CNY 2012

Lunar New Year 2012 came and went. It has been great this year and the ambience is so much better than Christmas.

I was already in the holiday mood when last Wednesday came around. I went to cut my hair and the following day, did manicure in the purple and blue which turned out really cool. Red and pink are so yesterday. That evening, the family went to the Chong Pang area to do some last minute new year shopping and to soak in the festive atmosphere.

On Friday, originally we wanted to go to our usual haunt, Far East Flora but the queue was too long and thus, we went to Ang Mo Kio instead.

We had our reunion dinner at my uncle's house a day before the eve. It was the usual steamboat dinner but I did enjoy it as this is the only time throughout the year in which we get steamboat. Having steamboat at home beats having it outside because it is very casual and everything tastes so much better and superior.

This left us free on Sunday. We went to Far East Flora around 5pm so it was not as crowded. I managed to buy some beautiful cut flowers and my mother got 2 pots of plants. Afterwards, we headed over to Marina Square to meet the relatives.

It was a very smooth journey as most shops will be closed by then and most families will be having their reunion dinner. For the first time, the carpark at Marina Square was so empty and we can park wherever we like. It's fun seeing almost all shutters down.

We ate some snacks at KFC and thankfully, the drizzle ended and we walked over to River Hongbao where all the festivities are. I used to have an aversion going to that place because I remembered it being wet, congested with lots of people and generally being unpleasant. Therefore, it was a surprise to many of us when we arrived as it was so much more organised and roomy now. We even get to walk on the floating platform!

It was the usual visiting on Monday and Tuesday. On more exciting news, we went to Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday evening to watch the laser show at the waterfront and had dinner at Bazin. There was nothing special about the show as I have seen better ones at Sentosa in the past. Bazin is located at the waterfront and it is really cool with all the breeze and palm trees around. It's almost like we are on a vacation overseas. Too bad, reality is that day was the end of the celebrations.

Happy Eclipse Day!

Happy Eclipse Day!

This came in just a tad late. It was on July 1st 2010 that the movie opened with a bang.

I fretted over about not getting to book seats one week in advance and my father was kind enough to help me book since he went home early on Wednesday. On another note, Golden Village has really bad customer service, I emailed them and did not get a reply.

Wednesdays are a bane in this semester, classes just have to end early on this day.

Anyway, I got the seats I wanted, I guessed I was not surprised that on Wednesday night, only a small portion of the theater was filled. However, by the next day afternoon, the theater was almost full.

I did not finish re-reading Eclipse despite going home early on Thursday. But, I tried to absorb as much as I could. Then, it was time to go off.

The review will come in later.

Dawn of an Eclipse

I can't attend last night Eclipse premier at Los Angeles. I can't attend the grand opening of the Wizarding World at Orlando. I'll be darned if I can't even booked good seats for Eclipse the movie for Thursday.

Sighs. Golden Village better step up on its act. I only go to Golden Village for my movie outings yet it never fails to disappoint me each time. Everytime I want to book tickets for a movie event of the year, I'll have to wait forever to book.

This time round, it leaves on the edge of seat for something to fall. In the midst of waiting impatiently, I emailed Golden Village with a simple question. And they replied saying that only certain cinemas will have advance booking sales. I emailed again, this time asking a straightforward question that can either make or break my days.

I sure hope that Marina can have advance booking. Please, I beg of you. I really want this. Perhaps I have a mild form of OCD but when it comes to something I love enough, I will make a fuss to make sure things goes well.

All I want is to book nice seats as soon as possible for Thursday's showing of Eclipse. Is that so freaking hard?

C'mon, Golden Village, get it right.

Fun Saturday

22nd of May was fun.


The family went out again. This time to Suntec City as my brothers wanted to buy toys. Despite apprehension about the upcoming Event Management test on an early Monday morning, I still enjoyed myself.


We ate at Crystal Jade Restaurant and while my brothers went to Toys R Us, we went to G2000. It is near the period for the Great Singapore Sales and everywhere are offering discounted items.


I bought an office blouse since one of mine was torn.


We then went to Lee Hwa Jewellery as my mother wanted to buy a pendant for my Aunt's birthday. She ended up buying a purple gold pendant herself. It was on a special rate and she bought it.

Wow! It is something I wanted since purple gold is made possible. Next time, next time.

