The Coke Diet

I'm currently drinking like three servings of coke a day give take a couple of servings, which actually means that I'm taking in a lot of sugar and gas and acid and godknowswhat stuff that's inside the bloody coke can. Although I mostly drink canned coke, I actually prefer bottled ones. Despite me taking in the whole of of carbon dioxide from the coke, I actually hate gassy drinks. But the addiction of coke weighs far more greater than my hatred.

I think my love with coke started sometime last year during summer when I was overseas alone. Homesickness and loneliness and the rough patch sank me into depression and the only thing that could alleviate my problems was drinking coke. It makes me feel better. After getting out of the rough patch, life turned back to normal for me again. With me preferring to drink other kinds of sweetened drinks rather than coke, sweetened but with gas.

The last summer when I was back alone overseas, the coke addiction came back. At that time it was also when I found of the sublimal differences between coke and pepsi.

Let me first talk about Pepsi. Some people say pepsi tastes better, I don't deny that. If on a normal occasion, one is to be blindfolded and taste drink both brands of cola, pepsi will win, but then to me, when there's a need to alleviate depression, pepsi doesn't work at all. I don't know why, it is tasty, gassy and sweet, but something about it that doesn't bring satisfaction to me when I'm depressed, I cannot get that sort of comfort as when I drink coke. That was when I demarkated the specific purpose of drinks. Pepsi is best for an after meal drink, not a too heavy msg-laden meal, but a light and hearty meal. For msg-laden meals, coke does the trick. Also specifically for coke is for when I'm depressed.

It's amazing how I can sit in the pantry in the middle of the night with my 1.5L bottle of coke sipping it and downing half a bottle that night. Some times when things go real bad and there's no coke in sight, pepsi can do just a little bit for me to get by, but only on desperate occasions.

The difference between canned coke and bottled coke is the gas, and that's what make me prefer bottled coke to canned ones. The gas is easier to disseminate from a bottle than from a can, usually the best coke I have is bottled coke which has already been opened for a couple of days, there'll still be that little bit of gas, but not too flat that it tastes just like sugared water.

Following my addiction and over reliance on coke, I had to get the father to purchase lots of coke for me. He brought back a carton of canned coke. Being his spoilt princess, I demanded for him to get me the bottled ones. He broght back two bottles the next day. After I finished them, I demanded more. But the father was pretty alarmed by my rate of finishing the coke that he didn't comply. I subsisted on the canned ones in the meantime. Finally he relented and bought a bottle, but it's a 1L bottle because he got it from the petrol station instead of the supermarket. Naturally I finished that bottle before one can say "pepsi cola one two three". After that, the father brought back two cartons of canned coke from the grandfather's place. The thing about bringing things back from the grandfather's place means that I've to finish them all, two cartons leh...

After evolution, I also realised the best way to drink coke with feeling over gassed. It's open my can of coke and leave it in the fridge overnight, the next morning the coke would be perfect for consumption. but I cannot leave the coke in the fridge for too long or the coke will turn stale and flat and become a can of sweetened water.

And that's only about the coke I drink at home. I drink more coke in school. I actually spend the 70cents (from the canteen) and 80cents (from the vendings) for canned cokes and $1 (from the vending) for bottled ones. I'd prefer to buy the bottled ones anyday, but the problem is that the stupid vending is often out of the way for me to reach and I can't keep my coke chilled. Yes, I prefer my coke to be chilled. That's why sometimes the canteen coke sucks, when they've just been replenished into the refridgerator. I actually keep a little stash of straws in my bag so that I can drink coke from the vendings in peace.

This American guy I met in Germany once smirked when he saw that I needed to drink coke with straws. He was like, it's not surprising that I've got very sensitive teeth that cannot withstand gas and acid and cold because of all the coke I'm drinking. yea... Coke spoils the teeth, but what to do? I just love coke too much. Coke actually spoils the bones too, especially for women. Recently, I've been taking to eating cheese every day. For every serving of coke I drink, I'd eat the corresponding amount of slices of cheese every day.

I hope this preventive measure works. Luckily I love cheese and milk. If not, I'm probably die from brittle bones like now.

I actually like the feeling of drinking chilled coke early in the morning as the first thing I let flow down my throat. The prickly cool sensation is great. I can feel the sensation in my mouth, going down my throat, into my chest, filling me with energy and finally resting in my stomach and chilling all of my insides. My sister always says that the coke will corrode my stomach, but I don't care. It's probably not the most advisable thing to drink it the first thing when one wakes up, but the feeling derived from it just outweighs everything else. I don't care if I've a hole in my stomach.

I don't know if anyone remembered, but I actually had a scope done before. Did it at East Shore Hospital because I thought my stomach was spoilt but it turned out according to my GP with reference to my pyschaitrist that it's probably my depression and anxiety that made me think that my stomach is spoilt. Hearing this, I think it's not that easy to spoil my stomach, so from then on, I really am adding the acid into the stomach like every morning.

One thing good about coke is that it's so acidic that it can just clear all the dirt and bacteria and other godknowswhat stuff, that I always find it a good thing to use to clear bad breath and use as a mouth wash. After eating fishy stuff (since I don't eat onions and garlics, I don't think those matter), I like to use coke to wash off all the fishy after taste. It really works.

Some people say coke keeps them awake, for me coke keeps me awake too, but it also helps me sleep better at night. Every night before I sleep, I'd like to have some coke to sooth me down, comfort me, and put me to bed. I sleep easier, more peacefully, and better with that coke I took it. Without coke, I often find myself unable to fall into a deep sleep, unable to dream, unable to feel rested enough the next day even if I drink coke in the morning.

Even without coke, I've a wide range of sweet drinks well stocked at home thanks to the grandfather. He knows I liked Yeo's crysamthemum tea and every week, the father would bring back two packages of them (one dozen individual servings), Yakult too, but mostly my sister drinks them, I don't take healthy stuff, remember. And not forgetting Ribena. If I don't drink coke, I'll have to drink Ribena. It's my energy boost, as in a physical energy boost rather than the placebo coke.

I've thought about it already, I don't care if I lose all my teeth, at the most I'd get myself fitted with dentures, then I don't need to be self conscious of me teeth also. I really hate my teeth, they are too small and my gums are too big and my teeth are yellow and crooked despite me having been fitted braces for two whole years. sucks...

Every day no less than five people would chide me for all my coke drinking, but you know what, I don't give a damn to what you say. This is my health and I want to thrash it, what can you do about me? Maybe I need help out of the rough patch 2.0 then maybe I can slowly quit off the coke.

Unglaublich

Heute ist 27.10., echt?

Zwei Woche früher, sagte Frau Niemann dass am 27.10. wurde unserem Semestertest. Gestern, im Tutorium, wir waren sehr stressed. Aber Frau Verry hatte keine Ahnung dass heute unserem Test wurde.

Dann heute, um 2Uhr, wir waren fast tod im Klasse. Wir hatten sehr schlechte Gesicht. Alle uns. Wenn Frau Niemann sah das, sie fragte uns, dass was los macht. Yingshi anwortete sie dass sie gestressed hat. Wir sagten kein mehr. Fing den Klasse an, Frau Niemann dann sagte dass dem Test nicht heute war. "Huh???" Wir alle haben übergerascht. "Nein!" sagten uns. Doch. Frau Niemann erklartete dass dem Test nicht heute war, aber am näschten Wochen. Diaoz...

Ich habe gedacht vielleicht Frau Niemann lag uns, aber das war nicht so. Sie gab uns den falschen Datum Zwei Woche früher. Sie sagte, sie haben übergerascht wenn sie heute morgen Frau Verrys Email lass. Frau Verry fragte Frau Niemann dem Test an.

Also, heute machte uns kein Test. Ich finde das ist fast die am komischest Dinge dass in meine Studien passiert ist.

In short, in English, we thought that there was supposed to be a test today, but our lecturer gave us the wrong date and the test was supposed to be next week. duhz~

Watching the world go by...

I like to sit behind these big glass panes, watch the people outside rush by me. I would sit inside snacking and sipping my drink leisurely as I watch the frenzied action. The world around me is changing ever so quickly, but I find myself stuck in the same hole as I always was and will always be. I advance at my own pace and momentarily lose myself in the big big world. I like to watch people go by me. I try and think what is going on in their minds, it is fun. The girl with the pile of books in her hands running by; the cleaner carrying a vacuum cleaner vacuuming the ceiling but also trying not to be in the way of the other students; the professor striding by but stopped for a small chat with a student; the pair who stood at the staircase landing for a long long chat but seemed to be awkward with each other, almost oblivious to their surroundings, not knowing what in the world just went by them. I like to watch the clothes people wear to school, criticising the badly dressed ones and complimenting the nicely dressed ones, watching the people go by me. Oogling at the good looking lads, bitching about the sad looking girls and while trying not to make it obvious that I'm staring. I try to imagine everyone's life story.

I watch the world go by me.

It's not hard to imagine...

I saw him walking in front of me this afternoon. He was dressed smartly in a brown long sleeved shirt with black pants, nothing special about his dressing, nothing eye catching. But still. it was his dressing that caught my eyes.

The first thing that came into my mind was the thought, "He'd look good in a dark blue long sleeved shirt." Then I started mentally dressing him up. A dark blue long sleeved shirt, a little big tight, or should I say a little bit more fitting, to show off that toned bod of his. Ditch his pants, get tight ones, a butt hugging tight pair of pants to show off that cute butt of his, he'll look so sexy. His shirt tucked into his pants but pulled out loosely to have the hem of his shirt hanging messily under his pants, a touch of wild look to his already sexy get up.

I wanted to transform him totally. He has the looks but was not well groomed enough to harness his looks. A new hairstyle is needed. His hair is dry and coarse, leaving it hanging on the head might impress had he been ten years younger, but now he needed a cool new haircut. Adam Chen's hairstyle from the 9 o'clock show would suit him pretty well, pretty and well. After the hair, the face needs to be worked on. Clear away all the spots and tone the complexion and maybe give him a tan. With his pan-Asian looks comprising of a well defined and strong cheekbones and justified jawline, and the lighter than normal eyes, he would milk his features and cover his flaws and be the best looking person on campus, easily.

