A Mind of My Own

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This is a call out for Royston Tan and Eric Khoo fans. GV has an event called “Local Producer’s Acclaimed Films”. One is the screening of Eric Khoo’s past movies (Be With Me and Mee Pok Man) on Friday, 22 August 2008, 7pm and the other are Roystan Tan’s past movies (881 and 4:30) on Friday, 29 August 2008, 7pm. Both sessions are priced at $18 each with free flow of popcorn and drink. Tickets can be purchased on the GV website or at the box office at GV Grand, Plaza Singapura.

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Remember

Venue: GV Grand and GV Plaza

Date: 22 Aug 2008
Time: 7pm
Movie: Be With Me and Mee Pok Man

Date: 29 Aug 2008
Time: 7pm
Movie: 881 and 4:30

Having followed Sheylara’s blog for quite some time, I was happy that free tickets were going to be redeemed for the lucky bloggers who email her the details. DD read about it first since my RSS Reader didn’t update her new posts.

Thus, I sent her an email about my interest and surprise of all surprises, I got my free tickets to Money No Enough 2. A lady who is the contact for the event called me in the afternoon, a day before the actual movie and we spoke for a while. Nice lady.

I waited for the email for details. With the details, I proceeded to the place for collection. I was way too early since I had sent in my brother’s mobile for repair. Strangely, the huge group I saw were mostly queuing for the counter to buy popcorn and tickets.

I saw a table with the huge poster but the person to collect from wasn’t sitting at that place. Instead they were standing. I must say, they prefer to be close to the bloggers rather than just sit at the table and mark the tickets as collected. I’m impressed with the personal approach.

DD finally arrived because his training ended late. We rushed into the cinema and got our seats. Good seats. Thank you Sheylara. The show started on time without any pre-movie advertisements. I love it! Unfortunately, DD missed the first 2 minutes of the show because he needed to buy popcorn for me. I was hoping he would be back soon.

The movie’s main theme is about filial piety and I love the way it is being portrayed. Families with more than one sibling and the gap between rich and poor were shown with clarity. It also spoke of how a mother would give away her savings even if they were meant for her coffin to her children. A mother who doesn’t differentiate between loving a child more than the other.

The common quarrels between siblings is often about money after they started working. They will argue who earns more and should pay more for looking after the parents while neglecting the parents’ feelings. Parents may dote on one child more than the others but there are parents who won’t hesitate to help their children in whatever way they can without being biased.

This movie is a touching story about a family who learns filial piety and money values. A movie made from the heart. This heart part is from his speech.

After the movie, Director Neo arrived to speak about his experiences with the making of the movie. He gave a deeper insight of how budget works and thus, without speaking directly, it explained the constant reminders of the sponsors’ products which marred the movie’s flow to some people who would have preferred a visual reference instead of talking about it constantly.

I didn’t ask any questions because I have absolutely no idea what to ask. A few people asked about a sequel, whether his future movies would consist of more CGI and why he took so long to make the sequel. A lively session, I must say.

Finally, I would like to thank Sheylara and Blog Aloud for the chance to watch the movie and meet Director Neo.

I have been freed from the routine job. Perhaps I have reached my ends of the what one might call the boredom of routine job. It hadn’t been that routine but I needed a change of scope that I craved for. I wanted to do something else but there just wasn’t any slot for me at the time.

I was in my first job for 4 years. Hanging on because I was still studying for a degree that isn’t recognised in the end. I had the chance to shift my scope there. I had a chance to expand my knowledge at my second job. There I was so focused in that I got so wounded up due to the demands there. There wasn’t any change of job scope that was possible as there were more talents in the HQ.

After all these years, I am realising that I am looking for an ideal job. My criteria is:

• Allowing me to work from any time as long as I can produce results.
• Allowing me to work from anywhere.
• Paying me enough for my bills and insurance and enough to save up for retirement.

Perhaps what I need isn’t a job. All I need is to have a few roles or skills to juggle with so that I won’t be looking around every 18 months.

Since my last day at work was on a Thursday, I had an event to attend on Friday, the bag competition. On Saturday, I stayed at home scheduling my posts for my blogs. Sunday, I went out. Monday, I stayed at home to source for more money making schemes and I went to watch Hellboy 2 with DD on Tuesday.

Today, I will pick up the cosmetics from Pure Luxe from HY. I have activities on Friday and Saturday although I’m wondering if I have any activities on Thursday.

I have been thinking about the bags I have just bought. I think I would like to sell the black bag. It looks so odd when I hold it. The photo was taken by me, the background has been photoshopped out.

After watching Fool’s Gold, Jumper was up next. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that exciting. The scenes were Blair-witch like and the characters weren’t developed to their potential. There wasn’t any motives for the so-called good guys and bad guys.

David Rice was made to be some Casanova who was into “banking” (as in robbing banks) and traveling around the world collecting surfboards, exercise machines and other various objects that just decorated his flat.

Roland was made out to be some heartless Jumper killer. This is the part where I don’t understand why he can’t stand anyone who can just jump around. No flashbacks to show why he hates them. Just kill and saying they will all turn bad one day.

The saving grace of this movie, the hot, chiseled body of Hayden Christensen. My, he has since grown out of his Anakin Skywalker image.

After watching Fool’s Gold, I wanted to visit the places where they have clear blue sea. And find a few treasures to auction off. With the sun pelting down and getting a tan, watching babes and hunks by the beach playing beach volleyball and the clear blue sea, it is heaven.

