I'm writing this post as a matter of fact), I realised there are sub-headings under them too. On the left, "Do - To do when you are not dreaming about Edward..." On the right, "Dream - To doodle on when you are dreaming about Edward...." Ha ha ha!! I swear, that little note was just there to tease me!

Oh yes, thank you my fairy godmothers, Chris and Mar, for these most delightful treats! What splendid ways to feed my addiction!

Borders Treat

2010-04-30T10:51:00.001+08:00

What would you do with a Borders Gift Card?

You mean you wouldn't buy Twilight related stuff? Well tough, that's what I went hunting for earlier, LOL. I thought I'd check out how much a box-set of the books cost. Wait a minute, don't I already have my own books? Well yeah but I don't have a box-set, LOL. My Twilight book is from a different publisher and is smaller in size compared to the others, isn't that just tragic?!

But seriously, I was so generous in spreading my Twilight love that I'd loaned out my books. Alas, they have come back in not-so-perfect condition! So I have been planning to get a set that's just for me and the older set, I'll loan out to help spread the love, even more. Since I had the a Borders Gift Card, I thought I'd use it for that very reason. I saw the books and thought of buying but instead, here's what I ended up with...

Now how could I possibly pass up on those! They practically called out to me!

The Twilight Illustrated Movie Companion was something I did not know about since my interest started after watching the movies and by the time I knew about its existence, it was sold out and I didn't think it would be sold here again. That's now added to my Twi-collection.

The Twilight in Forks DVD was one I never thought we'd have here at all. And gosh, am I glad I bought it! My friends were raving about it but I did not realize the magnitude of it until I watched it for myself. It is one amazing DVD! I put it into my notebook with the intention of checking to ensure it's not faulty but I was riveted from the get-go and watched it all in one sitting!

I confess that some parts left me choked up, especially one account of an elderly Quileute man who recounted of his encounter with a family and how he would never forget the expression on the young girl's face when the waiter at the diner announced that Jacob Black's grandfather had arrived. I could tell it left an impact on both the little girl and this gentleman as well.

The people of Forks are so welcoming and speak with such warmth that anyone watching this DVD would be very inclined to visit it. I confess that I have a sudden yearning to visit it myself!

I Will Probably Not Survive THIS Eclipse!

2010-04-24T00:53:00.004+08:00

The new and probably last trailer for Eclipse was released on Oprah in the US today. Twitter was atwitter - gotta love technology, seriously! - and I'm glad for the bout of inspiration I had to tune in.

My breathe hitched when I saw the wolves and I probably forgot to breathe totally by the time I saw them and the Cullens running towards the newborns. Alice jumping over one of the wolves probably did me in. As did Edward pushing the tree that Victoria probably ran up.

It's official, I will probably not survive THIS Eclipse!

Mamma mia! Seriously, is it July yet!

A Slice of Paradise

2010-04-21T16:48:00.000+08:00

Not too long ago, I read the third book in Mary Jo Putney's Guardian series, A Distant Magic.

Set in the 18th century, it prominently featured slavery and how the hero and heroine in the book, Nikolai Gregori and Jean Macrae, travelled through time to either influence or preserve the abolition (anti-slavery) movement and ensure that it was on the right course.

Nikolai, a former slave, was a homeless urchin in Malta, when the visiting Macrae of Dunrath recognised his magical powers and offered to foster him. Alas on their voyage to England, they were attacked by pirates on their voyage to England and Nikolai was enslaved. Thinking that Macrae did nothing to stop his capture, he plotted revenge on the Macrae family.

     Years later Nikolai set his plans in motion by kidnapping the late Macrae's daughter, Jean. A Guardian herself and with the ability to control the weather, Jean came to Nikolai's rescue, first when their ship is attacked by pirates, and later when she added her magic to Nikolai's to survive a horrifying storm.

   The ship managed to make its way to Santola, a fictitious island that was formerly a caldera. It was there that Adia, an African woman from the future appeared before them. She informed them of a daring attempt to influence the abolition movement by the African elders in the future and how it seemed that Jean and Nikolai were chosen to play an instrumental part, travelling through time to ensure the success of the abolition movement, using their unique blend of magic (Guardian and African).

     This was the third or fourth book in the Guardian series that I've read. Though it was slow in some parts, it was still engaging. But what got me most riveted was the vivid description of Santola.

Chapter 18 page 110-111

Feeling stronger for having eaten, Jean walked outside, and stopped dead, enchanted by the circle of light before her. As she loomed more closely, she saw that the circle was a huge bowl of turqoise water surrounded by a jagged tiara of dark islands.

The sight was so striking that it took a moment for her to understand what she was seeing. "Santola is the crater of an ancient volcano, isn't it? I've seen drawings of Santorini in the Greek Isles and it looks like this. A volcano erupted and left a circle of islands around the edge. It's called...a caldera, I think?"

"Very good Miss," Tano nodded approvingly. "The volcano that created Santola made the soil rich and created shoals that protect us from unwanted visitors."

Shoals combined with magic, Jean guessed, for she sensed the distant buzz of protective field. The terrace reminded her of courtyards in the Fontaine household, with pots of brilliant flowers and a roofed area that provided shade from the baking sun.

She moved across the terrace to the wall and looked down on a large village that was beautiful in the manner of the Mediterranean. Whitewashed stucco houses climbed the steep hill, accented by vivid splashes of colour from painted woodwork and flowers.

This particular dwelling was at the top of the village, high enough to look down on dozens of other buildings. She saw people working in courtyards and walking the narrow cobblestone streaks. Hardy donkeys wearing straw hats patiently carried loads up the hill while children chased one another in a game near the docks. Their complexions were every shade from Nordic pale to rich ebony.

The steepness of the caldera hills meant that the fields visible beyond the village were terraced. The slopes above were grazes by goats and sheep. Santola appears to be not only self sufficient, but prosperous.

"I've landed in paradise."

   Doesn't it just sound charming? It sure made me think about it for days after finishing the book since I thought such a place couldn't possibly be real and must surely have been imagined by the author.

   Of course, I had to assuage my curiosity as to whether such places would exist on earth and though none surely compared to the beauty of fictitious Santola, we do have many breathtaking ones around.

   According to the dictionary, a caldera is a large, basin-like depression resulting from the explosion or collapse of the center of a volcano. It's amazing that something so terrifying could result in something so beautiful, isn't it? There are many calderas on Earth that are over 3,000 years old.

