Final Entry of the Year

--Year 2008--
Alright, it's not my tradition to do a review of the year, but I shall do it for this yr la.
So, this yr is the continuation of my disastrous 2007. Basically I have to delay graduation for a year, while others are earning money. Then, my parents wld be harping on this topic on & off. Ya it's my fault so I have to bear it. Ha!
Hmm...my eczema is back to normal state, what I can continue to do now is to 维持现状.
As for the happy stuff, it's gotta be Tuan. Though I could hardly see her during the 4 years, I am glad that she get to experience things which she won't get to know & learn in SG. Plus, her course is pretty challenging. And I think life there would mold her personality and change her thinking too.
Ah! The long-waited family chalet. I think it's nice to have such a family gathering once in a blue moon, though it wld be hard to make it a regular event. Quite happy to invite my pals over for BBQ too, though I am sorry that I can't invite all of you here. Lolz! Maybe can have a family overseas trip next time...
Let me think....ok..improvements. Ha..Finally dare to drive by myself liao, though most of the time I only drove to CGH. Besides E.W & Tuan, only the 4 CC gals got to experience my lousy driving ah. Lolz! (Need to drive more ah...)
Oh! I got to go overseas twice this year. Lolz..That's the 2nd time in my life liao. So shuang right?! Lolz..Wondering if I can go overseas next yr la...there's some plannings by E.W. But nothing is confirmed yet.
--2008 Top 20 Must-watch Dramas--
This is based on my drama reviews from Jan to Dec 08. As usual, the drama itself may not be a 2008 production. Ranking is not in order.
1. Bara no nai Hanaya (Fujitv JP)
2. CHANGE (FujiTV JP)
3. Fated to Love You (TTV, SETTV TW)
4. Golden Bride (SBS KR)
5. Hataraki Man (NTV JP)
6. Heart of Greed (TVB HK)
7. Innocent Love (FujiTV JP)
8. Last Friends (FujiTV JP)
9. Miss No Good (CTS TW)
10. On Air (SBS KR)
11. Painter of the Wind (SBS KR)
12. Powerful Opponents (KBS KR)
13. Tazza (SBS KR)
14. The Drive of Life (TVB HK)
15. The Last Scandal of My Life (MBC KR)
16. They Kissed Again (CTV, GTV TW)
17. Tomorrow (TBS JP)
18. War of Money (SBS KR)
19. Worlds Within (KBS KR)
20. Zettai Kareshi (FujiTV JP)
--5 Years of Blogging--
Time flies...and when next March comes, it will be the 5th birthday of my blog. Ha! Sometimes, I am really amazed with myself, blogging nearly everything faithfully. And because of blogging, I started to write reviews and to write in detail about my trips overseas. That's actually an extra work for me to do coz' I gotta record everything from the moment I leave till the day I return. Lolz! Well, not sure if there will be another 5 years in the future, but I think I will continue to be a blogger as for now. Hehe!
Finally, gotta thank all those who read my blog.
--2009--
Next yr wld be a yr of uncertainty for me. Finding a job during such a time is tough, and it wld be worse when I grad in June. Haiz~ Bad luck me! I don't know what's "installed" for me in the future, shall just take one step at a time. As for now, I think i wld just need to "handle" my upcoming exams. Hohoho! No screw-ups this time!

Last but not least...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

ML's Birthday Celebration

--Aerin's @ Raffles City--
Met up with the gals and had our lunch. Aerin's food was not too bad, but price was slightly steeper than other restaurants selling similar stuff. (Maybe more up mkt la..lolz!)
My "Fillet of Snapper". Tasted good, but I wished there was chili sauce. Hehe!
PF & ML's Fish & Chips...lots of fries..
And the prawn popper which ML ordered...I think we shld have picked the calamaris instead. Portion kinda small leh.
Gave the birthday gal her present....make full use of it ah. Lolz~!
--Marina Sq--
Trying to look out for CNY clothes, but nothing caught my eyes...soobbzzz! Lots of sales going on, I think I shld really go & buy something. Hehehe! Had "high tea" with the gals later at Carl's Junior, and tried their "Beef Chili Cheese Fries"....tasted good. Butta as usual, I find their stuffs expensive la. Hahaha! Chatted again before ML left for her date while PF & I returned home. Well, sch is starting again for the 2 teachers. Ganbatte ne!
And...hope that u've enjoyed your day ML. Happy Birthday!

P.S: pls send me the pics ah ML. Thx!

TV Drama Review #167 - Innocent Love

No.of Epis: 10
Year/TV Station: 2008/FujiTV
Cast:
Horikita Maki ~ Akiyama Kanon
Kitagawa Yujin ~ Nagasaki Junya
Narimiya Hiroki ~ Segawa Subaru
Uchida Yuki ~ Tono Kiyoka
Fukushi Seiji ~ Akiyama Yoji
Kashii Yu ~ Sakurai Mizuki
Synopsis: (edited from Jdorama.com)
An arson took everything away from Kanon seven years ago. Her parents died in that fire, her brother was arrested as the prime suspect and her carefree life disappeared from that instant. She was shunned by the town as the sister of a murderer, yet she believes in her brother's innocence and often pays him visits with words of encouragement. As life gets harder when nobody is willing to give her a job, Kanon decides to try her luck in the city and there she meets the man of her destiny, Junya. There's a room in Junya's house which nobody can enter except him. Inside lays a woman Kiyoka, who is Junya's fiancee and Junya has two good friends beside him, Subaru and Mizuki. Both of them have hidden secrets too...
Slacker's review:
Asano Taeko didn't disappoint me with "Last Friends", but I like "Innocent Love" more. The drama is wintery & xmasty in mood, with some gentleness but kinda sad atmosphere as background. Every character was tagged with a theme, similar to "Last Friends", and the plot's twists and turns were done beautifully. I really like how the themesong matches with the drama...Utada did it again! It's the perfect combo! This is a romance drama cum mystery plot and the way the two themes infused together was just perfect. U can feel how Kanon and Junya fell for each other while the story slowly revealed the secrets of others.
I bet most ppl wld think that Kanon was the real killer of her parents, though her bro was convicted. Asano did gave a lil' surprise though, and tt Yoji was actually the killer. Haha! The reason why Yoji took action, was a sad one - a scar in Kanon's life. Some ppl said Yoji loved Kanon too, but I think it's bro-sis love. If Yoji really loved Kanon with another kind of love, I think he wld have get rid of Junya no matter how. I like how the love triangle b/w Junya-Kiyoka & Subaru evolved. Junya didnt know the truth...(Suba admitted that he liked him when Junya was in coma.) Sometimes I wondered why Subaru liked Junya, it wasn't clearly explained. But I like how he sacrificed by pulling Kiyoka to his side, thus allowing Junya to be with Kanon. As for Kiyoka, I initially thot she wld be dead. No! She woke up, but only rmbed Subaru...(coz' she only liked him...) I felt so sad for Junya, who took care of her for years...I think Kiyoka liked Junya somehow too la, maybe dun wan to lose him to Kanon, thus she wanna committed suicide. The last epi gave me some "heart attacks". Asano didn't even want us to relax ah. Lolz! Firstly, Junya slept into coma after saving Kiyoka..I thot he might nt wake up. But he did! Errr...he woke up, but end up like Kiyoka, cant rmb ppl ard him and didn't speak a word. He only rmb Kiyoka, which I think broke Kanon's heart...then my 2nd fear came! Kanon wld decided to let him be with Kiyoka again! Noooo! Last 10 mins or so, Junya playing the piece he wrote for Kanon. Yes! All his memories he had with Kanon were back! He didn't even bothered to look at Kiyoka and ran to the church to find Kanon! Finally, the long-waited happy ending! Haha! As for Mizuki, she must be feeling pathetic as Junya never looked at her more than a friend. I didn't like her actions, as she's jealous of Kiyoka and Kanon.
The cast was terrific. I nv expect Kitagawa to have such a lovely smile! He's nt tt handsome, but he can look quite different in diff angles. His smile was really warm ne! Acting wise, he's nt actually tt good la, but I think he hardly acts so must pardon him. (Btw, he's one of the members of Yuzu) Horikita! Finally I think she cld stand out from the crowd. Kanon is such a pitiful and lonely character. She brought that out, as well as Kanon's kind-heartedness and maturity.
Uchida did a gd job, though I didn't like Kiyoka la. I wondered why they picked her as she looked older than the cast. Narimiya....he's great! I like Subaru, he's not a one-dimensional character. I can see his internal struggles...he's really Junya's best buddie.
Fukushi was excellent too, though his role is small. Yoji seemed to be violent on surface, but he's such a nice bro in reality. He might seem overprotective of Kanon, but we knew the reason la. Hope to see him lead a drama someday.
Themesong "Eternally--drama mix" is my fav ballad from Utada now! The original version is nice too, but I like the feel of the drama version. Utada's singing skills definitely has improved after 6 yrs. (The original ver is in her 2nd album).
I still rmb the tears and smile in the drama, and the images are still in my memory...highly recommend the drama to u.

