Sunday, July 27, 2008,
Dinner Dates & Reviews
I have returned... to this miserable place once again. Unfortunately.
Well, its time to pull up my ankle socks as high as they can.. and prepare myself for the new semester that lurks ahead. (well.. its just tmrw actually.. lol)
The flight back was "normal'.. and when I say "normal".. i mean it sucked (Qantas mah) as it usually is. I want to sit the A380~!! lol~
So anyway, abit on the events that occurred in the past 2 weeks since my last post.
Firstly, I got sick. Yay.. zZ. A rather rare occurrence. Flu.
Feeling almost 100% already anyway.. so its fine.
Had 2 more dinner outings with my mates before I toOk off.
One at "Rice Table" located within the International Building near Shaw. It was not bad. Indonesian food. At the start, they will serve you all the dishes they have (in small portions of course), and then u can order those u like after.. as many as you want.
Oh, its buffet style.. so no worries.
Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics of the actual foOd itself.. coz I was toO hungry and just went at it. lol~
~ Alfred was supposed to be the only one *smiling*, thus we all intentionally stoned. ~.. Unfortunately, he failed to deliver yet again.. =\
~ Now this is more like it! =D ~.. Unfortunately.. there he is not smiling again.. @!%#?? lol~
~ L-R: "Lao Er" , "Lao San" xD ~
~ Our "LAO DA!!" (left) ~Second dinner was on the last day of my internship.
Had it at Ministry of Food (MOF) @ Marina Square. It was Jap style and it's desserts are the main attraction (as recommended by willy.. which i agree).
This time, we did not take any group pics.. but just foody ones.
*yuM~
~ Tan-Tan Ramen ~
~ The Best dessert @ MOF ~~ Exquisite fried sweet potatoe balls with Jap Ice-cream, drizzled with some nice.. stuff. ~
~ Stan's dessert ~
~ Tecky's dessert ~
~ willy's dessert ~Now for some Movie Reviews.
The only two movies I caught in Sg (yes, its quite unbelievable that I only saw a measly TWO)
- The Dark Knight and Red Cliff -
Both of which are EXCELLENT movies. I'll just lay it down now and say both are worthy of 4.5 out of 5 stars!
!WARNING: SPOILERS IMMINENT!
The Dark Knight was simply "wow-some" and was absolutely entertaining from the start all through its 2.5 hr long plot.
Christian Bale was as suave as usual.
Morgan Freeman's presence speaks for itself.
Aaron Eckhart portrayed both the 'White Knight' and Two-Face equally well.
Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon.
Michael Caine added the refreshing bits to the movie through his wit and charisma.
~ In Memory of Heath ~And of course.. the main character in my view - Heath Ledger as The Joker - played brilliantly and just simply toO good. So much so that I think it will be rather difficult for the producers to find a replacement for him, if there were to be a 3rd film.
The film was awesome not just because of its "wham-pow-bam" action, but also of its twists here and there. Most notably the one involving Batman being tricked by the Joker into saving Harvey Dent instead of Rachel. Kinda sad that part was.
But I guess my fav. part would be.. "WHY SO SERIOUS?" - where the menacing side of the Joker was revealed.
Oh and the Bat-cycle detaching from the Bat-mobile? Now that was surprising and COOL. =O
Especially when the Bat-cycle did a 180 degree flip against a wall. Awesome~
There were so many parts that really impressed mE and I must say the ending part where Gordon was narrating whilst Batman was fleeing really sent a strong vibe through mE as the chapter closes.
A perfect ending.
Very rarely do sequels fair better than their originals. And "The Dark Knight" did more than just 'do better'.. it totally overshadowed the first (Batman Begins), which was already a great movie. =D
Certainly deserving of my 4.5 stars~
*Oh and did I mention there were numerous comical parts as well? ahaha xD
I saw it with 9 of my bros on Saturday (19/07/2008) and AGAIN the very NEXT DAY (20/07/2008) with my sis~
I know.. its like :OO
But hey, I was every bit as entertained and excited when watching it the second time.. even though it was just the day after the first! That's how fantabulous it was~ =D
Red Cliff
This movie is based upon china's history during the (don't know what) era.
