Happy Birthday Mummy.

I love the date of my mum's birthday. 31st December, it's just so festive and auspicious. I think Val Kilmer's celebrating his today too. =p We're preparing a major feast for the evening and I've taken some time out to make this blogging entry. I would just like to express my gratitude to a person who's been the voice of reason, comfort, guidance and love. I would definitely have not made this far if it weren't for my mum. And she's the only person on earth who can love me unconditionally for who I am; the good and the bad aspects of my being. It's a mad world we live in and sometimes it can get very cruel, I give thanks to God that I have my mother, this voice, this evergreen presence for keeping me sane, whole and to have bestowed upon me a greater purpose in life. Happy Birthday, Mum!!

To Chill On Sunday.

Phew...I'm shacked. The last week has been pretty busy. I hardly had anytime to sit still long enough to do my own thang. And I didn't finish watching Titus which I rented but returned yesterday anyway since I don't want anything overdue on my hands. I'm looking forward to a day to just bum and not do anything at all! I caught Two Weeks Notice yesterday and it's actually quite good. I have few favourites in the Romantic Comedy genre. They tend to be full of cliches and really, really corny. But Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant manage to work a little charm on me. And they're really interesting to watch. I have one film left to watch this Monday called Heaven and that pretty much wraps 2002 and a pretty good movie year. 2003 will be a whole new different ball game ;) Met up with some old friends at a birthday party last night and it was great catching up with 'em. But I'm shacked...so totally tired and I need a break before the new week hits......take care y'all!

X'Mas Cheers!

Now just cuz I'm muslim that doesn't mean I can't join in the fun! ;) I just had X'mas dinner just now at Jo's place with her, her mum and Ady. She prepared this big fat chicken, roasted with some cold pasta and fruit salad. She's a fantastic cook! Thanks Jo! =) Ady gave me a pair of Stich fuzzy slippers!!! To keep my feet warm while I'm in Ausland... =) Jo gave me one of my most fav choc bars from Marks and Spencers which can be a little hard to get. And we played this game on her pc, Jake The Jedi Pimp Master which my kooky friend, Lou once told me about and it sounded interesting so we decided to give it a shot. I tell ya guys, this online game is damned farney!! We were totally laughing our behinds off. We are supposed to be Jake, this horny asshole who's main...and only objective is to get laid! There are many different scenarios and if we manage to seduce a chick, we score(sorry for the bad pun =p) and we win the game. Haha, I recommend that you check it out for some sleazy fun.

Last night, I went for that special LOTR:The Two Towers screening I mentioned about sometime ago. It actually turned out to be the Royal Selangor Two Towers party. With the sequel, they've got some new models of LOTR goblets and yesterday's affair was the launching party. There were people having drinks and food at the veranda next to the GV Grand theatre and it was interesting to see my dad catch up with old friends and we bumped into familiar faces(old buddies of my dad's that is). It's my second time watching The Two Towers and I must say...it gets even better with that next viewing! =) It's an amazing film, I'm so glad this next installment went beyond the achievements of the last movie. Have fun this Christmas! Take care, till the next insanity....
I'll leave you with some pretty nifty trailers...
Bad Boys 2- I'm not really a fan of the first one but this trailer's really funny and I like the dynamics between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. They've got chemistry! =)
The Pianist- I've been looking forward to this Roman Polanski film for ages now and it still hasn't shown any sign of getting here! *wails* Was the winner for the Palm D'or at this year's Cannes film fest some months back and it's been nominated recently for Best Film at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards. Isn't that cue enough for distributors here to get it?? It's precious commodity!! =) About a Jewish German pianist who escapes deportation by living within the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto during WW2. Great trailer.

And so the count down begins....

The count down to the day when i'll be leaving Singapore for Perth that is. Ok, I admit, the count down has begun way before and I'm still half excited and half anxious. And since I'm in an honest mood, I'll admit again that the anxiety is starting to overwhelm the excited aspect of my emotions. I really don't know what it's going to be like when I'm there. Sometimes I feel that I'd be more than fine over there. I mean, I'm not the only Singaporean going overseas to study and to Australia at that. Just this past Friday, it'd be 2 months I have left to spend home before I fly off. And I started to wonder where did all the time go. I mean, it's funny how time has a way of moving faster when you're trying to avoid a certain day. It's not like I'm super busy that it has to pass by in the blink of an eye. I've either just been watching movies, going out, chilling or having driving lessons.

