Everything in between

I can't wait for this year to end. This exciting, treacherous, fulfilling year. 2011 has been a year of big and bold decisions, loads of travelling, self-realization, growing up emotionally and all kinds of changes.

Leapfrogged into Honours year

My make-or-break gamble paid off in the form of a huge 'culture shock' in Honours year, when sleep became a luxury and working our arses off in school on a Sunday was a norm. Every day was an excruciating battle with time, dense readings and slow email replies. But the camaraderie we forged during those long hours, I believe, will continue to bring us together even after graduation.

Watched an incredible number of movies

The current count is 19 for this year alone, not including those I watched on my plane flights and on DVDs. That's mad, my dear.

Deflowered my virgin hair

Ever since getting hooked on bubble hair dye, I've coloured my hair THRICE this year, with only the latest done in a salon at an exorbitant price (pfft). After shying away from the damaging qualities of colouring my hair, the great leap came during Chinese New Year - auspicious mah (ok bad excuse I know).

We're three. :)

Tasmania, Taipei and Desaru

Desaru has been the long awaited family trip; it's rare that we get to line up our schedules and manage to find just three common free days. The food was sedap, the locals were really friendly and we never regretted the trip, despite the hefty peak period price tag.

Tasmania, on the other hand, was a first for me in many ways - first free-and-easy trip, first oyster in a long,long time, first time driving overseas, first time scaling a mountain, first time running the fluffy texture of day-old snow between my fingers, first time running into wild animals and over dead ones, first time experiencing such low temperatures, first time having salmon almost everyday... Tasmania will be one of those few place I will look forward to visiting again in future, simply because it has given me so much. And I can't thank Gerlynn and Gordon enough for working on the coordination of the entire trip.

Taipei was a challenge to myself - I was juggling a crazy final semester and planning every single detail of the itinerary, while everyone sat with arms akimbo. But it was worth the sleepless nights and hours of research and route-planning with Google Maps.

Celebrated Christmas Eve at Marche - for the FOURTH YEAR running

Humans are nostalgic creatures. Jack and Julie are worse. Without Marche, there wouldn't be our first dinner meeting outside school.

I'll think of more.

aveugle

(credits: gardenofgloo)

Officially... graduated

I haven't told this to more than a handful but, a few nights ago, I awoke from a nightmare in which I found out that I had scored a mere 3.5 for my overall CAP. This foreboding feeling that my dream was a projection of a future continued for the past few days, up to the moment I opened the SMS containing my final results.

NM4202 Transnational Producers - B

NM4206 Communication & New Media Regulation - B+

NM4220 HEalth Communications - A

NM4218 Knowledge Management - A-

At least, for once, my premonition was totally off. NUS decided to end off the results report with my class or Honours. Schweet, though it would have been better if it had matched last Christmas'. But I'm as contented as pie.

The weekend has been eventful, with a movie marathon courtesy of the Boyfriend. :)

If you haven't watched Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, I hope it's because they've run out of tickets. The trailer which debuted in October totally caught us; who wouldn't want to watch good-looker Cruise scale the 125th floor of the Burj Khalifa Hotel, the tallest building in the world? Shall not ruin the movie with spoilers, but if you're interested in how future installments might veer towards, you can check out the movie's IMDB page here. If there's any reason to watch MI:4, it's to watch 49-year-old Cruise in his awesome sidekick - the BMW i8.

Hello, sexy.

Tom Cruise is 49 years old. 49.

(credits: celebritiesheight.com)

Nope, not convinced.

Anyway, our back-to-back movie marathon saw us do a mad rush from cinema to cinema for Alvin and the Chipmunks 3. Compared to M:I, this was far less entertaining, and even more so when you factor in those little tykes in the cinema squealing and yelling randomly during the show. Adults, please keep away from Alvin and the Chipmunks, regardless of what your girlfriend insists on.

L'Amour, Toujours, L'Amour

I don't even know where to start. It's like getting bath water into your ears; you have too much to get out, you're hopping around crazed, but the mind-boggling sensation remains. 

Mid-November rang alarms of all sorts; while I was working on the brink of exhaustion putting together a paper with another hardworking groupmate of mine, the others granted themselves leave from involvement on the account that they had papers to sit for and we didn't, popping over random emails of "how's it going?" and "what is there left for me to do?" occasionally. I hope Santa feeds you to his sleigh dogs - you're so much more useful that way. But I can't be greedy, for I was blessed with three other teams of tangible awesomeness. I can't thank them enough. In the midst of it all, my body was learning to fall apart more easier than before - time to go read The Brain that Changes Itself. Apparently the flu caught on more easily, I was feeling light-headed just by taking a crowded bus and I was sadistically suppressing bouts of fever with Panadol. Needless to say, a lot of other stuff start spinning out of control. On hindsight, I wonder what kept me sane the entire time. I never knew I could end my last days in NUS complaining like an old hag.