I can imagine the revamped him having his pictures taken by the paparazzi, his face appearing in magazines, newspapers and every tabloid one can get hold of. He will apear in cinemas near you. Him with a glamourous life, him as a world celebrity. He commands a throng of groupies and crazy fangirls shouting "I love you" to him every two seconds. He would be da bomb.

Or imagining him entering politics, milking his handsome features and good looks to its maximum, him winning over all his political competitors. Politicians standing beside him will all be mesmerised by his beauty and agree to everything he says. He would be the dictator of the next generation, charming every citizen in the country. His charms would increase with every power and authority he commands and in turn he would able to charm more people. Man of the time, man of the universe.

It's not hard to imagine...

My imaginations ran free and I needed to come back to reality. In real life, there was no celebrity, no dictator, not even a good looking guy. There was only a guy, trying to camouflage his talent, ability and good looks into an average joe.

Those Were The Days

I'll be taking another short break from blogging because I've an assignment due on Wednesday and a major test on Friday. In between I've to celebrate my sister's birthday, watch Death Note the movie, and then watch the three episodes of anime I've downloaded and the read manga. Which also means that I'll be very busy in the upcoming week. I've also to settle some SEP stuff which I'll blog later because it's causing me a big big headache. And I've a ton of projects to do too.

So, on with it. The song of the week~
Those Were The Days
by Mary Hopkin


Those Were The Days on Youtube

Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And dreamed of all the great things we would do

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days

Then the busy years went rushing by us
We lost our starry notions on the way
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern
We'd smile at one another and we'd say

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days

Just tonight I stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
In the glass I saw a strange reflection
Was that lonely woman really me

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days

Through the door there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

From what I've read on the net, this song was originally some Russian folk song, but some also say that it was an unnamed song in Brazil for the longest time ever. I kind of like the Russian lyrics too.

DOROGOJ DLINNOYU
Ehali na trojke s bubencami,
A vdali mel'kali ogon'ki. Mne b sejchas, sokoliki, za Vami,
Dushu by razveyat' ot toski.
Dorogoj dlinnoyu, da noch'yu lunnoyu,
Da s pesnej toj, chto vdal' letit zvenya,
Is toj starinnoyu s toj semistrunnoyu,
Chto po nocham tak muchala menya...
Tak zhivya bez radosti, bez muki,
Pomnyu ya ushedshie goda, I tvoi serebryanye ruki V trojke,
uletevshej navsegda... Dorogoj dlinnoyu...
Dni begut, pechali umnozhaya, Mne tak trudno proshloe zabyt'.
Kak-nibud' odnazhdy, dorogaya,
Vy menya svezete horonit'.
Dorogoj dlinnoyu...

Translated, that would be
As sung by A.Vertinskiy:

(We) Used to ride in a three-horse carriage with bells (tinkling)
And lights were blinking in the distance
I wish I could go with you (again), falcons
To clear my soul off all my grief

Refrain:
(Going down) that long road on a moonlight night with that
song that is flying away, ringing
And with that old seven-string one (guitar)
That troubled me so much at nights

Living such life without joy and torture,
I recollect the years that passed by
And your silver hands
in that three-horse carriage which went away for good...
Refrain: (same as above)
Days are passing by, multiplying my sorrows,
It's so hard for me to forget the past
And one day the day will come, my dear,
When you are going to bury me...
Refrain: (as above)

I think I'm starting to fall in love with these sort of old school songs, perhaps it's because I'm growing old, and with everyone who ages, nostalgia will follow... ah well...

Fly Me Aeroplanes

I wanted to post this a couple of days back when I kept getting aeroplanes flown all over me, but haven't had the time. Luckily the aeroplanes seemed to have ceased for a moment here already, but still, because of my mild temperament, I think I'll still get aeroplanes flown next time.

What does it take to constitute flying of aeroplanes?
1. To not appear on the stipulated time and when asked, an excuse is given and occasionally an apology made.
2. To back out on the day itself. In the morning of the stipulated day, a call or SMS is made to say that something cropped up.
3. The night before, an excuse is given for not being able to make it the next day as stipulated.
4. Anytime after the date was made and everything's confirmed, something cropped up between the day the date was made and the day of the stipulated date.

Some people only regard point number 1 as an act of flying aeroplane, but to me, I regard all four points as flying of aeroplane, especially point number 1 and 2 because that would mean that back up plans cannot be made and my day would be wasted. 3 is also quite bad because last min plans are also very difficult to make.

Luckily it is very rare that someone can pull a number 1 on me, but I seem to attract number 2 and 3 very easily. Maybe because I'm very mild and don't flare up easily and generally have very high tolerance for my friends, but that doesn't mean I can take them all. Once or twice, still okay, but again and again? I don't know. Worse is if it's done by someone I appreciate the friendship of, I won't dare to flare up because I'm afraid that that person would get angry with me. I don't understand, why am I such a wuss.

Last night I had a dream, quite a bad one. I dream that I flared up with this person who commited number 2. Actually, in real life he had already commited number 2 and at that time I told him it was okay, since I managed to make ack up plans, but still, I'm very upset that someone I have that high a regard for can actually commit number 2 on me. Last night in the dream, I gave him a couple of tight slaps across the face. It wasn't a loud slap, but I made it up by slapping a lot of times. My hands didn't ache, but his face turned red. I think I've got a lot of this pent up frustrations in me that I cannot release in real life.

It's not as if I can say that I never flew anyone before, because I had, but there's still a limit to flying people aeroplanes. Number 1 andd number 2 is really bad, and please don't again and again, disappoint me.

Chelsea vs Reading

Chelsea Vs Reading 14/10/2006 - video powered by Metacafe

Chelsea and the murderers, and shuai shuai Terry~

An article:
English head games

Gabriele Marcotti, SI.com

As you read this, Petr Cech is lying somewhere in a London hospital with a fractured skull. That's right, his head -- the part of his body which contains his brain and vital functions -- is broken. Kaput.

When Chelsea played Reading last weekend, Steven Hunt barreled into Cech, dropping his knee down into the goalkeeper's head. To add insult to injury, Cech's backup, Carlo Cudicini, was also laid out by a Ronnie Lott-style hit, this time courtesy of Ibrahima Sonko.

And it's all because of an idea, an idiotic concept founded on 19th-century machismo, summed up in such moronic cliches as "being entitled to go for the ball" and "letting him know you're there."

Even as the rest of the world has moved on, this pernicious notion remains rife in the English game: It's the idea that goalkeepers are pampered wusses who deserve, when the ball is within striking distance, to be "rattled."

Thus we are treated to the weekly spectacle of Premiership strikers turning into NFL linebackers as they barrel into goalkeepers and fly studs-first into a prone keeper's body. After all, they're just going for the ball, aren't they?

My friend and former Republic of Ireland center forward, Tony Cascarino, articulated this thinking nicely in The Times, writing that "goalkeepers are overprotected already" and that "without physical contact, football is nothing." He then goes on to list the various injuries he sustained in his long career as a rough-and-tumble target man: "All my teeth have been capped or broken. My nose has been broken three times. Etc, etc."

There are several problems with that logic. First and foremost, there are different kinds of physical contact. It's one thing to tackle hard where, even if you miss the ball, the most you'll do is break a leg or tear up a kneecap. That's an acceptable level of risk. It's quite another when people's heads are involved: The damage done there can be permanent.

That's why we have rules against dangerous play. That's why you can't fly through the air leg-first, Jackie Chan-style at head-height in a crowded penalty box. Even if you get the ball cleanly, you will still be penalized because it's, well, dangerous.

The rest of the world seems to understand this concept quite clearly and that it also applies to goalkeepers. When they dive down to collect the ball, the most vulnerable parts of their bodies are totally exposed.

Not England. In the Premiership, no distinction is made between imperiling non-essential parts of a person's anatomy and risking quasi-decapitation.

English players are the first victims of this kind of attitude because when they play internationally, the "anything goes" school of refereeing goes out the window and stricter rules apply. And that's the other reason why the macho "he went for the ball" so-called logic makes no sense.

The whole issue in Cech's case has been clouded by other factors, such as whether Hunt was malicious and tried to hurt his opponent, whether Reading's emergency services were quick enough in tending to the injured Cech and whether this is just another step in the sissification of the game, a trend which began when FIFA outlawed the tackle from behind.

Let's be clear about this and cut through the crap. I don't know Hunt personally, but I know people who do, and I am convinced there was no malice in what he did. He is not a dirty player. He was pushing the envelope as far as the referee would allow it (and, in fact, said match official Mike Riley did not even blow for a foul). Yet it was nonetheless reckless and dangerous.

As for Reading's emergency services, Chelsea boss José Mourinho made some very serious allegations that need to be investigated. And if they are unfounded, he should be dealt with. But this has nothing to do with the issue at hand.

Similarly, the tackle from behind, the moans about the "lost art of defending," the lamentations about how it's becoming a non-contact sport and players cheat and dive have no real bearing on the subject. I like a good hard tackle as much as the next guy. And, yes, maybe the rules have swung too far against defenders.

But this is different. This is about running into a prone opponent and making no effort to avoid a collision between your knee and his head, knowing full well that you can do some very serious damage. Just because some referees allow it and there is no intent to harm does not make it right.

The solution is simple. When a goalkeeper comes out and he is totally exposed, opposing players should pull out of tackles if there is no realistic chance of getting the ball. And if they insist on running into goalkeepers (or gratuitously body-checking them like Sonko did) they should get a yellow card immediately.

This isn't about coddling goalkeepers. It's about protecting professionals from the kind of injuries that can end careers (or worse). Mourinho was being overly dramatic when he said Cech "could have died" (though, as I understand it, he wasn't far off). But it doesn't change the fact that the joy of seeing a grown man run into another man's head isn't worth injuries of this magnitude.

