Limit-Ed Edition

The Amazing Spider-Man 2012

2011-07-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

He's back with better looks

One of the major highlights of recent Comic-Con convention is the premiere of the trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man.

This Marc Webb‘s reboot of Spider-Man franchise stars Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), Rhys Ifans (Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard), Martin Sheen (Ben Parker), Sally Field (Mary Parker) , Irrfan Khan (Nels Van Adder / Proto-Goblin) and Denis Leary (George Stacy), the film will hit theaters on July 3, 2012.

Striking a pose Spidey

Check out this teaser trailer from the Comic-con

Will be looking forward for this movie, better to keep my expectation level not too high if I ought to enjoy this movie later...hehehe

Transformers Dark of The Moon: Ed's Review

2011-07-05T21:32:00.001-07:00

The awaited third installment of Transformers: Dark of the Moon came with a very high expectation, realizing that Micheal Bay did so terribly with the second one last time. I'm on one hand is very enthusiastic with the appearance of Sentinel Prime with this sequel. Although the storyline in a raw deem to be interesting, unnecessary plots and weak cinematography dented the whole movie to become the greatest Transformers movie of all time.

Sentinel Prime...Good guy turns BAD!!

This time Sam Witwicky embarks on a mission to save earth once again with the help from fellow Autobots from a new threat, Sentinel Prime who is also happens to be Optimus Prime's predecessor. Years ago, he travelled across the universe in a mission to save Cybertron but crash landed on the dark side of the moon. Accordingly, NASA realized this and the actual Mission to the Moon by Neil Armstrong was originally to excavate the crashed spaceship. They hid this knowledge until today. It is very interesting to associate real historical events in this fictional storyline.

Sentinel Prime happens to be the main antagonist in this movie where he was actually on his way to earth to rendezvous with Megatron to discuss the future of Cybertron in the expense of destroying earth. I have to say the timeline is very very confusing. Megatron did arrive to earth but crashed landed in the arctic and was in cryogenic state. Funnily when he was resurrected in the first movie, he was too busy with the whole conquering the earth idea that he totally forgot about his date with Sentinel. Hell, he did even have time to find Fallen before Sentinel. I guess Sentinel just got stood up by Megatron. Hehe.

Ever since the first movie, it is frustrating to know that Megatron keeps on plotting his move against earth but under the instruction of even higher/superior characters ie. Fallen and Sentinel Prime. As the leader of Decepticon, he is highly incapable of doing things by himself. Even worse, he portray himself as a begger in Dark of the Moon and even listens to a girl for an advice. How lame is that?

It is also the end of the line for certain characters like Ironhide who died of some rusty substance shot by Sentinel Prime, while Starscream in the hand of Que's (he might be Wheeljack) gadgets. Guess won't be seeing them anymore. :(

Dark of the Moon welcomes the like of Shockwave, Soundwave and Laserbeak in the Decepticon and none of the new Autobots I could recognize. Like Epps said in the movies " Why do the Decepticons have such badass shit?". With Ironhide killed, the Autobots list of memorable characters is getting short. Sigh.

Laserbeak... Bigger than the original cassette...hehehe

Shockwave...the 'Main' antagonist... stole the limelight from Megatron

Not sure who this is...but he is COOL

All and all, this movie is a OK movie for me based on my high expectation. My guess, that is what happens if the director is not really a full fledged Transformers die hard fan. There was lacking of heart and I cannot see any bonding between humans and the robots like I did in the first Transformer movie. Maybe its time to consider leaving the human part and concentrate solely on the war between Autobots and Decepticons.

Prediction based on this movie: Megatron is dead, so presumably it is high time for Galvatron to make his debut. But then they would have to introduce Unicron and the imminent introduction of Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime. It would be nice to see Wreck-Gar chanting the universal greet "bawit grana wink minibob"...hehehe. Which reminds me, remember that tune in the cartoon Transformers the movie by Stan Bush - The Touch? Now that is a Transformers tune. (Kinda bored of listening to Linkin Park's Transformers soundtrack)

Opps...skidded out of the rail for a while back there. My verdict: 2.5/5 stars. Was actually shaking my head in disappointment during and after the movie. Sorry Michael Bay, this time really wasn't good enough for me...

(For those who love metal clinking and massive destruction, might wanna go see this movie in 3D, otherwise just go see the normal one as I have very little good word for this one)

Green Lantern : Ed's Review

2011-06-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

It took me to watch this movie twice before I write this review. Watched it the first time at the GSC Maxx in Berjaya Time Square and the second one in TGV CapSquare.

The Green Lantern Corps

Here goes with the review...

Green Lantern is one of many comic superheroes by DC. In recent years, only Batman and Superman made it big time.

Below is the synopsis of the movie, credit from Wikipedia.

Millions of years before the Earth was formed, a group of beings called the Guardians of the Universe used the green essence of willpower to create an intergalactic police force called the Green Lantern Corps. They split the universe into 3,600 sectors, with one Green Lantern per sector. One such Green Lantern, Abin Sur of Sector 2814, defeated the fear-essence being Parallax and imprisoned him in the Lost Sector (Sector 666) on the ruined planet Ryut. However, in the present day, Parallax escapes from his prison. Six months later, after killing four Green Lanterns and destroying two planets, Parallax attacks Sector 2814 and mortally wounds Abin Sur, who escapes and crash-lands on Earth. The dying Abin Sur commands his ring to find a worthy successor on the planet.