   Here are some of Earth's beautiful calderas.

Crater Lake in the state of Oregon, USA

Mt Pinatubo Caldera in Luzon, the Philippines

Mount Batur Caldera on Bali Island, Indonesia

Santorini Caldera, Greece

Is it July yet?!

2010-04-15T00:20:00.004+08:00

I was in the vicinity of Shaw's Lido Cinema the other day and came across this most pleasing sight. Considering I was a tad unwell, I dare say it was definitely a balm to my sore eyes! Shaw has always been good at getting the dates of the Twilight saga movies' release in Singapore. I was delighted to see that the release date has been confirmed as 1 July.

At first I was a little dismayed that it was not the same date as the release date in the US since it means I will have to wait another two weeks of avoiding spoilers before watching it for myself but my friends have reminded me that it's only released on 30 June in the US. And hey, considering the time difference, 30 June and 1 July is about the same day so I don't have to avoid spoilers and we can all squee together!

So seriously, is it July yet?

On an aside, I thought it was apt that the poster was next to Remember Me. I saw that movie and thought Rob was amazing in it, as were the other actors. I know lots of people didn't think much of it but what's wrong with a story about father-son relationships, father-daughter relationships, brother-sister relationships, and a reminder not to wait to tell someone you love them? Must it all be about action, thriller or horror?

The 9/11 premise is secondary though it provided the greatest impact. I was emotionally transfixed at the end, even as I knew how it would transpire and had braced myself for it. Those people who are very keen to say that Robert Pattinson can't act outside of the Twilight Saga need to have their eyes checked and their sensory glands tuned!

On another earlier occasion, I caught sight of the Remember Me poster in another location near Shaw Lido.

It was placed next to Agora that stars Rachel Weisz. Awww... I thought how cute considering that Rachel will play Rob's mother in an upcoming film, Unbound Captives, also starring Hugh Jackman. Now, if only it could find the backing it needs. It promises to be a very interesting film and I hope they will go on as planned.

Kristen Stewart's Path to Hotness!!!

2010-04-13T09:43:00.002+08:00

I came across an article on ReelzChannel today on my favourite gal, Kristen Stewart's Path to Hotness.

I confess I was beyond thrilled and had such warm fuzzy feelings that such an article is done on such a gorgeously unassuming yet very talented young lady.

I know she's one very stunning individual but it's nice when articles like this emerge on her instead of on the typical bombshell that go all out to get attention - and often-times fail, LOL. Kristen, on the other hand, have such a natural beauty that she doesn't even have to try!

Surprise from the US Pacific Northwest

2010-04-12T14:35:00.004+08:00

Since I've been such a slacker, it's taken me a while to share this surprise I received from the US Pacific Northwest a while ago. It totally caught me by surprise of course, since I had no inkling of it being sent.

I can never smell the scent of leaves and such here so I was amazed that the odour that permeated the whole package actually came from some leaves that was enclosed. I have no clue what they were of course but they all looked amazing.

I got this cute pen holder, a bar of soap and a little note as well. The bar of soap was wrapped in the map and as I scanned the wrapping paper, I realized that Port Angeles is in it. That's when I realized that it was actually a map of Washington.

I scanned through the whole bit of that map but could only find Port Angeles. I was a little dismayed but thought, oh well, not the end of the world.

Check out this bar of soap! Goodness gracious! I can't believe that someone has actually made it! It sparkles too!

There's even a wee note from the soapmaker, LOL.

I next admired my new pen holder and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips.

Do you see what I see? I admit that I let out an actual little squeal! Of course Forks would be on the actual pen holder!! Okay, okay, so I'm lame! It was then that I realized that it's not store-bought! Man oh man! What a thrill! Maria, you totally rock!

Anyway... the pen holder is now serving its purpose in an important role! LOL

An Oddity!

2010-04-11T18:20:00.000+08:00

A while ago I was photocopying a document but this came out instead.

If that's not odd enough, it was an exact replica of the print of the jeans I was wearing that day.

Weird eh? One of those mysteries of technology, LOL. Or just the mystery of me. :P

Photo Booth Fun

2010-04-05T00:20:00.000+08:00

What happens when one has a wonderful built-in webcam and a fun program called Photo Booth? Well, the possibilities are rather obvious, innit?

I have to give Mac lots of credit for their stellar web cam quality though. A-ma-zing!! It's like going into a real photo booth!

Cute Lil Daisy

2010-03-31T17:03:00.000+08:00

Okay so not a real daisy but still cute, hey? It's Marc Jacobs' Daisy eau de parfum spray that I recently fell in love with. Well, not the bottle but the scent, LOL. The bottle is a bonus!

Such a dainty lil thing for tomboy me, innit?! And I can just hear Gollum from Lord of the Rings going, "Myy precccccciiiiooooouuusssssss...." :D

A Mini Tour of Republic Polytechnic

2010-03-30T10:54:00.000+08:00

My sis is a 2nd year student at Republic Polytechnic. It's about a 20-minute walk from our flat - though she still manages to be late for classes! It's the newest poly in Singapore and has been praised for its sleek designs. I've always been fascinated with architecture so had been hinting for her to give me a tour of the place but she never got it. We finally made it sometime ago but, always better late than never, eh! Oh we had a snack at the cafe there prior to our little tour.

This sculpture in the middle of the man-made lake has always captivated my attention each time I came by. It rather reminded me of a teardrop and indeed my sis informed me that it is called thus!

Just had to pose with it. What can I say, I'm a sentimentalist!

Enough of that. Let's begin the tour proper....

A final pose and we've come to the end of our tour. Awww...

Eye Popping!

2010-03-22T12:59:00.001+08:00

I was at the Changi Airport staff canteen on Saturday to send off my sis who was going to Brisbane on a school trip, lucky duck! After a while, my attention was drawn to the noticeboard displaying Best Staff for the various months.

One name stood out from the rest. I thought I was seeing things so I went closer and indeed my eyes had not deceived me. It was what I thought it was.

The last word is obvious enough. The first is the chap's name and the middle word literally means "son" in Malay. So put together, it says, "Helman, Son of Hitler". Gosh this is either a fake name he'd given his boses or his grandad was a mean SOB who named his dad Hitler!