Extra time

After seeing Michael Essien in Chelsea's midfield against Barcelona, it's worth making the point (again): Right now, he's the whole effing show. Andriy Shevchenko and Frank Lampard, while improving, are not yet at their best, Michael Ballack looks like a foreign object in midfield and the defense sorely misses William Gallas. Take Essien out of the mix and things would look rather grim, at least for the time being, at Stamford Bridge. ...

Speaking of Barcelona, replacing Samuel Eto'o was always going to be a tall task, but Eidur Gudjohnsen is not the answer. He is a fine player, but much more of a deep-lying striker these days. Barça could pay a steep price for not bringing in a genuine goal scorer to replace the departed Henrik Larsson over the summer. ...

Any game now, Alex del Piero will score his 200th goal for Juventus. It's quite a milestone in a day and age when players rarely stick with the same club for more than a few seasons. His critics (myself among them) say he hasn't been at his best since the horrific injury he suffered some eight years ago. Yet throughout his career he has been a gentleman, a model professional and a guy who just soldiered on and continued scoring and winning trophies. He's a class act.

Updated on Thursday, Oct 19, 2006 1:00 pm EDT

In my classes in Germany, there was this Sports and History class. In that class, I learnt that in England, players were allowed to bodily push goalkeepers into the net along with the ball the goalkeeper was holding, and that would be a goal scored if both goalkeeper and ball falls into the net. That was only outlawed in the 20th century.

Saiunkoku Monogatari

Saiunokoku Monogatari


Thanks, or should I say no thanks, to Cindy, I'm now hooked on this anime. I wanted to look for downloads online but unable to find any concise ones, so I ended up watching all of them on youtube. Youtube's really great~ I'm now up to episode 24, but once again, as with Gakuen Alice, there were problems with the subs, ep20 wasn't subbed, so I went online for a translated transcript and watched with having the transcript by the side. Episodes 21-24 are all Chinese subbed. Once again, I thank god for being able to understand Chinese. lol~

There will be a total of 39 episodes in all. So I guess I'll be a slave to youtube until the run completes.

Plot: The story is about a young noble but poor girl wanting to be an official but was drafted into the palace as a consort but her main duty was to educate the emperor. The emperor fell in love with her. Then she had to leave the palace. And add a long suffering adopted brother who happens to be the real brother of the emperor and an adopted cousin whom the family wanted him to be married with the girl. This is one complicated story.

Outside all the love relationships there's also the problem of the state duties. Everyone has a duty they have to do, the anime also chronicles their duties and all their trials and tribulations. Sometimes tracking back and show the bad times of the past and the character history. Quite a nice plot, I'd say.

After watching a couple of shojos, I think I've figured out the MO of a shojo anime/manga. It's definitely a reverse harem situation. Like the other anime I'd jusy finished watching, Ouran High School Host Club, Saiunkoku is definitely a reverse harem. And as with all other reverse harems, it's really difficult to guess who the lead will end up with. Take Fruitsbasket for example, the decision made by Tohru is well, to me, very unexpected, okay, not so much of unexpected than of unaccepted. But I've just found out that the seiyuu for Kyo was actually the seiyuu of Touya of Cardcaptor Sakura, so in a way, I'm like more open to Kyo now, he isn't really that bad after all. wahaha~

As in the case of Ouran, I've also a latest favourite in Saiunkoku. In Ouran, I really liked Tamaki, which is quite unlike of me because usually I prefer stoic characters like perhaps Mori. I like Kyoya too, but I just can't see Kyoya together with Haruhi. In Saiunkoku, I've fallen in love with Ryuuki. If this was the normal Joan, I think I should prefer Seiran to Ryuuki, but don't know why I just really want want want Ryuuki to be with Shuurei. Of course, I do like Seiran, and Kouyuu too, but well, there's this charm of Ryuuki that I just can't withstand.

There's something wrong with Flickr and I can't seem to be able to upload photos. hmm... I think I shall try uploading images on Blogger, but not so sure if it'll be good anot... try ah~

Shi Ryuuki.
He's the emperor. but he's also deeply in love with Shuurei. Sometimes he can seem like a bakatono (stupid emperor), but in fact, he's really one smart guy. He's also slightly arrogant, as with all people with authority, and I really like it when he kisses Shuurei, he's just so shuai. Of course, I want him to get his girl in the end. But then hor, his elder brother, his only kin, also likes her, so I don't know how things will work out.

The thing about these people with authority that I'm interested in knowing is their sex life. He's the emperor, so he should have tons of girls in his harem waiting on him, so techinically he should be having a very fulfilling sex life, but is it? In a conversation with Shuuei, Ryuuki revealled that he did have had his fun with many women before. In another heartfelt moment with Shuurei, Ryuuki said to her that he never had a woman for a year since she left the palace. So can I conclude that Ryuuki before meeting Shuurei had sex with those women in his harem before but after meeting Shuurei became devoted to her and live a life od celibacy?

I watched this TVB drama serial Stitches and Riches, there was this triad leader Rong Laoban. He was deeply in love with this woman, but the woman had a boyfriend already. There was once this woman needed Rong Laoban's help and went to look for him in the middle of the night only to find him having sex with this other woman. She didn't look very shocked, but I was shocked for a moment. So he said he loved her so how come there's another woman in his bed? Okay, I understand that men need sex, especially men of authority, especially since they can get any woman they want, so why was I so shocked? Maybe it's because it's TV, in TV all men are pure, and don't need sex. But I guess that was just trying to reflect the real world.

But anyway, in the case of Saiunokoku, I hope that Ryuuki did not lie to Shuurei and he really doesn't have any woman by his bedside.

Shi Seiran.
This Shi is written as a different Shi as Shi Ryuuki's Shi. But well, this Shi was chosen also because of this reason, for it to be a Shi but to be different from that Shi. Seiran was adopted by Shouka (Shuurei's father), among many reasons and other things he's hiding, he appears to be older than he claims. His real identity is that of Ryuuki's brother Prince Seien. Ryuuki knows that, and always calls in Big Brother in private, and many times want him to take over the throne, but Seiran prefers to stay by Shuurei's side and be her guard peacefully, leaving the throne for Ryuuki to keep.

I thought I'd prefer Seiran to Ryuuki because I prefer older, more matured men. I prefer the long suffering yet keeping things to himself kind of men. I like the troubled soul. But somehow there seems to be a lack of charisma in Seiran. I don't know if it's the problem of the anime or something, but there is something very very lacking which I cannot point of Seiran.

Ri Kouyuu.
He's the adopted son of Shuurei's father's brother. Shuurei's uncles all hopes that Shuurei can get married to Kouyuu. But much as I like Kouyuu, I prefer Ryuuki. bah~

Kouyuu is a very cute character, he says he hates all women, and seems to be have a rather hanky panky relationship going on with his best friend who happens to be a womaniser. Kouyuu also has a very bad sense of direction and always gets lost. But he's a true and loyal friend and deeply commited to his adopted father. he and his best friend, Ran Shuuei were given flowers by the emperor, an act of loyalty. Seiran wasn't given a flower but as what Ryuuki said, Seiran didn't need to accept a flower to prove his loyalty, his loyalty was there and Ryuuki can always count on him no matter what happens.

As with all anime, there is a manga. Actually unlike most anime, this isn't from a manga, but from a serialised novel which haven't ended yet. The manga and anime both comes from this novel. I'm thinking, now that I've completed the released anime, should I go and read the manga, or search for the novel?

Anyway, you can watch it here episode 1 part 1 of 3 by memoryofwings. I've watched a couple of videos by memoryofwings, one big anime fan. But you can search for the videos yourself too.

(okay, I shall publish this post to see how blogger's photos will look like, if it sucks, I'd edit the uploaded pictures and use the normal flickr ones.)

Call Me Call Me~

An Announcement.

I have for two months already changed my home phone number. Those who had the old number, +65 64435576, please delete that number, that number has ceased to exist. yea... I can afford to post up that number because I know that it doesn't matter anymore. Call that number and you'll get that Singtel woman's voice. lol~ I've now switched to Starhub, though not by my choice, and I can safely tell everyone, Starhub sucks.

Many times when somebody calls my house but doesn't receive an answer, they assume that someone is using the phone in my house, but in fact, the phone in my house didn't ring at all.

Anyway, the change in phone number probably won't affect me nor anyone else reading this blog because nobody calls me at home, and I never use the phone at home, except to call up Pizzahut or McDonald's. It was so cool the other day to be listed as a new customer in Pizzahut. lol~ Because that is one thing I am definitely not.

Okay, if anyone wants to get my home phone number, you can forget about it. I don't even know it. I didn't bother taking it down because I know I'll never use it. Call me at my handphone. It's switched on 24/7.

The think about remembering numbers is also gone with the times for me. I now cannot remember anybody's number except for myself and my dads, but that's because he's used it for 10 years already. I used to remember my old phone number, but I don't know the new one. I don't even have the new phone number in my handphone contacts. hehehe... That day I forgot to bring my handphone out, but wanted to contact a friend, a friend wanted to lend me hers, but I declined because I couldn't call my friend, because I don't have the number. bah~

Hand Too Itchy

Updated!

I went to tinker with the Blogger layouts and now I've screwed up my blog. And worst, there's something wrong with the HTML codings of my previous blog template that somehow doesn't work in Blogger beta after I've switched to this one. Now I need to resort out all my HTML codings.

I WILL RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM!!!

Maybe tomorrow... Too tired now... After I manage to get back my blog to my previous layout, this post shall self-destruct. (I hope).

Updates: I tried to tinker around some stuff but it's still not perfect, as in still not what I want it to be. Sucks... I'll tinker around with it probably some time when I've the time. (hopefully)

Perth

Perth: the Geylang Massacre

The IMDb site says that the title is Perth, but the DVD and listed title in the NUS libraries is called Perth: the Geylang Massacre. I'd think that Perth would be a more appropriate title, because *spoilers* there wasn't enough deaths to call it a massacre.

