About a week ago, Zonghao asked
me if we should pre-book tickets for Ironman 2 that we
planned to watch today with the climbers. I told him
that wasn't necessary as we could do so the day before
the official premiere and there would still be plenty of
seats left thus avoiding watching the show from the
front rows.
I was wrong.
2 days ago when I checked on
Cathay cinemas, all the theatres are almost full or sold
out for the timing of 9.30pm. Same goes for Golden
Village cinemas. I tried to pre-book tickets at Eng Wah
cinemas but that option wasn't available somehow. Panic
and regret started to weave its ugly claws around my
mind. Then came the best news ever.
Zonghao was able to pre-book
tickets at Eng Wah cinemas, and Suntec theatres were
still empty while everywhere else was full. Freaking
awesome! So we booked the tickets and showed up at the
theatre, eager and excited to watch the Ironman sequel.
Everything was fine until exactly
halfway through the show, when Ironman was about to
begin his iron-clad mega-clash with War Machine.
Suddenly the screen turned black while the audio carried
on playing. Then everything stopped playing altogether.
Somehow, Ironman movie had
stopped. The audience reaction came thereafter, with
lots of 'Oiiii', 'Booos' and 'Wah liaoooooo' being made.
It was comical enough that most started laughing as
well.
So we waited. And waited. And
waited. The screen came alive around 5 minutes later but
it showed a static/ noise-filled imagery. Then it went
blank. At this juncture, a couple stood up and left the
theatre.
The white
screen (static/ noisy)
3 minutes later, the screen came
alive again. This time, it showed the YOG advertisement
featuring the 2 mascots! But no Ironman. Then it went
blank. And people started getting restless.
2 minutes later, the movie
resumed. But somehow the mega-clash was skipped as it
showed the scene of the match ending, with War Machine
flying off in the Mark 2 suit. The movie resumed and
peace was restored in the theatre.
6 minutes later, the same thing
happened again. The screen blacked out and everything
stopped.
3 minutes later, the movie
resumed. This time it picked up where it stopped. Soft
grumbles were heard but peace was again restored.
5 minutes later, the screen
blacked out another time. A handful of people stood up
to leave the theatre. As some were leaving, the movie
resumed after 2 minutes delay.
5 minutes later, the screen
blacked out again. The resentful voices were louder and
even more people started to leave the theatre. At this
point Jessica voiced out her concerns about the constant
delays and suggested that we leave and ask for a refund.
After all, it appears that the hardware in the cinema
was faulty and the delays may be a constant feature if
we stayed. Carol asked that we give the theatre one more
chance and if it blacked out again, we can leave. So we
stayed.
I recorded
this clip of how the screen went from white screen to
black
I guess the movie heard us
because no other similar incidents repeated itself after
that.
After the show, we didn't ask for
a refund or some form of compensation though.
What would you do if you
encountered a similar situation?
'Ironman 2' Synopsis
The world is aware that
billionaire inventor Tony Stark is the armoured
superhero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government,
the press and the public to share his technology with
the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets
behind the Iron Man armour because he fears the
information will slip into the wrong hands. Inevitably,
Stark is pitted against his Russian arch nemesis,
Whiplash, and corporate rival Justin Hammer.
'Ironman 2' Review
Everyone is saying it so I will
just echo what everyone says: Robert Downey Jr was born
to play Tony Stark. Oh, and the movie is awesome
(despite the hiccups at the theatre).
My only gripe is that we don't
see a lot of Ironman action, and the finale battle was
over in just a few scenes.
There were high expectations on
this movie due to the success of the first Ironman
movie, and it delivered every aspect well. The movie
does away with the typical superhero genre of Hollywood
and was fun to watch from start to the end.
The only thing missing was a
proper build up of the relationship between Pepper Pots
and Tony Stark. Oh, and some scenes that were shown in
the trailer.
Other than that, this movie is
simply too awesome to be given a miss.