Or maybe, he was totally ignorant of world events or at least who Hitler was! Though considering we were more concerned about the Japanese occupation in South East Asia than the Germans occupation of Europe - well not me exactly since I wasn't born yet at the time, but you know what I mean - that isn't too far fetched to believe, actually! Poor lad though! Wonder how much ribbing he got growing up!

3am Indulgence...

2010-03-21T03:55:00.000+08:00

I was up after midnight since I'd dozed off earlier and what better way to spend the wee hours of the morning than start chatting with my online mates.

Of course, once we start talking, things just get out of hand with mentions of New Moon, Chris Weitz's commentary, cake (pandan and otherwise - one of my friends has developed a pandan cake fetish, LOL), shoes etc. I eventually caved and despite the lateness of the hour, couldn't resist the temptation of putting this into my DVD player and being amused by Chris Weitz and the edtior, Peter someoneorrather. No offence Peter, I prefer listening to Chris. :D

Now an indulgence of the wee hours surely can't be complete without some snacking. I have some delicious ice cream in the fridge but all that cake talk gave me a moment of inspiration. Okay, so maybe not quite inspiration considering that I'd bought this a couple of days ago, LOL.

It's the first time I tried this. I was intrigued with a microwave baked cake so thought to give it a try but what timing! Sure fed my indulgent mood, LOL.

It still required some work though. I still had to mix 1/4 water with this cake mix.

It took me longer than I expected but I finally it as well-mixed as possible. You'll have to excuse my attempts at lining it with caramel. It was rather late and besides I have such bad fine motor skills, LOL.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the final effects. It really looked like a properly baked cake! But darn it, I had to wait a whole FIVE minutes before I could indulge! Incidentally, that was the exact phrase used on the back of the box. "Wait five minutes before you indulge." LOL

My Very Own Personal Brand of Heroin...

2010-03-17T20:11:00.001+08:00

Those familiar with that line would know what I mean so chillax, there are no real drugs here. I know I'm gonna be the envy of my Twilighter friends, especially those on TA ,with this, LOL. But I just couldn't resist. I know they'll still love me!

In case it's not clear enough....

Yup, that's the DVD. It even came a few days earlier. it was initially meant to be available on 20 March but I collected it a few hours ago. I reckon I managed to get quite a few of my favourite promo shots on the DVD too! Totally wicked!

No prize for guessing what is playing on my TV while I type up this post, LOL.

The Beginning of An Onslaught of The Eclipse

2010-03-11T22:40:00.003+08:00

Aaah... finally the day has arrived! The first trailer of the eagerly anticipated third instalment of the Twilight Saga, Eclipse, has just been released. Funny how they managed to assuage our missing of our beloved characters while piquing our interest further in less than two minutes! I wish I could have glimpsed our Cullens but this is still outstanding! Is it June/July yet?!

A Grave Situation

2010-02-28T22:35:00.000+08:00

In the hospital the relatives gathered in the waiting room, where their family member lay gravely ill.

Finally, the doctor came in looking tired and somber.

"I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news," he said as he surveyed the worried faces.

"The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant. It's an experimental procedure, very risky but it is the only hope. Insurance will cover the procedure, but you will have to pay for the brain yourselves.."

The family members sat silent as they absorbed the news. After a great length of time, someone asked, "Well, how much does a brain cost?"

The doctor quickly responded, "$5,000 for a male brain, and $200 for a female brain."

The moment turned awkward. Men in the room tried not to smile, avoiding eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked.

A man unable to control his curiosity, blurted out the question everyone wanted to ask, "Why is the male brain so much more?"

The doctor smiled at the childish innocence and explained to the entire group,

"It's just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark down the price of the female brains, because they've actually been used."

Ha ha ha ha ha!!! And look what I found...

Of Dragons and Vikings!

2010-02-19T13:29:00.000+08:00

I chanced upon this pic on IMDB today.

Then I saw the title of the movie where the scene came from, "How To Train Your Dragon" and was just so tickled. Yeh, just what everyone needs to know! Ha ha! That sure made my day!

The movie is due for release soon by the way, and based on a 2003 novel by Cressida Cowell set in a mythical world of dragons and vikings. Seems like an awesome movie to chill with!

Unexpected Treat! Yummm!

2010-02-12T15:15:00.000+08:00

I thought to give myself a little breakfast treat today, seeing how I was part of a skeletal staff required to work today (and I literally mean skeletal! but that's a story for another day).

I couldn't decide between McDonald's, Burger King and Coffee Bean. In the end, I decided on Coffee Bean since I've never had breakfast there and there's this little thing called time constraint too. Okay okay, what can I say, it was just a little more difficult dragging myself out of bed this morning!

When I placed my order, the staff asked if I wanted the 1-for-1 breakfast deal. I'd totally forgotten about it since I was going by myself. He said that I didn't have to have it but I could if I wanted to. Heck yeah! Who'd be so stupid to turn down a freebee right? Okay, so I did not say that to him, that was just my inner squeal, LOL. I asked if it was possible to have one there and take away the other and he said, no problem. So wicked cool, I paid $7.40 for breakfast and lunch, woo hoo! I just love these sort of little pleasurable surprises!

After dithering for a bit, I finally decided on the Eggs Ben set to have there and the Salmon N Egg Muffin set to go.

Coffee, food and a good book, what a wonderful way to start the morning!

Wow, this pic turned out interesting. Looks like one of those pics in brochures for plastic ware.

Though both were yummy, I dare say that my favourite is the Eggs Ben. I'd recommend anyone to give it a try. I was in heaven with the first bite I took. Mmmm mmmm mmmm mmmm mmmm..... Bliss!

Grossed Out!

2010-02-01T14:14:00.000+08:00

I was waiting in line to pay for my purchases at the supermarket yesterday and my eyes were drawn to the packets of cigarettes behind the counter.

Singapore is one of the countries that require cigarette companies to add health warnings on their packaging and some of them are really gross!

I can never understand how the smokers here can still buy cigarettes and not be grossed out! They are pretty graphic!

A Special Birthday Wish for Yoda AKA LO Maria

2010-01-30T11:46:00.000+08:00

I've been such a slacker with the posts these days that I'd forgotten to share the special birthday wish received by the formidable Yoda AKA LO Maria of Roblam on 21 January. How remiss of me!