In the beginning of the semester, Dr Edna Lim of the Singapore Film class wanted to include Perth as one of our film titles for screening and discussion, but after much pondering, she decided to stick to Homerun instead. I thought I wouldn't be watching Perth at all. Then after watching The Quiet American for my Farrell class, Prof Farrell recommended me to watch Perth, perhaps to see the differences in portrayal of Singapore and America in films. After completing my deadlines last Thursday, I finally had the time for some time to myself. Today, having the time between lounging and project, I went to the library to watch Perth. There are three copies of Perth in the library, after watching so many films in the library, I think this is the only film with three copies of the same title in the multimedia section. At least as far as I've seen.







The film is M18 for violence and coarse language. The film characters spew "fuck", "kanina" and "cheebye" every two seconds, not that I've anything about vulgarities, because I'm actually quite all right with them, it's just that in some cases, the vulgarities are spewed only for the sake of making the film coarse. Well, it's also possible to argue that these people in the film spew vulgarities for the sake of it and not because they really want to mean anything with it, so I accept the excessive vulgarities.

Perth tells the story of a man, subtly named Harry Lee (we all know the reason behind that name don't we? lol~) who suffers a series of misunfortunate events but harbours the hope of going over to Perth for a better life, but of course, something happened...

Harry was acted by Lim Kay Tong. Lim was absolutely amazing as Harry, he was the absolute unlikable protagonist, the street lau beng, that boor. As I watched, I pondered over Dr Edna's question of what was the difference between 12 Storey and Money No Enough, why was 12 Storey able to make it overseas, but Money No Enough would flop overseas. We talked about film style, that 12 Storey conveyed it's plot through film language while Money No Enough told the story through words, and if you don't get the language, you don't get anything. Perth was told in English, almost perfect English, but it was also a film with style, it told a story even without using words. Take character Mai for example, she didn't have many lines, and her lines were all in Vietnamese, but even without subtitles, I understood her perfectly because of the way the film was told. And also more importantly, the actors in Perth were good. Okay, good would be an understatement. The actors and actresses in Perth were so really good.

Sunny Pang's AB was comical, loved him to bits. Lim Kay Tong as I earlier mentioned was remarkable, like totally. Ivy Cheng was really good too. I don't know if it was she who spoke the Vietnamese, but I thought it was really good, with so few lines yet able to convey all the feelings and emotions, not something anyone could do. Of course, the cinematography and editing helped a lot too.

The thing about me watching it was that I didn't set the subtitling, so it ended up with Chinese subs, but most of it I relied on the dialogue, only the Vietnamese parts I read the subtitles. Some interesting things I've learnt from the subs is that "cheebye" is called "鸡巴" and "kanina" and "fuck" were both translated to be "王八蛋", a lot of other coarse terms were tamed down in the subs. Even though most of the sexually explicit coarse terms were in Hokkien, and could be easily translated to Chinese, the Chinese words were not used, instead a rough and very tamed down translation was used. It's so funny.

What is Singaporean about this film? Can this film be placed in another country and under another circumstance? yea... I'd think so. In almost a 12 Storey manner, this can be also seen as a film portraying loneliness and pent up frustrations, but setting it in a Singaporean context, we see a lot of other intended and unintended innuendos. Also in terms of story telling and style, I thought Perth also reminded me of Eating Air. I think Singapore film does have this unique style of filming that is running throughout most of our Filmfest films, ie not those Jack Neo ones.

One thing I like about this film being labelled as a Singapore film is the use of the English language as the medium. Most other films tend to portray Singaporeans as bad English speakers. But then, somehow, I'd rather this film be made in Chinese because it's so odd that this guy with no academic qualifications speaks so perfect English. It's just plain weird. Not only was that weird, but that he never uttered a single Chinese or dialect line other than "kanina" and "cheebye" makes it even weird. And more weird is that his screen wife speaks mainly in Chinese/dialect. That's the only gripe I have of the film.

There are a lot of blanks in this film that leaves us for interpretation. But on the whole, there's somewhat of a starting and an ending, quite complete. Though I thought that running for more than 107min it was a tad too long since there was a lot of scenes in which dialogue was kept to a minimum.

Still there is one thing which I don't understand about these films, why are they all portraying the somewhat dark side of Singapore when it's not even the norm? To answer this question, I thought of a quote back when I was studying literature. It seems that only in times of social upheavals that people tend to produce better literature. So I guess it's only by portraying the depressed that can evoke people's feelings and feel for the film. Sort of like most nice songs are sad songs and stuff like that.

Then thinking about the question Prof Farrell posed. The Quiet American was opening dissing America, by implying all the violence and everything, but Perth is different. It's not because of any one country that all these happened. I think a lot of problems stemmed from Harry himself. Maybe to put it in a wider analogical context of Singapore, that would then be indirect as compared to The Quiet American. I don't know, but I don't see Perth as anti-Singapore the way I saw The Quiet American as anti-American.

To me, Perth was not a place, just like Singapore is not a place in 2046. Yes, there are such places, yes, the characters talked a lot about wanting to go to those places, and yes, ultimately they didn't go there. I talked about Singapore in 2046, that Singapore is not really a geographical place the characters wanted to go but a place of hope that they wanted, likewise, Perth to Harry was not a geographical place, but a place for where Harry could escape to, a hope to him for a better life. It's so much an illusional place, that Harry's description of Perth doesn't sound to be so much like the Perth we all know, just like the use of Singapore in 2046.

***spoilers***

The chain of events which follow Harry seemed very much like the chain of events which followed Meng from 12 Storey. The alcohol consumption, the eventual breaking down, the turing violent and a bit keesiao. Only that Perth was very much more violent, with Harry really going to extremes than Meng. Still, I didn't think Harry was extreme enough to claim that his killings were a massacre. Perhaps if he killed really everybody in that KTV lounge then perhaps it can be called a massacre.

Another thing to mention is the use of the typical quiet guy as the person who went mad. I remember reading in some criminal descriptives, most mass murders were claimed to be quiet and unassuming by the people around them, and Harry was no excaption. I think as people, we really cannot tahan so much until we go keesiao. All those pent up frustrations, all those emotions with no place to channel, all those upheavals going on inside you, they all need to be released somewhere, and if there's nowhere to release, well, the conclusion would be like Harry.

***end of spoilers***

I gave it 8/10 the points deducted for Lim Kay Tong's exceptional English and the a bit too dragy scenes. Maybe it's because I was in the library with the horrible multimedia viewing gallery chairs, so it was horribly uncomfortable. Don't worry, I've did the NEEDS survey and reflected to the upper personnels that the chairs there suck. Hope they will do something about it.

Oh, and by the way, it's said that the release of Perth was postponed in Singapore because of problems with the violence and the sex and the negativities. Or behaps it's because the protagonist was named Harry Lee? There was this little bit I laughed out when AB (who was also a Lee) was ranting on and on to Harry that since they were both Lees, he should look after Harry and so on. hehehe~

Well worth a watch~ There are three copies in the library, so can just go and watch when you have two hours to spare~

A War To End All Wars

With this post, from now onwards, I shall hereby not engage with any discussion with anybody on football. And I don't wish to hear anybody to discuss with me anything about football. If you do, I'll be that vicious woman and shoot down everything you have got to say.

This is war declared.

I've really got enough of everything. I hate being public enemy number one and everybody never fails to irritate me for it. Football is my love, Chelsea is my life, and as love and life comes into me, I take things seriously. Yes, I can accept the occasional jibe, but please draw the line and not overdo things. Yes, leave some respect for my team and your team. No matter how much I wish an entire team to suffer the same fate as Torino FC in the 1950s, I never say it loud to a fan's face unless provoked. I only say it to a neutral. So why are people cursing about my team in my face? And when they successfully provoked me, and I bite back, people say I'm evil.

Myabe I take things to the extreme. Do good to me, I'll pay back double. Do bad to me, I'll make sure you pay triple. If I'm nice, I'll be very nice. If you make me not nice, I'll give you hell.

So, to prevent more people from receiving hell from me, I shall stop talking about football to everyone, and likewise, you not talk about football to me.

It took just two injuries to get half a dozen people provoking me to my limits. So what if half a dozen people are pissed off with me since they've pissed me off? Ultimately, I'm the one suffering the most lor. I piss 6 people, 6 individuals pissed. 6 people piss me, I'm 6 times pissed than each pissed of individuals. sucks...

And, do not try to undermine me being a fan just because I don't watch every single match Chelsea plays. I really don't understand how some people can think that being a fan one has to watch every single match his team plays. I've another life outside Chelsea. I go out, I play, I have friends, I am unable to watch football. What's so wrong with it? I support my team, I support my players. I save up and spend useless stuff on them. I defend them when people try to put them down. I want them to win every single game, but I want them all to be healthy and well. fuck... Just because I watch them on TV doesn't mean that they can feel my presence and play better, it's not like I'm in Stanford Bridge. I do want to watch every Chelsea game, but capability wise, it is just impossible.

bah~ Going to bed being pissed with irritants. At least I know this will be the last time I'll be annoyed.

Reading, Burn In Hell!!!

To think that at the beginning of the season I was rooting for the underdogs, all three of them, Reading including, and now, that asshole of a football club actually had the nerve to INJURE BOTH MY FAVOURITE premiership goalkeepers??? BURN IN HELL!!! May you be relegated immediately next season and never to return to the premiership ever ever again. I HATE YOU!!!

This is not a football match, this is a conspiracy. I bet Barcelona paid Reading to injure both Cech and Cudicini. This must be the case. What the kanina fuck sia...

I really don't dare to watch the midweek Champions League match now. This is so crap. This is the worst thing that happened to Chelsea since a couple of years ago when both our first and second choice goalies were out. Then that guy whom even I can't remember the name of ended up having to play the Champions League matches and a couple of EPL matches. But then, that time the opponents wasn't today's Barcelona leh. hai... Why Chelsea must always so suay? When one goalkeeper injured, all must injured together? God must hate us for being so magnificent.