We were eligible for the membership and I signed it under my name. I have 2 membership cards now. One from TianPo Jewellery and the other is Lee Hwa.

After which, we walked over to Marina Square to drink at Coffee Club. I ordered the usual, Strawberry Passion Tea Freeze. I am going to try the various dairy-free smoothies next time round.
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Celebrating 19 Years

On 8th of May, Saturday, the family and I went to The Cafe Cartel at Marina Square. It was alright, I suppose. Nothing too special about it. I still prefer Swensens.

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Originally, I wanted to shop and had ice-cream or something, but because it's the exam season for my brothers, we had to get home for them to revise their work.

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See? For 10 years I have suffered on 10th May since my birthday always falls on exam season. To view it in another way, it means I can have extra good luck eh?

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Anyway, I hope that this week, my parents will be in a good enough mood for us to go out for ice-cream. I really want to go shopping at Esprit as I get to enjoy 20% off right now. It's a chance to get clothes at a discounted price.

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It's Mothers' Day on the 9th of May and since we celebrated it last week, this week we were supposed to bring 2 dishes from each family.

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My Aunt cooked chili crayfish, cockles and scallops. We bought black-pepper ribs and chicken. My other Aunt bought sushi. And not forgetting, a cake to celebrate my birthday and Mothers' Day.

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It was a divine chocolate cake! It's really smooth! I wanted to go for Awfully Chocolate but seeing that it requires ordering at least 3 days in advance and I'm lazy to do so, I'll have to pass. My Aunt bought this cake from Choc-A-Bloc which was just as lovely. It's completely a chocolate inside and out.
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At least things picked up on Sunday.
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So, I'm officially 19 now. Not much change is there? Age is nothing but a number. It doesn't mean everything changes when you turn one year older. Perhaps, though, you start to feel weary and wish for something extraordinary in your life.
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PS: a shout-out to those who wished me happy birthday! I truly appreciate it!
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Books & Buildings

Look at this lovely new book cover! I just went Woah! when I saw it. Clearly, it's Artane with that lovely strand of beach. Sigh.

Maybe, just maybe I may buy it for fun? Because this is not a new book at all, it contains 2 stories in one which I have already read before.

Yesterday, I made a trip down to Orchard with my brother to try my luck on getting my hands on One Enchanted Evening.

I knew Borders would not have it but I went to check it anyway. We bought drinks from Coffee Club and walked down to Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City.

I was to make a reservation for the book. I didn't know know exactly what the person told me. She said that because it was the first time in print and just came out in the States, they don't know if their suppliers are getting the book or not. And they will contact me about it. But, it will take about 4 to 6 weeks for it to arrive.

What I am worried about is that I won't know it if they contact me on my phone. Last time, they called me twice and I didn't pick up because I was working. It was by sheer luck that I went down to check and found that my books had arrived.

I suppose I can recognise the number though. In my estimation, it won't take more than 2 weeks for the new book to arrive in Singapore. However, that goes my hope for ever getting it in time for my birthday.

See? That's why I lament living in a place far away from the happenings of the world, particularly USA. When there are good things going on, we're the "last" to receive it. If we ever want to learn more, we have to fly halfway across the world to get it with the air ticket being freaking expensive.

Yes, I know, there are advantages and disadvantages living in different countries.

Don't get me wrong. I do love Singapore. It's just that we are so backward in certain aspects, like entertainment. We may be ahead and con-current with world news but when it comes to entertainment matters, no way.

We can see it but we can't touch it. And it hurts.

After that, we took the Circle Line for the first time since its recent opening to Marina Bay. Boy, did we walk a long way from Promenade Station to Marina Square.

Met up with the rest of family at Dian Xiao Er for an early celebration of Mothers' Day.

Then, we walked down to The Helix. It's rather beautiful. Steel beams interweaving each other to form an overhead. As usual, there were lots of people all wanting to get a first look at the newly erected Marina Bay Sands.

It's just too bad that we didn't manage to get into the building since the narrow walkway was chock full of people and we ended up getting stuck. We did a U-turn and went back.

Ahh well, when everything officially open at June, we will go back.

We were all sweaty and tired. Actually, we wanted to have a drink at Coffee Club but there were no seats for us. We then went to Starbucks at Suntec City.

Went home afterwards and watched a few snippets of Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King. Even though I have watch it many times, I still can't get enough of the movie.

