Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Play
Did you play Lego when you were young?
I did. Piecing seemingly unrelated blocks together to form a police station, an airport, a castle, a hospital etc etc. When I was older, I played with Jigsaw Puzzle. Piecing pieces together to form a picture of a Water Bearer, an ocean etc. In uni, I played with Gundam, piecing small parts together to form a Gundam model.
After I graduated...
I played with an Aircraft Simulator (well, sort of...). Modifying and writing pieces of codes and join them together to form a software module, then integrating my modules with other software modules from my colleagues to form the software for the Simulator, and finally link the software and the hardware together to form a complete Aircraft Simulator (for others to play).
The best part is, I get paid (a little) for it. Haha!
Hmmm... of course I don't only play with the Aircraft Simulator. I am playing with a hell lot of other things, eg. Pokemon Pearl. I LOVE to play!
When is the last time you play? =)
<<< My fav Pokemon - Psyduck =P Friday, July 18, 2008
Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
I saw this at Shirong's blog. I LOVE it! Maybe you will like it too. =)
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97. Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience...
I will dispense this advice now
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh,
nevermind, you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself
and recall in a way you can't grasp now, how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are NOT as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that
worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by
chewing bubblegum.
The real toubles in life are apt to be things that never
crossed your worried mind;
the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with your's.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're
ahead, sometimes you're behind.
The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives;
some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll divorce at 40.
Maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either - your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can... don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it... it's the greatest instrument
you'll ever own.
Dance... even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines they will only make you feel UGLY.
CHORUS
Brother and sister together we'll make it through.
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there.
I know you've been hurting, but I've been waiting to be there for you.
And I'll be there just helping you out whenever I can.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they might be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they're your best link to your
past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should
hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the
older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths. Prices will rise,
Politicians will philander, you too will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse;
but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly
parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
CHORUS
Everybody's free. Everybody's free.
If I could offer you one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience...
I will dispense this advice now
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh,
nevermind, you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself
and recall in a way you can't grasp now, how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are NOT as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that
worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by
chewing bubblegum.
The real toubles in life are apt to be things that never
crossed your worried mind;
the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with your's.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're
ahead, sometimes you're behind.
The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives;
some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll divorce at 40.
Maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either - your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can... don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it... it's the greatest instrument
you'll ever own.
Dance... even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines they will only make you feel UGLY.
CHORUS
Brother and sister together we'll make it through.
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there.
I know you've been hurting, but I've been waiting to be there for you.
And I'll be there just helping you out whenever I can.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they might be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they're your best link to your
past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should
hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the
older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths. Prices will rise,
Politicians will philander, you too will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse;
but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly
parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
CHORUS
Everybody's free. Everybody's free.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If you love it, and you are a Star War fan, you HAVE to listen to...
"Everybody Free to Be a Jedi Is" (hahahahaha!)
(Right click and save as if it doesn't play when you click on it.)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Movie reviews
RED CLIFF (Warning: Spoilers)
The Good
- Tony Leung and Takeshi (Woo!)
- The Ba Gua Zhen fighting scene
- Whenever Tony Leung and Takeshi appears
- Humourous lines
The Not So Good
-Zhaoyun's heroic saving Liu Bei's child scene.
(Why is it not so good?
1. The Zhaoyun looks too old.
2. It has little to do with the Battle of Red Cliff - not to the point, making the film unnecessarily long.
3. The scene has been depicted much better in Three Kingdom - Resurrection of Dragon by Andy Lau.)
- Zhangfei fight enemy soldiers alone and weaponless in Ba Gua Zhen scene.
(Why is it not so good?
1. It is one thing to fight through the enemies alone when one is behind the enemy line, eg. Zhaoyun save A-Dou. But it is another thing for one to fight through the enemies alone when the enemies is behind one's line. And it was the pinnacle of stupidity for one to fight empty-handed in this kind of situation, no matter how 'invincible' the person is. What is the director trying to show???
I suspect John Woo played too much Dynasty Warrior...
2. Zhangfei was famous for wielding the Snake Spear. Why the hell did he want to fight empty handed?)
- The 10 mins Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang playing gu zhen scene.
(Why is it not so good?
1. I personally love most kinds of art form, including Chinese Music.
(In fact, the next time if I have a chance to write a script for a play, I planned to have a scene in which the actor will write a very meaningful poem about The Importance of Having Peace in Life in Chinese Calligraphy before live audience for a full 30 minutes.)
However, it just happens that I am not prepared to appreciate chinese music for that long in an action war film, after work.
2. The Zhou Yu here seems too nice to Zhuge Liang compared to what is depicted in the novel. There is nothing wrong... I am just not too used to it. Haha!)
- Lord of the Rings' never-ending army scene
(Why is it not so good?
1. Erm... it is not bad la... but it is not good either... Ever since Lord of the Rings, every single films and even TV shows with an army in it will use the same computer graphics to achieve the never-ending effect. It shows serious lack of creativity... and makes it looks like Chinese version of Lord of the Rings.
I understand that John Woo is trying hard to make it an epic la... But he tried too hard.)
- After an agonising 2.5 hours, only 2,000 out of Cao Cao's 800,000 men was defeated - that was less than 0.3% of Cao Cao's army!