God must be jealous of us. Heck! I bet half the world's male population must be cursing us day in day out for something like this to happen. FUCK!!!

wow... It's been so long since I spewed vulgarities like this. Nabeh... No more words other than these can truly convey my current feelings.

Nevermind, I have faith in Chelsea. Like that time, we will pull through, and come through. I remember that year we managed to get to the semifinals so this year we'll get to the finals, even without and first two choices. We have done it before, and we will repeat that feat again. We can do it!

Nabeh Bacelona, curse you guys get injured in an accident on the way to the stadium for the midweek match. Nabeh all other football clubs, especially those who won just now, Man Utd and Arsenal, hope you guys end up in accidents too. Nabeh... Liverpool is okay since they suck this season. When they start winning again then I start cursing them.

hai... But then hor... I don't know if I'd rather they lose yet keep Cech and Cudicini or they won and lose them. I mean it's three points leh... But then we must look in the long run also. hai... Head pain head pain...

UPDATE!
News has it that the both of them were sent to the hospital. Like that sounds so serious. Like it's highly unlikely that either of them can recover in time for Barcelona. I HATE YOU READING! Big piece of cheating gansters shit.

Updated again~

Doesn't he look just oh so cool wearing the goalkeeper's garb? hehehe~ I remember there was another time Chelsea lost two goalkeepers, Cech to injury and Cudici to a red card and Chelsea used up all our substitutions, Johnson wore the gloves and stood between the poles, but I don't remember him changing his shirts and stuff. Well, this is Terry in Hilario's shirt and gloves because for obvious reasons, Hilario wasn't even on the bench. crap... Chelsea is always so damn suay one.

Anyway, Terry is really so damn shuai. Reading, you shall burn in hell.

Detective Conan Movie 10

(edit: look at the bottom!)

The Private Eyes' Requiem

I finally got to watch it. Thank you very much Eugene~

It feels so good to be back to my slacking lifestyle after the horrendous week previously. On Thursday, straight after my submissions, I went out to meet Eugene for dinner and also to get the Detective Conan from him. Dinner was good. Mos Burger, of course it's good~ It was quite funny because we both did not want to make the decision on where we would go for dinner. Sometimes it's very paiseh, because everytime we go out it'll be because I've cravings then I'd choose the place, so I really wanted to have him choose the place. But some idiot thinks that it's not very good for him to choose the place so he die die wanted me to choose. bah~ Anyway, it was Mos Burger.

The best part was supper. Xiaolongbao. I was talking to Cindy the other day when she had cravings for sushi. She thought of me. Sort of like somebody would think of me when want to eat xiaolongbao. But anyway, that somebody disappeared, without even an apology. Being pissed would be an understatement.

I wanted to watch Detective Conan last night one, but in the end I decided that watching the last episode of Family Matters (I had it taped) was more important to me. The last part really sucked. They tried to make a flirting scene that has got to do with sex somewhat toned down for family watching and it just turned out to be awkward. No real couple would flirt about sex like they do. craps. I also watched the last two episodes of the matchmaking TVB period drama which I don't know the title. Likewise, the ending after the climax was crap, especially when they were showing all their kids and stuff. Stupid~

Today was great too~ We went to celebrate (the other) Cindy's birthday. I think she was quite disappointed we like forgot her birthday. I made it a point not to wish her happy birthday while trying to avoid talking to her the whole day. Then in the end presented to her that birthday present. It took me like half an hour just to pick out that present lor. She better like it man. Then we made plans among the German group to go watch movie next week~ The Austrian film Klimt.

Okay, finally I get it to the point of talking about the movie I've just finished watching. Like all Detective Conan movies, it's great. but...

I start with my first impression. There was no audio. I had to tinker with the stuff a bit to get the audio, and it was still very disappointing even though I finally got the audio. The sound was weird, the background was too loud while the dialogue was too soft, but still once I got to it, it didn't matter. To quote my mum "you understand Jap meh?" lol~ The subs sufficed.

Before watching the movie, I've been at the trailer for the longest while. Think for about three months already. The trailer was good. It was so exciting and espcially the part which the client seemed to know that Edogawa Conan was Kudo Shinichi. And that everyone was involved in this 10th anniversary movie. All the private eyes were involved. To be very honest, after watching the movie, my first thought was that the trailer seemed much more interesting than the movie itself. The part about Hakuba Saguru and Kaido Kid was much less than I expected from watching the trailer.

The movie started with the whole group of people being brought to Miracle Land some sort of theme park like Tropical Land, while the client requests for Mouri Kogoro and Kudo Shinichi to help him investigate a case. He started threatens Mouri and Kudo with the lives of everyone else, including their own, but as we all know, to Mouri and Kudo, the life they wanted to protect most was Ran's.

If by now you have no idea what I'm talking about, reading Detective Conan's wikipedia entry would be a good start to understanding what I'm trying to say.

The two detectives, with only very few clues have to race against time to find out what they were supposed to investigate and what was the outcome of their investigations. The case seemed to involved something which happened on 4 April, a bank robbery, and some deaths. Somewhere along the way, Mouri got tangled up with Megure's pestering, and the whole 1st Division somehow got involved in the case, including Takagi and Sato who were supposed to be on a date. Kudo somehow met up with Hattori Heiji who also had Kazuha in hostage, and along their way Hakuba also showed up and they found out that Kaito Kid was somehow entangled into the 4 April affair.

On the side of the hostages, the girls met up, Kazuha, Ran and Sonoko. And Haibara Ai, the only person who knows the truth, had to come out with ways to try and stall the paths of the girls and the kids. A little robbery case was also entangled in the mess and provided some little entertainment.

***spoilers***

The part regarding Hakuba was very badly executed. Hakura appeared without any formal introduction and disappeared without any explanation. There was this gaping hole after he left which did not fit in the story. The part about Kaito Kid was also very brief, too brief rather.

The ending was also a bit predictable. I knew the identity of the client even before he was formally introduced, and the part about the criminal was also quite obvious. Instead of havig one big twist, this movie was filled with many little twists, so depending on how you like your twists to be, this movie might not appeal to you. As it was an anniversary movie, all the important characters have to appear even if it's only for a cameo, so some of them turned out to look quite useless.

And as we all know, since the whole Detective Conan franchise is still running, there's no way any character in the whole franchise would get killed of, so no deaths for us. And of course, the crux would always only be solved by Edogawa Conan.

In all, it's not my favourite Detective Conan movie, nor even my favorite Detective Conan subplot, but it's still a very enjoyable movie to watch. It's very thrilling and engaging and you get too see all the characters appearing in this movie again. But still the focus of this movie is very slanted to Conan, unlike the other movies where almost everybody get to share some screen time. The parts to do with Kaito Kid and Hakuba was very disappointed, but I like the little cameo by Kisaki Eri and Goro.

My favourite scene was this part where there was a robbery in Miracle Land and the thief wanted to take Ran hostage. Everyone there knows what a bad move that was, and indeed we were not disappointed. Then the robber turned and wanted to take Kazuha hostage, another big mistake. After taking Ayumi hostage and some other stuff regarding the bombs happening, the robber was forced to drop Ayumi and instead stupidly went to take Sato as hostage. Stupid robber, or should I say suay robber... lol~

Movie 11 is now in production already, but I think I'll take a break for now from anime and concentrate on my manga.

Tomorrow and next week will be fully packed, but I think it'd be fun. EU Film Fest is coming up and there seems to be quite a few good films out there. I want to watch Death Note and the Departed. Can someone jio me go watch? I'm still very pissed with that fateful someone who fly me aeroplane. I need something satisfying to erase those bad memories. lol~

Updated: I watched it for a second time, then I realised!!! I said before that Hakuba suddenly just disappeared without explanation right? I finally understood. Hakuba did not disappear because Hakuba was never around in the first place. See, Hakuba was Kaito Kid in disguise. oh man... I didn't get it the first time I watched it. omg... now I'm altering my mind and give it a higher rating. Stupid me!

I've Survived!!!

Just a short note to say I'm not dead, and I'll now proceed to watch the last episodes of the channel 8 dramas I've taped. And Eugene just passed me the Detective Conan Movie 10 the Private Eye Requiem. So exciting~

Then later I'll catch up with all the Survivor stories online~

brb~

Favourites Meme from Survivor

This is more signs of procrastination. Saw this in the Survivor: Cook Islands webbie. Damn you Mediacorp for not screening it live, or screening it at all. I hate you! Anyway, my current favourite is Yul. I think I must move to Korea or something. Ozzy sounds cool too, but I want my Oppa~ That's it, I'm going to Korea.

Colors
magenta, red, pink
My favourite nail colour from OPI is called Ladies and Magenta, I'm using it now and it's the only nail colour I've done more than once~

Scents
rose, nice food, stale cigarette smoke
Smoke taste best in the form of a kiss.

Flowers
anything bigger than a palm and in bright colours
I don't understand, how could anyone like a flower which is small? You can't even see the goddamn flower. Okay, I'm clearly not a flower person.

Board Games
monopoly, chinese chess
I know I don't look like one, but I am good at Chinese Chess. I once even beat the self proclaimed best Chinese Chess player in my Chinese Drama Society.

Video Games
anything that can shoot people down and is easy to master
I'm a sadist, and I'm lazy. I'm a lazy sadist.

Sports to Play
swimming
This is a tough one, I'm lazy, I don't play sports. I do enjoy an occasion basketball or badminton match though.