Escapism:
The avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in
entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc.
Escapist: Someone who indulges
in escapism.
I believe that almost everyone
would indulge in some form of escapism every now and
then. Be it day-dreaming, watching a movie, reading a
book or even thru surfing the web, it's almost natural
to take some time off reality to be entertained. The
goal is often to get away from the pain of reality and
seek pleasure instead.
At this point of my life, I have
to honestly say that I excel at escapism.
I am a professional escapist.
There are matters that are
causing me much distress, despite the jolly,
happy-go-lucky demeanor. As Agent Smith once said in the
Matrix Reloaded," Appearances can be deceiving..."
Can these matters be resolved?
The optimist me will say 'Hell
yeah!'
Am I doing anything to get it
resolved?
The procrastinator me will say
'Maybe later.'
And in meantime, I would find
myself indulging in escapism. Get my mind away from it
all. Because who knows, the problem will one day go away
if I don't acknowledged it. Sounds very far-fetched,
doesn't it?
Being an escapist is not
something that I had planned on. It just happened. Why?
Because like many, I would rather
get involved activities that are fun, enjoyable and
entertaining. The serious stuffs are just too damn
boring. And the feeling that comes with it, well, sucks.
Now and then, the situation would
be summed up by the following phrase: "Screw that shit,
let's go have some fun! Hell yeah!"
But the thing is, no matter how
much I ignore the presence of those shitty stuffs, it
won't change the fact that the problems exist. Thus
eventually I would have to 'man up' and deal with it.
The trick is getting that
motivation to do so...
Fat Fat Fat
My friends and I dropped by
California Fitness at Bugis today to check it out. As
part of their orientation program, they did some
analysis on our body using a rather nifty looking
machine.
Presenting the results (click on
the image to view a larger version)
According to the results, I have
17.5% body fats and I am overweight by 1.9kg. And my
ideal weight for my height is 67.6kg. At present I'm
69.5kg.
Personally, I don't believe in
what the result says, especially for the ideal weight.
But I do want to reduce the percentage of body fats.
17.5% is pretty high.
Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed
high school student and comic book fan with a few
friends and who lives alone with his father. His life is
not very difficult and his personal trials not that
overwhelming. However, one day he makes the simple
decision to become a super hero even though he has no
powers or training.
'Kick-Ass' Review
A friend said that Kick-Ass kicks
ass. I have to agree with her. This show really kicks
ass!
The starting was a little slow
but as the show progressed on, the pace picked up. I
would say the storyline is rather 'modern' and unique as
it doesn't follow the crime-fighting hero storylines
that are typical of Hollywood. The way the story was
filmed made it more in tune with current times to the
point that you can connect with the characters and the
story.
The main draw of the show is the
real crime-fighters in the show, which is Big Daddy and
Hit Girl. And Hit Girl, wow! She's cute in the costume
but deadly as well. Their own cause for turning to crime
fighting is tragic and you can't help but feel their
pain. Somehow Kick-ass ends up being the comic relief,
even though towards the end this wasn't so.
There isn't much of a twist to
look out. But the character and story development made
the whole plot interesting to watch. Humour was peppered
through-out the show to keep the audience entertained.
In all, this is one show that really kicks ass and worth
watching again and again.
Zonghao and I were at United
Square today to look for something. After we were done,
we went to the lift lobby to wait for the lift to go to
the carpark, which was on the fourth floor. However,
when the lift door opened, something inside the lift
shocked us and left us speechless for a few moments.
There was a stroller, a baby
inside the stroller and... no parents. Just like that.
(Photo for
illustration only. Not pic of actual baby)
The baby smiled at us when he saw
us. And I said 'Ok... what's up with that? Where's the
parents?'
At that point I was thinking of
the show 'Three Men And A Little Baby', except there's
only two of us.
We went into the lift and pressed
the button for the fourth floor. As the lift went up,
both of us looked at the baby. Zonghao then said,'
Where's your mummy?'