SAF Changi Seaview Chalet Day 2 (Ver 2.0)

--Morning--
Woke up pretty early today. Didn't sleep well actually. Haha...it's quite terrible to hear planes' engine on and off during midnight. That's how busy our Changi is. Haha! Alright, gg to Changi beach later.
--Jetty,Changi Beach Park--
Went to take a walk ard the place. Take a look.
On our way to Changi Beach.
Changi Creek.
Grasshopper!
Changi jetty.
Intro of Pulau Sejahat during WW2.
Basically the beach campsites were packed with malay families, ppl gg fishing and swimming etc. I still prefer Pasir Ris or East Coast though. Many families there like literally brought their kitchens there...amazing! Ha...I really peifu them for camping out at the beach, especially during daytime..quite hot sia.

I think this is the park connector?
WT was trying to find the WW2 Massacre Site. I think we missed out coz' we were expecting some kind of sign board. So, when we were walking back, we happened to saw it! Aiyo.... Honestly, who is bothered to see huh? Such a small monument.
--Changi Village--
Walked over to buy some sugar cane drink. Hehe..The hawker centre was crowded with ppl. Looked like many families came here during wkends. As usual, many youngsters went to Ubin la. Hahaha. No plans gg to Ubin though, coz' my aunt can't cycle. Lolz...
--Aftermath--
Will be having 2nd round of BBQ later...Hmm, lucky i got bring laptop, or else i wld be bored to death. Haha!

SAF Changi Seaview Chalet Day 1 (Ver2.0)

--Chalet--
Reached the place at 11am plus. The entrance quite hard to drive in, so narrow. Well, check out the pics first, i will update again later tonight.
The chalet itself.
Living room
Master Bedroom
Guestroom
Staircase
Kitchen
Balcony
The BBQ pits and benches.
Seaview from the bedroom. Opp is Pulau Ubin.



SQ plane from afar.
Start of BBQ.
Didn't snapped alot of BBQ pics, mostly on ppl, so I won't be uploading those here. Had a nice dinner yday...and the gals had rounds of Mahjong before they leave. Mr. Chean decided to share the bottle of red wine we got from 5 Stars....I told 2 mouthful and decided to get someone to finish it up for me. Hahaha....I really can't drink wine sia. Lolz! Thx KH for helping me lo. And SC! Super efficient ah! Thx for ur pics!
--Aftermath--
Wanna chat with Tuan but lappie suddenly got prob with audio, tortured me for hrs before it came back to normal...faints. We did managed to chat abit though thru' Skype. Hehe!

Family Gathering

--27/12/08-29/12/08--
Will be going to SAF Changi Seaview Chalet tmr. It has been n years since we had our last family gathering @ chalets. Lolz! Anyway, nv stay at Changi area before, let's see how ulu it is. Haha!
Some of the CC gals will be joining me for BBQ tmr..hehe! I will try to blog tmr if possible...Anyway, you can still catch me online la. Thanks Tuan for lending me her lappie.

P.S: There are so many things to bring to the chalet, it's worse than going to overseas. Lolz...

Merry Christmas

TV Drama Review #166 - Ryusei no Kizuna 流星之绊

No.of Epis: 10
Year/TV Station: 2008/TBS
Cast:
Ninomiya Kazunari ~ Ariake Koichi
Nishikido Ryo ~ Ariake Taisuke
Toda Erika ~ Ariake Shizuna
Kaname Jun ~ Togami Yukinari
Miura Tomokazu ~ Kashiwabara Yasutaka
Nakashima Mika ~ Sagi
Synopsis: (edited from martypedia.wordpress)
Based on the popular novel by Higashino Keigo, Ryusei no Kizuna tells the story of three orphans, whose parents were murdered long ago. Together, the three vowed on a shooting star to one day avenge their parents. After 14 years, the two brothers have found the murderer, and are set to carry out their plan for vengeance when they realize they’ve made a serious miscalculation as their sister fall for...
Slacker's review:
Higashino Keigo's works never fail to impress to me. Nowadays, dramas like to have 2 or more themes in a plot. Ryusei is one of them....a suspense drama with a comedic cover, as we get to see Taisuke and Shizuna conning others using different identities. Generally, i think the storyline is alright, but there's no "WOW" factor for me. Maybe it's because there's a lack of twists and the drama is not suspenseful enough, though I gotta give thumbs up as they didn't give hints to who the murderer was until the ep 9 or 10.
Nino...honestly I think he can act better than Matsumoto...lolz! This's my first time watching him and his acting was not bad. Though somehow he didn't look convincing enough as Nishikido's brother...(Nino looks young leh..lolz!) Koichi was actually the mastermind of conning other ppl, while Taisuke and Shizuna were the con-artists who went to execute the plans.
Nishikido impressed me alot in "Last Friends". Well, Taisuke is a perfectly normal guy here la..lolz! I like to see him conning his victims in different identities, he dressed differently to fit his identity. This made Taisuke more interesting. While Taisuke seemed to be more rash, Nino's Koichi is a much more stable guy...a characteristic of an elder bro.
Toda..she seemed to be appearing in many dramas...just saw her in "Code Blue" and now she's here! I definitely like her character here than in "Code Blue". Shizuna gave Toda chance to display her emotional scenes and of coz, how she conned her victims, with or without Taisuke. Haha! I rmbed the scene when she used a rabbit to help her, but the best has got to be how she "played" with Takayama, with Taisuke. Hahaha! Shizuna had some romance scene with Togami, but I was sad that they didn't end up as a pair...haiz~
Miura...he's the inspector who helped the 3 orphans to crack down the murderer. Well, the ending did gave me a small surprise...butta I should not spill spoilers here. (I think u get my hint..lol!)
I was puzzled abt Nakashima's role in the drama. Too random, and she's more like a cameo to me? Hahaha! It's very clear that Sagi liked Koichi, but does Koichi likes her too? Personally, I don't think so. I am glad she's helping out in the shop with the siblings ya...what a wacky character!
Themesong "Beautiful Days" by Arashi and insert song "ORION" by Nakashima Mika. Both songs are very nice.