And not to mention I was single-handedly planning the family trip (a.k.a my second graduation trip) to Taipei. *FRUSTRATION MUCH*

But we made it there anyway.

Fisherman's Wharf @ Danshui, Taipei

Ever since I first set foot on Fisherman's Wharf, I have made myself a promise to return to the "lovers' bridge of Taiwan" to fully capture its glory. To many, it's simply a bridge dotted by bright lights and tourists. To me, it's a symbol of wanderlust and choice, of love strong enough to brave time and tide. Though it would have been complete if you had been there too.

The Taipei trip was a learning experience in every way. From booking the flights and accommodation to filling up the itinerary, I finally had a hand at conjuring a fulfilling trip out of thin air. And I finally put my language skills to use in Taipei and the Hong Kong airport, as well as attempting to baffle the Taiwanese Starbucks barista by ordering four drinks with an American accent. I pity my guinea pig.

Next on the wanderlust list: Hong Kong!

Of course, the movie junkies never go on strike, just out of free time. 

I wonder why people like to deconstruct stories and delve into a single character; The Hobbit (coming out in 2012) from LOTR, Wolverine from X-Men, and this time round it's Puss in Boots. Not that it doesn't garner a theater-full of swooning (I wonder if the men "aww"-ed too), but it seems to me that attempting to center a film around a kitty cat begets some huge boots (excuse the pun) to fill. Not to mention my critical analysis skills kicked in the moment Puss in Boots started serenading the other kitties - why in the world would you ever, ever sexualize a fairytale character?

And thank God this was still on when I came back from Taipei. What better way to support local productions than to catch it in the cinema for 7 bucks?

Michelle Chong made the right decision to step out of her acting shoes and into those of a director's. Already Famous might have been dismissed as another rags-to-riches story of a girl in a foreign land, but Michelle brought it closer to home by including cameos by local celebrities, localized jokes and hidden puns. Looking forward to her next film.

Okay I'm wrung dry of words.

The best of me

Being together isn't about a honeymoon.

It's about the real you and me.

I want to wake up with you beside me in the mornings,

I want to spend my evenings looking at you across the dinner table.

I want to share every mundane detail of my day with you and hear every detail of yours.

I want to laugh with you and fall asleep with you in my arms.

Because you aren't just someone I loved back then.

You are my best friend, my best self, and I can't imagine giving that up... 

What is heartbreak?

What is heartbreak?

Heartbreak is lying on the bathroom floor,

trying your damn hardest to breathe

while at the same time wondering

where it all went wrong and

how you're gonna get up and pretend like

everything is all right,

and what the hell are you gonna do

about that hole in your chest.

Yeah, that's heartbreak.

Getting the competition right: Is it 'Apple against Samsung' or 'Apple against Android'?

I was just doing a response post on IVLE on a thread regarding the ongoing patent wars, particularly Apple v. Samsung, and a thought occurred to me: who's the biggest loser in this equation?

So far, apart from Samsung, Apple is also embroiled in several cases across several jurisdictions with major Android phone makers such as HTC and Motorola. One of the reasons is that because of Android’s late entry into the digital platforms market, therefore it is still lack a wide range of patent holdings to render itself immune to litigation. As compared to Android systems, Apple seems to be in less legal tussles with WebOS and Windows Phone, and the fundamental reason might be because of the strong patent portfolio of its creators (HP and Microsoft respectively).

But it looks like Samsung is find loopholes through which it can get its products out to consumers in a legitimate way, despite the courts’ unfavorable ruling. When the ruling was passed in August 2011 that Samsung smartphones are banned from sales in the Netherlands due to an infringement of Apples patented photo-flicking technology, Samsung sidestepped the ruling by removing the disputed function from its Galaxy smartphones before launching them on the market. Problem solved. Samsung also, upon court injunction for a page-turning patent, simply re-engineered the function and issued an update to its users, skirting the issue easily. But other Android makers like Motorola and LG Electronics have decided to play it safe with a ‘wait-and-see’ tactic by withdrawing disputed functions from their devices’ OS before launching, in the wake of the many legal tussles regarding patented technologies.

At the end of the day, patent wars will mean the ousting of competitors without a diverse patent portfolio and consolidation of companies to form strong alliances against other alliances, thus effectively stifling competition and space for creativity and innovation. So instead of having a diverse range of products to choose from, consumers will have fewer choices in markets where certain products are banned from sales. This allows companies such as Apple to exert forceful control over consumer choice instead of allowing market forces to play the part in ensuring healthy competition. It is not too difficult to see who the biggest loser in the patent wars is.

