The End of An Era in Sandakan

Sandakan's 1st KFC. It's gonna be closed soon as the 2 "FOR RENT" banners indicated. As evident from the photo, it's on a prime location, in one of the busiest junctions in Sandakan.

One of the main attraction of the premise is that it's the best location for people watching. Of course during my school time which was at least 15 years ago, it's the prime hang out place. And of course, there's no Starbucks or Coffee Bean around so KFC is the "in" hang out place after school, birthday party venue and gathering/meeting place as well.

I had lots of memories of this place. I remembered I bring my parents to have their 1st KFC here too. Both me and my sister belanja them. There was another time I remember after some First Aid Competition where all of us had some meals there and did some nasty stuff there. Some of us put some ice chips into the tomato/chilli sauce bottles and some were being reprimanded and scolded by the managers there too!!! Hahaha... not me though.

So, what about you????

NOTE : I had my last KFC in 2009 today, courtesy of the cash coupon from Esther. Thanks!

Happy New Year 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

Hope it gets better
cox
that's the only way to go
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary and Max (2009)

Mary and Max (2009)
Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Humphries, Eric Bana
Tagline : Sometimes perfect strangers make the best friends

Max : (to Mary) Dr Bernard Hazelhof said if I was on a desert island then I would have to get used to my own company - just me and the coconuts. He said I would have to accept myself, my warts and all, and that we don't get to choose our warts. They are part of us and we have to live with them. We can, however, choose our friends and I am glad I have chosen you.

Thanks to Sherry, I had the chance to watch this underdog gem. It officially jumped into my top 10 movies of the year. I somehow had the same feeling while watching Wall-E few years ago. The movie is basically a galore of quotes in its dialogues that made you think of your life and friends and family, a perfect movie to end the year especially if you are in the recap and review mode like me. Sherry said "it's a tad sad but perfect" which I totally agree. Luckily it was sad ending rather than the typical Hollywood-type cheesy happy ending. The movie was based on true story which I gotta check out soon.

Music-wise, Que Sera Sera was impeccably used in the movie in a memorable scene. I always think that the song has an inert creepiness in it and the movie utilized it to the max. It has the same effect as "End of The World" by Skeeter Davis used in Girl, Interrupted (Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie). Well, go figure!

P/S : To all my friends, I am glad I have chosen you and got chosen back as well.
P/SS : WATCH THIS!!!

I See You

Reporting from my avatar....... I SEE YOU !!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas 2009

courtesy of Getty Image

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

2009 Recap.........

..........gonna invest some time doing the recap.

You Understand This? (Mandarin & Cantonese Proficiency Required)

Kudos to Hu Jin Tao for being able to suppress his laugh or even his smile at the lousy Mandarin by the new Chief of Macau Special Administrative Region, 崔世安. His Mandarin is definitely on par with the likes of Ekin Cheng and Louis Koo. Have a good laugh for the week ahead.

Two Lovers (2008)

Two Lovers (2008)
Joaqui Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rosselini
Tagline : Sometimes we leave everything to find ourselves

OK. I can hardly finish the movie. It's a rare occasion for me to abandon the movie (even if it's watching DVD) half way and I did just that for this. According to IMDB, this movie got rave reviews and most of them gave 8-10 stars out of ten and I TOTALLY didn't get it at all. I think the plot is lame and kinda predictable. The reviews raved about Phoenix's performance but I just didn't get it. Maybe it didn't appeal to me so that's my own personal problem. For Paltrow, I always think she's not the classic beauty but she has something in her though she didn't do much here. Isabella Rosselini is great as usual but that's enough for me to endure the whole film. Having said that, you should try it yourself. And let me know. I feel sorry for not finishing the movie.

《聖誕快樂》- （1984）

I never know that this song was actually featured in the movie. The movie is like the must-watch come every Christmas when I was a small kid. Of course, at the time, there were not many TV channels around, not even TV3 let alone paid cable. The movie will be shown without fail in TV2 or RTM2 at that time EVERY Christmas.. I mean... EVERY Christmas, just like another movie during Chinese New Year (let that be another post in the future). Helmed by Karl Mak and Paula Tsui, this feel-good movie also starred a lot of actors who's not here anymore, i.e. Leslie Cheung and Danny Chan.

Last Christmas - WHAM

A classic though not conventionally a traditional Christmas song; just the title comes with the Christmas word but the whole mood (err....and the music video anyone??? hahhahahaa) with the synthesizer music kinda made it. Enjoy.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Tagline : Prepare to get served!

I think the recently wrapped up delegates at the climate conference in Copenhagen should be shown this. It's light hearted but at the same time loaded with tonnes of environmental messages. Also filled with the ironic take on the consumer pattern. Had a great fun watching and laughing.