Like today passed by like minutes. Earlier today(Saturday morning), I met up with Bert at the Siglap Starbucks near my place to pass him two of my Harry Potter novels and chat over a cuppa. Btw, thanks Bert for loeaning me the Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters cds. I rented some dvds from the Video Ezy nearby while I was at it. It's like heaven!!! Or my type of heaven anyway... =p And I saw the Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring special extended version box set!!! Going at 80 bucks...sigh. Loaned Lagaan, The Way of The Gun and Titus. I've got a week to hang on to those. Then I went home and chilled. Watched Lagaan which was not bad, I think I understood cricket by the end of that movie...I think. Then I watched 5 episodes from the first season of Sex And The City which I borrowed from Jia. Think I have 7 eps more to go. It's too bad that HBO Singapore doesn't carry Sex And The City. Although it's quite raunchy, it is pretty funny and very, very smart. I like Miranda, one of the protagonist's(Carrie) best friend and a sarcastic, witty attorney. She so damned funny! Sexually empowered Samantha's quite humourous too. Well, I gotta get my HBO original series dosage somehow since TCS 5 stopped airing the fantastic Sopranos and the last episode of Six Feet Under was aired last Tuesday! *sobs* Six Feet Under's amazing. I wanna start hunting for the dvd box set if that's available. And I just caught Temptation Island Australia...two girls were getting it on to try and seduce one guy. How naughty. Anywayz, enjoy the weekend! Till the next madness...

The gals from Sex And The City...

LOTR: The Two Towers totally blew me away!

Heehee, I like Legolas...pretty, pretty lil' elf. =p
Went for the special earlier screening at Lido and man, it was packed. There were 2 fans who dressed up as an elf and an ent. Teehee. I like the original trilogy and more often than not I worry tremendously about the adaptation. Although a couple of details had been changed and some sequences from the original Two Towers plot were "postponed" and to be included in The Return of The King, I still thoroughly enjoyed myself because Peter Jackson kept to the spirit of Tolkien. My heart literally raced whenever the film got to the exciting bits and I was acutely anticipating what I've read to come to life on the big screen. Kudos to the team that brought LOTR:The Two Towers to the movies. They have done an indredible job. And yes, it's even better than Fellowship of The Ring, in my opinion anyway. I'm already scheduled for a second screening. A friend of my dad's is having some Two Towers treat and gathering. I think he's footing the bill for a couple of his friends to watch the film at GV Grand after which drinks and food will be served to invited guests at the verandah next to the cinema. Too much money on his hands I think... =p But it's a nice thing to do for friends. ;) Until the next madness...watch The Two Towers this weekend if you can!!! =D

Family and friend.

Been out with my family a lot lately. Last Sunday I finally caught Die Another Day with my parents in the morning. We got Lido 7 which was the cinema I didn't quite like. Don't really fancy Lidos 5,6 and 7. The audience sit near the ground and the screen's like up in the air and we gotta crane our necks. That's why I don't really fancy Bugis theatres either. Anyway, believe it or not but that screening of Die Another Day we attended was my mum's first movie outing in 9 years! She prefers watching movies at home where she can indulge in the comforts of home at the same time. Anyway, it was really worthy bringing my mum along. One of the things I love about her is that she's very empathic and kind. We watched the trailer for a new Wes Craven horror film called They and the scene of a child being haunted by some monsters opened the sequence, my mum whispered softly enough for me and my dad to hear but not others and she kept pitying the little kid and telling me how scared she was of horror movies and how she didn't want to watch it. During the movie, she totally participated. She laughed at all the jokes no matter how corny they are and was so indignent whenever the baddie got his way and she commented whenever she was excited. She did it all discreetly though, communicating with me and my dad only. She was just like a young girl having fun in the cinema and it totally entertained me. I'm aware that taking during a movie is not cinema etiquette but it's so cool to see my mum having fun since she likes James Bond and Brosnan's her fav 007. I normally wouldn't like anyone talking during a movie but I make exceptions for my lovely mummy. =p

Die Another Day...what can I say...hey it ryhmes! =p It's still a huge cliche and stereotypical(read: Sexist!!!). The movie is like a script of corny one liners. But I guess I like the gadgets enough and I do fancy John Cleese and Dame Judi Dench. Halle Berry kicks ass. So at least it wasn't totally a lost cause. Oh..and I like the opening sequence with Madonna grooving the movie's theme. Pretty cool. We then had lunch at Tanglin Club which was nearby. Had seafood linguini in herb tomato sauce. Yumz! But it was a cold rainy morning, so my nose was terribly blocked and I couldn't taste a single thing. Bleah! =p

Yesterday I went to town with my lovely friend, Jo cuz she feels like shopping!!! We totally walked the whole of orchard...well almost...well, the spots that really matter anyway. =p She was the one who was supposed to get stuff and she did..and so did I. Arrggh! Now I'm officially broke... but it was a nice top that I got. hehe. I went out with my family again today sans my dad who was working. We went to Ikea in the morn again and then headed to The American Club where we had a really, really huge lunch. Still full from just now so I'm skipping dinner. I had the club burger which was called the empire state burger, with some nachos which we shared and a strawberry milkshake. Talk about pigging out yah... Was supposed to get some waffles from the Gelare cafe near my home just now also...but too full lah..and it started raining anyway. =)

I'm gonna catch the earlier screening of LOTR:The Two Towers tomorrow evening!! Woohooooo!!! Shaping up to be quite a nice week. Hope you all are doing good as well. Till the next insanity...