‘Does Apple’s Patent Win Against Samsung Put More Android Devices at Risk?’http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/10/apple-samsung-australia/
‘Samsung to Sell Smartphone Without Apple Patents’http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/10/13/2011101301164.html
‘Apple/Samsung Circus Could Impact Consumers’ http://www.thestreet.com/story/11259079/1/applesamsung-circus-could-impact-consumers.html

(This first appeared in NUS IVLE Forum for NM4206 Media and Communication Regulation. So I'm not infringing upon my own copyrights. :P )

Post-everything

Good bye, Mr. Jobs. 100 years down the road, when people think of the great technological revolution in the 2000's that has changed the world, they'll think of you. Thanks for everything.

As you can see, Julie is back here. Week 8 (the work week that has just passed) has been excruciating, with 4202 and 4220 individual presentations and reflection report, 4218 group presentation and 4220 research interviews. Plus I was up to my neck in tuition assignments, no thanks to particular individuals who decided to throw them back to me despite my gracious recommendation for them to teach instead. Screw all you incompetent airbags.

Retail therapy! Actually it was more if shopping for essentials because my trusty flats from BATA are gradually coming apart from daily physical abuse. Got this classy pair of leather flats from New Look (because they're one of those rare self-help outlets that saves me the embarrassment of asking for my humongous shoe size), and I hope they'll love my feet alright. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Movie junkies!

I've been dying to catch Friends with Benefits since a week ago because of the slapstick episode put up by Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis while presenting during this year's MTV Movie Awards. Great publicity for the movie, I'd say. I don't care if people are judgmental when it comes to watching rated films because, hello, you only get to live once. In fact, many of the rated films I've watched were more than just skin and flesh. Friends with Benefits presented the story of a creative guy Dylan (played by Timberlake) who was headhunted by Jamie (played by Kunis) to work at GQ in New York. But each of their characters are flawed in a different way; Dylan has to work away from his family in L.A. and has to deal with losing his father to Alzheimer's disease, while Jamie comes from a single-parent family with a constantly disappearing mother. So when the two freshly-heartbroken individuals come together and decided that they didn't want to deal with emotional relationships anymore, the idea of being just sex buddies popped up. But who can stop themselves from plunging themselves headfirst into the big L? To be honest, I preferred the Timberlake-Kunis pairing as compared to No Strings Attached''s Portman-Kutcher duo, because the latter lacked the chemistry which worked the whole film. Maybe that's because, prior to the movie, Timberlake and Kunis had worked closely with the director to conscientiously sculpt the dialogue so that every line flows into place so neatly. I'll love to see Timberlake and Kunis work their magic again - give us a sequel, please?

Do you need more water?

Apparently Durex Singapore has latched on to social media to get people to play it safe.

"Explore love, intimacy and Durex on our Facebook page."

I think they're simply too shy to say "sex".

Movie: Abduction

Thanks to CLEO Singapore and GV, I was able to catch the preview of Abduction 2 days prior to its public sales. Who else to bring an action sequence to other than Jack the willing partner? When I had informed him a week ago that I was bringing him to watch Abduction, his first reply on MSN was:

"Taylor Lautner. -_-"

Lautner carries out his first main act on the silver screen with the character Nathan Harper, a young man who chances upon his childhood photo on a 'Missing Persons' website while researching on a school project with his classmate/childhood crush Karen (played by Lily Collins). When his 'parents' are murdered before his eyes, Nathan skips town with Karen and embark on a journey to discover who his real parents are, and why he's being hunted down by both sides of the law.


While Lautner aced his action sequences with his agility and physique, he still has vast room for improvement in terms of emoting the character he plays; the bursts of anger displayed a midst retrospective accounts could be better enacted (c'mon, where's the werewolf?), especially when Lautner's character is built fundamentally on his issue with anger management. By saying this, I was expecting more blood, more sweat, less talk, more jumping down crazy heights (without spraining his ankle), more ... Or maybe I had been expecting too much out of a PG film at the beginning, conveniently forgetting the fact that a majority of Lautner's (and Collins') fans are possibly pre-pubescent. Shucks.

Oh, and have I told you how Lily Collins' eyebrows totally jumped out at me?

Her features are very sharp and she's one amazingly pretty girl. But she really has got to do something to those brows. Oh, and do shed that "Phil Collins' daughter" label. Not very appealing, especially when it does nothing to acting skills.

Overall, I believe the action genre is the way to go for Lautner if he wants to make it far in his acting career and shed the ugly label of "the shirtless werewolf in Twilight".

I give this movie 2.9/5.

And I didn't say anything about his abs.

:P

Condense

Life is moving at breakneck speed for me now. Let's just let the pictures do the talking. I'm so burnt out.

Took a decadent vacation with ... who else?

We celebrated Fay's birthday, more than a month late. Apparently she's busy as hell.

Finally.

