Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

So I was lucky enough to win four tickets to watch the screening of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa courtesy of AMBP. As my expectations for movies are near impossible, I decided to not put any hope to avoid disappointment. However, a long day of work took care of that, I had no time to consider how the movie would turn out.

Madagascar 2 continues from the first movie but for those who didn’t catch the first installation, worry not, the movie is pretty stand alone. This time, the 4 good friends, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo, Melman the giraffe and Marty the zebra landed (literally!) in Africa in their attempt to get back to New York City. There they met with their fellow kind and felt completely at home, Roots as you would call it.

The movie was brilliant. The script is witty, with fantastic one-liners, a great story line and memorable characters which kept the entire audience in stitches. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much in a movie. I came out feeling so good, the perfect remedy to kick away the Monday blues or exam blues or whatchamacallit. So if you’re in for a good, relaxing time, I completely recommend a dose or two of Madagascar.

Anyone interested in a second run, let me know :). FYI, the only movie I watched more than once was The Dark Knight. And of course, they are incomparable in terms of delivery, but seriously, Madagascar 2 is deserving of a second helping.

X-Files: I Want To Believe

I caught the movie on Friday night wondering how much I would like the movie. I watched X-Files for years as a child, glued to the TV, begging my mum to extend my bedtime for that one Sunday a week from 9.30-10.30pm on TV2. I have no idea how come I still remember those details except that that show was pretty big back then. So off I marched to the cinema to see what will take place and how much has changed after 6 years since the show went off air.

The movie picked up from where the show ended. Dr Dana Scully and Fox Mulder no longer work for the FBI. One day, Scully was approached by an FBI agent looking for Mulder to get his help in an investigation of a missing FBI agent. Mulder jumps right in with help from a physic who sees the missing person in his visions.

Now let’s see what the movie has:
Scully and Mulder – check
Scully’s red hair – check
Mulder eating his sunflower seeds – check
Lots of dark and night scenes – check

What the movie is missing:
A good story line
Extra terrestrial phenomenon
Suspense, thriller and that *magic* factor

When the physic first made an appearance, I thought that it was part of a bigger picture as I waited for something with more meat to show up. The whole idea behind X-Files was to investigate strange and unexplainable incidents, creepy creatures, aliens, bizarre underground experiments etc. However, this movie has none of those pull factors like the show had.

In fact, the movie has a number of loose ends which defeats the fact that the movie was suppose to conclude the mystery of X-Files. The lack of paranormal activities unearthed was quite disappointing. Not once did I grip my seat, heart pumped so hard and mind raced over what is going to happen next. There was just no anticipation or tension build up to the story line, so much so, I actually missed the climax if it had one.

Verdict: I would give the movie a miss. I really wanted to believe the movie was going to be brilliant with a huge impact the way it had me as a child.

So you know what I did on Saturday night? I watched The Dark Knight again!! *yippee*

The Dark Knight

It was as if my friends read my mind. Just minutes after writing about how outdated i am in movies, Ah Ken msged me asking if i'm up for Dark Knight. I leapt up and down for joy coz I really wanted to catch the movie, already dubbed one of the best blockbusters of the year.

The Dark Knight was BRILLIANT! Everyone who is anyone should drop everything you're doing right now, bring along your wallet, head towards the nearest cinema and go watch is freakishly absorbing movie. If you dont, well, dont let me know. *laughs*

I refused to read the reviews for the movie because reviews always Always disappoint me. I've watched a number of movies which were considered average and found them really good. And the worst kind is those the critics say is a fantastic film but turned out disappointingly under mark. So i wanted to watch this without any expectation and hope to enjoy it immensely from start to end.

And i did. I love the cast, the witty dialogue, the Joker which i think was beautifully and majestically played to perfection by Heath Ledger (oh why must you die!). I would put this movie along the ranks of Transformer and Iron Man.

I'm not going to spoil the movie for those who have yet to watch it. But the RM9 or 10 or however much you pay for tickets these days is worth every cent. Now what are you waiting for. *Shoo*shoo* go head to the cinema NOW!

What would you like to drink?

