2345hrs

Listening to: lots of retro TV themes


"本集故事 纯属虚构
如有雷同 实属巧合"

Looks familiar? That's the disclaimer that comes with every Channel 8 drama serial. Last Sunday, dawna saw a documentary on the history of those shows and shares her thoughts on them.

I used to be a really big fan of those drama serials too. I guess when you're a kid, TV is a big part of your life, your window to the world. My second aunt used to take care of me when I was very little, and she always tells me to this day about the times when I would sit in front of the television wearing my green toy helmet, and watch "Army Series" (新兵小传, 1983). Wah piang, that's 22 years ago. :O

Growing up, Channel 8 was a big influence on me. From my childish ambitions of becoming a traffic policeman (no kidding... thanks to "Patrol"[1990], the show with Chen Zhi Cai and Xiang Yun) to my first adolescent crush on Fann Wong (in "Morning Express" [阳光列车, 1995]), I will always remember these shows haha.

For those of you who want to check out the drama theme songs (in video somemore, cool), do check out this excellent link and click on all the shows on top. :)

0114hrs

Listening to: Alphaville - Forever Young


Every day, I see stuff around me that makes me want to stop and take a picture. Here are some of the better ones from the past week!



This MRT train is plastered from floor to seats to windows to ceiling with ads about the new School of Art, Design and Media at NTU. They're really going all out to attract students! Hmmm...



My eyes nearly popped out when I saw this book at the Jurong Point Community Library. :O

And no I didn't borrow it you fools. :D



Back on campus, the College of Engineering is having some exhibition. "Be Part Of Us, It's Fun"? Err... riiight.



Can someone tell me is this a huge feat? I was like "fwah 17 As", but someone pointed out that it's not exactly the Cambridge exam...

Oh yah, there're 17 As in the "amazing" on top of the headline hahaha. Clever.



And finally at MOS Burger this evening, it was raining serving cats and dogs on the menu! :O!!! Someone call TNP... heh heh. ;)

More to come once I spot funny stuff!

1157hrs

Alright, I have a feeling the MSN problem is not due to my PC, but with my Internet connection. What the heck...

Anyways, on to other things. Harry's this Friday anyone? :)


Harry's welcomes students who produce their matric card at all Harry's Bars. These are their entitlements:

- For Harry's @ Holland V & Harry's @ HarbourFront
S$5nett for a choice of a glass of Heineken, Kilkenny Guinness and Strongbow Cider
House pour spirits with your standard mixer
House wine White/ Red
20% Discount for all other F&B purchases. Including finger food and all other drinks and cocktails

- As for the rest of Harry's outlets like Harry's @ Boat Quay and Harry's @ The Esplanade, we will be offering a flat 10% discount for all students who flash their matric card before asking for their bills. These promotions are not transferable.

0052hrs

Listening to: John Mayer - Comfortable


It seems that no computer geeks read : the cool blue submarine : (w)

Does anyone have the Windows XP installation CD? Please contact me okay. Thanks.

0046hrs

Listening to: Linkin Park/Jay-Z - Numb/Encore


Okay, I need help. Been having a seriously suay night technologically-wise.

1) MSN Messenger is screwed. I keep appearing offline to my contacts, and when I try to change my nick/status I get signed out automatically.

2) Disabling Internet Explorer Firewall causes my taskbar to freeze up. Can't bring up task manager either.

3) And the worst thing is, virus scans and spyware scans draw a blank.

Help! :(

1753hrs

Listening to: Damien Rice - Cannonball


A delightful film that fans of Harry Potter, physical humour and all things just a little this side of irreverent will enjoy:



Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2004)

The story is simple: The Baudelaire children are three gifted young 'uns, each with a unique ability. One's a brilliant inventor, one remembers everything he's ever read, and one, well, likes to bite stuff. :X

 

Here are the kids! I'll leave you to guess who's who, haha. Anyway, great misfortune befalls them one day when their mansion burns down, killing their parents tragically. As such, Mr Poe (the guy in the bowler hat), the executor of the Baudelaires' estate, places the kids in the guardianship of their closest relative...



... Count Olaf! (played brilliantly by Jim Carrey) Now, Count Olaf is an actor of sorts and also a bit crazy. All he wants out of the children is their enormous inheritance... and he will stop at nothing (and I mean really nothing) to get to it! :O



The two young actors playing Violet (Emily Browning) and Klaus (Liam Aiken) are very mature and hold their own up against the amazing Jim Carrey, who has really outdone himself this time. Think the type of humour from "The Mask", but less crude. To think the last film of his I saw was "Eternal Sunshine..."; what a huge difference!