It was a good thing Platypus Test Kitchen closed their doors on us without even replying my email or picking up my phone calls. So we went to Medz and made Jack's birthday a memorable one. With Cascade Premium Light, what else?

Thanks to Mum and Dad for my awesome birthday dinner. And to Jack, for ignoring my pleas to avoid buying me madly expensive stuff.

Shall go find my life back.

Greatest release

Have I told you that I've filed for graduation? :) Been waiting for this day to come, where I classified all my modules and hit the confirmation button.

Yesterday was probably the first time in two weeks that I had Jack all to myself. Movie junkies don't waste time - we watch movies.

Horrible Bosses wouldn't get a standing ovation, but it was a decent movie to kill time with if you're looking for alternative humor. However, I felt that only Kevin Spacey pulled off his role as the psychotic slave-driving boss with sufficient gusto; he's the kind of boss I felt I could really do without if I could resort to any means to reduce him to dust. The sex-crazed brunette dentist played by Jennifer Aniston, despite being creepy enough with her crotch-grabbing, butt-slapping antics, deviated more towards a cougar in heat than a boss worth planning a murder for. As for Colin Farrell, his script was far more captivating than the crackhead boss he plays. The twist at the end was cute, but paled in comparison to many other great comedy flicks we've seen. 2.9/5

Warmth outside the home

Contrary to what I told a friend, I don't really rest on Fridays and Saturdays, do I?

Did some catching up with Kevyl and Weilong when we visited the Asian Civilization Museum on Friday.Despite being a Singaporean all my life, I've never stepped into the ACM prior to this visit to view the terracotta soldiers and replicas which have been specially brought in with extra care from the excavation site in Xi'an. Fortunately for us, Weilong the Chinese history buff was around to answer some of our questions regarding some of the exhibits. For the first time in my life, I think he's cool as pop.

Did some last-minute shopping at IMM, trying (in vain, yet again) to look for a pair of black jeans. FAIL. But I got myself a new pair of ballet flats (which gave me 6 blisters in the process of breaking in) and aloe vera gel for my really bad rash.

The weather yesterday almost fried my flubug-infested brains. Thanks to flu meds courtesy of Jack's dad, or I'll still be sniffing and wheezing during the birthday dinner of Jack's maternal grandmother. I'm still feeling warm and fuzzy all over from the hospitality of his extended family, especially his grandparents who never fail to treat me like their own granddaughter and constantly advising me to fatten up. :)

"The most powerful weapon is not violence but it is talking to people." - Nelson Mandela

The Duchess wears Zara

Did I tell you how fashionably enlightened I was by Catherine Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge?

While the Royal Couple's wedding took the world's fashion press by storm, what awed me (and everyone else) more was probably her Alexander McQueen gown, fashioned with laced sleeves and a hugging bodice. Modest and conservative, yet fashionable and good enough to spark several spin-offs to cater to brides who wish to have a Kate Middleton wedding as well.

Even before stepping into the picture as Prince William's fiancee, Middleton (she's since changed her first name from Kate to Catherine) has been cast in the spotlight ever since 2005, when she was revealed as the prince's girlfriend. Even then, her fashion sense was impeccable, and she always looked so comfortable in whatever she wore. It was rare to spot her in something revealing, apart from a few shots from her clubbing days and the cruise trips she took with the princes. Everyone needs a life, don't we?

Most importantly, the thrifty side of Middleton impressed me. To hell with the negative connotation of recycling one's outfits; if you look presentable enough, it doesn't really matter if you're wearing a dress from 5 years ago.

And the Duchess' Zara dress is probably USD 59.90 (or less), as with all Zara dresses. See? You don't have to wear something expensive and/or revealing to look like a million dollars. It's how you carry it that matters.

Check out the Duchess' other fashion repeats on Huffington Post here. Like any other princess, Middleton probably has a few fashion indulgences like her yummilicious suede Prada pumps and her Burberry trenchcoat (which sold out shortly after the press spotted her in it), but don't we all do?

Of course, nothing else makes her shine brighter than an Alexander McQueen number, custom-made (only one in the world!) to match her husband's military assemble?

Trust me, we all love Kate. :)

Victoria's big secret

Gerlynn got me hooked on shopping online at Victoria's Secret and Forever 21. I've long been skeptical over online shopping, primarily over the fact that there's no physical assurance that the clothing will fit me to a T, since the models parading the clothes are all Size 0 and look absolutely fabulous in the apparel. Doesn't sound like me. So I took a risk the first time round by ordering 'safe' items like earrings from F21 and undies from VS. I had initially placed my order with size M, and when Gerlynn advised me to change the size to S, I gave the O.O look from behind my computer screen. "Are you sure I can wear VS size S?!" my internal OS screamed. But I went along with her advice and, surprisingly, the undies fitted really well and, as praised by Gerlynn, really comfortable and cute. The F21 earrings were a steal at USD3.80 for 3 pairs in a set. So I gave online shopping a second chance. :)

I just never thought I could wear anything from VS, because the VS Angels all have killer bodies and gorgeous silhouettes. Bless Victoria's Secret.

