Got my 1st ANF tee at SGD$40.60 (originally $58) after a 30% staff discount thanks to a friend!
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
On my replay list for a week now. Didn’t liked Speak Now initially. Addicted to it now.
Korean dramas + the former Korean monarchy + a rom-com genre = Watchable material.
March 2009 - March 2012.
Rest well, my “not very famous brand” NEC laptop.
Hello to the HP Folio 13 Ultrabook™!
I always wanted a Mandarin collar shirt and H&M is selling it at a ridiculously cheap SGD$17!
I found my missing since TGIF camp pass after all. I knew I carelessly left it at my camp’s office storeroom where I changed to civilian wear. Thoughts of getting reprimanded, having to fork out $50 for a new pass and its tedious process haunted me. Overwhelmingly.
Anyway, I got to save the $50 and I used the money to purchase The Blue Mansion bundled with Forever Fever both by Glen Goei DVD bundle from The Blue Mansion.
I could have watch Forever Fever during my childhood days back in 1998 but I remembered my parents brought us to my estate’s theatre and it was a sold out. My 2nd brush with the Forever Fever happened during my final year of Polytechnic studies. I took an elective module called Appreciating Local Cinema and Forever Fever, being relatively well known in the local circle, was one of the films shown. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Forever Fever. It had a captivating plot that touched on taboo topics and really relieved me back to Singapore in the disco 70s.
Satisfied my hunger for The Hunger Games on the very same TGIF at GV 112 Katong. Hall 3 was full house and luckily I was kiasu enough to book the tickets online within hours of its immediate release 2 days before. I vied with good friends for the middle seat and I was literally seated in the middle of it all, in line with the centre of the screen. For a teeny-weeny tiny moment, I felt powerful. LOL.
Okay back to the movie. What I liked and disliked…
1) I liked the opening with words that tells the audience (whom mostly didn’t read the book) the brief story of how the hunger games came about.
2) I wished the opening scene started with Katniss hunting in the woods instead of the interview between Caesar & the game master - Seneca Crane.
3) District 12 was not what I envisioned it to be from the novel. I thought of the town as cobblestoned pavements with European-like shop houses.
4) I liked the high-speed train and the retro-futuristic Capitol.
5) The costumes of the Capitol Citizens were what I thought it would be! Outrageous and flamboyant.
6) Katniss and Peetas’ costumes on the Tribute Avenue was bleah.
7) The humourous dialogue between Haymitch and Elfie was GREAT.
8) Not being a racist, but my impression of Rue from the book was a white. Amanda Stenberg acted emotionally well nonetheless.
9) True to the critics’ words that went for the prescreenings, Jennifer Lawrence COMPLETELY outshined almost everyone in the film.
10) I’m glad they skimmed through the lengthy cave scenes from the novel.
11) Not glad that Katniss and Rues’ friendship was not well developed enough. Again, time constraint of the film.
12) From a reader’s point of view, I guessed that Katniss’s laying of flowers on Rue, the taboo of her sadness towards losing a fellow tribute and the silent salute towards the camera will obviously spark a rebellion in the novel. It did not happen. It happened in the movie.
13) The lover strategy in the games was overused in the book. It was underused in the film. A good thing I guess. Clearly to avoid being just another movie for typical Twilight fangirls.
14) Clever prop usage of the berries to show that the game master - Seneca Crane died.
15) In conclusion, Gale is really just a supporting character after all.
16) Safe & Sound by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars SHOULD be immediately played when the credits rolled.
Spent TGIF with good friends to somewhat informally “celebrate” Gary’s 21st. We headed over to Andersen’s of Denmark at Plaza Singapura for the Family Fondue as I had a 50% off coupon that was valid at that outlet only. The fondue costs $21.70 after the 50% off and being $40+ if its without the discount (inclusive of 7% gst & 10% service charge). Its my 1st time actually paying for a stereotyped-as-a-premium-kind-of-thing chocolate fondue (fondues at buffets not counted) and I sincerely do not think there would be a 2nd time so soon. There’s better ice cream elsewhere!
Afterwards, we had dinner at Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken 112 Katong. I LOVE the atmosphere of Nando’s 112 Katong. Its cosy, a lot of wood, warm lighting, some form of foliage, choice of outdoor seating and green framed glass partitions, though the menu is VERY limited. I had the 1/4 Chicken with 2 Sidelines AGAIN and when Nando’s gives you a choice of Extra Hot - Hot - Mild - Lemon & Herb and when you choose hot thinking it would be like bleah then adios amigos.
My favourite scene from “My Fair Lady”, the Ascot horse race scene.
Just look at those fabulous Edwardian era costumes!
Watched Kabuki: The Masseur and the Thief yesterday at SOTA School Of The Arts. There were 2 firsts. Its my first time actually paying to watch a cultural performance and its also my first time visiting the fantastic architectural gem - SOTA.
Even though the kabuki show is performed by merely 2 characters and the props/setting were no frills, however, they overturned the simple plot and outshone it by their excellent and comical acting. The price for the show was considered reasonable to me as I bought them at a student concession pricing and I was allowed to select any seats. How great is that!