Those Zany Koreans.

Went to catch Volcano High this morning cuz I've been hearing loads of good things about it for a while now. Movie geeks in the West swear by it and a cult following has started there as well. So decided to check it out. Koreans do have a sense of humour as proven by their other movies but more often than not, there's a tendency to get really corny and that pretty much sums up the effect of Volcano High. Zany but corny. I managed a couple of laughs and the characters can get endearingly funny but the screwball jokes saturate the senses...and mine dwindled a little after some time. Interestingly enough, Volcano High is a Korean high school set in the near future where most of the student body are strong, powered wuxia experts who battle one another and the teachers to obtain a sacred document known as The Manuscript. With this, a person is given the ultimate power to bring peace among them but of course there're the bad eggs who insist on spoiling this ideal and want to gain the power for their own evil ambition. Not a bad way to spend my morning really...but it's not going to be one of my fav movies.

With Volcano High, I caught the trailer to Dreamworks' remake of The Ring...which was the first teaser that didn't really do the film's concept justice. But I wasn't pleased when I first read that Dreamworks was a planning a remake. I'm a firm believer of leaving good older films on its own and not tempering with it anymore. But I'm watching it for Naomi Watts anyway! =p And I caught the trailer to another Japanese horror film, Uzumaki. I saw the poster about a few weeks ago and it totally caught my eye. It was weird and scary, like a visionary mixture from Tim Burton and Hideo Nakata. Anyway, the trailer is just like that...strange and creepy...like a dark version of Alice In Wonderland. I think the Japanese film makers really know their horror...Ringu was well made and I did like Dark Water and there's another trailer I caught from a creepy Jap film called Ju-On. Hope they get here before I leave for Perth. Think it might be harder for me to gain access to Asian films when I'm there. *grumble*

LOTR:TTT opens officially next week!!! Wooohoooooo!

Went to Ikea with my mum, my sis and her family today. I met up with them there after my movie. Really crowded even though it's a Thursday. Running low on dough. I've been spending quite a bit on my sis and my nieces lately. Been treating them. It's strange to realize how much I really miss them only now when they've returned. I spend a lot of my time hanging out with them and I do it everyday, just being around them. Funny how I didn't feel this way even while they were in Brisbane. Heh. The human psyche...or maybe it's just me. =p Till the next madness....

The Weeks Go By Like Minutes.

Time seems to lapse faster now that I have to grudgingly leave Singapore soon to pursue my degree studies...

Haven't been going out much lately since Hari Raya weekend just passed and been occupied lately what with the celebration and my sis and her family making their nest here. My two nieces; Edriana, 5 and Sabrina, 2 being more than a handful, make everyday eventful as well. =p I haven't even been to the movies in a while, the last one being Treasure Planet about a week ago. Gotta wait to watch Die Another Day since my parents are the true Bond junkies. I had such a traumatizing experience today. My aunt(from my mum's side of the family) came to visit today for Hari Raya respects. She comes about once a year and that's probably how much I see her. And it's not like I talk to her...much if not at all. She came with her two teenaged kids, my cousins whom I've been close to when I was a child but not anymore. I can hardly remember the last time I communicated with them. The thing is my mum and my grandma has a lot of tension in their relationship, my mum still keeps in contact with her but I choose not to a long time ago because she did my family a lot of wrong and I refuse to consort with that kind of a person...or that person she used to be at least. So consequently I lost contact with my aunt and her family since they live and are close to my grandma. Anyway, they live in Tampines and today I had to meet Ady and Louanna at Tampines Mall. It just so happened that I was about to leave the house the same time they need to go home and so my aunt suggested she give me a lift to my destination. I had to meet my friends at 4:45 and she offered the lift at 4:05 and I politely declined saying that I would be early if I were to accept the lift then. Then she did the worst possible thing...