(Why is it not so good?
1. It is a little unproportional for a 2-episode movie. One may wonder maybe they should just watch the 2nd episode. Afterall it is where 99.7% of the action is.
2. I felt cheated. Haha!)
Conclusion
We can obviously seen from the movie that the director originally meant Red Cliff to be a Block Buster Lord-of-the-Ring-like Epic movie with lots of big casts. However, perhaps due to budget constraint, or perhaps due to alot of big stars fly aeroplane, in the end only Tony Leung and Takeshi were left.
And the story is scripted in such a way that a lot of the plot were focus on secondary actors - Zhaoyun, Guanyu, Zhangfei, Liu Bei (who are those actors anw???), Xiaoqiao and Sun Shang Xiang (WTH has Sun Shang Xiang gotta do with Red Cliff?????). As a result, Tony Leung and Takeshi cannot really shine in the movie.
As a Block Buster Epic film, Red Cliff, having so many Not-So-Good points, has failed completely. Instead it became a 'B' grade movie that is a tad too longwinded. Even though it is still an average 'B' grade movie, I am very disappointed that it isn't the 'A' grade Epic that it should have been.
...Perhaps those big stars quit after reading the script?
Hancock (no spoilers)
In stark contrast compared to Red Cliff, Hancock is only 1.5 hours long. I went to watch with ZERO knowledge of it and its plot except that it was acted by Will Smith, one of my favourite actors. What I got was one surprise after another. Halfway through, the plot twisted in such a way that leave me absolutely flabbagasted. Though the ending is a Ten-Years-Series cliche ending, I left the cinema satisfied and happy.
Hmmm for those who don't know anything about Hancock's story (like me last time), if you want to know, I shall give a one sentence sypnosis that will reveal the first surprise (at least for me) below. Read on if you want to know:
Hancock (Will Smith) is a powerful superhero that had saved lifes and done a lot of good deeds. However, THE PUBLIC HATES HIM. Why? What will he becomes? Where did he come from?
Very highly recommended. An 'A' grade action movie.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Comics, Animaes and Games.
Currently reading... YU-GI-OH!
Currently playing... YU-GI-OH too!
It may seems childish, but when a story contains elements of 'Card Game', 'Technology', 'Magic' and a very smart main character... with dark side somemore... I will become a sucker for it. Finally found something for my PSP to do, and also some excitement in my otherwise uneventful life. Haha!
I am an addict for intellectual stimulations... *sniff sniff* What is next after Yu-Gi-Oh? Hmmm... Pokemon?? I love cute animals too. Haha! Going to exchange my PSP for DS soon!
Btw if you love intellectual stimulation... and a story containing elements of 'What Future is Like' (realistically), 'Action', 'Solution to World Peace', 'Prediction', 'Philosophy', 'Cool Graphics', watch Gundam 00! Very strongly recommended! It captured the essence of the classic story, The Foundation by Issac Asimov; applied it to modern fuel shortage and polical problems; then adapted it to classic Gundam's 'STOP ALL WARS' theme; and lastly give it the coolest graphics I have ever seen in animation series. One of the few futuristic intellectual animations with depth besides Ghost in the Shell.
Gundam 00.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
199 or 179 faster?
If you want to go Boon Lay Interchange from Canteen A, which bus, 199 or 179, will reach there first?
Being Hall 11 resident for 4 years, the number of times I went home from Canteen A can be calculate with 2 hands. Hence pardon me for my ignorance despite being an ex-NTU student. I guess most of NTU students also don't give this matter much thought though. However, now that with no exams and homework in my mind when I'm going home, I had a little extra mental capacity to do a little experiment with my colleagues.
Basically how we did the experiment is very simple. The two buses coincidentally arrived at the same time. So the 2 groups of us each boarded the 2 different buses and sent a sms to each other the moment we reached the interchange.
Anwz here is the result:
179 is faster... by 3 minutes.
So, given that frequency of 179 is higher than 199, you should normally take 179. However, if you are good at running, you can station at the overhead bridge and rush to board whichever bus that arrive first, since both 179 and 199 take about the same time to reach the interchange.
~ Another friendly NTU survival tip from fengyanfengyu.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Drivers I dislike
I always get very bad tempered when I drive. Cos I always encounter drivers whom I dislike alot. Basically they are divided into 2 types:
A) They drive at below 80 km/h on the Center Lane (lane 2) on a Three-Lane 90km/h Speed Limit Expressway, maintain a 100-cars-length safety distance, and are in front of me (need not be directly in front).
B) They drive at below 90 km/h on the Overtaking Lane (lane 1) on a Three-Lane 90km/h Speed Limit Expressway, maintain a 100-cars-length safety distance, and are in front of me (need not be directly in front).
Type A drivers, for goodness sake, don't think you are safer just because you drive slooowwww. Not only you are slowing down the entire traffic, actually it is also very dangerous when you drive slow in the middle of the road.
You may be rammed by irritated drivers behind you.
Type B drivers, please try to understand what is the meaning of 'Overtaking' as in 'Overtaking Lane'. If you don't, please check dictionary. Don't try to occupy moral high ground by forcibly making all the drivers behind you drive at below speed limit.
You may be rammed by irritated drivers behind you, too.
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