Sports Teams
CHELSEA!!!, Werder Bremen
Easy one there~

Outdoor Activities
swimming
Wait, think swimming fits in here better right? I do enjoy occasional cycling too, but I'm bad at it, I also want to learn rollerblading but my sis has only one pair of blades and I don't have the time. I like going to the beach and all sorts of beach games too~

TV Shows
Survivor, The Amazing Race, trashy TVB period dramas

Movies
Last Life in the Universe, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Chungking Express, Merry Christmas, Battle Royale, The Blue Lagoon, Fleeing By Night

Actors Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Tony Leung (the Chui Wai one), Kong Wah, Dicky Cheung, Johnny Depp, Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano, Asano Tadanobu, Jim Carrey

Actresses Nicole Kidman, Rene Liu, Kenix Kwok
I seem to have to much few favourite Actresses than Actors. I guess I just like men~

Music
Wubai and China Blue, Wangfei
Such a no brainer.

Magazines
I've stopped reading them already. Maybe 8Days? Only for the Drama synopsis though...

Books/Authors
Liang Yusheng, Donna Leon, manga (Detective Conan, Ouran High School Host Club, CLAMP and much more). Angels of Russia.

Cereals
Kellog's Frosties

Fruits
mango, starfruit

Snack Foods
Jack and Jill potato chips in barbeque flavour, Lays, actually anything salty I like~

Cookies
Famous Amos' No Nut.
Anything without nuts is fine with me, but I'm not a fan of sweet stuff.

Candy Bars
Ritter Sport Halbbitter
I hate sweet stuff.

Alcoholic Drinks
Tequilla Sunrise, recently also aquired a taste for Heineken

Non-Alcoholic
Big big no brainer.
Currently the drink of my life. I just drank two cans and two cupfuls of it, and will drink one more cupful of it before I sleep.
My current MSN nick: cola is best drunk at night
Even coffee doesn't have this effect on me, wakes me up in the day and puts me to sleep peacefully at night.
COKE~~~

Seriously, I think I'll go take a bath then better complete the bulk of my work by tonight. Wish me luck~

I Am So Dead

I've two half essays to complete and one short essay to write. I've a long list of biblio to put up and the footnoting to do. I hate footnoting, it's a waste of time and energy. And why am I still here typing at this goddamn computer not working on my essay but posting a stupid blog entry? Really I don't know. Even before writing this entry, I wasn't even doing my essay. fuck... Now you guys should know how dead I am.

And here I am thinking about tomorrow night. I hope my friend gets back to me before the night closes and agree to meet me in town for dinner so that I can pamper myself a little bit. But even if he doesn't meet me it's still okay. I'll go down Kinokuniya and get all dosage of manga. I'll still be happy. I'll buy Cindy's present. Both Cindys. Then I'll make plans for Friday and the next week.

Was talking to Xinli just now. Think we should be going to the European Union Film Festival, but not the watch the German films, the German ones don't sound interesting. I've no wish to watch an angsty young teen kaubeh-ing, nor do I want to watch a Turkish-German girl kaubeh-ing. So we thought the Austrian films sounds somewhat more interesting. One's on Monday and the other on Friday. Sounds good? While talking about the EU Film Fest thingie, I think GV sucks. In the website, under the column language, they stated stuff like "Austrian" and "Belgian", like what the crap are those languages??? Since when do Austrians speak Austrian? Nor do Belgians speak Belgian? As far as I know Austrians speak German and Belgians speak French/Dutch/Flemmish (or is it Flemish?). Crap... Stupid people makes my day bad.

But then I'm making my day bad too, so I can't really kaupeh about those stuff. Sucks...

I need to come up with 3000 more words for my essays if not I'll not see tomorrow's daylight. I really cannot put off doing work until tomorrow. At the very least I need to complete Farrell's essay. People have already handed in that damned paper. And turnitin will not allow me to hand in any paper after the deadline. At least the German papers I can still count on the 6 hour time difference. Oh just shoot me... Here I am already making excuses for procrastination. wahaha~ Maybe I shall just extend one semester or something and prolong my agony instead of completing that module. No!!! Herr Kramper will be so disappointed in me. Shucks...

I need to buy soemthing to pamper myself. My grandfather gave me some money after her struck 4D. ahh... I also want to strike 4D. I really need to go shopping.

Okay, after typing these stuff I think my fingers have become more smooth and I should be able to continue with my work. I think I shall start with the short essay, at least after completing something I'll get the motivation to continue with the major stuff. And at least I don't need to do footnoting for the short paper. Wait... I think I should continue with the Farrell paper because I've done the research and don't need to be flipping through papers to write it. hmm... Which should I do now... bahaha~ Now you know why I just cannot get anything written out.

Tata for now. I really should get work done. I'll blog more and blog longer entries after Thursday.

So There Are Indeed Some...

Remember some time back, I wrote this piece on Sexual Bribery and talked about teacher and student relationships? I received quite some flak about that too, but well, just today I heard this story.

There was this presentation thingie in this class of which the identity of the class and all people involved shall be withheld, but I shall let it be known that it was in NUS FASS. There was this tutor in the class, she's one of those graduate students being teaching assistants, so it's not a lecturer in school. She was taking photographs of the presentation. Sounds like nothing's wrong? NO WAY!

Instead of taking photos of the group presentation or the slides of the presentation or anything to do with the presentation, she zoomed in and took pictures of this guy presenting. Apparently, the guy was supposed to be quite good looking. That tutor took more than 8 eight shots of him EIGHT!

Let's just say that that tutor likes that guy.

Okay, there's nothing wrong with people liking people, but somehow this just sounds so wrong, I don't know why. I wonder if stuff like this would be against the school policy? She's after all also a student in the school, not a lecturer so it doesn't sound that bad, but but but...

Okay, maybe it's just me making a big fuss over it. Maybe it's just a photograph only. Wait, it's not A photo, it's EIGHT photos, zoomed in on the face. uh-oh...

What Is Wrong With This?

Updated with one comment below, 9.10.2006 1.31pm.
Updated with another comment below, 9.10.2006 4.26pm.

I once put up an email from a prof on my blog, but after talking to a friend, i was advised to take the email down for reasons that the email was sent privately to me and not for the whole world to see. I've since taken that email down from the blog. After that talk with the friend, I'm now very much more careful when putting other people's material up on the blog, but somehow, I can't resist not putting this up.

This is the description from a project work from one of my modules. I think it should be quite public because it was put in the workbin. Drop me a line if you think I should take this down. If I get requests for this to be dropped, this post wil self destruct.

HY2217—War After 1945—Final Assignment: Tutorial Group Projects

Your final assignment is to participate as part of a group in answering a question posed to your tutorial group. Each group will receive a different question, and be divided into subgroups to work on that question. I want you to decide how best to answer it, but I provide below a fair bit of guidance in that area—mainly to cope with the large numbers involved in this exercise. Our very last tutorial session in Week 13 will be devoted to presenting and discussing these projects. All projects relate to the central themes of the module. DO 1 will work on the Cold War, DO 2 on the Korean War, DO 3 on the Vietnam War and DO 5 on the Gulf War. The assignment will include work in tutorial and contributions to the online forum discussion; I will set up separate forums for each tutorial group devoted to these projects. In group work you need to depend on each other and to work together, something I always enforce as well as expect. But I want to leave as many decisions as possible to you, so what you read below will be broad guidance on what to do, less on how. Subgroups will receive a group grade, but I reserve the right to reward people who make extraordinary contributions in quality and quantity by bumping them up a notch.

Group DO 1, Tuesday 10 am tutorial—

Your assignment is to address the following question: Was the Cold War really a war? If so, what was its nature? If not, why not? I want you to do this by examining four themes: Soviet policy; American policy; Proxy wars; Military alliances and nuclear war. And I want you to examine them by drawing as much as you can on published primary sources, especially memoirs. How did the Cold Warriors themselves address this question, and those themes? You can decide for yourselves how to tackle this, I will give you three choices: present a collection of scholarly essays; stage a United Nations Commission of Inquiry, including the examination and testimony of witnesses; select four historical figures and stage a debate between them about this question, one for each theme. Discuss this with me and we will settle it by the tutorial in Week 9. Meanwhile, here are your subgroups:

Group A—Soviet Policy
Ang Pei Ting
Chia Shu Fen
Fu Bojun
Lau Gee Sing
Lim Tse Siang
Noraiha bte. Abdul Rahman

Group B— American Policy
Astari
Fahmie bin Ali Abdat
Kumuthan s/o Maderya
Ler Zhi Wei
Long Fuji Edwin
Nurahhifah bte. Amran

Group C—Proxy Wars
Phay Su Hui Francy
Soh Lirong Jennifer
Sung Kok Siong Kenneth
Tan Kia Lih
Teo Shi Hui Rachel
Yeap Mei Yi
Emma Maria Mattson

Group D—Military Alliances and nuclear war
Quah Pei Yin
Soh Wen Qi Rachel
Syed Mohammad bin Syed Mohammed Alkaff
Tan Xuemei
Twohill Edmund Joseph
Ying Feng
William Thurston

Group DO 2, Tuesday 2 pm tutorial—

Your assignment is to address the following question: what was the root cause of the debate between President Truman and General MacArthur over the Korean War? I want you to do this by staging an Impeachment Trial of President Truman, on the grounds that by dismissing MacArthur he violated his oath to protect the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic. I will leave it up to you to decide what issues to examine, and how to do so: whether you want to settle for an exchange of written indictments, rebuttals and commentaries or whether you want to stage a simulation Impeachment Trial in class. Whichever you prefer, I want you to present the following as involved parties: Truman, MacArthur, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Republican Party leadership in the Senate, and the British. Discuss this with me and we will settle it by the tutorial in Week 9. Meanwhile here are your subgroups:

Group A—Investigating Attorneys and Senate Majority Leader
Erzwin Yem
Suriati bte Mohamed Sani
A/P Brian Farrell

Group B—President Truman
Joan Ang
Chia Tet Hong
Goh Soon Chye Gerald
Heng Chye Hwee
Koh Lai Hock Gary

Group C—General MacArthur
Beh Yi Yue Lydia
Emon Mitra
Goh Han-Ming Jasper
Han Siying Cheryl
Hurul Ain bte Muhammad Reni