A typical Malaysian respond would be

“Anything la”
“Whatever also can la”

Hence the very smart brainy neighbours of ours across the Straits of Tebrau came up with the drink called Anything and Whatever. A simple idea and voila, it works! I’m sure when you hear of it, you’re probably thinking there’s nothing special to the name. You probably also think that there’s nothing special and that you could have come up with that on your own. But it’s the name itself that hits the bull eye to our everyday conversation.

On a grocery shopping trip to Jusco, I was there browsing the shelves when the entire supermarket went to complete silence with my high pitched squeal. I spotted Whatever and half ran to grab a can. My incorrigible speed-of-lighting trying to explain how amazing it is I found the drink for the first time here fell to deaf ears coz nobody could understand me.

I could not find Anything anywhere in Jusco so I hope the next time I’m around ill be able to get it. Seeing that we are drinking Anything (carbonated) or Whatever (non-carbonated), the flavours are pre-decided and you’ll be in for a surprise with each can. For my first can, my Whatever flavour was Apple Tea which was really nice. What I liked even more was that it wasn’t so sweet. Yippee!!

So what are you waiting for? Go grab a can of Anything or Whatever for a plesant drinking session ahead. *laughs* They are available in Jusco and 7-Eleven stores nationwide at RM1.60

Oooh oooh, i've put up a poll at the toolbar on the right. So click click click away yeah :)

I Club at Loft @ Zouk

I don’t club all that much but when I do, my favourite place is Loft@ Zouk. Everyone there practically lives in their own world. Loft becomes the centre of the universe uniting all individual planets together in one space sharing their love for music, fun and dance.

Ah Sha and I

I see people dressed in all sorts of outfits, you can spot the fashionistas, the funky, the weird, the afros, the hip-hoppers, the sixties and just about anything you can imagine here. It’s like a mini world from all sorts of generation and future fashion statements. And the best part is you look cool no matter what you wear, just jeans and a t-shirt will do and you will fit right in. That’s what I like so much about the place. Individualism sense of style and dressing prevails here and no one cares what you’re wearing. Like I said, you will somehow look cool anyways.

Music is the binding force and glue to the place and if you like music enough, the pleasure exudes will be one of orgasmic force. I’m only there on Fridays to catch Twilight Actiongirl (TAG) consisting of DJs Bunga, Chaseylain (Keropok’s brother btw), Ribut 10:59 and Xu. The description of their music is Britpop, eletroclash, transientrockamuchasomthinboutmary but music is too broad to define so here’s how I put it. They share a passion for every genre so us Lofters can expect plenty of surprises when they play music. From The Killers and Franz Ferdinand to James Brown to Miss Kittin, everyone’s bound to get their music fix whenever Twilight Actiongirl is behind the decks.

DJ Chaseylain in Action

Xu’s my darling among all because he churns out the best electronica tunes, very my taste of music. Non-Lofters should never ever see me when he plays a familiar tune coz I would be screaming my lungs away, singing, swaying, jumping up and down like an Energizer Bunny and ultimately dancing away. The adrenaline rush keeps me pumping all night and no amount of coffee can give me such boost. As with the fashion sense, dancing is self defined. One of the best dancers I know is Keropok and boy he can move!

After months of not grooving to the Loft’s beat, Ah Sha and I finally made our way to Loft@ Zouk last week for a wonderful night out. I really missed going there and it’s not the clubbing or the dancing part that I miss but the very place itself had me longing to go there. See, that’s the magic of the place, it captivates you and the drawing factor is strong that you keep wanting to go back for more. It feels like an addiction of sorts, some people cannot live without their daily dose of coffee, while I live for the next moment to go to Loft and TAG.

Booze are cheap by KL standards. You can get a jug of margarita for RM25, 2 jugs of Long Island Tea for RM80 and this new concoction of stout, lime and wine (I forgot its name *horror*) for RM40 a jug. And of course they have all the alcohol you would expect from a club. How could i not mention this other thing... if you come before 12 midnight, there is no cover charge. Woo Hoo!! More reasons to love the place :)

I can't wait to get there again. I miss you Loft..... And the club is the best way to learn to work your shutter speed and flash of your camera so that you can CAMWHORE!!