Oh yeah... I must also say that Emily Browning is damn chio mannn. Woot! (8)



Special mention goes out to Meryl Streep, who plays one of the children's later guardians who is supremely paranoid about everything and is also a grammar geek! According to her, it should be "Naomi and me", pris! ;)



Besides the obvious laughs created by Jim Carrey and the little girl who plays the youngest Boudelaire, I really liked the feel of this film. It's quite timeless - I have absolutely no idea where or when the film is set. Oh and the skies are always surreal looking, like this one.

Finally, why the title and who is Lemony Snicket? Well, he's the guy who is narrating the film (voiced by Jude Law, who is really in every damn film as Chris Rock said at the Oscars, lol), and as for the series of unfortunate events... go catch the film to find out! :)

Lester's rating: 4.5/5 stars!

1215hrs

Listening to: Liang Jing Ru - Yi Ye Zhang Da


We got the tix for this around Christmas last year... that's how long we've been anticipating:



Yep! Liang Jingru's (I refuse to call her by her ridiculous English name) first concert in Singapore. I've been listening to her since my army days... many a lonely night (sniff), it was her sweet clear voice that soothed me to sleep.

Prelude: Traffic was fairly clear, no huge jams going to the stadium or even entering the venue. At one point I said: "Is the concert today?"

We reached at 8pm on the dot, but the stadium was less than half full. Singaporeans are really terrible... think wedding dinner ah? And not like it's a weekday. So the concert only started at 8.30pm, to a full house.



Intro: The stadium lights dimmed, and a white screen covering the stage was released to reveal Jingru high above with a pair of butterfly wings. (Please use your imagination a bit, haha.) The opening song was "Yan Wei Die", probably the only rock song she has.



Programme: It's quite obvious that Jingru has become much prettier and slimmer in recent years... must be the Cenosis sponsorship, haha.

After the rocking intro, it was love song after love song after love song... all her hits from "Ai Ni Bu Shi Liang San Tian" to "Fen Shou Kuai Le" to, of course, "Yong Qi".

Her voice is really, really good... it's so clear it sends shivers down my spine (I mean that in a good way). And it held throughout the concert, with only one discernable wobbly note. Impressive. (y) A few surprises were thrown in as well, like a snippet of "I Should Be So Lucky" (not bad her English) and a medley of Oriental-sounding songs like Jay Chou's "Dong Feng Po".

However, I was disappointed that although the concert lasted for a whopping three and a half hours, she did not perform two of my favourites: "Zui Kuai Le Na Yi Nian" (influenced by fiona, haha), and my all-time favourite non-hit, "Wo He Zi Ji De Yue Hui".



Accompaniment: The six-piece band was very tight and everything sounded just like on a CD! There were also a few extras like this lady on a sitar-looking Chinese instrument, and also a Singaporean string quartet!

Guests: Two of them, Jaycee Chan (Jackie's boy) and Emil Chau. Jaycee didn't leave much of an impression, though I correctly guessed that he would duet with Jingru on "Zai Wo Sheng Ming Zhong De Mei Yi Tian" (damn old-school, this).

Emil was a much better guest, very seasoned and comfortable with the audience even though it wasn't his concert. He, together with Jingru, carried out a very long sideshow of two guys proposing to their girlfriends live. That was kinda a letdown, the girls weren't surprised one lor haha. But everyone said yes and there were hugs and kisses all around and everyone was happy.

Crowd: very well-behaved, most of the audience were above the age of 21. The lightsticks were spread out evenly around the stadium (though cylum sticks are going out of fashion I think, now the battery-powered ones are more popular), but no standing up and screaming like at Mayday's concert, heh.

Encore: We thought there wouldn't be any, 'cos it was already 11.30pm and she had already performed "Yong Qi". But Jingru still had a few songs left in her, and those were her first hits "Dui Bu Qi, Wo Ai Ni" and "Yi Ye Zhang Da" (my favourite leh yay). There was also a very poignant tribute to her late father, and she made every word of the oldie "Zhang Sheng Xiang Qi" sound so meaningful and heartfelt. A few people were seen dabbing their eyes with tissue after this.

Postscript: Definitely worth waiting for and I enjoyed the concert very much. A word of thanks to my sponsor of course :)