A little birdie told me that she had a glorious feast of teriyaki chicken with sticky rice. Yumm!

Idle Hands Will Make Crane..

2010-01-29T08:23:00.002+08:00

I have a tendency of folding flyers that are given to me. So I can be walking down the street and the piece of paper would be folded into whatever oddity that comes to mind at the time, LOL, though more often than not, they end up looking like paper airplanes. I do refrain from throwing said paper airplanes into the public though.

I do love making paper cranes though. I picked up the trick a long while ago but forgot it so when I remembered the steps again, I was naturally keen not to forget it so soon.

I often find myself thinking how big or how small I can go. Sometime ago I was feeding the printer a new ream of paper and the wrapping remained intact so I thought I'd have a go and see if I can make one that big. Guess the answer's quite clear, LOL.

It's been given an honorary position and seem to have a longer life expectancy that I'd first anticipated, LOL.

Oh look, it's even found a friend, LOL.

First of Many Anniversaries on TA and With The Realm of Forks Hopefully!

2010-01-27T16:34:00.000+08:00

It's hard to believe that a year has passed since I discovered the wonderful realm of Forks! I know it started as a fascination for a movie and eventually books but I reckon the friendships I've formed especially since joining Twilighters Anonymous has been truly amazing!

I did a little announcement about my TAnniversary on TA coz that's just our way, LOL.

This people I've met in this fandom has definitely enriched my life. We may have started by talking about the books, characters, movies and actors but we've surely progressed to talking about more! Don't you just love meeting like-minded people!

And they couldn't have chosen a more apt tagline: TwilightersAnonymous.com - Helping Addicts Since 2008 Because We Don't Want A Cure. Ha ha ha! So, so true!

Movie Marathon

2010-01-24T01:03:00.001+08:00

I won tickets to the final screening of New Moon on Friday organised by Twilighters Singapore. Yeh, just when one thought I'm done with wining anymore New Moon, eh? The questions were rather tricky, especially the first one but they were nicely chosen. The first one got me thinking longer than I would have expected. :)

Question 1

List the Quileute tribe members that were mentioned in New Moon.

Question 2

What was Bella’s grandmother’s name?

Question 3

List down the names of the wolfpack in the sequence of their transformation.

Question 4

What was Bella’s and Mike’s choice of movies that they wanted to watch during their movie outing?

Question 5

How old were Leah and Seth when their father passed away?

We went to Shaw's special screening room. I've never been there before. Looked rather posh but wish we'd got better seats. Alas, we are not really the 'kiasu' types to rush for seats, LOL. In any case, it was nice to see them on the big screen again. They still look good! For my foreign friends, 'kiasu' literally means 'fear of losing' in the local Chinese dialect.

My sis wanted to watch another movie after that. It was a toss-up between Daybreakers and Legion. I saw the trailer for Daybreakers many times when I'd gone to watch New Moon. It's a movie about a world when vampires rule the world and humans are harvested for their blood. I was keen to watch it but then I saw the trailer for Legion and thought it was awesome.

People thought me crazy that Legion was my choice because I didn't want to mar my memory of my favourite vampires but hey, Daybreakers vampires also have golden eyes but they are not nice, what can I say, LOL.

In any case, I'm glad I'd gone to watch Legion. Even though it was draggy in some parts, I rather thought it was pretty awesome! In the movie, an out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in humankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner with the Archangel Michael.

But I reckon it's a test for Michael, Gabriel and the humans involved in it. And wow, Michael is amazing! I think Paul Bettany played him very well! I'm still thinking about him a day later. I may well have a crush on a fictitious version of an angel!

When the Storm Hits...

2010-01-16T22:18:00.000+08:00

Seems like it's been ages since I've spent any time here! Work has been so crazy since Boxing Day with allocating students, preparing welcome packs for them and data entry in the timetabling system that the last thing I wanted to do was spend any extra amount of time facing the computer than necessary. And this was before the new semester started too!

I barely spent any significant amount of time on my other indulgence, Twilighters Anonymous! Egad! Could that day have possibly come? Ha ha! No need for rejoicing. I'm not quite ready to stop talking about the Cullens yet! I know my continuous heaping of accolades of them seems like a broken record but hey, here's a thought, don't get me started or shut your ears when I do! See, easy peasy! LOL

In any case, I digress. I did have an awesome time away from the computer, first on 27th December when I had the chance to meet up with my long-time friends and former, the Sercombes, whom I've not met for close to 10 years surely! They were a family of four when they left Singapore and now they are a family of six! I knew the older two girls, Grace and Chloe, have carried them in my arms when they were babies and toddlers, but Lilianne and Daniel were born after they returned to England.

Funnily enough, it was with Lily and Daniel that I spoke quite a bit with. Understandable I suppose, considering that Grace and Chloe are nearing their early teens. Well, I think Grace is already 11 and Chloe is 9, close enough, LOL. Lily is 7 and Daniel 3. The whole family is ever charming and Colin and Leanne looked wonderful! They are now based in Hong Kong and were passing through Singapore while they had their cruise through South East Asia. I don't reckon they would be in a hurry to do that one again since I recall them saying the service and facilities were unbelievably horrid!

We sat for an hour having coffee and catching up a bit. It was so surreal sitting at the same table as them again but it was wonderful nonetheless. My only regret was not having any photos taken with them. Silly, silly Noor!

I also caught up on a lot of reading - though the speed at which I go through the books that termites would be proud of, there's nothing to really catch up on, I suppose, LOL. But shush! Books are wonderful things and I dunno what I'd ever do without them! I can't remember why I went to the Library again after my Christmas eve visit since I still had books to read from Sunny but I can never resist when there's a book I want. Besides, it's always a pleasure visiting the library, eh? Although I dare say, I've not borrowed such a huge stack of books since my uni days!

The night before the new semester started, I thought I shan't be too distressed and that the most I'd have to deal was the alarm clock, ensuring that I wake up earlier than the hour later that I indulged in during school holidays since we start work at a later hour.

Oh how wrong I was! From the moment I stepped into the office at 7.55am, it was go-go-go until about 10.30am before I managed to get my first cuppa joe and brekkie of biscuits and oh, remembered to put away my bag. Furthermore, it was only when I was going for my lunch break, did I recall that I haven't gone to the washroom yet and realised that I needed that break as well, LOL.