(I suck at chinese and just as much at its history =\ )
Nonetheless, you don't really have to be knowledgeable in its history to fully enjoy this film.
Unlike 'The Dark Knight' where I know almost all of the characters, some of the characters in Red Cliff are abit fuzzy to mE. Thus, you will have to forgive mE for not being able to discuss much on its characters.
However, I will say.. I LOVE GUAN YU. Omg. That guy was absolutely the pinnacle of coolness in the show.
He makes his grand appearance, and takes on what seems to be a horde of noob-ish soldiers with just his spear (apparently its some famous weapon.. might not be a spear.. i actually don't know what it is lol~) and his omg-skillz. And according to 'Cao Cao', Guan Yu does not stab people behind their backs (in its literal sense), thus sparing the antagonist which is him.
Uber-coOL~!! I love Guan Yu now. xD
~ Zilong ~Not to mention, the rest of the heroes were coOL toO - 'Zilong' and the other guy who was big and burly and had a LOUDDDD voice. LoL~ Yea they were awesome as well.
Actually wait.. what am I dribbling about.. the ENTIRE movie is just one huge COOL epic performance la~! ahahaha.
Its directed by John Woo, so one would expect alot of sensational spectacles in the form of fight scenes. And boy does he deliver! lol~
~ Lin Chiling as Xiao Qiao ~*Supposedly the most beautiful woman in China during that era*
(how apt)
A pity Lin Chiling played a rather calafaire role in the film =\
I was quite loOking forward to her performance..
I mean.. she is one of the best loOking (if not the best) Asian celebs out there.. to mE.
The part which really toOk center stage was during the "Tortoise" formation (I can't remember the actual name.. but it was basically that. LoL)
Really an "OMG-THAT-IS-SO-COOL" climatic battle of the film, where the good guys tricked the baddies into a trap that is basically sectioned into various parts, much like the patterns on a tortoise's shell. Thus the name.
Subsequently, they would slowly take the baddies out via a series of attacks that were really unique as they were funny! The most notable part was when they 'roped in' the baddies to kill them.. until there was only 1 left.. who loOked confused till a final rope was thrown above him and they took him in as well. (My description does not sound funny at all.. you MUST watch it for yourself! ahahaha xD)
Eventually, the generals/heroes were sent in to kill them off one by one. And needless to say, the fight was brilliant. *Thumbs Up*
Having said all that however.. I hated the ending. Why? Simple reason..
It was "TO BE CONTINUED!"
I watched the movie with Yanyin.. and the two of us were like..
"WHA----???", "TO BE CONTINUED?!" NOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo! >.<"
Thus, she exclaimed that she hated the movie! hahaha. so cutesy. =P
~ Tony Leung as Zhou Yu ~There were also plenty of hilariousness in the movie. They will definitely crack you up!
The funniest part for mE was during the "Breech Birth". hahahaha~
The two of us, including the entire cinema hall, just BURST out Laughing Out Loud! xD
Those who have watched it will know.
Overall, despite the disappointingly-"ARGHH" ending, the show still gets 4.5 from mE.
The action sequences, the charismatic characters and its plot, mixed with a generous dose of hilarity, truly makes this film The Best Asian film of this year so far~
You will not be disappointed... except for the ending of course. =|
And so, despite only having watched two movies, I was most satisfied because they were absolutely fantabulously awesome.
If you can only watch 2 films.. those 2 are definitely the ones to catch.
(Except if you're not in asia.. whereby you will most likely not have the chance to watch Red Cliff in cinemas. =X)
**Couldn't find more pics of the other characters like Guan Yu and the big burly guy =\
`keLvin
6:00 PM
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008,
Coknicles of Alpha 1
Ohio~
Lately I've been "actively participating" in another blog.
This site is special to mE and to a certain group of mine~
Subtly entitled, "Coknicles of Alpha 1"
This blog is something we all hold "dear to our hearts". ahahaha~ xD
For those of you who are interested in what it is.. or are just plain bored.. feel free to check it out. Although I must say, you might not totally understand or "feel" the contents in it.