Unfortunately he didn't get an
answer as the baby was probably around 6 months old.
The baby looked at me and started
to look uneasy, as if he was going to cry. I was
wondering how come the baby ended up being left in a
lift. He was in a stroller and a stroller is not
something that you would miss, much less a baby!
When the lift doors opened on the
fourth floor, a worried looking lady stood in front of
us. She immediately clenched her chest and let out a
sigh of relief when she saw the baby. Thereafter she
took deep breathes. It appeared like she was in shock.
So she was the mother of the
temporary abandoned baby. I wonder what she was doing
until she forgot about her baby in the lift. I mean,
seriously, the baby was in a stroller, and a stroller is
not very hard to miss!!!
What do you think happened?
'Shutter Island' Synopsis
Set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy
Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is investigating the
disappearance of a murderess whom escaped from a
hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be
hiding on the remote 'Shutter Island'.
'Shutter Island' Review
What is this show about?
That questioned was posed to me
several times today. From what I know it's a
psychological thriller in which the investigator went to
an island for the criminally insane and supposedly
become mad while investigating a case there. I wasn't
far off from that understanding.
In this show, Leonardo played his
role well to the point you can feel his pain and
frustrations as an US Marshall investigating the
disappearance of a patient. The movie was well paced and
the story development from his perspective was fluid.
There were hints of the twist cleverly spread thru-out
the show, so you would have to pay extra attention to
get it.
However, the ending was what made
this movie stood out amongst the rest. The ending wasn't
so clear cut and relies entirely on your standing as an
optimist or a pessimist. I shan't reveal more but if you
would want to watch a clever psychological thriller,
then this show is highly recommended.
Two of my friends and I had in
the past week discovered a new kind of hobby:
ad-libbing.
Often we would take a scenario of
a group of people talking and then try to come up with
funny dialogues that makes no sense but gave lots of
laughter. This is made funnier when they are doing
something and we try to ad-lib from their actions.
Of the two friends, one revealed
that he and his friends did a clip which they eventually
posted on You-Tube. We checked it out and it was quite
hilarious! Gave me some funny ideas. Meanwhile, here's the
clip that we saw. Enjoy!
Similar to the tune of ad-libbing
is machanima. This is where people often use 3D games to
form a video clip, something like an anime. The
following clip will give you a better view of what I'm
referring to.
As you can see, it's pretty
hilarious on what one can come up with. All it takes is
some creativity and a lot of humour!
An intergalactic comedy about the
antics of astronaut chimpanzees on a mission in space.
The chimps demonstrate as much of 'the wrong stuff' as
"the Right Stuff." Ham III, the grandson of the first
chimp blasted into space before manned spaceflight, is
lured back into the space programme, teamed with two
highly-trained chimps for a dangerous mission through a
black hole to an inhabited planet. When they're stranded
there, the chimps must help the inhabitants rid
themselves of a tyrannical leader and figure out how to
get back to Earth.
'Space
Chimps' Review
Well this movie is quite funny
and entertaining. Ideal if you're looking for some
laughter on an otherwise boring Saturday night. The
simple storyline makes it easy to follow and the jokes
dished out by the characters are well spread throughout
the movie, making it a humorous affair to watch.
I was looking thru some old
photos from my library and found one that I felt like
sharing with the world. The photo you're about to see
was taken quite some time ago.
And there you have it. Like I
said, the photo was taken many, many years ago. When
dinosaurs still ruled the Earth and Man just learnt to
use fire.
One of my favourite indulgence is
in travelling. I want to travel to places and countries
around the world. The sooner I do that, the better.
Often, I would look for inspiration, tips and
information on where to go. Thus one question that I
frequently ask people is what are their holiday plans.
When I posed this question to
Melissa, she gave me an answer that I've never heard
before. Her ideal holiday destination, one that she is
saving up for, is Iceland. According to her, there's
plenty to see and do in Iceland. One could visit a
volcano, trek on an iceberg and go on a rafting
expedition. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!