Gross-out: Dancing squid, anybody?

To reinforce my lacto-ovo-pescetarian diet, I had to subject myself to a small amount of grotesque viuals.

Warning: Not for those with weak stomachs or have just finished their meals.

You know how the Japanese love their seafood - freshly slaughtered, skinned and served. Someday, I wanna pop by Hakodate market for a visit too.

Or, like what the Japanese would cordially say, ITADAKIMASU.

Get your brands right

I guess at some point of time, everyone, male or female, rich or poor, intelligent or no-so-smart, has to have a lesson on pronouncing famous brands. You deserve to know.

Burberry: Bur-bur-ree. Not Bur-berry. Not Bal-berry.

Jaeger-LeCoultre: Yay-ger Ler-Koot. Not Jagger-Ler-Cult.

Missoni: Miss-own-ee

Longchamp: Long-shum. Not Long-Champ.

Christian Louboutin: Christian Loo-boo-tahn. They make awesome stilettos, so I should start getting it right.

Bulgari: Ball-garh-ree

Agnes B.: Arg-nias Bay. Not Agnes Bee. Who the hell is Agnes Bee?

Louis Vuitton: Loo-ee Vo-e-ton.

Loewe: Low-ev-ay.

Givenchy: Ghee-von-shee

Tag Heuer: Tag Hoy-er

Versace: Ver-sawh-chee

Balenciaga: Bah-len-siah-gah

Hermes: Air-mez

Moschino: Mos-kee-no.

... which is exactly why I'd rather stick to American brands. Happy correcting your friends. :)

Fluidity and Calder mobiles

Google makes the best unobtrusive flash banners. Check out today's banner, created in commemoration of Alexander Calder, inventor of the Calder mobile.

The Calder mobile could very well be used to epitomize art; a large part of the idea revolves around balance, fluidity and motion. While it'll be impossible for a layman like me to appreciate this artistic concept of kinetic art wholly, it's comforting to know that it hasn't been cast away as part of history and forgotten. In fact, I'll love to have one of these in my home some time in the near future to remind me of the importance of fluidity, and not stability, of life.

How can art be realized?

Out of volumes, motion, spaces bounded by the great space, the universe.

Out of different masses, tight, heavy, middling—indicated by variations of size or color—directional line—vectors which represent speeds, velocities, accelerations, forces, etc. . . .—these directions making between them meaningful angles, and senses, together defining one big conclusion or many.

Spaces, volumes, suggested by the smallest means in contrast to their mass, or even including them, juxtaposed, pierced by vectors, crossed by speeds.

Nothing at all of this is fixed.

Each element able to move, to stir, to oscillate, to come and go in its relationships with the other elements in its universe.

It must not be just a fleeting moment but a physical bond between the varying events in life.

Not extractions,

But abstractions

Abstractions that are like nothing in life except in their manner of reacting.

- Alexander Calder, "Comment réaliser l'art?" from Abstraction-Création, Art Non Figuratif, no. 1, 1932

Shaddup, STOMPers

I absolutely abhor STOMP for the lack of journalistic conscience of its "citizen journalists" and its editorial team (if there's any to speak of). Apparently, people who adhere to the preaching of STOMP appear to value nosiness over privacy.

What privacy are you talking about when you're in a public place? Because I'm ME and you're YOU, and I will not tolerate YOU taking photos of ME in public. If shaming and flaming is your form of journalistic flair, it is obvious that you have no basic sense of self-respect.

So why are you so worked up? Are you aware of nosy parkers on SMRT trains? I'm unhappy with them for the way their trains work, but I'm especially infuriated by trigger-happy commuters who find joy in intruding other people's privacy with their camera phones. And these people engage in victimizing those who sit at the reserved seats trains, always hawk-eyed and ready to snap away, be it relevant or not. DO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE BRAINS?

I found this in a comment by warrant1982 under a post by a nosy someone who took a picture of a woman who was apparently busy on her iPhone while sitting on the reserved seat and was said to have ignored an old man who was standing right in front of her. If you want others to believe you, make your photo convincing, arsehole. As much as we would like to point fingers, just bear in mind that you have to search your own conscience before making an accusation. If you had been there, why are you giving up YOUR seat instead? If you had felt so strongly about it, why hadn't you taken the initiative to tell her to let up her seat? If you think your camera is the deadliest weapon, its not. YOUR STUPIDITY IS.