How To Train Your Dragon movie review

Ahhhhhh! I just love, love How to Train Your Dragon!

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It's a heartwarming and touching tale about the friendship of a boy (Hiccup) and a dragon (Toothless). With a side tale of acceptance from one's family and friends and a coming-of-age story. Dreamworks really outdone themselves this time round with this wonderful tale.

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The animations are done beautifully and the flying scenes are exceptionally well-done. It may remind viewers of the scenes in Avatar. The Vikings and dragons are drawn and portray in such gorgeous tones! The cinematography here is just Wow.

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The soundtrack is especially amazing! It incorporates the use of bagpipes and drums and has a Celtic charm to it. Kudos to John Powell!

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I may be parroting what reviews have said about the movie but the fact is that this movie is great for everyone. So what if the theater is full of children, I'm almost an adult and love the film. I'm sure many people who have watch the movie feel the same.

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What's too bad is that I didn't manage to watch it in 3D. Oh my! I can't help but keep harping on it. Viewers has already said again and again that the 3D experience makes it more worthwhile. I don't doubt it because without 3D, the movie is already wonderful. There is no chance of me watching it in 3D.

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On Good Friday, my family decided to watch How to Train your Dragon at Marina Square. It's just too bad that there's no timing for the 3D version. My brother had tuition in the morning until 10.30am and the 3D was at 10.45am.

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I ended up booking the 11.50am show. Since it is a animated movie, the theater saw many young children with their parents. I don't see anything wrong with going to a movie whose main audiences are young children. I thoroughly enjoy myself.

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The storyline is deep. The characters are believable. The scenes are beautiful. The soundtrack is amazing. What's there not to like?

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My cousin's family was too at Marina, watching Clash of the Titans 3D.

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I figured out the reason behind the no show of How to Train your Dragon in 3D despite it opening only a week in Singapore. First, it should be the lack of 3D glasses available. Second, perhaps the screens?

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Clash of the Titans just opened on Thursday, it's a no-brainer that the 3D slots will be reserved for it.

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Originally, we wanted to book a bowling alley at 4pm, after they came out from their movie. But, the bowling place do not allow specific timing booking. It's on a first come first serve basis. So, in the end, we didn't play.

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Went to Somerset @ 313. Finally, I had my MaggieMoo ice-cream! It's been so long since I wanted to try it. It's pretty nice but the portion is quite big. The others ate at SuperDog.

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After much deciding on the place for dinner, we didn't came up with anything that justified. Therefore, we parted our ways.

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What a non-climax way to end our day.

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What I did not regret was watching How to Train Your Dragon. I'm so going to get it on DVD! Now, if only there's a way to watch in 3D...

CNY Part 2

15th February 2010:

Hooray! Today was the day we were to watch Percy Jackson and The Lighting Thief in the evening. I booked the seats about 3 days ago. And when I checked it today, the whole theatre was already 4/5th full.

I can hardly wait for the movie showing, because I had waited for it for a very long time. Probably since I was in Sec 3 when I first read the book.
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In the morning, we went to my maternal big aunt’s house to visit before proceeding to my paternal great-uncle’s (grandfather’s brother) house. The family usually go there on the first day but this year, we wanted a change and it is so much more fun if we meet up with my uncle and auntie’s families.
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In truth, we had so much fun there. The teenagers and the adults. So much of loud talking and laughing! So many goodies to enjoy! Well, it’s a good thing I am able to understand dialect so I know what they are talking about.
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After that, the family went to my maternal second aunt’s house at Ang Mo Kio. Stayed for a while and we went to bathe before going to Marina Square.
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Woohoo! We were lucky enough to find a carpark lot since the carpark was full of cars looking for spaces.
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Ate at Long John Silver and my father went to collect the pre-booked tickets. After reserving seats for a few times, I can’t stand having to queue for tickets for the seats which I am not pleased about. Guess with the ease of reserving your favourite and best seats online, I have pampered myself. Anyway, it’s not like it is not a good deal. I just have to pay $1 extra for one transaction. So, the more seats I booked, the less that dollar is proportioned.