Be Mine (2008) - Aditya

I think the album is quite nice. Didn't think it get good response in Indonesia though. Another case of less-appealing appearance I guess. The track list:

1. All About Me
2. Cinta Sesaat
3. Be Mine
4. Love Will Find You
5. Get A Room
6. Diamnya Dirimu
7. Salah
8. In The Night
9. Sangat Rindu
10. Kurelakan

After Sunshine Cleaning, Smart People starts to learn How To Lose Friends & Alienate People while understanding The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin
Tagline : Life's a Messy Business

I was sold after knowing Amy Adams and Emily Blunt helmed this little indie vehicle. Upon watching it, there's Alan Arkin in it as well!!! (Arkin is everywhere nowadays especially after his winning of the Best Supporting Actor for Little Miss Sunshine). The movie itself is a delight, not trying to be artsy-fartsy with its simple-regular-person dialogues. Adam is extremely lovable with her girl-next-door charm, not too sugary but "plain" enough to be able to squeeze her best in every character she's in. Emily Blunt is another delight. Already stealing scenes in Devil Wears Prada alongside Meryl Streep, she's destined to shine more hopefully with more meaty characters come to her. Alan Arkin, however charming he is, was just merely repeating what he does best and somehow feels like an extension from his character in Little Miss Sunshine.

Smart People (2008)
Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church
Tagline : sometimes the smartest people have the most to learn

Dennis Quaid carried his character of a widowed smart-ass-i-don't-care-what-the-world-thinks language lecturer with ease. Parker really had problem broaden her scope after her stick-in-your-mind character in Sex & The City; she's really so-so here as the romantic interest for Quaid, an ER doctor. Ellen Page is good as Quaid's daughter, a replica of Quaid's personality and in constant pursue of her dad's approval and affection trying to be perfect scoring the highest SAt etc. Haden Church again proves to be born with the talent to portray scruffy unreliable jack ass as he did in , here as the adopted brother of Quaid's character.

How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)
Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Jeff Bridges
Tagline : Brace yourselves, America. He's across the pond, and out of his depth.

Here's some little Brits flavor for you; well... Simon Pegg is here (remember Hot Fuzz???). Based on a book, it's a story of a British writer who was hired to work with a glamourous magazine in New York by Jeff Bridges character (great grey hair by the way). Kirsten Dunst is again doing her Spiderman's character here, an aspiring novel writer trapped in the hi-so working environment of a glamourous lifestyle magazine. Megan Fox is the hot siren here doing nothing really notable except being seductive and sexy. In some angle, she kinda looks like a slimmer and taller version of Salma Hayek. Oh.. the Agent Scully of X-Files fame (anyone remember her????) is here as Fox's manager.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)
Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Winona Ryder, Julianne Moore, Maria Bello, Monica Belluci, Keanu Reeves
Tagline : The life you love maybe your own. She lived many lives - except her own.

Lots of big names here and I think Penn was in a rare chance to be able to carry a title character with so many stars complimenting her. Commendable effort though I think the story sounds too familiar in a way. Ohh.. Alan Arkin is here too! Julianne Moore strikes again. The movie is directed by Rebecca Miller, wife of Daniel Day-Lewis and daughter of the famous Arthur Miller.

THE MOVIES ABOVE... ALL COURTESY OF MY BEST MATE SHERRY!!!

Dia - Maliq & D'Essentials

My Favourite Indonesian Group, Maliq & d'Essentials (DIA)
Read about my write up about them...
(HERE) and
(HERE)

We Still Have Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar!!!!!

From mysinchew.com.... by Tay Tian Yan..............

50 years ago, everyone said Malaysia was the best, even better than Hong Kong and Japan.

30 years ago, they said Malaysia was not that bad, at least we were as good as Korea and Taiwan (Hong Kong and Japan were no longer mentioned by them).

20 years ago, they said Malaysia was still quite okay, at least we were better than China and Thailand (Taiwan and Korea were no longer in the same league).

10 years ago, they said Malaysia could never be like Vietnam or Indonesia, no matter how terrible it was (China was not in the same category any more).

Today, Vietnam and Indonesia have far outpaced Malaysia in economic development, the gap is fast closing in.

What to worry? We still have Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar!

Time for SOS?

Is it the time for distress call? I don't really know but it feels bad to be reading news in Malaysia now. And of course, I am not referring only to the online media but the MSM especially the racist ones (in a way, which MSM is not???) also portrayed the same distressed feelings, of course not by telling the truth but non-stop spinning which reflected the distress in terms of the stupidity of the moronic political animals in the country.

Pissed off!!!!!!!!!

Berhenti Berharap - Marcell

A nice song by Indonesian singer, Marcell.