This movies stars Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson as a couple who renew their love for each other despite a divorce to find the Queen’s Dowry. Ah, the adventures begin. I find that Benjamin gets hit on the head almost every time he attempted to appease Big Bunny. Ouch. The most painful part I guess must be when his ex-wife knocked him out with an old man’s cane. That must have hurt a lot.

While some found this movie average, I found it quite funny. Since I have no previous movie with the leads in another movie, a comparison would be unfair. I went because DD passed to me a pair of free tickets he had won in a contest from The New Paper. The goodies were the same except with a pair of calendars.

This time, I don’t know how long we spent watching the ads. Managed to find someone who was available to watch it with me. Meet my new lover, HF. She enjoyed it too. Thanks, DD.

It’s Christmas and this morning, I slept at 3am. That’s because I went to attend a Christmas party with DD at his friend’s place. The friend was so helpful. As the girlfriend, or as long as anyone is a woman, she is to buy the gifts for the gift exchange. Men and their ideas of what a woman should be doing. Them and their ideas of women doing the traditional role of housekeeping and looking after babies. Well, that’s if the men can bring home the bacon, ya?

Now, with 10 plus people attending this party, there has to be food. At 11pm. With fried chicken, wanton, salad and pizza. That’s a lot of food when there aren’t so many people attending. No wonder DD is getting, erm, more Buddha like. Now, what’s a party on Christmas Eve without a gift exchange? The drawing of the lots was simple, each gift had a number, you just pick one number from the box and the gift is yours, except not what you have bought.

DD had a cute photo frame with a bear holding a heart. I had Crabtree and Evelyn’s body and shower gel. I’m so tired. Waking up at 10.30am doesn’t help and I noticed that I’m having too many dark rings and wrinkles under my eyes. I’m old! And I am Legend doesn’t feel like a good movie to watch despite what DK claimed. I guess the only interesting and exciting parts are those shown in the trailer.

With Christmas coming, the blogsphere won’t be complete without a Christmas-y meme, would it? I’m here writing the meme because I’m stuck at home with medicine infested blood besides being tagged by Modobs. I was so looking forward to joining the girls at the Christmas gift exchange too!

1. What do you really want for Christmas but you know nobody will get it for you?

Something shiny but then again, that shiny thing would be more suitable for Valentine’s day.

2. What do you not want for Christmas but you know that somebody will get it for you?

The heavy rain on Christmas.

3. When do you open your gifts (Christmas eve or Christmas morning)?

Erm, immediately. Unless it’s during a gift exchange, it’s after everyone has collected theirs.

4. Do you prefer gifts wrapped or in gift bags?

Wrapped. I like to keep the wrapping papers but these days, there is too liberal use of the scotch tape.

5. Did you re-gift anything this year?

No. I do it only if I hate that gift.

6. What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

I have one? Wait! I like Alvin and The Chipmunks


7. What’s your favourite Christmas TV special?

I forgot what’s often broadcast on TV. Oh, wait, I don’t watch TV much these days. I have movie marathons.

8. Do you like egg nog?

I prefer half-boiled eggs. Or eggs that are salty instead of sweet.

9. Real tree or fake tree, which do you prefer?

Fake trees. I don’t have to hurt the environment just to make the season feel Christmas-y.

10. Would you actually use one of those fireplace DVDs if you don’t have a fireplace?

Why would I waste my money on those?

11. Are you sick of Christmas music yet?

Not yet, but I’m sick as in having flu.

12. Are you getting up early to wait in line to do some Boxing Day shopping (Canada’s equivalent to Black Friday)?

Not even when it’s sales. Why waste my energy when there’s always someone waiting to step on my poor toes?

13. When was the last time you sat on Santa’s lap?

No such luck. My parents don’t believe in making us believe in Santa Claus.

Since a tag must be passed, I shall now tag DK, Kriscell, Lucretius, Xinyun, Nicole, Miss Loi and Sentosa Girl.

Oh, Merry Christmas everyone!

[via Flickr]

This month, I’ve watched more movies with DD than any other months. I’ve watched The Heartbreak Kid, 30 Days of Night, Alvin and The Chipmunks and National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets. All of these within 2 weeks. Whew. With all these shows being watched in the evenings, I’m falling sick. Oh and DK, your dear is sweet. Maybe I should have exposed you

Back from Suntec City. Watched The Golden Compass with DD. Considering the low hype about it, I guess it was worth watching on a weekday. The family crowd as usual with one aunty stepping on my left foot. Yes, that poor left foot that got the big toe nail lost and the little toe nail lost too.

DD was falling asleep at the cinema because there was so little action in the movie. I love the War Bear. He may be scarred faced but he sure is cute and manly. I wonder how on earth can he be both manly and cute at the same time. That golden compass is something else too. I wonder if I can get a working replica. Ok, maybe the replica can’t do the same thing as in the movie but it would be nice to have one that moves
Oh, it’s a chronology. Aye, I’ll be having white hairs when the subsequent movies come out.

I’ve never watched any local plays or musicals before. Maybe it’s because of mindset. Aye, mindset is the main factor that determines whether we watch local-made movies such as Jack Neo’s I Not Stupid, Money No Enough, and his coming soon Just Follow Law. Notice the 3-word movies by him?

When Dim Sum Dollies decided to be part of Little Shop of Horrors, I was thinking who would be interested in watching it with me. I came up with the list of nil. Here’s a review by Jeremy who had watched it. Looks like I’ve saved my money on it though.

Wow, Jack Neo has a spot in Wikipedia. As if it’s something new, maybe it’s been there a long time. I wonder if our local movies, sitcoms and dramas will have a cult following overseas. Then, the little red dot would be easily remembered just by mentioning its name.