Exams advanced timetable

--May 2009--
I will clear everything in May. Ha...Wish me good luck.

Hana Yori Dango Final

I was not a fan of HYD 1 & 2, so I didn't expect much for the final movie version. (And that's why I have the patience to wait for the subs until now..lolz!) The movie version's plot was actually pretty lame, if you seriously think about it. When Doumyoji's family heirloom was stolen, the couple had to travel to US to hunt for it, and with the help of F3, they went to HK to buy back the tiara in an auction. Then, just as u thought they found the stuff, the same fella stole the tiara again and threw them on an unknown island, and finally, that guy decided to bring them back to Japan after probably a month.
So in the end, the truth was the heirloom that they bought was a fake one, and actually they were purposely put to test so as to see if they were really ready for marriage. Lolz..I shall not say who's the mastermind, but that's the only surprising part of the movie.
Well, then there goes the wedding, and the aftermath of the couple & F3. Very predictable la.
That's the end of HYD Japanese version. The Korean counterpart is starting in Jan, maybe I wld check it out...though the story is too boring for me now. Lolz!

TV Drama Review #165 - Worlds Within 他们生活的世界

No.of Epis: 16
Year/TV Station: 2008/KBS
Cast:
Hyun Bin ~ Jung Ji Oh
Song Hye Kyo ~ Joo Joon Young
Uhm Ki Joon ~ Song Gyu Ho
Seo Hyo Rim ~ Jang Hae Jin
Bae Jung Ok ~ Yoon Young
Choi Daniel ~ Yang Soo Kyung
Synopsis: (from KBS World)
Broadcasting station, especially television drama production, is often called as the core of desire and materialism. TV station is the place of envy for many people, but they also criticize it as the place where unethical thoughts are generalized. However, those who work in drama production industry are not different from us; they are common people who need love and care just like others. Most of Korean dramas are focused on family problems and troubled relationships between lovers. However, for the moderners, workplace is where they spend most of their time. If one fails to build decent relationships with others in his workplace, it would be hard to read his life as a success. “Worlds Within” will bring out the stories of the makers of TV dramas; the warm, touching stories of their love and life.
Slacker's review:
This is the 3rd drama of the yr focusing on people working in TV Station, and the background was quite similar to its glamourous cousin "On Air". Well, that's the only simliarity the dramas got, so pls don't compare them coz' they are focusing on different stuffs. While "On Air" touches more on the stuffs needed to be done before and during filming of a drama, "Worlds Within" focused more on the directors who filmed the dramas, and very much less on casting, scriptwriters and rivalry between characters etc.
There are ard 2-3 dramas going on during the drama, but we won't really get a complete pic of them. There are also some focus on the actresses in the drama, like Yoon Young and newbie Hae Jin. Butta, the focus is more on their relationship to the people ard them, and not much on their acting. "Worlds Within" is a character-driven drama, every ep has a theme itself and the two main leads- JO & JY wld each do their narration, if the theme is linked to him or her. To me, it's a romance drama covered by the tv stn theme. From the romance of JO & JY, we get to see how the other couples cope with their own relationships too.
WW might seemed to be a little boring or unexciting to some, mainly because there were the usual shoutings from the ppl and to focus on the "less exciting role of directors" just didnt seemed to be interesting, as compared to actors. I like the execution of the drama, but the problem is WW didn't make me feel "addicted". The plot and cast were good, but something is lacking...perhaps a lack of excitement or anticipation.
Hyun Bin...this guy has improved alot since Sam Soon days. JO is a self-conflicted guy, but that's how the depth of the character comes in. Chemistry with Song Hye Gyo is perfect. I like their little moments together. JY and JO's relationship seemed to be really close to reality. Nobody is perfect, first we get to see JY's flaws, and later on, JO's problems. (Though i think JO's request to break up seemed to be quite cliche).
SHG received some criticisms for not acting well for her role JY. Hmm...I wld say she tried her best, but I felt that the role wasn't suitable for her. She did pretty well in her emotional scenes and scenes with HB, but when it comes to her acting as a director, I just felt something is lacking.
I dunno who Uhm Ki Joon is beforehand. His role GH is not a likeable character...he's proud and aloof, and likes to suan our JO. However, that's pretty much on surface, and the drama didn't really show him in more depth.
Pairing up with UKJ is Seo Hyo Rim, whom I last seen in "In Soon". Hae Jin is quite a bubbly character, she's like a fresh air in the cast. Lolz. Chemistry with UKJ was nt bad...HJ is probably the only person whom GY can open his heart to...and made him willing to fight for her.
Bae Jong Ok! She looked so glamourous here! Totally diff from her role in "my man's woman". I like her proud and confident look. Veteran actress never disappoints us. Yoon Young is also not a very nice character to start with...somehow she didn't seem to be serious to men or r/s. Her pairing with Kim Gab Soo was interesting too. Middle-aged couple sees r/s differently, I like their chemistry too!
Choi Daniel...is probably the only guy whom I didn't like. Firstly, pls go and fix your hair. He's not that bad looking actually. Lolz! His character "Miss Yang" just irritated me on and off. Hahaha! Luckily our JY couldn't bother with him at all. Phew~
OST was not bad, but I cld rmb only the opening and ending theme now. Oh my~
Well, though the ratings is not gd for WW, this is one drama which shows you the other side of the drama production, and how dramas relates to our daily lives in reality. Highly recommended.

Movie Tickets

After confirming with GV, I can get discounted tixs with my Master card le. No more limitations! Haha! But, I am still sad tt OCBC didn't continue the discounted tixs with Cathay. Also, I can also get 50% off at Eng Wah for 2nd tix if i buy a combo meal. Lolz! Plus my M1 Sunday..hehe! And $6 student price tixs! Wah...can save alot ne~!
Hehe...and many nice movies coming up!

Finally

--CGH--
Ha! Went for consultation today, and doc told me I cld stop my light treatments lo! Yeah~! (Though I initially had one today too...it was cancelled.)
Finally, I cld end my dreadful weekdays going to the hospital. Lolz!
And of coz, no need to spend more money on my skin.
Haiz...but when will it recover?