Ferris Aircraft test pilot Hal Jordan is chosen by the ring and transported to the crash site, where Abin Sur appoints him a Green Lantern. At home, accidentally charging the ring, Jordan is whisked away to the Green Lantern Corps home planet of Oa, where he meets and trains with Tomar-Re and Kilowog. He encounters Corps leader Sinestro, who is not pleased that a human - which is primitive compared to other species - has become a Green Lantern. With Sinestro seeing him as unfit and fearful, Jordan quits and returns to Earth, keeping the power ring and battery. Meanwhile, after being summoned by his father, Senator Robert Hammond, to a secret government facility, scientist Hector Hammond performs an autopsy on Abin Sur's body. A piece of Parallax's DNA inside the corpse injects itself inside him, mutating the scientist and giving him telepathy and telekinetic powers, at the cost of his sanity. After discovering that he was only chosen due to his father's connections, Hammond resentfully attempts to kill his father by telekinetically sabotaging his helicopter at a party. However, Jordan uses his ring to save the senator and the party guests - including his childhood sweetheart, Ferris manager and fellow test pilot Carol Ferris, who later recognizes Jordan under the suit and mask. Shortly afterward, Jordan encounters Hammond, who succeeds in his second attempt to kill his father by burning him alive. Both Jordan and Hammond realize Parallax is on his way to Earth.

Back on Oa, the Guardians tell Sinestro that Parallax was originally one of them, Krona, until he desired to control the yellow essence of fear, ultimately becoming the embodiment of fear itself. Believing the only means to fight fear is by fear itself, Sinestro requests for the Guardians to forge a ring of the same yellow power, preparing to concede Earth's destruction to Parallax in order to protect Oa. However, Jordan appears and tells Sinestro not to use the yellow ring and for the Corps to help him protect his planet from Parallax's imminent invasion. They deny his request, but allow Jordan to return and protect his home planet.

Upon returning to Earth, Jordan saves Ferris from Hammond injecting her with Parallax's DNA. Parallax arrives, consuming Hector's life force for failing to kill Jordan, and then wreaking havoc on Coast City. Jordan wards Parallax away from Earth and toward the Sun - using the Sun's gravity to pull and disintegrate the entity. He loses consciousness after the battle, but is saved by Sinestro, Kilowog and Tomar-Re before the entire Green Lantern Corps congratulate him for his bravery. Jordan tells Ferris he now bears the responsibility of protecting his sector as a Green Lantern.

During the end credits, Sinestro takes the yellow ring and puts it on.

That basically wraps the whole movie. But as usual, I have my point of view and questions about the movie:

Nice outfit. Ryan Reynolds behind the mask looks very much like Hritrik Roshan in Krrish.
I thought the Green Lantern Corps supposed to help each other when in need, but it seems that they only know to gather and beam their rings up in the air. LOL.
A questionable scene is when Hal Jordan came to seek the Green Lantern council's help, instead he ended asking for permission to save his planet from Parallax. Well, he came all the way from Earth to Oa just to ask for consent. Funnily, Parallax seems to take his own sweet time to get to earth. Possible explanation: Parallax found a R&R planet and made a pitstop. :)
Earth didn't have a warning system when Parallax is invading Earth. Possible explanation: Radar can't detect non solid form of alien (Parallax looks like a pile of cloud anyway)
Fighting scene didn't hit a climax level. Super villain Parallax seems too easy to defeat especially by a single Green Lantern. Was really hoping that the whole corps would come and help but they only came just to pull Hal from being pull into the sun. Whats the use of having a corps when they can't even help. Possible explanation: The plot is trying to prove that human is not that weak of a species as compared to the rest of them.
The Green Lantern and Parallax fight was quite brief but they ended close to the sun in a matter of minutes. Talk about a speed of light...or is it Earth that close to the sun that the weather very hot nowadays?...huhuhu.

Parallax - The bigger they are, the harder they fall

All and all, it was not as bad as the critics said it is. I think Ryan Reynolds is the best candidate to play the role. The scene after the end credit is very intriguing and indicate a sequel is in plan.

Final verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. (Yeah I know..I'm generous ;D )

The Green Hornet Review

2011-01-30T04:56:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since my last movie. This time around, nothing else interest me other than The Green Hornet 3D and the venue is the GSC Maxx which used to be iMax in Berjaya Times Square. Nothing like watching movies with your BFF... :D

Did you know that The Green Hornet is originated from a radio program from as early as 1936? Famous with it's 'Flight of the Bumblebee' theme song, The Green Hornet is about the adventures of Britt Reid, debonair newspaper publisher by day, crime-fighting masked hero at night.

Playboy Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) becomes the new publisher of Los Angeles' "The Daily Sentinel" after the sudden death of his father. Britt's party life is about to change when he and his driver and kung fu expert, Kato (Jay Chou), stop a robbery. With the help of Kato, Britt starts a new career of fighting crime as the masked superhero "The Green Hornet".