Group D—Joint Chiefs of Staff
Lai Xiu Min Jessica
Melissa Faye Wu Ming Huey
Ng Ji Lyn Gail
Seah Jian Rui Garrick
Taaouicha Mujahid M’Barek

Group E—Republican Party Leadership in the Senate
Lim Chee Koon
Mohd Abdul Saddiq S/O A H
Ong Shihui
Tan Jian An Alwin
Theepan Prakash S/O Ravintheran

Group F—The British
Teo Guo Yang Alvin
Xue Renyi Christopher
Yang Jianwu
Zhang Weihuang
Melissa Peony Ko Luteng

Group DO 3, Tuesday 4pm tutorial—

Your assignment is to address the following questions: how can feature film help historians study the Vietnam War experience? If someone asks you what one film should they watch in order to consider the nature of the Vietnam War, which one should it be and why? This means you must explain why the film you choose is more important than at least two other relevant films on the list below. Feature films, if done well, can exploit the licence of fiction to do something academics are often less able to do: to make you feel what the history you were studying was like for those who lived it, to help you empathize with the spirit, passions and problems of the time. We are going to test that premise by using feature film to examine four themes: American entanglement in Vietnam—why did they intervene?; the American military in Vietnam—why did they fight as they did? American disengagement from Vietnam—why did they leave and what were the consequences for all concerned? Running through all three is another theme: Vietnamese-American interaction. Your job is to use the films to answer the questions: which theme is the most important for historians, which film best engages it, and why are the other films less useful? You need to watch the following films (I provide this partly arbitrary list because the filmography of the war is massive, and the exercise relies on you all watching the same collection of films and comparing them):
The Quiet American (2002 version)
The Green Berets (1968)
We Were Soldiers (2002)
Hamburger Hill (1987)
Flight of the Intruder (1991)
Heaven and Earth (1993)
The first film will be screened in all tutorial groups in Week 7, this coming week. I am arranging times to screen all the others in the Central Library. You may join any of these screenings, which will include a brief commentary, or you may watch them on your own time. We will sort out the details in the tutorial in Week 9, but remember, I am asking you to evaluate these films as tools for historians, not to give me a film critique. Meanwhile here are your subgroups:

Group A—
Cheang Liling Charmaine
Goh Wan Rong
Ho Qian Wen
Lim Wee Kian
Muhammad Aidil bin Ali
Nur-Ashiqin bte. Hasbollah

Group B—
Foo Jiayong Shaun
Heenatimullage Hans Avinder
Leong Kiw Hwee, Eddy
Mohammad Hafiz bin Kusairi
Ng Tze Peng

Group C—
Oon Eng Chee Jason
Tee Hong Sheng Nicholas
Thana Revathi D/O R Nadarajan
Wu Jialin Christina
Yeo Yingda

Group D—
Tan Chi Ming Isaac
Teo Guan Ken Eisen
Wong Ern Ching Ian
Zalikha bte Mis’Ari
Achrat Abi Farraj

Group E—
Yeo Siok Ee
Zerh Cheng Leng
Zhong Mingyuan Rubin
Zhuang Zhijie, Derrick
Brian John Gillette

Group DO 5, Thursday 2pm tutorial—

Your assignment is to address the following question: what did the Gulf War do more to demonstrate, the possibilities or the problems of waging limited war? This requires you to examine the relationship between ends and means. You can choose one of the following approaches to this question: a debate between government leaders and military commanders over whether to respond to the invasion of Iraq by force or not; a debate between government leaders and military commanders over whether to end the war upon the liberation of Kuwait or whether to advance on Baghdad and topple the Hussein regime in Iraq. The first examines the question of whether to wage war at all, the second examines the question of when to stop and why. You may choose to present either in written form or as a simulation in class. We can work out the details in the tutorial in Week 9, while discussing them online beforehand. Regardless, the following roles need to be played: President George Bush and his National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft; General Colin Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander-in-Chief Central Command; the government of the United Kingdom; the government of France; the government of the Soviet Union; the government of Saudi Arabia; the government of Israel. Here are your subgroups:

Group A—President and NSA—
Abdul Rahman Bin Osman
Chua Geok Leng
Harris Rusdi Chai
Katharina Kuesters

Group B—General Powell and the JCS—
Chua Jin Xun
Goh Eng Liang
Hoh Wei Jie
Koh Zhongwei Alvin

Group C—General Schwarzkopf and Central Command—
Khairunisa bte Mohamed Yaakob
Li Huanyan
Lim Yan Tyng Ashley
Neo Xiao Yun

Group D—the British government—
Lim Lee Mei
Muhammad Faisal Bin Mahmod
Ng Shu Zheng

Group E—the French government—
Ong Yan Rui
Ravi Dharini
Tan Shi Hui

Group F—the Soviet government—
Phuar Qiu Juan
Sia Kok Boon
Tan Yu Fang Jermine

Group G—The Saudi government—
Valerie Su Qunhui
Wu Mandy
Yip Jian Wei Justin

Group H—The Israeli government—
Victoria King Pey Ching
Yeo Qiao Xin Constance
Zhang Jiexin
---end

There are three things wrong with this list.

One has something to do with me, another has something to do with my group, the third has something to do with my tutorial group. But all three are all affecting only me, so I guess no one else would be affected by this three things that are wrong. Now I'm wondering, so who was it after all? hmm... Wait, I think the question would be, what is his name? damnit...

And hor... I think all my research material now won't be gone to waste. *sarcastically* Was that supposed to be very helpful? kauz...

And and and hor... I was just bringing up this point in my Computing and Society class just yesterday. I know I made a couple of slips here and there in the blog, I think I'll rectify them and edit them when I'm free some time after Thursday when I'll be having three deadlines, but somehow, this post doesn't incriminate me at all. (edit: It's not Thursday yet and I've rectified that problem. There was only a grand total of 2 incriminating evidences left in my trail in my blog. There were only 2 other incriminations from NUS FASS websites, both to do with my SEP one, otherwise, there's no other evidences left online, according to google.) It's a big wonder. hmm... Why ah???

PS: I'd think that only I'd understand what I mean, and why are those three problems found to be "wrong" by me. It's okay... I just needed to let steam out. And I thought it has been quite a while since I blogged. Not that I've nothing to blog, but really, I didn't quite have the time to blog about all those things I want to blog. wahaha~ It's the fault of those three papers!!!

Comment 1: A friend dropped me a line over MSN last night asking if the problem was that I'm the only girl in the group and my group consists of only Chinese. Names can be ambiguous, but I did looked to be the only girl, but I don't see that as a problem. I didn't notice that my group was wholly Chinese which was quite unusual of me since I picked my other group project groups from other modules based on ethnicity. So, since I didn't notice this, it isn't a problem and even if I noticed it, it also won't ever be a problem.

Comment 2: The person who wrote up the above document asked me what was wrong with it. It seems like only I see the problems, okay, it is that only I see the problems. To the general folk, yea... There's absolutely nothing wrong with anything. Anyway, the comment from him was that I was assigned to do the part on Truman was a "favour" to me, and that he wanted to make sure that at least someone in the group that knows about something about Truman. Yea... Reading his memoirs, Truman is an interesting fellow, but then, what interests me has no academic value. That's university education, what that is interesting has no academic value, and what that you learn in university are all stuff you've already known.

I really shouldn't be blogging until after Thursday. sucks... May god let me miraculously complete my essays on time. May god miraculously retract my divine power of the art of procrastination.

Of Serious Procrastination

I'm self proclaimed the biggest procrastinator on earth. If there's anything that needs to be done, I'm sure to procrastinate and not do it until the very last minute. Luckily, I somehow managed to get by all these years, but still, I really hate doing anything that has a deadline to it, no, basically, I just hate doing anything that has to be done.

I currently have three papers to complete by Thursday, three project, one of them not started yet, I haven't even met the group members, and one piece of homework to be completed by tomorrow. This is not including another group project yet to be released, and tests and exams and other what nots. Also luckily, the other two group projects are in a healthy shape thanks to my fellow group members.

By right, I'm supposed to be doing my homework now and then able to start on my papers tonight and complete them tomorrow then spend the weekend completing the other two papers, but somehow, as it is so obvious, I'm sitting here and typing out this blog entry and not doing any work at all. And my whole weekend will be gone. Saturday I'd be doing the filming for my Singapore Film group project and Sunday too. Saturday night there's the grandfather's birthday dinner.

How about Friday? A friend asked me if I wanted to go the Vivo City's new Golden Village. It's opening on Friday. And I want to watch a movie very badly. I just want to watch a movie, any movie, I don't care. Actually that friend wanted to go during the weekend, but I can't make it in the weekend, actually Sunday might be okay, but I would prefer to do my papers on Sunday. So I proposed Friday. My friend said see how. hai... See how is so vague. And this vagueness came back yesterday night when another friend asked me if I wanted to join them for dinner. Because of the earlier see how, I then could only answer see how. Then later in the night another friend whom I haven't met for like a very very long time, at least more than six months, asked if I wanted to go out on Friday night.

I wish I had more Friday nights to spend with all these people.

Yesterday, for the very first time, I groaned and moaned when a lecturer postponed a deadline. Yes, the procrastinator groaned. Because, by postponing the deadline from Monday to Thursday, I've now three papers due on Thursday that not even the six hour time difference with Germany would save me from disaster. We shall all see how I die on Wednesday night. Okay, I really know I should get my work started. I managed to complete my mid term take home test one day before the deadline so why am I unable to complete this earlier? bah~ I've got all my material ready already lor...

And recently I've been addicted to this online game that isn't helping me to not procrastinate. It's a really dumb game from Yahoo! Games, but I somehow gt addicted to it. And one full game of completed all the levels and reaching tha game end takes me about 45 minutes. And of course, I don't only play one game. Holiday Express, I play the web based one because I've no money to buy the game. Anyone cares to buy the game for me and let me copy it? wahaha~ I tried downloading the trial version one but it expired in an hour and I haven't completed the game yet, got to about level 10 when it suddenlu dieded on me. sucks...