TV Drama Review #164 - Painter of the Wind 风之画员

No.of Epis: 20
Year/TV Station: 2008/SBS
Cast:
Moon Geun Young ~ Shin Yoon Bok
Park Shin Yang ~ Kim Hong Do
Moon Chae Won ~ Jeong Hyang
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Based on the original novel, Shin Yoon Bok is a talented painter who disguises herself as a boy to search for her father’s murderer and meets a master painter who guided her into being a great painter. Kim Hong Do is the man who teaches Yoon Bok how to paint and they develop a strong friendship of mentor and disciple. Yoon Bok met Jeong Hyang, who is a gisaeng, and often appears in Yoon Bok's painting. They had a rather closed relationship, but Jeong Hyang did not know that Yoon Bok is a girl...
Slacker's review:
Finally, no need to wait any longer for MGY's comeback drama. Yes! She's the little Eun Suk in "Autumn in my Heart". "Painter" is a unique ancient drama, it's not those typical kings/warriors or bandits themed la. But of coz, there's still links with the royal palace & officials, but the leading characters were the painters, who worked in the royal palace. MGY's character is definitely a challenging role for her, but this concept is nothing new if u had watched "Coffee Prince". MGY has to tone down her voice, which sounded alot deeper in the drama, she has to wear man's clothes most of the time, and her expressions when she looked at Jeong Hyang...it's definitely not a "woman" looking at a woman. However, when she got closer to PSY's character, u can see the softness in her eyes. I like how Yoon Bok conversed with Jeong Hyang when they were still curious about each other. Their conversations were a little provocative, but it was done in a very literature way. Lolz! (Actually you won't quite understand it on the surface ba?) U might be thinking that this drama has touched on lesbianism, but that's not really the case.
Speaking of Jeong Hyang, I gotta mention MCW. She's the most promising newbie I had ever seen. And she's a 86er too! (Faints....) Well, she had executed feminnity and some kind of sexiness through Jeong Hyang. Jeong Hyang became defiant when she spoke to the man who wants to control her heart. I like MCW's expressions...distinct and clear.
I am slightly disappointed with PSY's performance. I gotta agree that he's not suitable for saguks. His expressions and the way he speak didnt quite match with the era. Somehow, he reminded me of how he acted in "Money Warfare", especially when he was spoke loudly, or perhaps when he was angry. Kim Ho Dong's role might have been enlarged since they casted PSY, and that means he wouldn't be a second fiddle. So, the focus was not entirely on Yoon Bok, and thus some ppl might think they had changed the plot too much. Hmm..personally I felt that the change is fine, I can accept the development. We can see how Yoon Bok and Ho Dong developed bond and how they depended and encouraged each other to complete their missions. Chemistry wise, PSY and MGY were not too bad, but maybe due to age diff, I think most ppl don't think they matched. On the other hand, MGY & MCW's chemistry were perfect. Hahaha!
I like the execution of the drama, nice sceneries plus paintings, which were brought to life through the hands of the painters. One of my favourite scenes was when Yoon Bok (disguised as a gisaeng) swings with Jeong Hyang on a swing. There were also many funny moments, like when Ho Dong gotta disguised himself as a woman to get into the restricted area where the women bathe.
Nice ending song "Song of the Wind" by ballad prince Jo Sung Mo. The ost is not bad too..
And finally, I thought the ending was perfect.

CC Gang Gathering: SC's birthday celebration

--Lunch--
Met up the gals @ Lido, then we walked over to Wheelock Place for lunch. Saw "The Pasta Shop by Sakae" and decided to give it a try. The concept was obviously modelled after Waraku's Pasta restaurant la. Well, their menu had quite a spread, but rather limited for tomato sauce spaghs.
Tried out the seafood spagh in basil sauce. I thought it's some spicy thingy. It turned out to be cream based wor..and the food looked totally different from the menu. (u can see the sian face of CH and me. Lolz!) They got the wrong order for HM's pasta...very sianz. And they served the wrong dish to our table..(belonged to the next table..) Service was not good, and the gals said the sofa was not comfy..food was alright, but the basil had a weird taste..so HM and I kept adding dried chili...lolz! Well, I think I will stick to Waraku for Japanese styled pasta in the future.
--Twilight--
So I am wondering what's so nice about this movie. Decided to catch it with the gals, and luckily PY managed to join us in time. Twilight will be like Harry Potter la, there will definitely be sequels coming up. Lolz! The movie was not exciting...rather dull until Bella kena attacked by baddie vampire James. Then, the movie was back to the dull mode. I was disappointed with the plot and execution of the movie. It was really boring 80% of the time. We had two teens who felt so awkward and I cld hardly understand what they're saying. (No subtitles...!) Their conversation was like chopped into pieces...especially Edward..he cld hardly finished his sentences initially. Lolz! The movie didnt seem to flow well initially. We were at the house scene and with a short narration, we were threw back to the sch scene and it jumped again. I was waiting for action time lo...but I forgot this is a romance movie using vampires as the "cover". Hehe! Acting wise...nothing much to comment since the characters didn't have much depth...yet. Oh ya! There's one guy who really looked like Wang Ren Fu leh! I can't help laughing whenever I see him. Sceneries from Washington were very magnificant and beautiful though. Well, didn't quite worth my 9.50 bucks...
I heard that the novel was not that nice as well...compared to Harry Potter la. Haha!
Not looking forward to the sequel though, but who knows I may watch it next time.
--Aftermath--
Orchard was flooded with ppl...couldn't feel the impact of "economy recession" at all. People were buying xmas gifts and queueing up outside branded shops. Lolz! Well, gd sign for the country tho. Hehe!
Changed the strap for Tuan's new watch too. Hehe!

糟了！

阿清得去看牙医了。
这次不是去洗牙了。
完美的牙齿没有了。
只能怪自己活该了。

TV Drama Review #163 - Miss No Good 不良笑花

No.of Epis: 14
Year/TV Station: 2008/CTS
Cast:
Rainie Yang ~ Jiang Xiao Hua
Will Pan ~ Tang Men
Dean Fujioka ~ Jia Si Le
Michelle Chen ~ Jiang Mi
Synopsis:
Jiang Xiao Hua is a jewelry store owner with no sense of style. When prince charming Jia Si Le comes back from Japan with intentions of dating her, she blackmails Tang Men, a poison-tongue style guru, into helping her become a lady worthy of Si Le. Jiang Mi, who's Si Le's fiancee, wants Tang Men to get close to Xiao Hua, so that Xiao Hua will fall for him instead of Si Le. As time passes by, Tang Men find himself liking Xiao Hua, while Xiao Hua realises that she didn't like Si Le. Jiang Mi, on the other hand, is upset that both guys like Xiao Hua, and nobody appreciates her love.
Slacker's review:
When i first knew tt Rainie's gg to have a new drama with Will Pan, I thought it's just gg to be another typical Rainie drama. I saw her new image and I didn't get interested. I also doubt Will's acting. Butta, after reading the synopsis again, I decided to give it a try. Xiao Hua is a super duper exaggerating and unreal character. I can't stand those wig, neither can i stand her "taiwanese mandarin", and her act cute expressions. She's the typical character I hate to see, but then, it's just TOO funny to see her interacting with other people, especially with Tang Men. Lolz..I can't help laughing throughout, and that lasted for the first few epis. Well, I didn't expect myself to get so entertained, so that's quite a miracle. (Of coz, the "behind the scenes" also entertained me quite alot...lolz!)
Actually MNG's plot is too typical, we got a rich boy who falls for his childhood sweetheart, and was torn b/w her and his best friend. We got another "evil" girl who plotted so many things...butta, she got her guy in the end! (I thot WTH?! They just wanna Si Le to end up with someone what? How can he fell for Jiang Mi so suddenly?? Finally touched by her actions ah....faints!) And then, the rich boy and his sweetheart turned out to be siblings by law. Aiyo...when can they stop giving us this kind of twist?
Rainie's acting was good, not everybody can act such an exaggerating and "ugly" character. I used "ugly" becoz Xiao Hua is not a rich princess and she's not pretty & refined. Rainie might seemed abit fake during her emotional scenes though. I like how Xiao Hua named all her stuffs, from her motorbike to Tang Men's hair dryer. Haha! Also, I was laughing like crazy when I saw how Xiao Hua faked Korean with her customer. Omg..I don't think anyone cld understand that. (Maybe Koreans who saw it will be fuming ah..lolz!)
Actually the person who surprised me the most is Will. Hey! He can act leh! Maybe not as good as other actors la, but he brought out Tang Men's characteristics. He had the most NGs among the cast, but I can understand how difficult it was for him to memorise those dialogues. Haha! Actually I thought Will and Rainie had excellent chemistry leh! Lolz..
Alot of ppl like Dean more than Will, but I am the exact opposite. I didn't find Dean handsome, neither do I think he can act. He looked too stiff most of the time, and his accented mandarin didnt sound too smooth for me. Ha! Hmm...I didn't watched his previous dramas, butta I think he still needs to do quite abit of work to impress me in the future. Lolz!
Michelle was Rainie's gd pal in "Why why love", but she turned bad in MNG. Hmm...actually she's not bad in portraying her character, Jiang Mi was not those super bad gal. Though she ended up with Si Le, I really think they were 硬凑在一起. She didn't have much chance to build up her chemistry with both Dean and Will too. I rather Si Le ended up alone lo.
The other cast was not bad, got subplot b/w Si Le's mum and Xiao Hua's dad. Haha! Xiao Hua's two good pals were alright though, coz' they were too noisy most of the time. Lolz!
Themesong "Xia Ri Feng" is by Will and ending song "Dai Wo Zou" is by Rainie. Both are quite nice..especially Rainie's ending theme. Hehe!
Currently, Channel U is also airing this drama, so if u have the time, do catch it. Lolz! And finally, I have no regrets watching this drama, though the last two epis seemed quite rush. It wld be better if there's more Tang Men & Xiao Hua moments.