Thats about wrap things up about the movie....as usual, I won't give out spoilers for those who haven't watch it yet...but here are some few pointers.

Is it worth watching? Yes...but not in 3D. Not much actions to be impressed with. Nothing to wow about like watching Avatar in 3D. I think Step Up 3D has more special 3D effects than the Green Hornet. Hiks.

About the characters, I think Britt Reid has been portrayed much like Inspector Gadget, a silly superhero who always need to be rescued by his sidekick every now and then. Annoying at times whether it was intended or not. No offense to Jay Chou, I hardly understand his English at times. Especially when he talks a little bit fast. Every superhero need a good looking girlfriend, but I feel Cameron Diaz doesn't seem to fit the bill very well.

All and all, to me The Green Hornet is not a bad of a movie...but not as good as we would expect it to be...

Ed's rate : 2.5/5 Stars

Site Visit : Fortress of Solitude

2011-01-22T02:41:00.000-08:00

It has been a weekly affair for me to go and monitor the progress of my Fortress of Solitude. There has been a minor tweak to the original design to cater my needs to materialize my Modern Minimalist concept. There are certain existing feature which I feel needs modification hence optimizing space.

These are some of the modifications made...

The Flimsy Metal Bannister

The change...(without the wooden handle)

Original Kitchen with a Wall divider

Got rid of the divider to expand the size of my kitchen
& install the kitchen counter in front

Extended area - Laundry room

So far I am very satisfied with the progress of the whole renovation. ;)

Chinese New Year Worry

2011-01-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

I read about Chinese Zodiac and came across this article which says...
ROOSTER

Born In Year :
1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993

Characteristics :
The Rooster is practical, resourceful and unusually observant with an analytical mind. They are also straightforward, trusting and honest. Roosters are also usually perfectionist.

Compatible with :
OX and SNAKE.

So far so good...now lets see what's in for the roosters in 2011...

Wealth :
Roosters might suffer from a financial loss this year so do not spend excessively. Balance your income and expenditure. Manage your money well so think twice before making any purchases. Put any extra money into an emergency fund. Do not lend money to others this year and it is also not recommended to make any investments this year. Do not gamble.

Health :
As your health is not at its best this year, you may face major stress this year. It is important to be positive, cheerful and calm while facing problems. You might also suffer from insomnia. Take some time off to meditate to relieve stress. Seek medical attention immediately when ill and get as much rest as you can.

Career :
The overall luck for career for Roosters is bad. There might be arguments and bad mood due to poor human relation in the office. To counter this, interact more with your colleagues to enhance your interpersonal relationship and avoid gossip. Keep calm and remain patient while solving issues. Seeking opinions and views from family and friends can also help reduce some stress!

Love :
Due to frequent mood swings, Roosters' relationship will suffer this year. Both parties must lean to be patient with each other. Understand and care for each other to maintain the relationship. For those who are married, the marriage is prone to intrusion from a third party. Keep calm and think things thoroughly before voicing out to avoid this from happening. For those single Roosters out there, choose your partner wisely and get to know him/her better before getting together.

Now 2011 suddenly doesn't sound so good at all...

I'm just gonna take a look at one COMPATIBLE ZODIAC for ROOSTER sign prediction for 2011...

THE SNAKE

Born in Year :
1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001

Characteristics :
The Snake is seductive, gregarious, introverted, generous and charming. They are also good with money, analytical and smart. Snakes also rely on gut feelings and are hard-working people.

Compatible with:
ROOSTERS and OX

Whats in 2011 for SNAKES?

Wealth :
It is a bad year financially for Snakes. Be mindful of people that might want to create downfall for you. Be careful when doing business and avoid making business deals to avoid property disputes. Keep your valuables in sight to avoid theft. Avoid splurging unnecessary and gambling.

Health :
You might feel lethargic and stgressed due to many uncertainties in your fortune, work, wealth and love, therefore you should take some time out to relax and unwind with your family. Travel to relax and exchange your emotions. Avoid cold food and refrain from attending funerals.

Career :
You will also face obstacles at work this year. It is also a bad time to work overseas or to change jobs. But on the bright side, though there may be some problems at your current job, it should not be too difficult to resolve them so stay positive and be patient. You should also be patient and work on communicating with colleagues and bosses.

Love :
Due to Snake's numerous mood swings, your partner might find it hard to endure. This will result in frequent arguments so couples should learn to be more patient to solve this problem. Unmarried couples might be affected by third party inference so keep strong to avoid unwanted problems.

BooHoo... So far the RABBIT year doesn't seem to offer other Zodiac sign like ROOSTER, OX and SNAKE to shine and prosper during their time.

But then again, all this is just a prediction. If it has similarity with current events, it might just be a coincidence and should not be taken seriously. Just read for the fun of it...hiks. Until then, take care now bye bye then...

Paragon 202 progress : my Fortress of Solitude

2011-01-17T04:39:00.000-08:00

I have been busy every weekend visiting and monitoring my future house in Puchong which is currently undergoing some minor renovation of expanding the kitchen.