As a testament of how things hasn't seemed to have settled down yet, just look at my desk a week after the semester started. That's what happens when you seem to get new things to do before the previous tasks are completed. Ha ha! Days like these, I miss seeing the top of my desk! Would you believe that I clear it as much as possible each eve before I leave?

A Bookworm's Idea of a Good Time!

2009-12-25T02:05:00.000+08:00

We got half day off on Christmas eve, as is the norm and I wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary, rather than just head home directly. Nothing good was playing in the cinemas - at least none I was dying to see anyway - so I did the next best thing, I headed to the library! Luckily for me, even though the library was also shortening its opening hours, it stayed open till 5pm so I had loads of time, even as the journey home took me almost an hour.

I had an idea of what I wanted to borrow and managed to find most of the books I wanted. Nonetheless, I was still stoked to be among all those books and couldn't resist just walking around the shelves, just in case anything else struck my fancy - this when I already had my six allotted books in hand. I was literally the equivalent of a child let loose in a candy or toy store! And to think I still had seven unread books from my last trip to Sunny Bookstore at the beginning of the month! Yes, it is quite possible to get greedy on books! Well for a bookworm anyway.

My Christmas "gifts", I'm so excited!!

How Small Can You Go?

2009-12-22T12:19:00.000+08:00

Much like my fascination with the dictionary (yes, I'm that girl, the one that reads dictionaries!), I often spend longer than necessary on the internet as I get directed from one link to another - and often not related to whatever I ever came on for, LOL.

Anyway, during one of my sojourns into the cyber highway, I somehow stumbled onto the Impact Lab website. It's an awesome site touching on almost anything that involves the human experience. In any case, these caught my attention. Fancy spending time in one of these capsules for your hotel stay?

According to Impact Lab, this is the 9h Capsule Hotel, which is a three-year design project by Design Studio S and is scheduled to be opened in Kyoto in December of this year. The nine stories tall hotel will have 125 capsules, as well as locker rooms, showers, and a lounge.

Each of the rooms will a panel, designed by Panasonic, which controls the lights and sound system; the alarm clock can be programmed to wake you gently, by raising the lights. The sheets used can be found a four-star hotel.

9h Hotel is not the first of Japan's capsule hotels though. Capsule Inn Osaka was opened on 1 February 1979. I dare say the capsules look like something out of an 80s (or 70s in this case) sci-flick!

Heck if this angle doesn't remind me of a pound! Especially with that gate at the end!

I rather like the American version of a mini room. This is one of the rooms in Jane Hotel, in Manhattan’s West Village. The hotel used to be a temporary residence for sailors, quite obvious isn't it? It rather looks like a ship's bunker.

But look at the lobby! If that doesn't remind you of old world class, I don't know what does! Wow!

Stoked for a Big Night Out 2010

2009-12-16T01:14:00.000+08:00

One of my colleagues gave me the heads-up that Muse would be in town on 3 Feb 2010, in an event called Big Night Out 2010 with two other bands, Rise Against and Saosin. I was a little hesitant about going, having never gone to a rock concert before. But it was Muse and I just couldn't resist. She'd bought some good seats ages ago on the terrace. I thought I'd get tickets nearby but as it turned out, the nearest seats to her and her friends would be 10 rows away in the middle of a sea of people. So I thought, I'd go for the balcony seat, at least it won't be too "crazy" for a novice like me, LOL.

I managed to score an aisle seat and when I got home, I "sold" the idea to my youngest bro and whaddaya know, he was interested in going so at least now I have company. And as luck would have it, I was able to get the seat right next to me, woo hoo! We'll be sitting in B32 but I reckon for first-time attendees, that'll be enough of an eye opener, especially with tickets that cost S$101, LOL. Anyway, can't wait, I'm beyond stoked! Never thought I'd be keen for the new year to come but now February can't come quick enough for me!

Edward, Jacob and ME!

2009-12-14T16:51:00.001+08:00

Okay okay, so not quite Edward and Jacob, LOL.

I barely ever win anything, so much so, I often can't be bothered with contests and quizzes and such, LOL. But a while ago, I won those four tickets to the gala premiere of New Moon, which I thought was pretty cool.

Then in the early morning of 1 December, I happened upon an envelope from Starhub, my local cable provider. I'd already seen the envelope before then but I thought it was just the bill so was in no hurry to open it up but then I thought, "Oh why not" - somehow I always hear Edward's voice when I use that exact phrase!

Imagine my surprise when it was actually a letter to inform me that I'd won two tickets to the New Moon screening the next night. I literally gasped, I was so surprised! To think I almost didn't open the letter too!

Anyway on said evening, after I collected my tickets and posters, their staff asked if I wanted to take photos with Edward and Jacob. I was puzzled coz I thought they meant taking a photo with the movie posters. I'd already taken those before so wondered why they were encouraging my obsession, LOL. Then I saw the two actors standing by the posters so I thought why not.

The guy dressed as Edward was very sweet too. Very Edward in fact. I thought his makeup was very convincing but my sister disagreed. I barely realized the Jacob guy was there, he was so quiet - weird getup by the way but oh well. Funny how even with actors portraying the characters I still noticed Edward more. LOL

Can You Tell Me How to Get, How to Get to Sesame Street...

2009-12-08T10:24:00.002+08:00

The Sesame Street crew was in town sometime last week and they made an appearance in Woodlands Causeway Point of all places. I happened upon them by chance. I loved the children's reaction although I confess I was pretty excited myself. These were characters that I grew up with and I remember being glued to the television each time the show came on. I reckon Sesame Street was instrumental in encouraging my desire to learn too! Woo hoo Sesame Street!

Sunny Day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street

My sis thought I was nuts, but hey, these guys were such icons for us 70s babies! She didn't know what she was missing! Oh, and the fact that one of the performers was cute was a bonus too! =D Wish we'd seen Big Bird or Mr Snuffleupagus though. That would have been a treat. I loved Snuffy! In any case, we didn't stay for the whole show. I was kinda tired and someone was really keen to get home to read. Ha ha!

The Power of An Eclipse

2009-12-05T10:27:00.008+08:00

Okay, okay, not quite that eclipse but this next one. =D

Eclipse is the third book in the Twilight Saga series. Though Edward and Bella are together in this book and the fact that I see lots more of the Cullens here, it never registered as much with me as the other books do.