大扫除 Day 1

这是一年一度觉得房子很大的时候。哈哈！
今天只是清理了我的房间，算是小工程啦。
等到清理书房和客厅的时候，我可能就会开始抓狂。
现在真恨不得把老妹抓回来。哈！
接下来，就是等待下一个大扫除的日子。

Hot Hot Sunday

--Temple--
Went to Fu Hui's annual funfair. As usual...same old stuff la. Went to find E.W & Aunt Jo, and saw YN & her siblings, plus the unexpected Val. Haha!

So, I already have a packet of seaweed & and a packet of Jack n Jill. Butta, after the funfair, 3 more packets of the fried seaweed and...another 3 packets of salted seaweed. (I just cleared 3 packets last wk..lolz!) Oh my, how to not get fat? Hahaha!
--Chinatown--
Went to check out Tuan's down jacket. Finally saw a nice one at Fook On. Ha...now down jackets are bloody ex. But the most ex one is not Winter Time wor. (I just found out Winning is even more ex...siao la.) Walked ard the place before we head back home.
It's always nice to be back home, on a sunday afternoon.
--Novel--
Thanks CH for helping me to look out for "The girl who leapt through time" novel. Butta, Kino only selling Japanese version...and my jap standard is not gd enough to understand the whole novel. And! The novel is not cheap...50 plus bucks eh. (Though Ch can get me a 20% discount) Haiz~~How i wish Tuan can find one in Shanghai (but she's busy..). Nvm! At the most, I read online lo~
--Dec Babies--
13/12- SC
30/12- ML
Happy Birthday!

Da Slacker Talk #11

--勇士--
昨天，那位在恐怖袭击中丧命的勇士终于安息了。
这起事件，又再次残忍地提醒我们生命的脆弱和无常。
人走了，剩下的只有那些无形的美好回忆。
为什么叫她勇士？ 是因为她在人生的最后一刻都那么勇敢。
要勇敢地去面对死亡，需要多少勇气?
很难想象吧？

在此，向那位勇士致敬。

昨晚的月亮

阿清还不是很懂得调image quality和ISO。不过，昨天好像终于抓到敲门了！尝试拍月亮。。终于让我拍到"可以见人"的照片了！
下次会等月圆日再拍拍看！呵呵！

我的晚餐

哇！刚看到的时候还真吓了一跳！不会是要我吃这么辣的韩国手工面吧？？
哈哈！只是看起来很辣而已。。。
今天的晚餐不合格哦！

TV Drama Review #162 - Tazza 老千

No.of Epis: 21
Year/TV Station: 2008/SBS
Cast:
Jang Hyuk ~ Kim Go Ni
Han Ye Seul ~ Lee Nan Sook / Jin Ah
Kim Min Joon ~ Lee Young Min
Kang Sung Yun ~ Mdm. Jung
Synopsis:
Based on the original manhwa, Go Ni is a young man with warm hearted soul and has a natural talent for gambling since his childhood. Both Nan Sook and Young Min have been close friends of Go Ni since young. In an attempt to raise money for his grandmother's surgery, Young Min ends up losing a round of "hwatu" and crosses over to the dark side, working under the ruthless Ah Gwi. Go Ni, who wants to help Young Min, steal his mother's money but lost the money in the end. In the end, he has to fled Busan and found out that his father's death is related to Dae Ho, the man who's like a father to him. Go Ni decided to learn "Hwatu" from a top tazza gambler and plots his revenge. Nan Sook, whose brother is jailed, has to work under Mdm. Jung due to circumstances, and now she works under the same boss with Young Min. Though she still longs for Go Ni, she's no longer the same Nan Sook. Now, with her new name "Jin Ah", she plots traps for her "targets" while she attends university. Go Ni finally met up with Nan Sook and Young Min, but later he finds out that both of them are working under Ah Gwi, the person who caused his father and Dae Ho's death. Later, to help Ah Gwi get rid of Go Ni, Young Min puts Go Ni to jail by framing him for murder.
Slacker's review:
Tazza has a movie version, but the drama is kinda different, with alterations in the plot and addition of new characters. Honestly, I nv expect much from Tazza, the plot and characters didn't have much attractions. I am watching more for the cast....but surprisingly, Tazza's plot was quite cool. The first few epis were like laying the background b/w Go Ni, Nan Sook and Young Min. It might be a little boring, but once they left the "high sch" stage, everything wld be in great pace. I like Young Min's transition...and Kim Min Joon really did a good job. I liked how Young Min struggled with his guilt, and how he decided to go on with his plans without any regrets. I like his scenes vs Jang Hyuk. Go Ni is that kind of character which Jang Hyuk fittted completely. Basically it's nothing new for JH to portray such a character. (I wonder how it wld be if JH acts as Young Min...shld be a different feeling...) I like how Go Ni and his gang outplayed Young Min and Ah Gwi. Just as u thought they were losing, here comes the twist and they won. Cool.
Many ppl criticised Han Ye Seul's acting. I think she's not that bad, but her portrayal of Nan Sook seemed to be abit stiff at times. Nan Sook's expressions kinda limited somehow...not sure is it becoz' of HYS's acting or becoz' the character was supposed to be like this. Her chemistry with JH was average...but I wld think that it's because the relationship b/w the two wasn't really being build upon or given more focus.
Kang Sung Yun's Mdm Jung was good...she had the sexy and seductive look. I like how she did things for Young Min...and how she cried when she read Young Min's letter to her. The final scene was when she shot Ah Gwi..everybody's shocked. I can see how much she wanted Ah Gwi dead. Terrific job KSY!
The other support cast, like Kim Gap Soo's "Ah Gwi", and Son Hyun Joo's "Go Gwang Ryul" did a good job too. You can't flaw these veteran's acting.
Well, I wld recommend this drama to you guys. Don't avoid it becoz' of its genre (gambling & gangsters). The drama will bring u the happy, emotional and sad times between the characters. I really like the ending....very satisfied.