For this renovation, Ah Shing whose workpiece at my parents & big bro's house has convinced me to choose him once again for my house.

Ever since I signed the S&P document in December 2009, I have been buying and borrowing interior design magazines to gather some ideas as how my future house would look like. With all the reference at my expense, I have it all visualized in my head. I just need Ah Shing to materialize it for me. Our initial discussion at site was indeed very promising.

He then forwarded my ideas to a graphic designer to visualize how it would look like when its done.

Here are what the graphic designer came up with....

Graphic Designer's impression of my Idea

My kitchen is not this big...but he/she got exactly what I meant

Can't wait for it to finish which will be expected during the Chinese New Year.

A Blessing In Disguise

2010-09-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Assalamualaikum,

Something happened to me recently that made me ponder how life would sometimes be very unfair to us. Not after hopes have been given and crushed in a blink of an eye. I was denied something that was rightfully mine after all the hard work I've done.

It took me a while to calm myself down and pick myself up from the frustration. Honestly, I was very fortunate to have family and friends around me to listen to my rambling and at the same time gave me good advice as I was rather being and thinking irrationally for a certain period of time.

Among the advice was in a form of a story which the morale was that every bad thing that happens to us might just be a blessing in disguise. Here goes with my rendition of my Mama's story....

A proud king once lived happily in his kingdom accompanied by his trustworthy advisor who is a very noble and a pious Muslim. The proud king's favorite activity is hunting in the jungle.

One day the King and his men decided to go for a hunting session in the jungle when in an unfortunate event happened which causes the King to lose a finger where he accidentally cut it with his hunting own knife. Wounded and in pain, he turn to his advisor who attended the King's wound with some bandage to stop the bleeding. Then to the King's surprise, the advisor recited "Syukur Alhamdulillah". Angry at his advisor's reaction, the King immediately imprisoned his advisor for life.

Few months later, the healed King was off and running again to go out for yet another hunting session with his men. After going deep into the jungle, they found themselves captured by a cannibalistic tribe who intend to cook them for dinner and serve as some sort of sacrificial presentation for their ancestor's spirit.

The tribe's leader made all the necessary preparation for the sacrifice ceremony. He then made a final inspection on their 'dinner' when he realized that their 'food' was missing a finger. Fortunately enough for the King, the cannibal tribe only will present a 'perfect' and 'complete' food for their ancestors. Due to this criteria, the King was released back into the jungle and he immediately ran back to his kingdom.

Upon arriving he instantly went to the prison to meet his old advisor to tell him that he was relieved and understood why he said syukur the last time he had an accident. Have he not lost a finger on that day, he might already lose his life today. The advisor was released and again expresses syukur and thanks to the king for imprisoning him. Puzzled, the king asked the advisor why show gratitude over his doing.

The advisor said "If you had not imprisoned me, I would have been taken as a replacement for the sacrifice by the cannibal tribe"...

Morale of the story...shit happens and it happens for a reason way beyond our comprehension. I have to believe it is for the greater good.

I have look at it from a better perspective. I get to be here and spend good quality time with family and loved one's instead of going all the way there with a person I do not favor at all. LOL.

Until then, take care now. Bye bye then

Despicable Me : Not so despicable

2010-07-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend presented me an opportunity to review two movies I watched with Abg Hard; Despicable Me and Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Since I am not well versed in the Twilight Saga history, I am just going to write my review on the Universal Picture's latest animation, Despicable Me and leave the Twilight Saga: Eclipse review to Abg Hard.

More often than not, villains are given the main role in a movie animation. This story is about a villain named Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is being overshadowed by a new and younger villain, Vector who made the news headline by stealing the Pyramid. Desperate to restore his stature as one of the greatest villain, together with Dr. Nefario and an army of cute yellow minions, he then plots the biggest heist in the history of the world; by stealing the moon.

Gru being nice at the beginning of the movie

Gru in action

Vector stealing the Shrink Ray Gun

Cute yellow Minions getting ready to rumble!!

His big plans to steal the moon met a stumbling block when Mr. Perkins at the Bank of Evil won’t give him a loan unless he can provide the shrink ray needed. Gru steals the shrink ray, but before he can present it to Mr. Perkins, Vector steals it from him. In trying to steal it back, Gru gets the idea to adopt three little girls (Margo, Edith and Agnes) to help him so that he can continue with his moon-stealing scheme.

Margo, Agnes and Edith in action at the theme park

We decided to watch the non-3D version of the movie because there was rumour that not much difference between the two version. However, there are certain part of the movie which I think is very interesting if experienced using the 3D glasses. Scenes like when they had the roller coaster ride at the theme park would be very intriguing and real-like experience in 3D.

One of the scene I think would be nicer in 3D

All and all, Despicable Me is a great family movie. Kids enjoy it, and parents won’t be disappointed. The movie doesn’t dumb itself down to be at a children’s level, but just tells a great story while remaining inoffensive and mostly non-violent.

p.s: Another movie involving villain as the main character is coming soon...MEGAMIND!!!

Minor Addition to Blackie....