However, as I read it again after watching New Moon, I had a better appreciation for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the bantering between Edward and Bella and loved how their love just grew for each other as they both grew stronger as individuals and as a couple. Of course there's the love triangle with Jacob but even then, it has not detracted too much of the story for me. It would have been my fifth sojourn into Forks and I was halfway through with Eclipse but my sis grabbed the book from me. Even as I told her I'm in the middle of reading it, she was adamant about reading. Her rationale - I already know the story, while she really wants to know what happens next.

I know that does not sound like such a big deal but one must understand something about my sis. She doesn't read too much but when she does, it's usually Malay books she prefer. She's 20 and though she manages well enough with English, she struggles with the deeper understanding of it. I have lost count of the numerous nagging I've given her throughout the years to read English books. I keep telling her to broaden her horizons, something not possible with Malay books considering the scope that is covered by books written by Malaysian writers but she kept refusing me.

Then now, she can barely the book down! Granted she reads slower than me but it's just so amazing to see her lost in a book and an English one at that! Usually her free time is spent playing games on facebook but these days, she's got Eclipse in her hand, so I definitely am happy to see that she's appreciative of the story.

The other day we were out buying stuff and at one point, she urged me to hurry because she wanted to go home and read. I knew what she was keen to get back to but I teased her anyway and asked what she was so eager to read. She shrugged and just said a book, LOL. Yet another testament to Stephenie's skill at weaving tales. Even those who are not regular book readers are captivated once they give it a try! And in this case, she has succeeded in doing the impossible! Awesome!

Budding Artists

2009-12-03T11:37:00.000+08:00

I was walking by the corridor on the way back to the office this morning when this stopped me in my tracks. Gorgeous innit?! Our fourth graders are so talented!

You're Listening to the BBC World Service - My First Love Affair!

2009-12-01T00:36:00.002+08:00

At the risk of sounding conceited, I have often been complimented for my good command of the English language and people even ask if I am from the United Kingdom. When told I'm from Singapore, they ask if I've been to the UK. They get very surprised when I tell them no.

I shared not too long ago that Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist was probably responsible for rekindling my passion for reading, especially those not of the picture books genre. 1987 seemed to have been quite the milestone year for me since it was that same year that I discovered my first love - the English language.

English is not my mother tongue, although ironically it is labelled as a first language in schools here, with your mother tongue as a second language. When I was in primary school, I was able to get the general gist of the language though truth be told, I barely understood half the things that were being taught or spoken to me. In fact, it took me years to realise that "comprehension" is an actual word that means something rather than just the name of a subject in school.

This has always been a bone of contention with me since I feel that the way they teach English here is not by comprehension but by memorization so most often than not, you know it's spoken that way but you barely have an understanding of why it is so. I noticed that most acutely when I started working where I am now and saw how the kids were taught. The method used here seem so flawless and quick to understand that I was left in awe!

I could easily manage spoken English with its broken grammar and culturally mixed flavours - popularly known as Singlish here. However, as I was the firstborn and my parents' command of the language was manageable but not exactly stellar, I didn't think much of it. Then when I was 13, I bought myself a small radio and stumbled upon this station where they spoke English differently than how it was spoken here. "You're listening to the BBC World service" became a tagline that was so familiar and the station soon became my favourite for the year.

Now being a TV-holic, I watched a lot of TV but you know how it is when it's drama and such, it's never proper English spoken unless you watch a lot of news and documentary. I don't think there were even any foreign news stations available here at the time, and the documentaries that I may have watched probably saw me riveted on the subject matter itself rather than what was being spoken.

To say I was stupefied would probably be an understatement but I was definitely amazed to hear people speaking like that when not reading the news or narrating a documentary. Furthermore, since it was just an aural attack on my senses, it had an even greater impact. I recall moments when I just laid in bed letting the words flow through me.

I soon began reading up on English and England. I figured if I wanted to learn it right, I should go to the source instead of picking up American English that was so evident on TV. Of course there was the matter of Singapore having been a British colony in the past so we are taught the Queen's English here - that was the general understanding though the results could not exactly be termed thus.

In any case, I spent hours just devouring up what I could on English history either via documentaries, TV series or reading at the library; and paid close attention to the manner of speech whenever I watched British programmes. It was not long before I was lapping up stories about King Arthur and his round table, William of Normandy, King Henry VIII etc.

Fictitious stories of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood appealed to me as well. I must have watched several versions of these adaptations and soon knew the stories by heart - my favourite version of Ivanhoe is the one with Anthony Andrews. This also led to my fascination with history. Yes, it started with English history! A lot could be said about Castles, knights and mansions; they are just so captivating!

At about the same time, a British mini-series was shown on TV entitled Jane Eyre with Timothy Dalton as Mr Rochester. Ooh la la, I was clearly smitten! So I picked up a copy of Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte was the next classic writer that I knew off aside from Charles Dickens. That particular copy of Jane Eyre was so well-read that when the bindings fell off, I lovingly hole-punched the pages and it became a little bound book, LOL.

     I was so enthralled with the whole world of the English language and England that I started speaking English with an accent, well not quite an English accent but a proper-English accent. I recall my classmates looking at me funnily though the nice ones appreciated the difference and asked me a time or two to try speaking with my "English accent".

     I totally shunned Singlish and even now, it hurts my ears hearing too much of it. It grates even more on my senses when I hear my peers butchering the language. I'm not demeaning anyone nor am I thinking highly of myself, but we all learned the same thing in school; proper diction, grammar structure etc - as well as could be anyway since they were taught by teachers who sometimes used too much Singlish - so the least we could do is speak with proper clarity! There is really no excuse for speaking badly and to in turn pass that on to the next generation. It's truly deplorable and such an insult to a wonderful language!

     But I digress. I am beyond thrilled to have discovered the real English and I have nothing but respect and admiration for the work they do on the BBC World Service. Thank you, I am forever indebted!

Pictures That Paint A Thousand Words....

2009-11-30T10:52:00.001+08:00

I saw these pics while I happened to browse through the Time website one day. Thought they were interesting naturally! =D

Drag

Taxis in Chongqing municipality have to line up to get their tanks filled. Gas was in low supply as much of it was diverted to the north of the country which has been hit by powerful snowstorms.

Hmm... I think I would probably forgo driving if I have to wait that long for petrol!!