時をかける少女 (TV)

"Time waits for no one"

昨天在okto频道又重看了 "穿越时空的少女"。看完了之后又再一次感动到我。真琴又再一次带给我很多欢笑和泪水。其实我还是想知道千明为什么一定要看到那幅画。故事并没有多解释那幅画的意义。
千明写得好啊~ "时间不等人"...
真是一点也没错！看看我们浪费了多少时间，做了多少无谓的事。

现在，很想阅读原著。可是好像很难找。如果哪一位某天在书局看到此书，一定要让我知道喔！

SITEX Fair Part 2

--Expo--
Went to Expo earlier today, the place was already packed with cars at 10.30 plus..haha! Luckily I told Mr Chean to drive straight to Hall 7 carpark. Well, went back to the two Dell booths to check out Dell Studio 15. The freebies and stuffs were totally different from the 1st day. So folks....next time try to go to IT fairs on the last day.
The Dell dealers were as "giam" as usual..both of them threw out 3 yr international warranty (which was what we really wanted.) Butta, only one of them continued to give the mouse & thumb drive for freebies, while the other didn't give anything, wants us to pay surcharge if we use credit card, AND WE GOTTA GO FUNAN TO TAKE THE LAPPIE! WTH!
Haiz...I wonder why Dell don't want to make their own laptop case...u see Sony Vaio...their case and mouse are custom-made leh. Anyway, we didn't buy the case...coz' it's expensive and heavy.
Finally, mission completed....time for Mr Chean to fix the stuffs..ho!

Rabbit Without Ears

Never watch a German romance comedy before..so gave it a try. Well, the plot was standard hollywood style. Basically it's fairly simple....an "ugly" girl could finally take revenge on that guy who bullied her, but she fell for him instead. Though the plot was simple, it's still quite enjoyable to see Ludo (Til Schweiger) interacting with the female leaad Anna (Nora Tschirner) and the kids at the day care centre. I was laughing when Anna told Ludo to pee at the "Snow White". Lolz! So that's how they teach kids to urinate accurately. Hahaha! Also, the "rabbit" sewed by Ludo was really ugly...and without ears. Butta I think thanks to the "rabbit", it brought Ludo and Anna closer lo. There were some sexual scenes, but it's very obvious that they were not doing the real thing...and bed scene b/w Ludo & Anna was really crap...lolz! (So don't expect too much la..they only kissed and the next scene..slping together..that's very conservative for a European film.) Actually this movie was scripted and produced by Til Schweiger himself, and he acted with his four children together. (Really cute kiddos...though I dunno which one..lol!) He's quite dashing despite his age...hehe! Nora looked kinda like "ugly betty" style...but I think she's pretty in real life. I like how Anna handled her crush on Ludo...really funny. Haha!
Well, only GV Cinema Europa is showing this...and I don't think this movie worth 10 bucks. But still, it's worth watching. (if you can watch like what i did....for free..hehe!)

Sunset

@ 7.06pm

SITEX Fair

--Expo--
Went to check out on the stuffs today with E.W. Mr Chean insisted that he wanna go on the last day, so....I gotta accompany him again on sun la! Haiz..
Anyway, checked out the lappies available...it's now Dell Inspiron vs Sony Vaio. (I think Mr Chean wants to buy the 15 inch lappies for Tuan..)
As for me leh? Bought Tuan her advanced 21st birthday present...which costed me nearly 200 bucks! Ho! It's the Samsung YP-P2...full touchscreen MP3/MP4!!!! Wah so nice to use leh! I like the bluetooth function (can use bluetooth headset and call people), and the interface is super stylo. (butta, Audio House only selling 2GB...and it's in white..so sian!)
When Tuan comes back...new handphone, new mp3 and new laptop! Wah envy sia!

TV Drama Review #161 - The Drive of Life 岁月风云

No.of Epis: 60
Year/TV Station: 2007/TVB
Cast:
Damian Lau ~ Hua Wen Han
Michael Miu ~ Hua Wen Shuo
Sheren Tang ~ Wang Shao Fen
Raymond Lam ~ Hua Zhen Bang
Charmaine Sheh ~ Rong Xiu Feng
Jessica Hsuan ~ Hua Qing Yu
Joe Ma ~ Wei Yong Biao
Myolie Wu ~ Fang Bing Yi
Feng Shao Feng ~ Hua Zhen Min
Liao Jing Sheng ~ Hua Wen Hong
Ron Ng ~ Xian Jie Qiang
Toby Leung ~ Hua Qing Lin
Synopsis:
In the early 90s, Hua Wen Han is the CEO of Guo Wei, a big company in the steel industry. His 2nd brother Wen Hong resides in Beijing and he's in-charge of his father-in-law's car factory. Han's 3rd brother Wen Shuo is the GM of Guo Wei, and his wife Shao Fen is the daughter of the founder of Guo Wei. After several incidents, Shao Fen's father passed away while Han gain full control of Guo Wei. Both Shuo and Fen hated Han and migrated to Canada.
Han's eldest daughter, Qing Yu works as an accountant in Guo Wei, while his youngest son Zhen Bang returns from his studies and eventually work in Guo Wei, with his good assistant Zhi Ming & secretary Bing Yi. Bang engages in property speculation with Xiu Feng, and causes Guo Wei to go into liquidation. Han started a new small company with the help of his capable assistant Yong Biao and Yu. Bang is send to Beijing to work under Hong, but later he suggests to set up Hua family's own factory. Han supports his idea and gave up his steel company, causing Biao to be upset and later works for his scheming uncle, Wei Tian Xing, who's Han's enemy. After learning about the truth of her mother's death, Feng annouces that the wedding is cancelled and she will take revenge on her wedding day with Bang. The three brothers finally unite themselves again and set up Hua Zhe automobile. On the other hand, Feng and Biao, who hated Hua family find themselves fighting against each other on Tian Xing's will.
Slacker's review:
This is one of the TVB big productions together with China's CCTV. Sometimes it was compared with "Heart of Greed" as they were both "mega dramas with top artistes". Personally, I think TDOL's storyline is much more interesting than HOG. TDOL's storyline stretches from the early 90s all the way to 2007. There were lots of developments, and twists & turns to the characters and storyline. Although the drama is rather predictable in terms on the story flow, we still get to enjoy nice performances from the cast.
For once, I finally saw a TVB drama where most of the characters were not one-dimensional. Nearly all of them had moved along the lines of "Good & Bad". There were only a few pure baddies, like Wei Tian Xing and Joe Ma's Wei Yong Biao (though they eventually turned good the last minute). There were a few pure good ones too, and out of them, I really disliked Jessica's Qing Yu. (I had been scolding her from the day she decided to be with Biao..lolz!) I really like how the drama progressed after the 40 mark. The intensity built up as we saw how Biao started to play his revenge "sweetly" on everyone. Actually I thought Joe's performance was the best here, coz' Biao's such a scheming fella till he can lie with a straight face. He can still lie to his most beloved person and never realised that he's digging a grave for himself. (Though I really wished that they wld let him go on with his mistake in the last epi, "turn into a new leaf" is not a bad option la.) The veterans, like Damian, Michael, Sheren etc were equally good in their acting. I like how Damian's Han decided to do something illegal for Feng's mum. That's a drastic change for a super strict good guy. Even Han's wife's character was not always good...that made the couple interesting. Michael's character was more challenging when he's a slacker till his failed suicide. (After that, he FINALLY bucked up...but that makes him "less interesting" too.) Sheren's tai-tai image really didn't look good to me, but I like her character transformation...from a tai-tai who didn't know anything to a professional who worked in a bank. Charmaine's character was not that interesting until she "turned bad". Personally, I think her sudden hatred for the Hua family was kinda unrealistic. Feng kinda over-reacted...Anyway, Charmaine's acting was not bad la, she gotta act revengeful while still having Bang in her heart. Raymond's character seemed suitable for Ron Ng, who used to have a playboy plus slacker image. However, we had a switch this time round, Ron got a super nice guy character, but Raymond's equally good in portrayal of Bang. I didn't really like Bang..he's too rash, too ambitious (without thinking of the consequences), and he just "gave up on himself" after Feng cancelled their wedding. He's one guy who always fight for justice (tt makes him in the "pure gd guys league".) Sadly, Raymond was outshadowed by the other actors. Jessica...I don't know why she accepted this role...it's really a "no-kick" character for her. (And she reminded me of her role in another old TVB drama where she fell in love for another baddie..) I disliked how Yu disapproved Bang and Feng getting back together. (She has forgotten how her family objected her relationship with the evil Biao.) So, she has actually no right to say anything at all. I also disliked how Yu "psycho" herself to believe that Biao is innocent...really felt like using something to knock her to her senses. Lolz!
Myolie, Ron and Toby's role were much smaller here. Actually i was rooting for Bang-Yi couple, but I already knew that they won't end up together..soobbzz. In the end Yi was paired up with Min, which I think they cld have developed it abit more. (Coz' it seemed kinda sudden for Min to like Yi la..they looked more like friends..) Ron's character was made to "sleep" towards the end of the drama, but luckily they decided to "wake him up" in the last few epis. Ha..I still didn't like Toby, she's younger than Ron but she looked so much older than him. Acting wise, ok la..but not much improvement.
The other Chinese actors were alright, though I had to get used of listening to their real voices while switching to the dubbed voices for the HK actors.
Themesong "Tian Zhe Yang Lan" is a half canto, half mandarin song by Hacken Lee and Steve Chou. I am sad that they didnt use Raymond's "Ai zai ji yi zhong zhao ni" as insert song! Instead, they throw lots of insert songs by those Chinese singers...yaks!
Well, TDOL is one above average drama from TVB...worth to catch!