The crux to the game is being able to handle the time well and make sure not to misuse and abuse all the little pieces. As far as possible, try not to discard any boxes or use the single pieces, then you can score a higher point. If by not discarding any piece, chance are it's very possible not to exceed the time limit. But then there's also the problem of the conveyor belt being full, so there are times when there's a need to discard boxes to prevent the conveyor belt from being full and prematurely end the game.

Oh, I got back into the bar too lately, but I'm only hanging out there at night because I don't want to waste all my time just hanging there and posting messages and find out that I don't have time, but then, I still can find other means of times wasting here there whenever whereever. sad sia...

All these couple with me now maxing on three hours of television every night, the 7 o'clock show, the 9 o'clock show and the 10 o'clock show. I never refer to shows by their titles because I never remember them, think maybe it's because I'm watching too many already, so the easiest way to remember the shows is by the time they're screened. After all I have to remember their screening times because I want to remember to watch them. So I end up calling all the shows by their screening time. Think I've been doing this ever since I started watching television, those so called prime time TV. But somehow it's only applicable to Chinese shows, I seem to remember the titles of the English shows I watch and I call them by their title. Or maybe it's because those English shows are only screened once a week instead of every weekday. hmm... But then I call the Saturday/Sunday 7 o'clock show as the Saturday Sunday 7 o'clock show leh... hehehe~ It must be a Chinese thingie...

I can't wait for the next 7 o'clock show to follow this 7 o'clock show, got all these people I like. Actually all the shows I'm watching now all got people I like. Moses Chan, in both the weekday and weekend 7 o'clock show, Kong Wah, in the weekend 7 o'clock show and was in the 10 o'clock show previously. The upcoming 7 o'clock show will feature Roger Kwok, Zhang Ting and Christohper Lee. I love Zhang Ting man... I got to know her from all the crappy DIcky Cheung shows I watch and she's so cute. I hope this Roger Kwok is the normal Roger Kwok, the nice and shuai one not the fat one. His' acting is good, especially when he was acting that fat retarded guy but I still prefer the shuai shuai him, he's one guy who can really pass of as a damn shuai scholar of the olden days. I like him in white, wearing the scholar's top hat or some sort of headgear. He's got a damn chiselled face which I think is damn damn shuai. Kong Wah also has a very chiselled face, I like. Kong Wah has got the highest cheekbones I've ever seens and the sharpest chin. And I like the way he swaggers, damn damn shuai, damn damn seh... Even my mom was saying he looked every bit the Boss in the 7 o'clock show and the Emperor he has always been acting in other shows.

wah... Talking about shuaiges, I can just go on and on. I want to watch the Dupree that movie leh... Owen Wilson is so shuai. I thought Kate Hudson was already damn shuai with Luke Wilson, think that was in Alex and Emma and/or some other movie. Owen Wilson is Luke and more. He's more shuai than Luke, he has got blond hair, he's cuter, more daring, funnier, and so much more.

I also can't wait to get my hands on the anime I had my friend help me download. hai... Can only have to wait till the next time I meeting my friend and with me being so busy wasting my time lately, I don't know when I can get my hands onto the anime. I so want to watch Detective Conan Movie 10: The Private Eye Requiem. That mysterious guy knows that Conan is Kudo Shinichi lor. And there's everyone of those detectives that I like, Hatori Heiji, Kaito Kid, Kudo Yuuzo and Yukiko. wahaha~ Can't wait can't wait.

Then there's also another film I want to watch. Prof Farrell recommended it to me yesterday before class. Perth. I've checked, there are three copies in the school library so I can check that out anytime when I've the time. We were supposed to watch that for our Singapore Film class, but instead, Dr Edna thinks another film Homerun is better suited for the class, so we are going to watch that instead. But still I think sometime after Thursday next week, I shall watch Perth. maybe on Friday. Or if I complete my papers in time and I need to come to school to submit the papers, then I might watch it on Thursday if no one asks me out.

I've also another short story to add to my collection but I haven't got the time to put in the ending nor to type it out. I wrote it out on hand. It's one of the very few pieces of works I actually have a manuscript for. lol~ I think I'll start another short stories collection to add to my Parallelogram and Prozac Nation collections. This shall be called Tales of Ming and Shan.

I can't wait for the December holidays. If anyone wants to go on a short trip to anywhere, can don't mind ask me along? I miss travelling. How I wish I was still back in Germany sia... then every weekend or anytime when I'm free I can just take the train to anywhere I want. Can go Zurich for tea, so shuang~

The Quiet American

The Quiet American

We watched this film for my War and Society class today, and I'm supposed to be writing my term paper for this module now, but as usual, I'm procrastinating. wahahaha~

I've heard of this film before but only had a very vague idea what it is about. In the introduction of the film, I was actually very surprised to see a very familiar name being credited for this film. Cinematography was by Christopher Doyle. More precisely, the film credits actually stated "Christohper Doyle HKSC". erm... Christopher Doyle, despite is very Western sounding family name is a Hong Kong based film maker and best known for his cinematography for Wong Kar Wai's films, although he does a couple of other Asian films sometimes, and some other films, like this one for example. Maybe because he was the cinematographer, I somewhat expect expected a certain level of standard in this film's cinematography and therefore spent quite a lot of time pondering over his use of camera angles and distance shot rather than thinking about the issues of the Vietnam War. The prof would be quite disappointed about this. lol~

I really feel very pampered watching a Christohper Doyle's piece because of the way he lets the camera follow the character. We see what the character is seeing and the time and distance of the changes in sights and stuff is very well positioned. The time is just right, a little slow, but not slow enough to bore us, definitely slow enough for us to take in all the sights of the set. Another thing I like about Christohper Doyle is his close up shots. I don't know how he does them, but he does them really well and we get to see all the emotions oozing out from the characters' faces. The only time his close up shots failed him were for Hero and 2046, in particular, the Zhang Ziyi (or Ziyi Zhang, as that girls wants to be known as now. I don't see the big deal over it since the Westerners still will mispronounce her name, no self serving English/American can pronounce all the Zs and Zhs well.) her big head shots always show her pimpled face. yucks~

Okay, I better get straight back into the War and Society part of the film instead of hanging onto the film studies part. And speaking of film studies, I screwed up my mid term test on the section of cinematography. I totally forgotten what cinematography was all about. sucks...

The very first thing that struck me about the portrayal of Vietnam was the usage of French in Vietnam, or as the film referred that geographical area to as, Indo-China. Yes, there were many parts of Vietnamese speaking, but quite a bit of French too. When Pyle died, Fowler told Phuong he died in French, not English, not Vietnamese, but French. When Fowler communicated with the Vietnamese soldiers, they spoke in French. Many of the cafes and bars had French names. This reminded me of some tapes we used to watch in History classes back in those JC days. There was one regarding the Indo-China Wars (which is another name for the Vietnam War, but since we studied it from a Southeast Asian perspective, it was called the Indochina War), King Bao Dai was interviewed. The whole interview, he spoke only in French, not Vietnamese despite him being a Vietnamese, but French. I guess this says a lot of French Indo-China.

This brings me to the whole point, why did the bloody Americans got themselves into this war? They don't even speak the language. bah~ Seriously, I was very pleasantly surprised that this film despite being American made, seemed to be implying that the decision of their involvement in the Vietnam War wasn't that a justified one. This makes me even more despise the place I live in. If someone ever made a film that critisises our government's decision of anything, it'd probably get banned or something.

Another reason which made me not like the film is the whole Phuong part. That girl is a whore man. I really don't see anything in her that can make those two stupid man say that they love her with all their hearts. I mean, she's just a whore, she's not worth it. She's a bloody SPG with a Viet context. Face it, she doesn;t love either one of them, if she does, she wouldn't have left Fowler, nor would she have been with Fowler in the first place. And she's not pretty. Pyle's a CIA agent, a very high ranking one somemore, he can have any girl he wants, why would he want someone else's mistress? crap... Even if she's really pretty, can he accept that she doesn't love him with all her heart or that she was already screwing his friend like every day? And that she only likes him because he's got some money. crap...

Men are fuckers and women are whores.

Yea... The film portrayed all the Vietnamese girls as bloody SPG whores which sucks... And all the Westerners based in Vietnam as skirt chasing fuckers which sucked too... Yes, Pyle can claim that he loves Phuong and wants to marry her and yada yada, but in the end, he doesn't bring her back to America, he doesn't even tell her his real identity. When we say of love, it's just skin deep, I bet he just likes her exotic looks. Fowler can claim that he loves Phuong too and would marry her if not for his Catholic wife (really, this is one reason why I cannot stand Catholicism, it's so selfish by not granting divorces), he says he cannot live without her, but what does he really love of her? Probably only her sexual abilities.

I don't really know if that General The is a real person or fictious character, but I thought he reminded me of that jackass Diem, a self made general with American backing. I seriously am unable to tolerate the then American policy of "he may be a sonofabitch, but he's our sonofabitch". That Rhee guy from the Korean war was another sonofabitch.

But the character I liked most in the film was Fowler's assistant at the newspaper office. He's got all the contacts and a shady history and he's quite cool and cute. I think he's a communist.

A line I like a lot in this film was one of the earlier exchanges between Fowler and Pyle. It went a bit like this, I can't remember the exact words...
Fowler: What do you want to educate the Vietnamese?
Pyle: Liberty.
Fowler: What is liberty?
Pyle: The freedom to choose.
Fowler: So, you give the Vietnamese the power to choose and they choose Ho Chi Minh. It's [Politics in Vietnam] not that simple.
This is also something I personally believe in. If you believe in liberty, then you should respect people's choice in believing in Communism.

In all, I gave it a 8/10 in IMDb because I hate the portrayals of the sexual habits of the people in there. Okay, I know it's realistic, but I guess I'm in sort of a fairy tale and self denial mood now so I want my prince charming and princess to be pure and innocent. bah~