So here's the "Ten Commandments of public transport" written by warrant1982 which I totally subscribe to:

1. You and I paid $$$ to board the transport.
2. All people are equal.
3. I'm entitled to sit as much as you are, subjected to availability of seats.
4. Seats are of a "first-come-first-sit" basis.
5. Do not expect and behave as if people owe you the seats just because of your plight (if any).
6. Giving up seats is a privilege and purely voluntary. You can only wait for seats to be vacant but you cannot expect.
7. If people do not give up seats, just forget it.
8. If you're really desperate to sit, take a taxi. You can sit all you want.
9. If taxis are expensive, then stop whining and remain standing and wait for an available seat.
10. Don't preach about kindness and karma when in office politics, everyone backstabs to fight for promotions. Will you give up your promotions?

It all ends - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

Seldom do I undertake the painful job of loading Photoshop to create stuff. Today called for the necessary, especially when it's for the second parter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final film of the Harry Potter mania franchise.

Don't deny - we all grew up with Harry Potter and his sidekicks, whether we liked it or not. Ever since the first film took the world by storm in 2001, every year's been a waiting game, either for a new film or a new book. I loved the books - every single one of them - for delivering huge doses of adrenaline with every read, regardless of the number of times. I even bought the Deathly Hallows book the day it hit the shelves in Singapore and finished it in one sitting. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a Pottermaniac, just someone who loves good reads.

Damn, I remember collecting those Panini stickers when Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban hit screens.

And I had (and still have) a secret crush on the Weasley twins from Book 4 onwards. Gosh dark secret.

So despite disappointments by the past few Potter films (mostly due to skimpy plots) and really bad cramps, I just HAD TO drag Boyfriend Jack to GVMax to catch the first 3D session. If I had to pay 9 bucks for a normal theatre and 11 bucks for 3D, wouldn't that be a yawningly obvious choice?

Why watch the film when you already know who's going to die and, most importantly, whether Harry's going to die? Because it's just never the same. While lines in the book can tell captivating stories, it's definitely good to complement the plot with lights and sound to paint a better picture of the plot. Catching the show in 3D (like what I did today) further enhanced the experience; now I know how Hermione and Ron felt when Nagini came flying in their faces.

More importantly, it's like coming a full circle and completing the tumultuous journey of growing up and fighting to live with Potter, Granger and Weasley. From Potter's first day at Hogwarts, his discovery that something out there's trying to kill him, and finally to the Battle of Hogwarts (where 3 of my favourite characters were unfortunately killed off)... it felt as though I've been just there, at the very spot Potter reclaimed Hogwarts from the Death Eaters. And now that it's all over, I can't help but feel slightly melancholic.

Anyway, on a lighter note, ever wondered how our main leads look like offscreen?

:)

Rupert Grint

I actually suspect that he smokes offscreen, though I've been unable to confirm it from anywhere. He isn't bad-looking, just far toooooooo unkempt for my liking. If you don't like to shave and enjoy looking like a vagrant, shoo.

Emma Watson

She's beautiful in every way, off- or onscreen, with or without makeup, inside (her brains) and outside. She's opted out of Brown University, I heard. Her next stop? Oxford University. Eat your hearts out. Oh, and she's tearing off her goody-two-shoes for her next film on teenage years and homosexuality. Right.

Daniel Radcliffe

Everyone found him cute in the first film, lovable in the second film and adorable in the third. What happened after that looked something close to a cross between train wreck and a bad case of alcoholism. While he's confessed to undergoing therapy for his problem with the bottle, I guess I can never fully appreciate Radcliffe, not even in his full (nude) glory in theatre. Oh, he's the guy with the cigarette.

Bye, Harry Potter. Thanks for growing up with me. But I still don't like the films.

Muse of the mortar boards

Today marks the end of Jack's treacherous four-year journey through varsity, complete with an overpriced teddy plush and congratulatory bouquet. Throughout the entire process from helping him with the cumbersome gown to watching him receive the scroll from the Engineering dean, I couldn't help but mull over my current situation as a "late bloomer" - graduating one semester later than all the others in the same intake - in my bid to qualify for the honours track.

There might have been people who label me as insane for putting a toil on myself by undergoing additional semesters of crazy deadlines and readings, while others could have branded my bold decision as naive and short-sighted. I remembered deliberating all the countless permutations of possibilities on both sides of the line and I'm glad to say my decision was justified and rational. The million-dollar question here is: Why honours? Because I knew that this is a now-or-never situation: without an adequate amount of passion, no one would voluntarily sit through another bachelor's degree programme, and I know I'm included there. I knew fairly well that if I let slip this chance of final redemption, I might never be able to return back on this path again. Another arts degree? No thanks. Besides, like what I had mentioned way back then, I wanted to tread on this path and open up more possibilities and knowledge a B.A. course could never present to me. And I was proven right, after one semester of level-4000 modules and competitive course mates. With one more semester left, I shall strive to make the best out of it, just like what I had initially set out to achieve.