Sunset

--6.57pm--
Long time didn't see such a nice sunset.
Same sunset in sunset mode...

Dharma Class Graduation

--Fu Hui--
This year gotta become volunteer to "look after" the kiddos...abit sianz since i dunno how to handle them. Ha! I was in charged of the P2 class with another volunteer, minus off those who were performing and the student who was to get his award, only 2 turned up. Lolz! So I had an easy time as compared to PF. Hehehe!
As usual, hardly any souls from my class turned up for the grad...minus off those who were performing & volunterring. In the end, our AM decided to keep our certs for us till next yr...bengz!
Met my teacher at the canteen..and she cld hardly recognised PF...lolz! (PF u must be crying sia..) She said she won't be our teacher for next yr liao...(looks like E.W's inside info is rather accurate...ho!)
Going on to my 3rd yr soon...time flies~

CC Gang Gathering: The Good, The Bad, The Weird

--Cineleisure--
Met up with PY and SC first...had a little chat at Mong Kok Cafe..didn't eat anything, just had a "not very cheap" iced peach tea. Lolz...anyway, nice catching up with the gals while waiting for miss GC.
--The Good, The Bad, The Weird--

Well, I didn't expect so many people do watch this film. (The cinema is small, but full house, so I think if they use a bigger cinema, more ppl wld be watching lo..) Anyway, this is a korean action-comedy movie...starring 3 big names..which probably most of you wld only know Lee Byung Hun. But that's ok...the movie "killed" him in the end...soobbzzz! The action scenes were not too bad, but I agree that they shld have hired some Chinese martial arts pro to teach them the stunts...which I think, wld be more exciting. The movie was filmed mostly at the desert in China, super rugged landscapes with lots of cactus. And lots of horse riding scenes, though not magnificant, the impact was great.
I liked how Jung Woo Sung (A Moment to Remember) swinged around the place and used his other hand to kill the pathetic fellas at the bottom. Haha...Suave man! Anyway, he got a "clean" image compared to the other two. It's nice to see him not dirtied by mud or covered by blood. Lolz! Song Kang Ho (The Host) is as funny as usual...really hilarious! Hahaha...but he's also very skillful & smart la. I really wanna "humptump" him when i saw him still alive when the 3 of them fired at each other...he had a "bullet proof" metal under his shirt! As for Lee Byung Hun (JSA, All In)....damn shuai in his "baddie" suit and hairdo. But he had many bloody scenes which I really didn't dare to see. Lolz! He's one "kill people without blinking his eye" fella...he didn't even spare an insect. Ha! Super accuracy in using knives and guns.
I was telling SC how weird was to see JWS and LBH having super white teeth in the movie....it just seemed odd...as their teeth didn't match their appearance. Lolz! Actually there weren't many dialogue in the movie, as actions speak more than words. Well, I am quite glad to catch this movie la...had fun for 135 mins.
--Aftermath--
Today's gathering was a short one...the gals all got something on later, so I have to go back and buy my own dinner. Ha!

PY left to get her car, while the rest of us get to see the rainbow outside Cine. The rainbow was fading when i took the pic..so not very clear la. Long time didnt see such a nice and big rainbow liao...hehe!

Da Slacker Talk #10

--Being Alone--
While watching "Match maker's Lover" yesterday, the scenes of Kang Hyun having a one month break and doing things on her own inspired me alot. (I can't help being inspired by her again..Haha!) Actually, I have been thinking about doing things alone recently. Ho...that's why it's so nice to see Kang Hyun trying new food by herself, read a book at the cafe, went shopping at an unfamiliar street etc. She tried to do a thing per day...but I don't have the luxury of time. Lolz!
Saying about going solo, personally I dislike doing things alone. I don't like to eat alone, neither do I like to go out by myself.
Butta, I have been going to school and attending classes alone this yr, and I've been going to CGH by myself too. Besides that, I hardly do other stuffs without E.W, Tuan or my friends.
So, how come I have this sudden interest to do something by myself? No idea.
I have thought of watching a movie alone, eating some nice food at some unfamiliar places, going on an excursion and explore the nature by myself...
Looks like I should find a day and try going out by myself. I have a little plan on my mind, but I think E.W will be puzzled. Lolz!!!