Its basically a blog made by our dear Yokey yoke with the intention of bringing all Alpha 1 people together in an online community forum (more of a blog) thingy.
A place for us to recollect and reminisce all the times we had... mainly.. the "cok" times, thus the name~ xD
"Impossible is Nothing, Cok is something"
http://yokeworks.com/cokbook/
08/07/2008 (Tuesday)
This evening after work, I had dinner with Stan, willy, y0ke, teck and zG at Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar @ Raffles City~
First time for a couple of us.
It's basically the same concept as "Marche / Vila'ge". You get a card, you scan it when u buy food.. and you pay at the end.
Initially, the spread seemed vast to mE.. but after some time in the place.. I found that probably more could be added.
Food wise, not toO bad. As y0ke puts it, "Anything with Egg is nice." - ahahaha. And to be honest, it is quite true. lol~
I think the best dish for mE would have to be the recommended-by-y0ke "Omelette Rice"~
Nice fluffy omelette on a bowl of rice, sided with a chicken chop or hamburger.
The rest of the dishes which I tried was alright.
~ Sashimi Set ~
~ Omelette Rice with Chicken Chop ~
~ Katsu-don? ~
~ Another Omelette dish (with unagi stuffing) ~
~ Macha Float (Green tea flavour) ~
~ Cheese cake that loOks like a tofu ~
~ I'm a paparazzi ~
~ Ordering some dessert ~12/07/2008 (Saturday)
Today I watched my first movie since I returned.
Yes I know.. it seems abit shocking. Afterall, I am quite the movie-going fan.
The movie was "Wanted" and probably the initial reason why I wanted to catch it was because of Jolie.
Yes, I think she's a gD actress.. with the pout lips, sultry glares and her bad-arse attitude. I guess I would give the movie a 3.5/5 because of her and the little twist at the end.
Didn't care much for the lead actor (don't know what's his name)
But Morgan Freeman was gD as always.
Watched it with Yanyin who was rather stressed with her work and having to organise her batman event and all (thus the in-between dozing off =P)~ Hope you're alright~
We had dinner at Tao's. And yes I am aware that I just had it exactly a week ago.. but I wanted to let her try it out~ Unfortunately, I think she wasn't completely "wow-ed" by the food coz she was tired and wasn't that hungry~
Furthermore, the food somehow didn't taste that nice to mE as it was previously.
Hmm...
Red Cliff is next. =)
`keLvin
10:55 AM
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Sunday, July 06, 2008,
TAO's
Had a fantastic time with the fellas again yesterday~ Lotsa pics to upload and show u guys.. mainly of the OMG-licious foOd we had at TAO's Restaurant! =D~~
Met Ivan @ Tampines Mall to search out for his graduation forever-friends bear for Trina. Went to a few shops but none had it.. till we entered Precious Thoughts which.. sold out. So we asked them to check the other branches and the one at PS had.
He reserved it and would collect it in the evening. I, on the other hand, went to purchase a laptop fan cooler... which ultimately gave mE problems... zZ
11.30am~ Teck and Yoke finally joined us at Tampines Interchange and it was 291 all the way to willy's. Willy was strolling pass our bus as we alighted and we had lunch at the nearby foodcourt.
Afternoon was spent at willy's owning some n00bs (quite literally).. also tested out my newly purchased fan cooler.... which DID NOT WORK. Goddammit... what a sham. It turns out.. the USB cable was faulty.. and I had to replace it in the evening at the same shop.
So please.. if u ever want to get a laptop cooler.. kindly NOT EVER purchase one from the brand "ATAKE". Slogan is "Take Your Mind!" - HELL ya it did! grr..
Evening dinner was spent at TAO's Restaurant @ Paradiz Centre. A 7-course dinner for about $28++. We all paid $35 in the end.. but it was well worth it~! =D~~ Its kinda like fine-dining.. with the big exception that its so much more AFFORDABLE. lol~ Nice ambiance.. and I must comment that their SERVICE was EXCELLENT. One of the best services I've come across.
The staff are v.friendly.. they take the effort to joke with u and small-chat with u..