2010-07-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Salam,

It's time for Blackie to have his first service at MOFAZ Service Center in Damansara. The same place where I bought him. I'd also made appointment to fix the loose rear bumper body-kit and install two new additional accessories; sports visor and an armrest or center console unit.

Leather finishing

The best part about the arm rest is that it's also comes with a leather finishing complimenting the car's leather seat. It's also very easy to install as the design fits perfectly into the existing fixture without having to drill or poke a screw into it. Just peel of the super strong double sided tape and slot it in.

Compartments for coins and some CD's perhaps...

A hidden cup holder for rear passenger

Loving my Swift now...hehehe.

Blackie is Gone...Long Live Blackie...

2010-07-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I've decided to part with my 8 year companion, my trusted sidekick and wonderful ride, Proton Satria WKJ9278. I was sincerely tired of commuting from home to office in a massive traffic jam in parts of MRR2 everyday from Monday to Friday using a manual transmission car. Feet aches every time I get home and I decided to do something about this. It's time for me to get an automatic transmission car.

So long my trusted companion

Main feature in my search for a new ride:

Automatic Transmission (Main feature)
Compact Car (easy to move around in KL)
Not a local brand car (no offense, it's just one of those silly criteria)
Has higher horsepower than my previous Satria 1.3 cc and at least 1.5 cc (due to mileage claim from government officers)
Needs minor modification to make it look sporty (even better if they come with custom body kit and leather seat)
Fuel efficient car (never know when the government decide to hike the fuel price again)

Options available in the market based on the above criteria:

Honda City 1.5 (had a ride on it but didn't quite like it...somehow it lacks that previous Honda model feel)
Toyota VIOS 1.5 (that TRD package looks interesting...but the rear design puts me down)
Naza/Kia Forte 1.6 (design is nice...but somehow looks flimsy and fragile)
Suzuki Swift 1.5 (always liked the design but Mama don't)
Perodua MyVI 1.3 SE (when all else fail...this will be my last resort)

Upon trying to make my decision, funny how I kept on stumbling into Suzuki Swift car dealers. Brought home the brochures from these several dealers just to compare the prizes and packages. And finally I landed at MOFAZ somewhere in Damansara where I saw a line of Suzuki Swift at the side of the road...as if waiting for me to take one home that day...hehehe. As one of a big company, they were able to offer me something extra as compared to other Swift dealer....and I was instantly hooked with the 2.8 low interest rate for this particular model.

I had to undergo some gruesome interview from the credit company before my loan was approved. This is due to my high commitment financially after I bought a house in Lestari Perdana in Puchong.

Voila...the old Blackie replaced by a new Blackie...

The new Blackie....

WUA1981

May we enjoy years of wonderful ahead together....hehe.

Sri Mersing : The Theater

2010-03-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

The magnificent Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur

I was given the opportunity to watch my first ever theater in Malaysia's very own prestigious Istana Budaya. I never quite imagine myself attending such event cause I'm not into it so much before. Persuaded by none other than Abg Hard, I agreed to tag along with him to a bangsawan play entitled Sri Mersing. No one would ever believe that a person like me would attend a theater show let alone watching a bangsawan play. But hey, never say never and sometimes there is always the first time for anything...I believe in that.

Sri Mersing Promotion Poster

Here are the synopsis provided by Istana Budaya's portal site:

Damak’s son, Merah, stops by at Mersing on his way home to Pahang after learning in Penyengat Island, Riau Archipelago. He tries to find answers as to why his father forbids him from going to Mersing. All that he knows is that his father had a relationship with a girl named Sri Mersing. His arrival was greeted warmly by Sri Mersing and her daughter, Sri Melati. However, no villagers sided with Bentayan, Mersing Headman’s son. Sri Mersing retold the story of Merah’s father, Damak who went on a journey to Mersing with his wife and brother, Deli. Damak was an honest and sincere man. Damak fought with Awang Sulung in order to rescue Sri Mersing from being kidnapped. Even though, Awang lost, he spread rumors that forced Damak out of the village. Sri Mersing’s father, Pak Malau knew that Awang was the reason of Sri’s disappearance. Pak Malau tried to persuade Damak and his family from leaving the village but to no avail. Merah received the same fate as his father. Merah’s presence in Sri Mersing was making the important people in Mersing uneasy but the villagers were hopeful that a sweeping change would befell Mersing since they knew Merah was a pious man. Alas, Merah decided that it was best for him to return to Pahang and serve his own state. The plot of the story of Merah’s arrival and the original story of Sri Mersing moves somewhat parallel but towards the end they are both the same where both Damak and Merah ultimately return to Pahang. This pamphlet of Sri Mersing will show the Malay lifestyle in the past and the classic story of Sri Mersing itself.

It was an amazing experience for me and I thought that the show was really good and well presented except for time line confusion...they keep on going back and forth of time without any narration...really have to put the pieces together to understand.

Kudos to the performers for the night. They successfully change the way I perceive theater performances. Definitely better than watching theater on television. The way they portray various emotions and living up to their characters was something that I look up to.