She shared with me
this website
that has some touristy information of what one can do in
and around Iceland. I checked it out and was eventually
inspired to head there too. Never knew that Iceland
could be so cool! No, not referring to the climate or
weather.
Check out
the website and let me
know what you think about holidaying in Iceland. Oh, do
share tips about the place if you've been there as well!
When one is away from the safety
and comfort offered by one's home, one has to deal with
a plethora of events that are either anticipated or
unknown. Still, no amount of preparation can ever
overcome a traveler's constant irritant: boredom.
Boredom sets it's claws in
whenever there is time on-hand but no activity to do and
no plans to do any activity. It also arises when there
isn't much that one can do, like when you are stuck at
an isolated place with limited access to activities.
With less than 24hrs notice, I
had to pack my things in a rush and get a good night
sleep. Somehow, one tend to forget things when packing
in a rush. Amongst the things I forgot were:
1) My Ipod Touch (which I suspect
I might have dropped it/ lost it somehow yesterday)
2) My camera (which I usually
never leave home without)
Two words to sum up the
situation: Damn It!
Get Up. Early.
Somehow, and I can't remember
how, I came across this
website. As I scanned thru the
posts, there was an entry that caught my eye. The entry
is about
waking up early.
I have habit of being a nocturnal
entity. Somehow, the stillness of the night suits me
well. My mind would wander and I would indulge in it's
whims. I find myself being a bit more productive at
night. Ever so often, I would think that getting up
early is 'just not me'. Or so I thought.
As I read thru the entry, I was
inspired to get up early. There were many reasons to get
up early. But the one that made the most sense to me was
that by getting up early, I have a head start against
the rest of the world and also in everything that I want
to do for the day. It's nice to have a head start
against the world instead of letting the world start
without me. That extra start will allow me to do more.
Hopefully it will push me to procrastinate less too.
So starting tomorrow I will try
to get up early and have a head start. Try to catch up.
;)
Ever now and then, we will come
face to face with some form of competition. No matter
how pacifistic you are, or how submissive you are,
competition will find you. The form varies, from a
friendly swimming session to a brutal corporate ladder
race. But the most unavoidable form of competition is
within: a competition with yourself.
From the time you wake up till
the time to sleep, you are in constant competition
against yourself. And this competition is a long term
one. The main objective?
To be a better person today than
you were yesterday.
It's not easy as it sounds
because to be a better person, one has to first know the
areas that need improvements. You have to know where the
problem is before you can find a solution for it.
Unfortunately, many are myopic to their own flaws and
weaknesses. And then there are those who refuse to
acknowledge their short-comings. If you don't know a
problem exists, is it still a problem?
To add to the challenge, one has
to find out how to overcome their personal obstacles and
barriers. There are many ways to be a better person.
Similar, there are many ways to solve a problem. But
solutions do not fall from the sky, nor can a problem be
fixed over-night. It takes constant conscious effort to
explore and implement a solution. And it takes time to
do it. Do you have the time to be a better person today
than you were yesterday?
As one goes on this journey of
personal excellence, it becomes easy to stray from it.
To serve as a constant reminder of this quest, you have
to ask yourself the main question that forms the
backbone of this competition against yourself.
The main question is: why do you
want to do it? Why be a better person?
So Last Minute
Just like in February, all it
took was just a phone call, and all my plans were changed.
This time I am unavailable from tomorrow till 24th
April. Such a long period of absence. And such a short
notice! Oh well, catch up when I'm back.
Born of a god but raised as a
man, Perseus is helpless to save his family from Hades,
vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to
lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to
defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus and
unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of
warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep
into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and
fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept
his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own
destiny.