Balloon of Death

Hot air balloons fly during the Hot Air Balloons Festival in Leon, Mexico.

That's one scary giant thing to have in the sky but I thought nothing much of it. However, the longer I looked at it, I couldn't help this thought that came to my mind, "Wonder how long it'll be before we see a giant Edward or Jacob up there!" Ha ha! Hey, it could happen! Twilighters are very resourceful, as we all know.

Adonis Still on the Prowl! Brace Thyself!

2009-11-27T01:46:00.000+08:00

Since we are still drunk on the essence of New Moon, I'm sure no one would complain that yet more outtakes have surfaced from Rob's Vanity Fair photo shoot! Oooh la la!

Gosh, how cute is this one? I can stare at this sleeping angel's face for hours on end....

I Survived New Moon!!

2009-11-26T15:28:00.000+08:00

I survived New Moon, thank goodness!

I was getting a little apprehensive when so many of my mates made comments that they wished they "could see my face in certain scenes" or that "Noor is going to die when she watched this film".

I was bracing myself for it and I dare say there were some scenes where I'd purposely covered my mouth with my shawl just in case I would gasp out too loudly.

   Chris Weitz is definitely a master tale weaver! It won't surprise me at all if he admits to being a wizard! New Moon is a definite masterpiece! I fell even more in love with Bella - Kristen Stewart is truly amazing! Taylor looked vastly different as pre-transformation Jacob and after! Wow! And Edward, oh Edward.... Rob did a magnificent job even as an apparition for most of it! I reckon the CGI wolves were truly spectacular!! I actually felt the hall vibrating as they thundered by! I can see why Chris liked mentioning Phil Tippet so much now! Wow!

     Everything is just amazing in this movie! I need to watch it again to soak it all in! I'd go again tonight if I could but would you believe it, the two sneak preview screenings at the cinema near my place this evening are both sold out! Go Summit!!!

     Oh and once again the spirit of Twilighters were evident that night. Since I won the tickets randomly, the seating arrangement was all over the place. My sis was sitting three seats away from me, much to her chagrin. But we were fortunate since we met with the same gals from the New Moon Festa and they offered to move so that my sis and I could sit together. Awww.... I love Twilighters!

Some pics of the eve/night!

Today is When I Assuage My Yearning....

2009-11-25T08:57:00.002+08:00

The day has finally come! The day that I assuage my yearning of my beloved Bella, Edward and Jacob, the Cullens, the Quileutes, while at the same time bracing myself for the horror of looking at Laurent, Victoria and the Volturi! 8pm can't come soon enough for me!

I've really missed my favourite characters - Bella, Edward and the Cullens in particular - and that has truly intensified as the movie was released in many parts of the world. I know those unfamiliar with the series would think us crazy for such yearnings for fictional characters but if they read the books, they would understand how endearing and compelling they truly are that one can't help but be swayed along with the rush of emotions of millions of Twilighters around the world! And the fact that these actors portray them so well, makes it all the more surreal!

As it is, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, has managed to break all records from the moment of its release and the wave continues to crest with no sign of abating as yet. It should be noted that the film has yet to be shown in many areas, including Singapore, Malaysia and some parts of the Middle East, but has already managed to reap in US $258 million. The first movie, Twilight, earned US $380 millions and I'd predicted that New Moon could very well reach the US $450 million mark. However, judging from its continued good performance, it won't surprise me at all if it earns US $500 million in total! Interestingly enough, the LA Times predicts that final numbers could very well be in the US $700 million range! Talk about radical!

New Moon Festa Delights

2009-11-23T00:26:00.013+08:00

I found myself at Geylang East Library again on Sunday, just when I thought I'd never visit it again - if you recall, this was where I'd went out of my way to borrow a Christine Feehan book - but something got me there again, the New Moon Festa, organised by Twilight Singapore.

I came an hour earlier though for the New Moon book discussion - as if I could pass on that! It was a rather small group and I dare say I did a LOT of talking. Someone thought some of my comments were quite deep, LOL, and I could see some of the tangents were those that they have not thought of before. And of course, I defended everyone from Bella to Edward to Jacob. Charlie was even mentioned too.

When I registered, I got a stamp on my hand, LOL. I'm not normally a participant of an event where that happens so thought it a novelty! Yeh yeh, I lead a boring existence! =)

They had three posters of the movie up, the Volturis, the Cullens and the Quileutes. Lots of us couldn't resist posing with them, myself included. Oh, did I mention it was a masquerade-themed event? Here are some pics from the event.

Boo! Guess who?!

Three of the five gals that make up Twilight Singapore

I was feeling really sympathetic of Marcus

Some gals I met during the book discussion

We started with a viewing of all the Singapore version of the trailers. Talk about being spoilt! I'd not seen any trailer in the cinema at all and then to be treated to all of them in one night, wow! They also showed the interview that the local Channel 5 managed to get at the press junket with Rob and Kristen - Rob had a special thank you for Singapore fans, apparently he gets a lot of cards and such from fans in Singapore.

We also had a whole lot of events from guessing the characters, lines from the books, guessing the actors/actresses (their pics were distorted), and guessing the titles of the distorted songs played. But the last event was where three pairs enacted the breakup scene. They did this wonderfully though one particular girl did Edward so well, I actually got choked up!

The amazing Edward on the right, they won too.

Oh, did I mention that I won quite a few prizes? I gave the right answers for Gianna in the Characters category, Michael Sheen and Tyson Houseman in the Actors category and Friends by Band of Skulls in the Soundtrack category. Oh incidentally, I corrected them on Tyson's name. They thought it was Tyler, ha ha! Frankly, I did not expect to win anything at all. I was thrilled when I won the first item and was over the moon at the end of my fourth win!

My prizes - a bookmark of Bella, a magnetic set, three key chains and drum roll please.... four tickets to the Gala Premiere to take place this coming Wednesday, 25 November 2009! I didn't even know they have gala premieres here! I'd already got tickets for the Twilight/New Moon marathon organised by the same group on 1 December but now I get to watch it even earlier! I am beyond stoked! The four new friends that I posed with also won tickets to the Gala Premiere. More importantly, it won't be as long before I get to gush about the movie with my TA friends!

The New Moon merchandise are awesome as well. I go from zero merchandise to a few in one evening! Awesome! By the way, just to show that the spirit of Twilighters is also evident in Singapore. I gave an answer to one of the girls and another gave me an answer for the quizzes! Twilighters rock for sure!