Oh, did i mention famous people club here too? *Laughs*
Ah Sha here with the dude from One Buck Short.

I *heart* Loft.

The Loft @ Zouk
Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Cover charge: Free Entry before 12am (clubbing for free people!!)
Rm20 including 1 drink (Ladies / Men) after 12AM.

Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl is super addictive. When I first heard of the show from Ah Hua, I immediately dismissed it. Basically, it is yet another high school drama focusing on a bunch of teenagers with their social life and problems, some pretty boys, some pretty girls, lots of fancy clothes and big houses but of broken homes etc etc. I think I pretty much described all teenaged shows on TV.

However, due to the American Press Association strike (which thankfully has ended), all my favourite shows have been put to a complete stop. No more McDreamy and Wisteria Lane stories for me. I did get started on a new show, How I Met Your Mother which I absolutely and totally love because it is real, with solid characters, those you love and those you love to hate. However, I finished watching all 3 seasons in less than 1 month which lead me back to my original problem, no shows to watch.

So with the lack of options, I had no choice but to turn to Gossip Girl. I mean, it can’t be that bad isn’t it? I did survive 1 season of O.C and One Tree Hill is awesome. So last Friday after my shopping trip, I downloaded the pilot and watched it right before I slept. And it was alright, cute guys, no wait, HOT guys to boot!

After that, I got hooked to the show. There are only 13 episodes available (again due to the strike) and I finished watching everything in 3 days! I remember the 2nd night I was watching the show, I got up to the fifth episode and then DC++ (the uni’s P2P network of sheer illegal piracy) went Poof! I was so frustrated, the tension, the drama, the suspense was so intense that I was short of screaming, pulling my hair out, gritting my teeth to know what will happen in the next episode.

So here’s the glue, the magnetic force so strong that I finished watching everything so fast. The good looking cast is well, superb looking. Yes, the show is exactly like any other teenaged shows but the hot boys are definitely appealing to my eyes. *laughs*. Gosh, now I sound like a complete bimbo. So feast your eyes the same way I feast mine :)



She's Blake Lively who plays Serena. In case you're wondering how come she's featured here, well, its coz i think she's hot too and I love her voice. It is a lil rough, like someone with a slight sore throat, it is so sexy.

Serena again



This is Crace Crawford who play's Nathaniel Archibald aka Nate who was dating then not dating and now again dating, hang on, they broke up again, with Blair, Serena's best friend.

Aahh... those soulful blue eyes

Penn Bradgley plays Dan Humphrey who had a crush on Serena since forever and finally dates her. He's like the sweetest guy, warm, matured, caring and yet doesn't over do it. Phew... or else he'll end up being Mr Nice Guy.

And last but not least, this is Matthew Settle who plays Rufus Humphrey, Dan's father who btw used to date Serena's mother those days. He looks real good despite his age, hunky, a melt-your-heart smile, romantic and makes the best waffles too :)So how can I not like him? Ooohhh.... if only I can get a life partner who'll grow up gracefully the way Rufus did. *laughs*

Cleo 50 Most Eligible Bachelor: Review Part 2

This is a tad delayed but here’s the continuation of the review for the last 25 bachelors. For the first 25, you can read them here.

#26: Black lips, ewww

#27: Botak, next

#28: Fly hair

#29: Hot, Hot, Hot. I love the 5 o’clock shadow (Gets my vote)

#30: Nice eyes, they’re blue

#31: NC

#32: NC

#33: NC

#34: NC

#35: NC

#36: NC

#37: Like the hair and the no so clean shaven look (Gets my vote)

#38: Hair like Michael Jackson, eyes like Oprah Winfrey. Hhmmm

#39: He looks a lil like a friend from high school

#40: Too thin for my liking

#41: Damn control macho looking. Quite popular among my friends. I’m guessing he’ll be a top contender

#42: NC

#43: NC

#44: NC

#45: NC

#46: The ever famous blogger, Kenny Sia. He looks bulky. Don’t like the shirt. I’m not surprised if he picked this one out himself.