An example is when the 10 of us were waiting outside for our tables to be ready.. and one of the staff came out with two baskets of toasted bread for us to munch on whilst waiting. Thoughtful. Hardly see such proactive-ness these days~
And the waiter who came to take our orders while waiting was able to recommend and give his word on certain dishes and he also had a sense of humour.. or at least he tried to. lol~ Nevertheless.. it was the effort that really impressed mE.
My choice of the 7-course meal:
1. Bacon & Mushroom Gratin (with toasted bread) - standard item
2. Fruit Salad (with crab meat)
3. Grilled Wild Mushrooms (standard item, can't choose)
4. Cream of Mushroom
5. Marinated Lamb Cutlets
6. Ice Rose Apple Tea
7. Creme Brulee
ALL of which were absolutely FANTABULOUS~!! *Mmmmm~ =D~~
All are rather small portioned but in the end it turned out to be rather filling even for mE. =) And of coz.. the quality was definitely there. Its been awhile since I've been wow-ed by gD food~
~ A Refreshing start ~
~ 1. Bacon & Mushroom Gratin with Toasties ~The Bacon & Mushroom Gratin really complemented the toasted bread and it all blended very well. Tasty and satisfying~ No wonder it's a standard item on the menu~ =D
~ 2. Fruit Salad with Crab Meat ~The Fruit Salad with crab I had was to die-for! Apparently it is an award-winning dish.. and I can certainly see why. The fruits at the bottom were delicate and crunchy, topped with shredded amounts of crab meat. OMG. This is probably my fav. dish of all~ =D
~ 3. Grilled Wild Mushrooms ~The Grilled Wild Mushroom is another standard item and its probably my least fav. dish. Nonetheless it is rather tasty and a must-try for those who love their mushrooms.. like mE. xD
~ 4. Cream of Mushroom ~Tao's rendition of the classic Cream of Mushroom soup really sets it apart from the normal run-of-the-mill types. The whole soup is filled with bits of mushroom that really adds that chunky feel to each mouthful. Absolutely delicious and a must-have for Mushroom soup fanatics lol~
~ Cream of Pumpkin ~Some of the others had the Cream of Pumpkin instead and boy was that just as delicious! :O Either of these soups are fantabulous~
~ 5. Marinated Lamb Cutlets ~
~ Slow Cooked Pork Back Ribs ~
~ Spicy Stingray ~For my entree, I chose the recommended Marinated Lamb Cutlets. Simply "finger-licking good" as one of the waiters put it. lol~
"You have to use your hands to eat it for that finger-licking good taste."
haha.. indeed it was. There was a mint sauce to go with it.. but I personally didn't like it and prefer the lamb by itself.. *Mmmmm!
Very tender and nicely marinated.. with a small fresh piece of broccoli at the side haha~
~ 6. Ice Rose Apple Tea ~
For my drink, I had the Ice Rose Apple Tea. Absolutely refreshing and it provides a nice ending to a satisfying meal~ A subtle sweetness from the apple and rose.. mixed with the coolness of the tea gives u a cool and refreshing feeling.
~ Ice Grass Jelly Mint Tea ~
~ 7. Creme Brulee ~Finally, for dessert we all had the Creme Brulee~ I won't say it was perfectly executed.. but nevertheless it was still a great dessert and another must-try!
Its basically abit like an egg tart.. but its made from vanilla extract and topped with a thin layer of slightly caramelised sugar. *yuM~
~ 2 - 3 - 4 ! ~Excellent food, excellent service coupled with an excellent company. What more could you ask for? I certainly can't. lol~
~ YOU'RE WELCOME~!! xD ~And finally we headed home.. toOk a stroll from Paradiz all the way to Cityhall MRT.. skipping Douby Ghaut and Bugis.
Whilst walking.. we stumbled upon this cafe with a huge-arse durian statue... and after MUCHHH persuasion.. Tecky finally gave in and toOk a shot with it! hahaha.
I kn0w all of u (apart from the 39 gang) are puzzled by this.. well Tecky dislikes durians. And we've been constantly trying to force him to eat some (but to no avail).. so this time round we forced him to take a simple pic. xD
~ Somebody v. xiao zhang ah.. LoL xD ~`keLvin
7:02 PM