We also got posters as door gifts. How awesome that I got one each of my favourite couple! I understand there were different ones, I overheard someone saying she'd got Jacob's poster.

And that Bella bookmark seemed to have been tailored for me. Look at what's at the back!

Definitely a fun-filled event! I'm so glad I went! Oh I mentioned TA quite a bit so let's see if we get some new members too!

2012: Heartwrenching Masterpiece

2009-11-20T01:16:00.008+08:00

I watched 2012 last week. When I first heard of the film, I wasn't really too keen on watching it. Not another disaster movie! It's too depressing! Then I found out who's involved in it.

I've been a huge fan of Johan Cusack for a while now so I figured it was definitely worth watching. Further I was intrigued since it was not usually the sort of genre that John gets involved in. A lot of other recognisable names are also in it - Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Okay I confess I had no clue who the last one was though he looked so familiar. =D

I admit it's scary in a lot of parts though not as scary a I'd expected it to be. The special effects were amazing as well but what is most prevalent is the profound sense of sadness since there was literally nothing that could be done to avert the disaster or get to safety. I couldn't help shedding a few tears as people congregate in collective prayers and in solidarity as they wait the inevitable yet still hope for the best; those that are not able to get to safety anyway and I assure you, only an exclusive few are able to do this. Have a few billions to spare?

Definitely worth watching as long as you brace yourself. It does leave one with a great sense of mortality.

And hey check out the little bonus I got right outside the hall where the film was being shown. Now isn't that just a sight for sore eyes! =)

Be Still My Heart! Gorgeous and Affable; Thy Name is Robert Pattinson

2009-11-19T00:22:00.001+08:00

Who knew there could be so many outtakes in one photoshoot eh? I never considered it before but hey who's complaining when it's such a scrumptious feast for the eyes!

This is Vanity Fair's Outtakes Part Trois of this gorgeous young man! No need for an introduction, right? Brace yourselves!

I thought I'd have no favourites but how wrong was I! This one is very intense! If I was on the on the receiving end of that most intent gaze, I'd probably expire in a fit of vapours! An archaic term, I know but oh so appropriate, don't you agree? Phew!

In addition, TA drew my attention to this wonderful little clip that is such a gem and a joy to watch!

Excuse me, is this the same young man who said he hates children?! Rob mate, I think the cat is definitely out of the bag. I work with lots of men who work with young children and I can always tell when one has an affinity with young children or not. Rob definitely has that. He adjusted his manner of speech to that of the young lady he was with and even adjusted the volume of his voice so as to put her at ease. He LOVES kids, that's for sure!

I am vastly impressed that one so young and with his fame would know to have this distinction. Goodness gracious, I should just give up trying to not be impressed. They (as in him and his cast members) just continue to surprise me each and every time!

La Cullen Cantante - Everything Under The Sun

Nonsensical Rambling of the Day

Sunday Breakfast - Mum's Soto Ayam

Flavoured Buns - Malaysia Truly Asia Style!!

Day-off Breakkie

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Celebration With Food Part II

Celebration With Food

Invisible Phone?!

Someone asked me about iPhone 5 and I came across this clip. This looks more like a spoof than an actual ad for Apple. Goodness! I can't stop laughing! Do we have to be invisible to use this phone? "You can let it go, where did it go? Oh it's over here." LOLOLOLOL!!!

Decisions... Decisions...

Stubborn, Snarly Male

Nonsensical Rambling of the Day

Women are Angels...

Manna from Mum's Hands - Bee Hoon Hong Kong

Cultivating A Love for Reading in a Fun Way!!

In Honour of a Great Man

A Lion Called Christian

An Earnest Finding

A Hugh Distraction...

Tropical Delight....

Ramadan Al Mubarak

The Last Airbender

A Truly Blessed Day!

How to Order Coffee, Miss Swan Style!

Unique Way to Cool Down

Sudden Death

You Gave Me Your Heart...

Getting Back Into the Groove with Nothing But Trouble

A Truly Eclipsed July...

Video of the Day: Dennis Quaid's Hilarious Hidden Camera Prank - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

God I totally lost it when I watched this! Ellen is such a meanie to him! I thought the Starbucks prank was bad but this definitely tops that! Dennis is such a good sport. Gotta love him!

A Very Special Birthday Party!

Flooding in Singapore??!!

Free Hugs Anyone?

Coffee Art Just for Me

A Saturday Morning with Mum...

No Rest for the Wicked...

Billy Burke's Removed Official Video

Love is Forever...

Looking Good Even After 17 Years....

Bite Me...

Borders Treat

I Will Probably Not Survive THIS Eclipse!

A Slice of Paradise

Is it July yet?!

Kristen Stewart's Path to Hotness!!!

Surprise from the US Pacific Northwest

An Oddity!

Photo Booth Fun

Cute Lil Daisy

A Mini Tour of Republic Polytechnic

Eye Popping!

3am Indulgence...

My Very Own Personal Brand of Heroin...

The Beginning of An Onslaught of The Eclipse

A Grave Situation

Of Dragons and Vikings!

Unexpected Treat! Yummm!

Grossed Out!

A Special Birthday Wish for Yoda AKA LO Maria

Idle Hands Will Make Crane..

First of Many Anniversaries on TA and With The Realm of Forks Hopefully!

Movie Marathon

When the Storm Hits...

A Bookworm's Idea of a Good Time!

How Small Can You Go?

Stoked for a Big Night Out 2010

Edward, Jacob and ME!

Can You Tell Me How to Get, How to Get to Sesame Street...

The Power of An Eclipse

Budding Artists

You're Listening to the BBC World Service - My First Love Affair!

Pictures That Paint A Thousand Words....

Adonis Still on the Prowl! Brace Thyself!

I Survived New Moon!!

Today is When I Assuage My Yearning....

New Moon Festa Delights

2012: Heartwrenching Masterpiece

Be Still My Heart! Gorgeous and Affable; Thy Name is Robert Pattinson

Someone asked me about iPhone 5 and I came across this clip. This looks more like a spoof than an actual ad for Apple. Goodness! I can't stop laughing! Do we have to be invisible to use this phone?

"You can let it go, where did it go? Oh it's over here."

LOLOLOLOL!!!