She said she and her family can wait till 4:30 so that I get to meet up with my friends in time with the lift she insisted on me. My mum heartily agrees like it was the most natural thing to throw her daughter into a tight space with a group of the people she hardly knows and doesn't even feel comfortable starting a conversation with. I whispered harshly under my breadth how I was totally against the idea and my mum was staunch with her decision, saying how it wasn't nice to say no to relatives and how if I refused to get a ride, they'd think I wannabe posh or something. So grudgingly and horridly I waited till 4:30 and we left the house, the awkward 5 of us including me of course. The car ride was torture. I appreciate that my aunt is nice enough to want to give me a lift but seriously, the interior of the car was filled to the brim with a suffocating silence, thick enough to play whacko with! My aunt attempted to make small talk with me but I can only offer answers with few, strained words. It's not that I didn't want to talk...it was the fact that I couldn't think of anything to say...I felt that disoriented. Not even a nervous joke or a little comment. I thank my aunt for trying her very best. I know for a fact that if I hadn't been in that vehicle, they would be talking amongst one another...but I was the conversation killer that put a stake in the heart of familiar comfort! It was all about me and unfortunately so in this case! The silence, the discomfort, the awkwardness, the whole mad universe of that car tuned themselves around me. Totally my fault for a bad car ride. Anyway, I was so grateful when we reached my destination. I "salaamed" my aunt, said my thanks and almost bounded out of the vehicle. I waved goodbye and totally high-tailed outta there! It was awkward to say the least and I so totally hope I won't haveta go thru that ordeal again. If I wanna mend relationships with people, I'd rather start small and slow and not jump into the nearest car with them.

Selamat Hari Raya Ramadhaan Mubarak.

Selamat Hari Raya Puasa to all fellow muslims and everybody(people of the world!!! =)). Maaf zahir dan batin, do forgive for all past transgression as we look forward to a new year. It is indeed a time to reflect and be grateful for all the blessings God has bestowed upon us. It is also a time to....PAR-TAY! I can already feel the extra 20 pounds I'm gonna pack over this Hari Raya weekend. Been occupied these days, not just with preparations for today but my elder sis and her family has returned from Brisbane for good. They've moved in and will be staying with the parents while I'm away which is a great thing so the house won't be too silent anymore and also the kids(my nieces) can keep my mum and dad busy. This morning I did the religious custom of asking my parents for forgiveness and as usual my mum and my sis got all emotional and started flooding! hehe. I usually don't and we all don't need tears to show our sincerity. Anywayz...I got cash in packets! Woohoo! It'll all go to my education fund so no fancy new thing for me... =p

There'll be a party later on, a house warming to celebrate the occassion. There's plenty of food, drink and treats! Eileen, Jiayi and Deena are coming over. I wanted to invite more friends but I didn't want to add to the already thick crowd cuz my mum's really tired since she's been working so hard all the while and she's not feeling well to boot. But no worries, my house'll still be open to friends who wanna drop by and have some malay treats and just hang out and catch up. hehe. I caught Treasure Planet a few days ago and it's pretty good. So there's something nice to catch over the weekend if u haven't already. I'd have to wait for my parents to catch Die Another Day though, since they're such Bond junkies. ugh. =p So you all have a good weekend! Until the next madness...toodles!

Stay-In Monday.

I'd just like to know from fellow users of blogger.com, are you guys experiencing difficulty with the archives section? I've been trying to republish the various months but I keep on getting an error and a message that blogger's in the midst of working on it. Anyhoo, it's a stay-in for me today considering I've been out all weekend and will be out again for the next 2 days. I actually baked this morning the minute I got up. I figured it's the latest day I got till before Hari Raya this Friday and I'm gonna be occupied for the next few days anyway. Oatmel Chocolate Chip cookies, my speciality...and the only thing I know how to bake. =p muahaha. Tried to read Goblet of Fire today but got very distracted by my new Compaq Presario 1508AP notebook!!! =p Needed to explore it a bit more, checking out the media functions and I also watched Read My Lips on it which I bought on dvd from Tower Records @ Suntec yesterday. I felt like kicking myself cuz I promised not to spend more dough since I've splurged more than 73 bucks in the last month on books and magazines. But I've been waiting for Read My Lips for close to 6 months and I guess I went a little crazy when I spotted the Celebrating French Cinema dvd series which I heard about. As soon as I get my Dec allowance, I'm gonna head down to a dvd retail and get me a few more titles. =p And I almost bought this novel I had wanted to read some time back but never gotten around to getting it, Tawni O' Dell's Back Roads. I came close to buying it cuz it was on sale and priced at only 5 bucks!!! Was really. really, really tempted but I thought about the scores of books I already have at home to finish up and I resolved to just walk away. I was so proud of myself! Eileen was with me and I withstood her taunts to try and influence me to spend more money! =p Better luck next time Eileen! muahahaha....
today, shamelessly plugging...

White Oleander- Jo had actually leant me the novel some years back but I took such a long time reading it that she asked for it back first to lend another person who wants to urgently read it. Teehee. The trailer's really fascinating and promises a successful adaptation. Not to mention, I luv Michelle Pfeiffer!
Final Destination 2- I really, really like Final Destination! It wasn't the xeroxed horror, teeny-boppy movie that was mass produced like bad records. It really was something off-beat and very well done. I hope this one will be just as good or even better but I know better than to hope too much. =p