I can cancel that line on the list of things I never done yet...
~~Watching Theater~~...hehe

It was a two and a half hour show and never once during the show that I was ever distracted or even got bored. I guess that basically tells the whole story and my evaluation of the play, don't it? The show started from 12th to 21st March 2010. So today is the last day of the play, and for those who are thinking of going, better rush to Istana Budaya and grab your tickets.

Among the casts of Sri Mersing play are (Damak) ADI PUTRA, (Sri Mersing) ELLY MAZLEIN, (Pak Malau) A. GALAK, (Awang Sulong) YUS RAJA LAWAK, (Merah) HAIRI ANAK WAYANG, (Sri Melati) LEEZ ROSLI (AF), (Bentayan) RUSDI RAMLI, (Siantan) MELISA SAILA, (Tambak) JEP (SEPAH), (Jalak Lenteng) SHUIB (SEPAH), (Pak Sireh) DATO’ MUSTAPHA MAAROF, (Sri Mersing Semasa) DATIN HJH.ROSNANI JAMIL, (Penghulu) ABU BAKAR JUAH, (Mak Dara) AZIZAH MAHZAN, (Penghulu Lancang Kuning) OSMAN JUPRI, (Siti Payung) MARDIANA BT ALWI and (Deli) MUTALIF ABU BAKAR.

Under The Mountain : My Review

2010-03-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

I understood this movie is a remake of an early 80's television series based in New Zealand. Under the Mountain was an eight-part television series based on the novel of the same name written by Maurice Gee and produced by Television New Zealand and first transmitted in 1981.

In this movie version, two teenage twin siblings, Rachel and Theo, on a summer vacation in Auckland visiting their aunt and uncle after trying to shake off the tragic death of their beloved mother in an accident. Two seemingly ordinary fraternal twins who lived in a rural New Zealand town. They also shared a telepathic link and could read each other's thoughts. The accident alienated Theo from his twin sister making their telepathic link weak.

Theo, Mr. Jones and Rachel

Theo's fascination towards volcanoes brought him to meet Mr. Jones whom he recognize from a picture in his book about volcanoes. Mr. Jones is apparently the last surviving member of a benevolent alien race. He has the ability to teleport, communicate telepathically and project powerful beams of light from his physical self. He had journeyed to Earth with another member of his race with the intention of finding and stopping the Wilberforces. He previously guided another set of twins in his quest to destroy the Wilberforces to no avail. He has been searching for another set of twins ever since to complete his task.

Still thinking whether to jump into this bowel-like hole on the ground...hmmm

The Twins task was simple, to throw a pair of white rock into one of volcanoes thus destroying the Wilberforces and the Gargantuas (a gigantic that looks like a dung beetle), lying underneath the volcanoes ready to come out and wreck havoc planet earth. In order to do defeat them, Theo must focus on strengthening his psychic bond with Rachel.

Truthfully, here is what I think about the movie... a very good plot but terribly executed. Tom Cameron who played Theo was slightly better actor than a walking stick. But as an anonymous actor, their acting was kinda acceptable and believable in a way. The only recognizable actor from this movie was Sam Neil (Mr. Jones) and I've seen him act better.

But I must give some kind of credit on the scenery of New Zealand in the movie, looks so 'untouched' and breathtaking. Making me more and more determine to someday go there for a holiday. Hiks...

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

It was Sunday, and was a day I attended a wedding reception at Bandar Klang with Abg Hard.

Wrapped the gift bought the previous day after Matta fair visit.

Matta fair handband ticket....could blog bout this later.
Was a fruitful visit...hehehe

Then left straight to Mid Valley Megamall to watch Alice in Wonderland. Missed an important junction, and end up in a traffic jam in Bangsar. Got the correct junction second time around, fortunately enough for us, we didn't take long to get a parking spot.

Got ourselves a Gold Class tickets (the only Alice in Wonderland tickets available at that time) and soon wandered somewhere else to find some light meal as we both agreed that we didn't have enough at the wedding reception. We had a seat at Delicious restaurant and ordered a traditional English fish and chips and a mushroom-like chicken puff. So much for a light meal, we ended up with a full stomach before rushing back to the cinema.

the mouthwatering meal...yummy

Here is my review version of Alice in Wonderland....

Batman Returns,

Superman Returns, and now...

Alice Returns to Wonderland....

...and the adventure begins

But before that, Alice is 19 year old young lady and Wonderland is just a dream that have been haunting her for years. With a marriage proposal to consider, Alice suddenly found herself again distracted by a white rabbit with a waistcoat and she soon chased after it only to fall into a hole at the trunk of an old tree which then led her to a strange room. It was the same old routine she had to undergo the last time she accidentally found a place proclaimed as Wonderland.

the whole main characters in the story

Upon meeting the rest of the Wonderland's characters (White Rabbit, Dormouse, Dodo bird and my favourite the Tweedles), they soon discovered that she was destined to return to Wonderland to slay a creature name Jabbedwocky as written on a piece of scroll. They doubted whether they got the real "Alice" back and consulted Absolom who then provoked her that she's not that "Alice" yet.