13 tickets again! When I have the picture, I will put it up.
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I booked 2 rows on the right side. One for the adults and one for the teenagers. This time, we were not late for the trailers.
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I enjoyed the movie very, very much. Perhaps, it was due to I went in with no expectations on my part. I mean, it had been a long time since I read the book and I do not complete the series. So, practically, I can’t compare it page by page.
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I think I know what other fans meant when they say that to enjoy a movie adaptation, one have to go in with low or no expectations and be open-minded. Obviously, it is easier said than done.
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If that book is beloved, normal fans can hardly stand it when it got plummeted and made into something without containing the essence of the book.
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Kudos to Chris Columbus! Is it an irony that he too directed Harry Potter SS and CoS? I don’t like how people compared these 2 book series. Sure, there are some similarities. However, to quote Chris Columbus, fantasy books often have similarities. I think as long as authors are not outright copying other authors’ work, it is alright.
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Percy Jackson is about Greek myths and gods in the 21st century. I distinctly remembered that I felt that it was a breath of fresh air reading about the books because it was just so original. Zeus and the other gods and goddesses holding their counsel in the Empire State building? Wow, that is so cool!
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Also, it must have kick-start my passion and interest for Greek Mythology. I went online and searched more on the wide range of Greek Myths and stories of gods and goddesses. Or was it the other way round? I had an interest in myths and tales before Sec 3 and finding Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan was something special.
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Either way, I did not complete the series because it was a long wait for me and I moved on to other genres. However, after watching this movie, my interest perks again. This time, I will complete the series. It still remain to be seen if I will buy the books or to borrow it.
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Meanwhile, moving on to the actors and the cinematography of the film.
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Logan Lerman who played Percy Jackson is set to be the rising star to come. He portrayed the character very well indeed. It doesn’t help that he is good looking as well. The adult secondary cast were all chosen well, a trait that Chris Columbus takes with him from his HP days.
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The CGI and special effects were brilliant! The backgrounds were very well-done!
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Overall, I love the movie despite the understanding that it differs quite a lot from the book. As I said, I went in there with no expectations and I enjoyed it. It wasn’t really my top favourite book series so I can accept some changes.
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I can’t wait for the sequel which I heard is due in 2012.
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16th January 2010:
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The last day of the Lunar New Year holidays before everything goes back to normal. I'll miss these days.
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In the morning, my brothers had to do their school work and in the afternoon, we joined my cousin’s family and the grandparents at Wheelock Place’s Sakae Sushi for lunch. My aunt came along too. One table for the adults and another for the teenagers.
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There weren’t many plates of sushi going round because I think the chefs were not all back or something. Anyway, we had fun, eating and chatting away. Lots of plates of sushi and sashimi were ordered at the adults’ table.
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We went for a walk at Ion Orchard. Boy, was there crowded. But, it seemed like everyone was just aimlessly walking up and down, as if there was nothing to do. Well, who are we to say others, right? We were walking aimlessly too.
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Went for coffee at TCC opposite. I didn’t really like TCC so I didn’t order anything. There was no space for us in the air-conditioned area so we were made to sit outside. It will be good if the weather eased up a little. It is no secret that one of my wishes is to enjoy a cuppa at an outdoor pavilion with gentle breeze or cooler air about, obviously in an overseas setting.
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We parted our ways at about 4 plus. I then went on to Borders to find some books but I didn’t buy any because I forgot the author’s name and the books I wanted weren’t available. Anyway, I plan to go down to Orchard next week.
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And so, the long weekend ended without much fanfare.
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This Lunar New Year had been tremendously great and fun. I enjoyed myself very much. Spending it with the family and close relatives, what more could we wished for? I just want this to last for many years to come.
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These past days had me sleeping very, very late, sometimes at 1am in the morning.
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Furthermore, I am disappointed again by Mediacorp. What!? No full coverage of Vancouver Winter Games 2010? It is my favourite Olympics games! The sports are far better and superior than the Summer games, at least in my opinion.
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It’s time to ease up and rewind myself. Against my better judgement, I signed myself up for 4 days of work per week. Originally, I was going to say that I’ll be only working for 3 days. I need the time for myself, alright?
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Holidays are for me to relax and just chill. I’m not someone with no life who work all day long. For goodness sake, I even feel guilty about spending my hard-earn money! What logic is that?
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Well, well, I’m that person now, aren’t I?
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But, I am determined to water-paint and make my countdown clock soon. Of course, not forgetting my beloved books waiting to be read.
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Adieu for now