#47: NC

#48: NC

#49: Looks Chinese with a malay name

#50: Looks Malay with a Chinese name. Hence the initial confusion with #49. Nice outfit.

I’ll post up pics from the Cleo magazine tomorrow, lest you cheapskates decide to not buy the mag if I put them up too soon.

Logan (Bachelor #27) has a friend who wrote a post on him. You can read it here.

Prem (Bachelor #11) who’s a total hottie has a Facebook Group. You can check it here.

Cleo 50 Most Eligible Bachelor: Review Part 1

Pre-post: I heart Ah Kie :). I really wanted a copy of Cleo's issue of the 50 Most Eligible Bachelor to do my critiques/ comments/ going Oooh Aahh etc etc. However, due to my dire financial situation (you can read about it here), I simply couldnt spare any cash when I am only left with RM12 in my wallet. So dearest Ah Kie bought it for me instead!!!

Note: These comments are strictly personal, more like first impressions based on their photos aka looks and appearances. They have nothing to do with judging the participants. I believe they have been selected after ermm much consideration, evaluation and that they met the necessary criteria. Those marked with No Comment (NC) simply means there is nothing in particular that stands out in the individual, again to me only. Here's the first 25 Bachelors. Stay tuned for the next 25~

#1 Eyebrows look weird, can’t live without blotters, eeww

#2 So the cina

#3 Nice smile, I wonder if the hair smells

#4 Macho man with the tattoos

#5 Nice smile

#6 First I thought he looked good especially with the hair, the mystery man aura oozing out. Until I read this:
Q: A women makes me nervous when…
A: Honestly, I don’t mean to be a “man” by saying this, but a woman never makes me nervous. In fact it’s always the other way around.
OMG, how narcissistic!! So no, you don’t get my vote with the terrible respond like that.

#7 He’s got the “lucky” chin. Nice outfit

#8 Dimples usually melt my heart but not this guy. He looks too pale, like a ghost. Wont be surprised if doesn’t go out much under the sun.

#9 The boy next door, very cute. The kind you can bring home to your parents. (Gets my vote)

#10 Sharp features, nice gootie.

#11 Sizzling Hottie Hot Hot! He’s really tall, macho with a fantastic body to boot, friendly, charming with a million dollar smile (which is concealed here). Loves paintball to bits. You can check his profile here.
Q: My life mission is to …
A: Produce good looking children.
A welcomed change from the usual responses; sports car, career, nice house, wealth etc. (Gets my vote)

#12 NC

#13 NC

#14 Ok la

#15 Really really tall, in camp we called him the twin towers (his best friend is just as tall and of the same size). Nice smile, friendly, has the appearance of macho man but he’s very nice to talk to and befriend, a lil blur at times, witty. (Gets my vote)

#16 Looks like a friend of a friend’s brother

#17 Cute, awesome smile

#18 He looks mixed, almost Cambodian / Indonesian. Acts in Kami (I’ve not watched the show though)

#19 Needs to tweeze his eyebrows!

#20 Mata sepet

#21 Nice hair, like the smile, looks quite laidback. His friend had a post on him. you can read it here.

#22 I Love Love Love his hair!! I’m such a sucker for guys with curls and his hair is his winning crown. Nice smile, good features, pleasant looking (Gets my vote)

#23 NC

#24 Looks like someone from a band, not the lead singer but a band member. I just can’t pin point which band and who exactly. *Cracking head*Geram*

#25 Looks like he smokes A LOT. His lips are black.

Edit: I wrote in detail telling about this story which vanished in the midst of being posted. So here's the condensed version. My ATM card is nada. Made a new card. Money came in. Not so broke anymore. Yay.

Finally after weeks of daily showers, this evening is blessed with blue skies and white clouds. I see lots of students taking advantage of the weather, all geared up in sports attire headed for the field and courts :)

Sunburst Music Festival

Sunburst Music Festival was awesome! I was there around 2.40 pm with Keropok and we bumped into a number of friends including some unexpected ones from uni. Security was tight, we had to go through 4 check points and I had to leave behind my mineral water bottle. I knew it wasn’t allowed but I can’t just not try my luck.