Along the way and with a help from Absolom's explanation, she then transformed herself into that warrior as prophesied in the scroll. Alice in a shining armour, she was ready to do battle with the Jabberwocky. After reciting 6 little impossible things his father would do before breakfast to psych herself up, she finally beheaded the Jabberwocky. The Red Queen was defeated and banished to the Outlands. The Mad Hatter then performed a funky dance called Fudderwupping. Entertaining indeed.

With a sip of the Jabberwocky purple blood, Alice soon return to reality only to decline the marriage proposal from Hamish. She then ended up with an idea to expand his-supposed-to-be father in law's business as far as China and rode a boat named Wonder...how symbolic. Hehe

am smiling like the Cheshire cat nowadays...

Defying Gravity

2010-03-08T03:28:00.000-08:00

Defying Gravity Kurt a.k.a Chris Colfer solo version

Defying Gravity Rachel a.k.a Lea Michele solo version

Defying Gravity Rachel & Kurt duet version

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I am defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!

I'm through accepting limits
''cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you won't bring me down!
bring me down!
ohh ohhh ohhhh!

p.s: Vote for your best version...I already chose one...lets just hear bout yours...

Why Some Things Are Better Left Untranslated

2010-03-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

I was browsing for top song titles for last week family day's charades and used Wikipedia to look for Anugerah Juara Lagu winners...and they normally will translate the findings to english...here's the list.

Year	Title	English translation
1986	Sekadar di Pinggiran	“Just at the Edge”
1987	Menaruh Harapan	“Pinning on Hope”
1988	Kau Kunci Cintaku di Dalam Hatimu	“You locked my Love in Your Heart”
1989	Isabella
1990	Janji Manismu	“Your Sweet Promises”
1991	Takdir Dan Waktu	“Fate and Time”
1992	Pada Syurga Di Wajahmu	“Your Heavenly Face”
1993	Teratai Layu Di Tasik Madu	“Dying Lotus in the Honey Lake”
1994	Tanya Sama Itu Hud Hud	“Ask the Woodpecker”
1995	Cinta Beralih Arah	“Love Turns Away”
1996	Jerat Percintaan	“Love Trap”
1997	Ghazal Untuk Rabiah	“Ghazal for Rabiah”
1998	Cindai	“Scarf”
1999	Andalusia
2000	Balqis	“Queen of Sheba”
2001	Mimpi Laila	“Laila's Dream”
2002	Keliru	“Confused”
2003	Bunga-bunga Cinta	“Flowers of Love”
2004	Rela Ku Pujuk	“I'm Willing to Entice”
2005	Gemilang	“Glory”
2006	Terlalu Istimewa	“Too Special”
2007	Itu Kamu	“That's You”
2008	Lagu Untukmu	“Song For You”
2009	Pergi	“Go”

hehe....pretty funny and yet believable for some of those title....my favourite, Dying Lotus in Honey Lake...sounds yummy... ok...suddenly I'm hungry...

Family Day : Camar Laut, Bagan Lalang

2010-02-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

Friday evening...

It was the weekend, my office mates and I have been planning for the past few months...I must say that we went through some speed bumps along the way. After the initial plan of doing it at Tiara Beach Resort in Port Dickson was canceled, we found ourselves a nice place in Bagan Lalang managed by Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia named Camar Laut. The price for the facilities and food here are kinda reasonable and suits the need for everyone in my department.

In front of my comfortable chalet...

All of us planned to meet up there after the Friday prayers. Since it was my first time visiting there and was not familiar with the route, I did some prior research using Google Map. Picked up Abang Hard in Seri Petaling who I invited to join (as a game consultant and bodyguard...hehe) and we were soon on our way. Unfortunately, I still manage to miss that important junction which lead directly to Bagan Lalang. It was a minor setback. Thanks to my iPhone Google Map, we were back on the right track once again and arrive soon later.

The place was serene and peaceful. I was happy to be in such place. Its just plain simple and nice.

We started that evening at 5.30 pm with the making of the kite and try to make it fly competition. We brought all the materials from home. The ultimate rule was to build a kite using newspaper. Any extra decorations are according to their own creativity. I formed a team consist of myself, Zabil and Abg Hard. It was the most perfect kite I have ever made and the most difficult to fly...hehe. Funnily, none of us was able to fly their kite. Hehe... I guess we're not that good at making kites...LOL.

Diligently making our kite...

This is ~~not~~ our kite....hehehe

Freestyling...

Later that evening, a BBQ dinner and Prize Exchanging session was on the schedule. Due to a last minute change by my Head of Sector, we suddenly have a Karaoke session in line. The original plan was to have a game called Charades. For those who are not familiar, it is a game of describing certain clue by using only sign language. After a morning of researching for potential clues, I was disappointed to know that this game might not take place. Fortunately enough for me, the Karaoke session didn't receive an overwhelming attention due to the lack of songs selection (the CD box only contains oldies...hehehe) and I quickly suggested to the emcee to proceed with the charades game to save the night...and it did. We had a blast laughing at the teams attempt to answer the given clue. Credit to Abg Hard for helping me with this particular game. The night ended with the thought of more games to come the next morning. Being the mastermind of the game, the thought of failure was haunting me that night. But on the other hand, I have faith that everything will go through smoothly.