So while I didn't get the chance to don the graduation gown with Jack and step out into the workforce at the same pace, I was still proud as punch over Jack's achievement; he had started off his university on the wrong foot academically, but managed to break free from the bad start and rise to the occasion. The mugging sessions, the lunch dates, the Yakun coffee sessions, the bickering at the bus stop... I'll miss it all. Semester 9 will never be the same without Jack to watch my back. That'll probably be the real test for the both of us.

Happy Commencement. :)

Being thankful

The past few weeks have been fulfilling, despite the lack of an internship and temporary assignments. The tuition schedules are still as hectic as ever (take today's 3-lesson session for example), though I get to spend enough quality time with the family, Jack and his family, and my girlfriends a midst the insanity. Also, I took some time out to whip up comfort food for the family, because nothing soothes the soul better than a good warm and wholesome home-cooked meal.

Movies to the rescue of the lovelorn. :)

To be honest, I had stepped into the theatre believing that this movie would be a total waste of 95 minutes of my life because it had CG penguins and madhatter Carrey. WRONG. I totally underestimated such kiddy G-rated movies, because I failed to see on my part that movie-makers would have taken great care in ensuring that adults, at whichever life stage they're in, have the right to bring childhood back to their jaded adulthood. I'll advise such movies as a good alternative to romance flicks for couples, because it ensures that both parties are kept wide awake with no-bars laughing.

Oooohhh. And we HAD to catch this. Just for continuity's sake.

Give Julie a film with loads of flashy souped-up cars and she'll be smiling all the way home, even if the movie had badly done CG with some lame anti-climaxes. Sorry, Michael Bay, but the final parter failed to hit the same expectations I had of it after watching Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen couple of years ago. While I didn't feel sorry that they kicked Megan Fox out of the final sequel, the wet blanket came from the storyline. Everything was well and fine until, well, lame twists in the movie appeared. The best reason to watch this unimpressive parter would be to catch Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in their final glory, as well as the other beautifully engineered machines. Not for the-girl-with-the-ridiculously-long-name Rosie Huntington-Whitely.

Let time prove it all

Just a little longer, my dear. Just a few more words to round up the 27th of June, 2011. Just a few more minutes to etch this into the cornerstone of life.

One of the scariest things in a relationship is to start doubting your eligibility; it's mostly planted by a passing incident which triggers the self-deprecating monster, and things tend to work their way out of proportion. Many a times, there will be instances when you glance at your toes and start to criticize every nail and crevice, and gradually you grow to hate yourself so much, you can't stand the sight of yourself in the mirror. Let's try and slay that bloody bastard.

I've had those insane moments too - times when I foolishly led myself to conceive the idea that all this was just sympathy points and charity cookies. I KNOW I was being incredibly retarded, but there will always be times when you ask yourself - "what's so bloody great about me?" I know this, because I spent my teenage days suffering in the taunting of apathetic people who grew their ego out of others' misery. I've been the butt of jokes before. I've had people stabbed me in the back, cried those crocodile tears for me, and pushed me down at the deep end. I've prolly seen as much crap as you have.

But I told myself that I would emerge stronger out of all this. I want those insufferable people who have laughed at me and called me names to swallow their pathetic jokes when they see that I'm happy now, and it's all because of you. I want them to see how much they've missed. I want to wipe those smirks off their faces when I smile for you. Because whatever goodwill I've suffered for over those years, it's been returned back to me, in the form of you.

And I miss you so much.

Happy 40th month, and I'll see you in 12 hours' time. :)

Post-Tazzie blues

Post-travelling life hasn't been easy; the melancholy rises up to my throat every time I re-read my entries of my Tazzie trip, my tongue longs for the taste of Cascade Light and Captain's Catch, and every pore still seeks out the chilling Tasman sea breeze. *sighs* None of that back here.

How else can we burn time, apart from engaging in our favorite money-wasting pastime?

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, while lacking the luster of the other POTC prequels, managed to draw me into the story quickly. I shall not hide the fact that half of my disappointment went to the absence of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in this sequel. The other half went to the lack of chemistry between Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp. Of course, the movie never goes wrong whenever there's Captain Jack Sparrow to dispense snippets of laugh-worthy dialogue in generous amounts, but a movie without much sparks flying probably wouldn't draw many thumbs-up. But I'd choose POTC over any movie, anytime.

