Merry Christmas

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~ my favourite Xmas festive song from the great Ella Fitzgerald

The Hunters : The Charlie's Angel & More....

Charlie & His Angels? Haha....

OK.... was doing some housekeeping and the favourite part is the photos updating session.

This was taken when I was first transferred back to Sabah and the first treasure hunt that I participated. It's a Kiwanis Hunt from KK to Kundasang. Our debut hunt got #9 I think....

But after that, the Angels ditched me and I ended up with Leslie, Teo and Moira whom I knew during that hunt.

Life Is An Neverending Road.....

well....until you reach the end.

7 days

1584km

4 new friends found

3 towns

7 accidents witnessed

5 unexpected sunny days plus 2 predictable year-end gloomy days

numerous thoughts wondered in the mind

some sweet memories made continuous comeback

equally number of sad episodes replayed

what about the coming 2009?

the same expectations, hopes, resolutions or whatever you name it?

the similar routine of happiness ended with disappointment?

the unfulfilled dreams that made you doubtful about yourselves?

i wonder

i really wonder

Friends Who Travel VIII (Previously known as Couch Surfing CS and Hospitality Club HC Friends)

Taken in KK

(L-R) Yui, Andrea, Ben, Kenneth

Mount Kinabalu National Park HQ (SDK-KK) Dec 11, 2008

The mountain conquerer basked in the rain.

Yui from Japan on the last leg of her travel.

Andrea on her adventurous lone travel.

Well...who says Asian gals can't travel alone?

Ben and Kenneth, young lads from Spore on their holiday while in the national service.

Thanks for the companion along the 1.5hrs boring drive.

Simplicity

Is simplicity over-rated?

Or it's in fact boredom masked marketing myth?

The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008)

... is the worst movie I watched this year.

The cast was wasted. Jennifer Connelly was reduced to only "Please...." & "We can change..." which I kinda suspected Obama was sponsoring the movie. Keanu was natural as alien, I mean with his expressionless face and "count"able number of dialogues.

The whole movie feels extremely preachy in a bad way; old tactic and on-your-face lecture. Science fic is getting worse these days.

Give me Wall-E again anytime.

P/S : Watched it in One Borneo GSC and it's not really that bad, I mean One Borneo.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha

Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha

45th Taiwan Golden Horse Film Award

Finally Golden Horse speaks Taiwanese 闽南语. For quite a long time, Golden Horse is quite an embarassment for Taiwanese as Taiwanese movie (yeah....if there's any) always lose out to the mainland China and HK movie. Well, even Ang Lee's Taiwanese and proud of it, his recent movies are all funded by US or China's production company.

With the recent 海角七号 popularity in Taiwan, the instalment this saw more Taiwanese films gaining attention. It's a good sign and it's very evident from the start that 海角七号 will sweep every possible awards.

Before I talk more about the award show, it did cross my mind about the pride one has on his or her country's movie. I mean now Taiwanese have their 海角七号 and Indonesians have their Laskar Pelangi (read my take on the movie here), when are we Malaysians have ours? OK, I know we have lots of good movies, movies by Yasmin Ahmad, Amir Muhammad, Shuhaimi Baba or U-Wei but what I mean is the movie that managed to reach all Malaysians, at least doing quite well in cinema. I know the movies such as the Senario etc has good box-office value but I am talking about movies that are not typical slapstick.

I haven't watch any of the movies nominated except Warlords 投名状 but seems like there're some noteworthy ones that I should get my hands on.

1. DoDo Cheng MUST stop accepting hosting job that requires her to speak Mandarin, tat's all, fullstop. (She's a professional host but in Cantonese, not in Mandarin)

2. In the future, all award show should hire film or sitcom script writer to write the dialogue for the presenters so the viewers won't be bored to death. Exceptions are people like Eric Tsang, Sandra Ng which brings me to the next point.

3. For acceptance speech or presenters bantering, Taiwanese tend to be heart-warming, HKies tend to be funny and mainland Chinese tend to be more serious.

4. 海角七号 lost the Best Movie and Best Director to Warlords. Hmm.... internet will be filled with lots of dissatisfied voices I guess but in awards show like this, you never gets to satisfy everyone.

5. Sandra's bantering with her husband is the funniest among the presenters.

6. Award show's performances are err.... recycled material. The magic show? I think it's magic show also 44th or 43rd? And the screen with human shadow forming objects was a recycled idea too. Environmental friendly lah kan?

7. Prudence 刘美君's win was really an upset. She's an underdog among the nominees.

8. Can Astro STOP calling it LIVE when in real, it's DELAYED & EDITED telecast?????

Dah Bangun Ke?

It's Christmas time. It's gift and present time too. Get this at any bookstores around the country. Contributors include Ann Lee, Kam Raslan, Kua Kia Soong, Azly Rahman, Azmi Sharom (cool law lecturer), interviews of RPK, Steven Gan, Zaid Ibrahim, Guan Eng and Husam Musa, Martin Vengadesan (Jed....:) haha) and many more.