BBQ time...looks like someone is anxious to eat...hehehe

Best bud forever...

Zabil giving it a go with Ekamatra song...rock on!!!

Hosting the Charade game...was really fun....

Later that night, Abg Hard and I went down the beach if any fun activities there that worth looking at before going to bed. I was surprise to see that there are many people camping out along the beach and making campfire. It reminded me of my school days.

Saturday morning...

Zabil and I agreed to have early breakfast so that we can set up and choose the best spot at the beach for out telematch games that morning. Upon choosing the nearest spot the chalet, I noticed that the weather and sea level was on our side. We quickly set up the place while the emcee (Faizal) conducted an early warming up. Soon, it was my turn to give a brief explanation about the game that was about to commence. Did some demonstration to give extra understanding before blowing the whistle. They were divided into three teams of 10 members who were then given the most spontaneous name according to the pail which was given to them; Team Baldi Purple, Team Baldi Hitam and Team Baldi Merah. To tell you the truth, I have never seen my office colleagues act like the way they did at the beach. It was pure satisfaction.

First to be at the beach

The first telematch was called Filling the water bottle. The game consist of two stages. In stage one, half of the team members were requested to fill up a 600ml bottle by transferring the water using a sponge from a pail of seawater. When they manage to fill up to a level sufficient enough for the other half of the team to use a big straw and transfer it again to a 1.5l bottle. They were given 10 minute and the water level at the end was used to determine the winner. The winner for this game was Team Baldi Purple, closely followed by team Baldi Hitam and team Baldi Merah.

Intense moments in the Telematch

Getting ready for the second Telematch

The second telematch follow suit. This time, a simpler game of carrying a ping pong ball using a spoon to a station and blow a balloon until it blows. Simple game yet very fun to watch. The winner for this game is yet again Team Baldi Purple, followed by Team Baldi Merah and Team Baldi Hitam.
As soon as the second telematch was over, the Sand Castle building commences. Being a subjective competition, a non-bias judge was quickly appointed (Zabil's wife, Zila and Abg Hard). The results was judged based on practicality and neatness of the castle structure. The results are as follows; 1st : Team Baldi Purple, 2nd : Team Baldi Merah and 3rd : Team Baldi Hitam. I would have given another award for the best presentation to Dr. Azwan of Team Baldi Hitam for his imaginative and creative explanation but there was no more prize left...hehe.

We ended the session before high noon and presented the winners with their respective prizes. Since we had a late sponsors, basically everyone won something in this Family Day. But then again, its not the prizes that matters, its the spirit of togetherness that counts. In my opinion, we had achieved this objective and that makes me happy that everything went according to plan. The bosses even said that the program was a success and hope that the coming events would be more successful than this one. Hehe...yeah right. I made it clear that I won't be the frontman anymore for any future family day because I really want to take part next time. Hehe.

Happy Ending

Anyhow, I had a blast and was grateful that everything went well....had a good team to make it happen and I believed that it was because of the togetherness that made this program a success.

Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief : My Review

2010-02-21T01:43:00.000-08:00

This week's movie choice was the new science fiction Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief. Abg Hard and I felt that we should still take a look at it even though we heard bad reviews from our colleagues. By the way, to me there was no other title worth watching this week other than Percy Jackson.

Here goes nothing with my review...

After halfway through the movie, I definitely felt that the review we heard from our colleagues was the true opposite of what we felt. I guess they are not in favour of the ancient Greek mythology. We both agreed that the storyline was fun and interesting. I won't comment on the CGI thing as I would expect Hollywood movies to maintain their good reputation at it.

The journey began when Percy Jackson, a dyslexic demi-God (offspring of Greek God with mortal human) son of one of the Greek God, Poseidon was accused of stealing the lightning who apparently a powerful weapon owned by another Greek God, Zeus. Having said that, Zeus has requested for the lightning to be returned within 10 days time or war will erupt between the Greek Gods. Percy Jackson, together with his protector; Grover and Annabeth daughter of another Greek God, Athena embarks on a mission to save his mother who was kidnapped by Hades from the underworld.

Percy Jackson son of Poseidon

Grover, the hilarious satyr (half man half goat hybrid)

The infamous Medusa (I just love Uma Thurman)

The trio before the showdown with a three headed (later six headed) hydra

I'm not gonna go too detail on this movie, its just that I felt that the storyline was very good with a little pinch of comedy here and there. All and all, I enjoyed it and will rate it highly if people ask me about it.

The New Beginning

2010-02-16T03:24:00.000-08:00

In life, an end means that a new beginning should follow suit. I finally decided to part with my previous blog which I left for quite some time.

The return of the prodigal blog is a surprise. I remembered deleting ednelz.blogspot.com few years back and never thought of a second encounter would ever be possible. This time I hope it is here to stay.

I love writing blog... it's the only way for me to channel my feelings and at the same time, keeping my writing skills at my fingertips and hope to expand my creativity in expressing myself.

This time around, I am expecting a new adventure is coming my way. I have made my choice and this time I am sticking with it no matter what the consequences are. Wish me luck, joy and happiness.