Thanks to inSing (there, you got your advertisement), I got my hands on 2 preview tickets to X-Men: First Class. I shall forgo ranting about my treacherous journey to seek out inSing's new office (they used to be near Maxwell), but I'll just have to say this movie deserves a 5-star rating, regardless of whether it tags religiously to the original Marvel comic. If Marvel gave the green light for this movie, it probably wouldn't matter much if there are little lapses or unaccountable pieces of the puzzle. Everything will fit in. Eventually. So basically, First Class filled in the space bubble before Professor X and Magneto became enemies, accounting for the reason why mutants are fighting against humans and against each other. The explanations ran pretty smoothly with whatever's left of the X-Men story in my head, and everything made so much sense all of a sudden. As for the little bo0-boos (which irate Marvel fans managed to sieve out), I shall just shut one eye on that, on the account that the producers managed to fill a movie with so much detail, so much action and so much emotion.

Karma

After a brief encounter at the pedestrian crossing, which involved me almost getting run over by an electric bike AND a motorbike, I've become a firm believer of the whole karma affair I've been preaching about.

Tasmania trip Day 8 & 9: Hobart

Day 8: Hobart

I woke up on Saturday morning, letting out a huge sigh of relief; no more climbing! It was more of a sightseeing day with new food to taste and stuff to buy. So incredibly excited. Hobart on Saturday morning was a sight to behold, with its streets littered with a shower of crisp dry leaves.

We did a lazy stroll near Salamanca, and chanced upon a sweet shop, whose owner seemed so withdrawn from the outside world; he looked like someone who's been cooped up in his little shop making candy. His homemade ginger chocolate and orange marmalade chocolate are out of this world, albeit a little pricey. But we wouldn't skip Jackman & McRoss, a bakery-cafe at Battery Point which was voted by Lonely Planet as the cafe with the BEST cafe experience in Hobart. If you haven't been here when you were in Hobart, WHERE WERE YOU?!

The place was teeming with people early in the morning, and we had to wait 1o minutes before the friendly waiter can to take our order. I had a quiche that had goat's cheese and dried tomatoes. The other couple gave the thumbs-up to the cafe's smoked salmon with scrambled eggs danish. The patissiers and baristas there create pieces of art, not just breakfast and lunch menu items. One look at the tantalizing pastries and a waft of caffeine would chase the morning blues away in an instant.

Then it's off to Salamanca market!

The streets of Salamanca, flooded with people.

It's a pity we could not afford to spend more time at Salamanca market; I could do with a few more souvenirs and some local strawberries (going at AUD7 a kilo!). Too bad it lasted for only half a day; the streets had been swept spotless by sundown.

Jack and I had wanted to buy his CD, but our tight budget disallowed us to do so. Anyway, just to give a great musician support, please visit his website www.cary.com.au and purchase his guitar instumental CDs!

We drank ourselves crazy at Cascade Brewery. Haha. I loved Cascade's vibrant history, its strong family-oriented business and, needless to say, its beer. :)

Beer taps

After rendering myself unfit to drive, we headed for Richmond with someone sober at the wheel. The boys had so much fun annoying the geese and duck population at Richmond Bridge. *slaps forehead*

Lunch at Ma Foosies, a cosy fine-dining cafe in Richmond. Our salmon-gorging at Cradle Mountain has left me queasy whenever I thought about salmon, but my smoked salmon panini served up by the friendly staff at Ma Foosies turned my appetite around. You can't go wrong by serving Julie dried tomatoes and cheese. The salmon wasn't fishy, and the panini was toasted just right. The right way to eat panini would be to take a small portion of everything in one mouthful and taste a burst of flavors in your mouth. The prawn frits are also highly recommended.

We also dropped by the former Richmond Gaol, which used to house prisoners in the past. Pretty eerie, if I might say.

We headed to Seven Mile Beach to chill and take in some much-needed seabreeze, while I selected some shells that have been washed up ashore as a keepsake.

Not to forget walking and driving around Hobart for close to an hour before settling at Metz for dinner. The food and service were nowhere near impressive, despite the hefty prices and the nicely decorated setting. A little unsettling, especially the service. Should have just ate at the small italian diner opposite Cosco.

Day 9: Hobart - Singapore

Before we bade goodbye to Tazzie, we just had to visit one last place: Jackman & McRoss.

Finally got my tastebuds on the hot chocolate which received rave reviews the previous day by the other couple. They weren't lying. The foam cap was nicely showered with a generous amount of cocoa powder, and the warm chocolate was uber comforting. We had the bacon, tomato and cheese tart, and the apple and cinnamon crumble, which weren't bad at all. We took an en route to Sorell to try our luck with the fruit farm, but decided to give it a miss for the Sorell Sunday market. It was like a massive garage sale! They even have homemade rabbit pie on sale.

Then it was back to Hobart Airport for our flight to Melbourne. The rest is history.

Touching back down in Singapore was... surreal. We just returned to the land of the heat.

More: Tasmania trip Day 1 & 2: Freycinet, Launceston

More: Tasmania trip Day 3 & 4: Launceston, Cradle Mountain

More: Tasmania trip Day 5: Strahan

More: Tasmania trip Day 6 & 7: Hobart, Bruny Island