Burn After Reading (2008)

Burn After Reading

Joel & Ethan Coen

Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt

This is an example where the big names couldn't save the movie. And the big name director too!! It feels bored to me and in some way, I thought I was watching Woody Allen's movie, only with more cast as Allen tend to stick to just 2 or 3. It's kinda disappointing with the list of cast screaming good acting but at the end, nothing came out of it. It's hilarious at part especially the part where Brad Pitt was murdered haha.... tat's a good timing and funny to me. And he's funnily annoying, never see him in such a part. Malkovich is his usual eccentric self, McDormand is back to her "Fargo" element and Swinton again is her cold bitch look. sayang........

Something Is Brewing in PAS

With removal of Khalid Samad from his post as Deputy Commissioner II of Selangor PAS and the announcement of Hadi Awang on Ketuanan Islam (hm....no coverage on this yet in either MalaysiaKini or MalaysianInsider.... strange huh?)....

So, is this a purging of the professional/progressive in PAS? Something is brewing and I don't enjoy the aroma of it......

Hang Nak "Hang" Laundry Hang Kat Mana Tu???

When the world leaders are busy scratching their heads trying to solve the economic turmoils what is ours doing, you may want to ask right? But again, our "leaders" said that we have no recession and our economy is still strong so, they don't have to do anything lah kan?

But then our PM-in-waiting do not rest on his laurels you know??? He is so sensitive to the plight of our citizens. The proof? From The Star Online

Those living in multilevel residences will no longer be allowed to dry their clothes in the open “where the whole world can see,” effective next year.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a guideline should be in place so that developers would be made responsible for preparing a special area or the proper facilities in its properties for drying clothes.

See... how sensitive our PM-in-waiting to our plights? Such a busy time also he pay attention to these kind of teeny-weeny bit of stuff. But then again hor.... I started to wonder maybe we will have a new "national laundry dryer" device created by our inventor groomed to win the Nobel Prize which all property developers have to buy and install in all future property developments. Lah.... like the uniform for the National Service lah... or the Copter deal kan?

Marseille 3 : Calanques

The Calanque, which stretches from the outskirts of Marseille all the way to Cassis, a natural wonder.

Too bad the weather was too dry (it's summer babe....) so hiking was prohibited and will be prosecuted if caught.

There are some villages in the Calanque and the French like to go for vacation in the villages. As you can see from the pic, the roads are narrow and challenges your driving skills.

Guy and Michele : I just love to be with them. Such a loving sweet couple. Young at heart and fun too!!! Thanks Pierre for suggesting this itinerary.

The game of Pétanque, the French version of lawn bowl but with metal ball. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to play due to the lack of time.

Guy and Michele, you are the greatest host ever!!! It's so much fun to be with you guys and I learned a lot from both of you.

More with Guy & Michele...

coming soon.......

my paradise and haven in Saint Jean en Royans

Marseille 2 : Le Tour de Marseille? Plus Notre Dame de la Garde

After the delicious lunch, Guy had to go back to his work and Michele had planned to bring me around Marseille by CYCLING!!!! Just love the thought of it and I'm very excited with the plan. And of course, thanks to Pierre because I'm riding his bike.

Second largest city in France after Paris and 3rd in terms of metropolitan area after Paris and Lyon Marseille is located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Lived up to the Azur... the sea is breathtakingly blue.

It was the end of summer and school holiday hence there's still quite a crowd at the beach area. Michele and me rode along the long coastal line and it's a nice exercise for me as well. The weather is hot but not humid making the ride more tolerable.

Armed with my camera and a bottle of aqua.

The view with the Callanque at the back....

Thanks Michele!!!

Nicely "trimmed" right?

汪洋中的一条船?

I forgot the name of the coastal road. Michele and Guy mentioned it lots of times. Sorry Michele and Guy.

The Belle

The garden next to the beach

Evening time, when Guy's back from work, we went for a drive as they wanted to show me around Marseille.

Where else to start other than the iconic Basillica Notre Dame de la Garde? It's highest natural point in Marseille and the view from the top is stunning.

Don't be mistaken this for the Santorini Greece. It's Marseille!!! Note the gold statue at the top of the structure. It's Mary and child.

The Isles in sight is the Frioul archipelago consists of 4 islands; one of which is called If where the famous Chateau d'If is located, made popular by Leonardo DiCaprio's movie Men in The Iron mask and the famous Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Michele mentioned that a lot of Chinese tourists take it as the "must-go" destination due to the DiCaprio craze.

Sans the heavily populated structure, it can be mistakenly assumed as Greece. Love the blue color.

Still the Basillica

More Basillica

Abstract anyone?

The Vallon des Auffes off the Corniche I guess....

The Corniche I think.....

The famous Chez FonFon famous for its bouillabaisse; a legendary restaurant in Marseille which needs reservations very very much ahead.

Another view from the bridge of The Port du Vallon des Auffes

Pics from the Calanques followed......

God Help Malaysia

is this a distress call? well, i may laugh at the stupidity of certain quarters reflected in their words and actions but the fact is, it's worrying, given the numbers represented by these quarters or allegedly speaking on behalf of.

***after reading the news on GGMM demanding 2mil in compensation from Chua Soi Lek after Chua rejected Malay Supremacy