The first show I watched was Gerhana Ska Cinta and the sun was blazing, literally laughing in our faces telling us “Melt people, melt till you are no more. Hahahaha”. However, I came totally geared up for the weather. Clad in a cotton holter top, Capri pants, flat sandals, a cap borrowed from Keropok, sunnies and a thick coat of sunblock :). Keropok also brought a long a bright sunny yellow umbrella so we took shelter from the sweltering heat while watching Gerhana Ska Cinta.

Next was the episode of water “taking”. We spotted a tent, unsupervised filled to the brim with boxes of mineral water. So I cheered on as Keropok managed to get 2 bottles for us and 2 of our acquaintances.

Gigi had good showmanship, I liked it how the lead singer pronounced Incubus as In-ku-bus (pronounced in Malay), it was hilarious and became our running joke of the day. The weather decide to take a 360 degree turn and it started pouring cats and dogs right before Pop Shuvit took the stage. I ran to the nearest tent and stayed there till the rain was a mere drizzle. Die hard fans of Pop Shuvit bared the rain, umbrella or none. People were soaking wet and jumping like crazy. There was also a side performance, slightly more enterntainng that Pop Shuvit. The crew members of Joe Flizzow were also in the same tent as me and they were restless. So they had races under the rain and also sliding competitions into big puddles of water. They looked like they had the time of their lives! Keropok and I also placed bets on who would win which rounds. Talk about entertainment man.

I couldn’t miss Hujan, and the rain was sympathetic, it was drizzling by then so I got under the umbrella to the stage singing away to their songs. I couldn’t care less that most of the others around me were staring. And then it started to rain again, I was a little disappointed they didn’t play Pagi yang Gelap and just as I was leaving, they sang the song!!! So I stayed back, overjoyed they played all my 3 favourite songs – Ah Moi Cantek, Kuala Lumpur and Pagi yang Gelap. So yeah, I watched Hujan in the rain, literally.

Keropok’s brother and gang were also performing, they are Twilight Action Girl who plays at the Loft@Zouk every Friday night. And Keropok had no idea about it until we met the gang during Hujan’s performance. Or else we could have gotten free tickets. Oh well…

George Clinton and P-Funk was energy busting, people dancing and grooving to the catchy beat. I loved Raul Midon, his voice soulful, his lyrics spoke to me. His guitar skills are amazing. I especially love the song he wrote when he was dating his now wife. Pity my uni network don’t carry his songs.

By the time The Roots and Icognito performed, the crowd has swelled tremendously. John Legend was Sweat Man. He was not glistening but literally dripping in sweat, honestly I found it gross. A girl had a chance to dance with him on stage and even she couldn’t help but wipe off his sweat for him. By the time she left, her left thigh (which was against his) was wet, a sweat patch was clearly visible.

The highlight of the night was Incubus. They, however, did not perform according to schedule. Being the superstars they are, they decided to perform earlier, citing reasons that their fans wouldn’t wait till too late for them. WTF. And because of that, Estranged and Search were pushed back to make way for the whites. Seriously, I think loads of people were there mainly for Incubus, they would have stayed back no matter how late just to catch their show. The organizers gave in without a fight, not even a negotiation to get them to perform as scheduled. Got this scoop form V.

Now, why is this so important? Well, the idea of the festival was partly to support the local music scene. And if Estranged and Search were to perform after Incubus, the crowd would pretty small by then. Even the Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) chairperson did not support nor stand up for the local acts! To give the local bands center stage and exposure is so important and they took away that golden opportunity by letting Incubus perform first. Gosh….

The festival brought upon loads of catching up with friends I have not meet in years. I met Davina from our Introduction Weekend of Raleigh International Kuala Lumpur, after camp, we have not met up, and that was 5 years ago. I was so happy she could recognize me, I tapped her shoulder and was saying, “By any chance, are you ….” “OMG, OHKULALA IT IS YOU!!!” she squealed. Then there was Neha, whom I’ve not meet since 6 years ago. Also finally met V’s sister-in-law, have heard so much about her and we finally met face-to-face. Catching up with Superman was great, pity him, he took awhile to spot me coz of the massive crowd.