TV Drama Review #160- Beethoven Virus 贝多芬病毒

No.of Epis: 18
Year/TV Station: 2008/MBC
Cast:
Kim Myung Min ~ Kang Gun Woo / Kang Ma-ae (Conductor)
Lee Ji Ah ~ Du Ru Mi (First Vionlinist)
Jang Geun Suk ~ Kang Gun Woo (Trumpeter/Conductor)
Synopsis:
Du Ru Mi is a music graduate who can't find a job and becomes an ordinary office worker in the city council. She's in charge of the city-funded orchestra and they are busy preparing for a concert. Just then, the conductor embezzled the orchestra's funds and the musicians are not paid. The musicians decided to leave and Ru Mi have to re-assemble her orchestra, and she's missing a trumpeter. She finds out that a neighbour cld play the trumpet, and it turns out to be Kang Gun Woo, a policeman. When Gun Woo learns that Ru Mi has invited maestro Kang Gun Woo to be their conductor, he became very angry...
Kang Gun Woo, aka Kang Ma-ae is an elitist and never settles for second best. With an oversized ego, he has a righteous attitude and thinks he’s superior than everyone else. He does not like to socialize with people and he believes that there's a need for talented players in order to give marvellous performances. Thus, he abhors players with mediocre talent and treats them with disdain.
Later,the new orchestra faces lots of problems, while we get to know more about the individual members, plus the love triangle b/w Kang Ma-ae, Gun Woo & Ru Mi.
Slacker's review:
Before BV was aired, the drama was linked to "Nodame Cantabile" as they both were music themed. However, don't expect BV to be like Nodame, coz' they're simply different. Actually I was hoping that BV wld be a more light-hearted drama, but then we know the style of Korean plot, it's not like the Japanese, so no super exaggerating comical stuffs, no silly plots or characters etc. Though BV's theme is refreshing, the typical korean plot just sets in and dragged the drama. We get to see Kang Ma-ae picking on the unprofessional orchestra players one by one. We also know that the orchestra will face lots of problems, from individual problems, to fine-tuning their playing, and the mayor keeps coming up with some trouble, then we have Ru Mi who's deaf at times, and the two Gun Woos who kept arguing with each other, though they also respect & admired each other. Romance took the second seat here, and I think they focus alot more on the two Gun Woos' teacher-student relationship. Somehow, music is more like a backdrop, and I am a little disappointed with that.
Kim Myung Min's performance was actually very good. Kang Ma-ae seems to be a cold-hearted man with little expressions. Personally I find Kang Ma-ae quite a boring character, though we can still see a little emotions underneath his skin. Haha! We get to see how he sees the talented Gun Woo and how he handled Ru Mi's feelings for him. One scene i particuluarly liked was when Kang Ma-ae realised that his music had changed...the internal struggle with himself was nicely done. Honestly, his chemistry with Lee Ji Ah is soso, maybe there's not enough scenes to show more on their relationship and they don't seem quite matched to me. I think KMM had better chemistry with Jang Geun Suk, as Kang Ma-ae valued his disciple alot more.
I didn't watch Lee Ji Ah's first drama "The Legend" which starred Bae Yong Jun. Her performance here was not too bad, but not very spectacular. I think she still has room for improvement. Du Ru Mi is quite a cheerful character initially, but we get to see how she coped with her deafness and how she gathered the new orchestra players who were from all walks of life. We also see a courageous girl who dare to let her feelings known to Kang Ma-ae.
Jang Geun Suk's performance was not bad too, but his character is not that interesting to me. Kang Gun Woo and Nodame shared one similarity - both of them can't read scores. Hahaha! I wonder is it a pure coincidence. Anyway, we get to see him being a trumpeter and a conductor as the same time, it's not an easy task. Well, it's great to see JGS trying new and distinct characters from time to time...shall anticipate his new drama. Hehe!
The support cast did a great job, without them, there wld be no story to tell. Ha! I like that veteran actress who played the cello...(she reminded me the gd old days I had being a cellist. Hehe!) The other main support cast-the flutist, the grandpa who played the Oboe, the other trumpeter and the double bassist were also given the chance to develop their stories.
OST is alright, but I think the drama has not come out with a full classical music ost yet.(Perhaps the music pieces they performed weren't alot...)
Well, it's unfair to compare BV and Nodame Cantabile. BV is a much more serious drama. It's interesting to see unprofessional musicians forming a orchestra, regardless of age, profession etc. However, I gotta admit that I did felt boring as BV progressed. I missed how "Nodame" made classical music so much interesting. I missed how S-oke performed their music pieces and how the drama brought me so much fun.
BV is still a watchable drama, but if you have never watch a music themed drama before, I wld recommend you to watch "Nodame Cantabile" first.

Tuan's new hp

--M1 Roadshow @ PS--
Ha~! I was browsing yday's papers when i saw M1 having a roadshow at PS. Good news is I don't have to travel to Paragon next time liao, PS got a M1 shop. 2ndly, Tuan's Samsung F480 got new offer!!! Wah seh today last day leh! Chiong down with Mr Chean to grab the phone @ 268 bucks. It was originally 348 bucks with 2 yr contract. Hehe! Well, the phone is quite easy to use, need time to get use to the sms ba. Too bad no stylus. Haiz...
I still gotta wait for next yr lo...shld have lots of new touchscreen phones by then. Hehe!
--Aftermath--
I was waiting at the traffic lights when i think i saw my friend's car drove passed me. Car model and car plate seemed to be her leh...lolz!

Skip Beat!

Yday I was changing channels when i saw "Skip Beat!" showing on Okto channel. So, i just checked it out and it turns out to be interesting. Hahaha! Well, I have never watch a complete anime after "Hana Yori Dango", so maybe, I will be catching "Skip Beat!". Lolz! Friday 11pm @ Okto wor!
Now gotta chiong the previous 5 epis..lol!

Da Slacker Talk #9

--What kind of people are you?--

“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”
- John M. Richardson, Jr

Sadly, I think i am the third kind. (Lolz)
I don't know what lies in front of me.
I don't know which path would lead me to a better future.
"Future" seems near yet faraway.
Instead of thinking what will happen in the future,
might as well think of the present.
Coz' we won't know what will happen to us in the next minute.

Da Slacker Talk #8

--Feeling Helpless--

“For the ordinary man is passive. Within a narrow circle (home life, and perhaps the trade unions or local politics) he feels himself master of his fate, but against major events he is as helpless as against the elements. So far from endeavoring to influence the future, he simply lies down and lets things happen to him.” - George Orwell

Recently, a bunch of us are having a common worry in our minds. Actually the problem always existed, but it has become serious. We have no solutions to the problem. It's not we don't know what to do, in fact, we did all we can. Only you can find that key and unlock yourself from unhappiness. If you don't want to do anything, then others can't do anything too.

I don't like feeling helpless, coz' I felt I didn't do anything to help you.

Hope things will turn better for you.

Take care, my friend.

Quantum of Solace

--Eng Wah @ Suntec--
Mr Chean "fly me aeroplane" today, so end up E.W and Aunt Jo accompanied me to watch Mr Bond. Lolz! Well, the movie started off right after the ending of "Casino Royale", so it cld be kinda blur for ppl who didnt watch the first one. Even I was kinda blur too...coz' it was 2 yrs ago u know. Hehe! Anyway, the movie was not that bad, action scenes were well done. Butta, our James Bond didn't seem quite the same as last time...finally I understand why the critics said there's a lack of glamour in him. Well, this time round we got to see a more cold-blooded and revengeful Bond. I think Daniel Craig's acting is getting better....though he seemed to be less expressive. Our bond girl didn't seem very chio right? Haha.. Olga is from Ukraine, but she didn't seem like an ang moh in the movie, coz' she gotta act as Bolivian la, so she looked so tanned. Hahaha..not much intimate scenes b/w her and Craig...(so not JB style..) and I think somehow JB movies thesedays focused less on intimate scenes. Lolz! Amalric's Greene was just those standard baddies in the movie, nothing interesting la. I still rmb the gal they killed by pouring oil all over her body, that image was just...WOW! Again, we get to "travel" to different countries again, from Italy, to London, to Bolivia, Austria and Russia. I didn't know Bolivia got desert lo! Sua gu! Well, i don't think we know who's the mastermind in the end, wondering if the next Bond movie wld be a sequel again....Anyway, i am anticipating the next one in 2 yrs time.
--Aftermath--
Checked out Winter Times sales again...pathetic 10% storewide discount, which I think it's nt really cheap anyway. Haiz...

Yeah! New Cardigan!

I think the cardigan is too hard to see due to the colour..lolz! I've been looking for a knitted cardigan for quite sometime. Finally, E.W found one from DP @ OG Chinatown. Hehe! Actually both of us saw another stripped cardigan from DP as well, but E.W said that one is T-shirt material. Hohoho! Happy!