'Clash Of The Titans' Review
Another movie on Greek
mythology. For many years, the myths and legends of the
Greeks have enthralled generations of readers and
movie-goers alike. The stories are fascinating and full
of twists and turns. Unfortunately this movie doesn't
really have much twist (unless you consider Perseus
discovering that he is the son of Zeus a twist).
It's very much a
straight-forward action movie that is well-paced and
centralized mainly around 4 characters: Zeus, Hade,
Perseus and Io. The rest of the characters are so
miscellaneous that you don't really know their names,
even though they appear in a large part of the movie.
The action sequences are pretty large scaled, fast and
furious. After all the heroes are battling monsters and
gods. That's the only main draw of the show though.
Other than that, story and
character development is mediocre. It was interesting to
see Zeus develop a more human-like trait at the end of
the show. It was even more interesting to see Perseus
fall for his lady guardian, Io, who had been watching
him since he was born. That makes her a lot older than
he is, and yet she became his love interest instead of
the princess Andromeda. Guess even in Greek mythology it
is a trend for young men to fall for older women.
Well if you're a fan of action
movies or Greek myths and legends, then this is the show
for you. If you want to watch it in 3D, my advise is to
skip it and watch the normal 2D or digital version
instead.
Hen's Nite After Party
In a week's time, Kat will be
getting married. To celebrate this joyous occasion, the
gals threw a Hen Nite for her tonight at a boy's club.
I was invited to join in the fun but declined because I
didn't want to go to a place filled with boys. Looking
back, I should have gone as it's not often
that one attend a Hen's Nite.
Still, I met up with gals to
join them for the Hen Nite's After Party at St. James
Power Station. And the gals were late. And I mean really
late. Like 2 hours late! To top it off, when they
arrived, the bride-to-be was still sober! Oh well, the
night was still young.
We headed into Movidas and
started the flow of drinks for the party and more
importantly, for the bride-to-be. The life band provided
some musical entertainment as the night went on.
Kat tried to resist our
collective efforts in giving her drinks, but resistance
is futile. Two jugs of hard liquor, one Waterfall and
one B-52 later, she was happily dancing the night away
while complaining that we were feeding her cough syrup!
Hahaha...
Anyway, congratulations to Kat
and Nick for tying the knot. Looking forward to the
wedding next week!
Today is Good Friday. Usually on
Good Friday for the past 4 years, I would go for my
first cable-ski trip of the year to Batam's Cable Ski
Park. This is the first time I broke tradition and
didn't go for it.
Simply because I forgot that Good
Friday was this week. Damn it!
Me: "Eh your pimple has burst...
it's bleeding badly..."
She: "Where where? Oh no! You
have tissue?"
Me: "April fool! Hahahaha..."
That's how simple it was to play
a prank today. THE day for playing pranks. April Fools'
Day.
When I was younger, I used to
think that April Fools' was celebrated every day for the
month of April. Thus I would unleash my pranks on many
through-out the month of April. It did came to a point
that I grew tired of carrying out pranks or thinking of
new one. And it took a while before I came to accept
that April Fools' was just a one day event. =\
But today I didn't pull much
prank on people. Partly because I was still recovering
from a night of partying. So when the mind is stoned,
the body is tired.
This was apparent when I joined
TingTing to climb. Somehow we felt that our form wasn't
there and it showed in the quantity and quality of
routes that we could do. Prior to arriving we had a plan
to do the overhang while nursing a hangover. Well, it
ended up being just a plan. LoL. Still, the Maggi Goreng
after the climb was a just reward for a climbing
session.
The Maggi Goreng of Shafina
Cuisine. Yum!
TingTing's 'I Got A Blister' pose
I made her hold this pose for
about 5secs. Hehehe...
The joke's on her when her
slipper broke and she went home bare-footed
Holding up the broken slipper.
Look at how happy she is.
I try to live life to the
fullest while enjoying the beauty that life has to
offer.
It's all about the brighter and
funnier side of life.
For everything else, you would
have to discover for yourself.