My back was totally aching from all the standing I was doing, after the fourth or fifth song of Incubus’ performance, I had to get a sit. So we chilled at the Tuborg station watching Incubus from the big screen. They had an encore of 3 songs! We left around 1.30am. I was hungry from all the excitement. The pizza we got from Pizza Hut was not wow, it was cold and expensive but that was expected. The satay was so much better, should have gotten that earlier. To pacify my aching tummy, we ate at Devi’s Corner in Bangsar before I headed back to my lovely bed.

I think the idea behind Sunburst was a great one. They could tweak it better by selling water at a cheaper price, it was RM3 per bottle and I found out these were actually sponsored. So technically, they are making 100% profits cutting our throats. The incident of big guns pushing their way around should not be repeated, what is the worse that can happen? Incubus doesn’t perform and the organizers can sue them, win-win-win for the organizers, local bands and the patrons.

The weekend was awesome. To counter the amazing weekend, I have loads going on this week. My FYP experiments were completed yesterday afternoon. The PDP pre-EDX and final presentations are due this afternoon and my interview is on Saturday. Jord Mela on Thursday and OM test on Friday. So yeah, I have my entire week packed out. Good luck to me.

Sigur Ros

I was watching Sigur Ros’s video Svefn G Englar 2 days ago and it starts with quotes on music by various people for the first 2 minutes. Sigur Ros (it means Victory Rose) is an Icelandic post-rock band with melodic, classical, experimental, and minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound and lead singer Jónsi’s falsetto voice. I’m now currently listening to their albums Takk and Von Brigai, my favourite tracks are Hoppipolla and Hufupukar. Do give them a listen; they’re similar yet so different from the likes of Explosions in the Sky.

I watched the video, pausing ever so often to get those quotes and here they are.

Without music, life would be a mistake
-Nietzche

Music was invented to confirm human loneliness
-Lawrence Durrell

Music is the shorthand of emotion
-Leo Tolstoy

Music expresses that which cannot be said
on which it is impossible to be silent
-Victor Hogo

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe,
wings to the mind, flight to the imagination,
and charm and gaeity, to life and everything.
-Plato

A painter paints pictures on canvas,
But musicians paints their pictures on silence.
-Leopoio Stokowski

See deep enough, and you see musically;
the heart of nature being everywhere music.
-Thomas Carlyle

In the end, I think of music
as saving grace for all humanity.
-Henry Miller

Music is well said to be the speech of angels;
in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to men is felt
to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite.
-Thomas Carlyle

Those quotes did make me ponder on the impact music has on our lives.

Paris, I Love You

I’ve been itching to write the whole weekend. But I had no internet access. In fact on Friday when I woke up, the connection had simply died on me. No matter how many times I renewed my ip address or restarted my computer (which is usually my last resort and Always work), alas the internet was nada.

So today, at long last I get to post again. And *gasp*, Ah Kie got a new template for his blog! No fair, I’m still customizing my one which is taking forever and he did his in one day.

My weekend was awesome. Wanted to watch Jumper, however the tickets were sold out. So I settled for a French movie instead, Paris, je t’aime (Translation: Paris, I Love You). It was a completely different movie unlike anything I have watched before. There is no story line, the movie is made up of a compilation of love stories all taking place in Paris, the city of love. And unlike Love Actually where the stories or characters are somehow interconnected, it is not the case here, each story is stand alone. The love stories are pretty random, my favourites are the blind man who falls in love with an actress (played by Natalie Portman), a mother who lost her child, a guy who falls in love with a woman he meets at a car park and he has been looking for her ever since. When he finally meets her, he passes away in her arms. The weirdest one is about a young man (Elijah Wood plays the young man) who sees a vampire killing an old man, attracts her with his blood, gets turned into a Dracula, hugs the vampire and eventually bites her to death.

I have also learnt that sleeping at 7am in the morning (very early indeed…hehe) is a sure way to screw up your sleeping habits. I woke up at 5pm and my first meal of the day was dinner. Well, since I do believe in trying everything at least once, I can check “Sleep at odd hours” off my list :).

How did your weekend go?