Difference between Dog and Cat (People)

Click on image to enlarge.

There is no need for exaggerated displays of inter-personal relationships.

Little Nicholas

For a light-hearted well-made film, catch Little Nicholas at the Picturehouse quickly. It's a rare funny film to be screened at the Picturehouse. I seldom hear people laughing in the tiny theatre. I shouldn't be suggesting this, but I think it's a great film for children too. =)

Adapted from a French story of the same name, this film is a story about a little boy, Nicholas, who is very satisfied with his life, until he thought he was gonna have a little brother. With the help of his enthusiastic classmates, Nicholas attempts to get rid of this impending little brother.

Bentendo vs Waraku Pasta

I love Japanese-Western cafes. As a kid, I remember going to Petit Monde at Isetan in Parkway Parade very often. I could not take my eyes off the food models on display, and would always order the kid's meal that came in a tray with a TOY. Happy times! =))

30 years later, there are more of such cafes in Singapore. However, the quality is inconsistent.

Within the same week, 'Good Fren' and I visited 2 Japanese-Western cafes, Bentendo and Waraku Pasta.

Conclusion: NO FIGHT!! Bentendo wins hands down.

Bentendo (Great World City)
We had a late lunch on the weekend. Around 4pm. There was nobody at Bentendo then.

2 different 'genres' of pastas. The typical tomato/garlic-base Bentendo Fisherman pasta. I love the garlicky sauce. Mmmm...

A Japanese-inspired pasta.

Both are wonderful to see and taste. Fusion, but not confusion.

And this combo pizza. Chewy cheesy on a thin crust. What more can you ask for?

Waraku Pasta (Changi Airport Terminal 2)
Just before 'Good Fren' went off to KL for a work trip, we had dinner at Terminal 2. Because of childhood memories, I was seduced by the glossy food models.

There were so many of them, ok!!

Unfortunately, Waraku is a really lousy example of the Japanese-Western cafe. Mainly because the food tasted like they just got reheated out of the freezer.

A combo set. Steak and pasta.

This pizza tasted like cheap cheese on hardened pita bread-ish biscuit.

The only saving grace in this pasta is the Kimchi, which you can hardly see.

China's New First Lady “牡丹仙子” 彭丽媛

If you have not already heard, her husband is Mr Xi Jin Ping 习近平, who has recently emerged as the next candidate for President of People's Republic of China. In more familiar American terms, that's Mr Obama's equivalent, except Mr Xi doesn't get voted into office. He gets appointed by his seniors.

Up till 18 Oct 2010, it was a neck-to-neck race between Mr Xi Jin Ping and Dr Li Ke Qiang 李克强. I won't go into details here, but it's an intriguing read. Just google their names together in English.

In gist: Prince vs Scholar.
Sounds rather familiar and disconcerting at first, but if you think about it in terms of the context, this outcome probably makes more sense for China. Not so sure about applying similar principles to other sovereignties.

I digress... Back to “牡丹仙子” 彭丽媛...

Know what's really weird? I've heard of this famous folk singer, “牡丹仙子” 彭丽媛, before the recent buzz. I recognise her voice!!

How is it possible that one who listens to Marilyn Manson, also appreciates 牡丹仙子???

Maybe it's the uniform. O_o

翘楚

qiao2chu3

比喻杰出的人才：医中~

YOZOH 요조 - K-Indie-ish Pop

Ok, to balance the amount of Korean oldies I've been listening to, I found YOZOH 요조.

A Korean female singer... born in the early 1980s... somewhat indie-ish pop. Can't really say she's indie, coz she's more pop-ish... Not so much K-Pop as we know it... I don't think she does those 'bam-bam' body-jerking dance moves.

She's more like the kooky act-cute type.

Yesh... You get the idea...

联想：Somehow girls who look like that... I often wonder if they menstruate regularly. I shan't explain myself on this point, coz it's kinda tough. It's just a thought that comes with consuming the look. Perhaps my brain tags such a look with 'unreal' and 'doll' and 'not adult'. Hence, no menstruation. O_o. And so, it's kind of counter-intuitive coz this is the precisely that look which Japanese sanitary pad companies like to use for their ad campaigns. Kind of ironic, if you ask me.

Anyway... This is one of her nicer songs. It's called Morning Star.


Then you have this weird song of hers (which probably qualifies her as 'indie'.

It's called 'Banana Party' and the lyrics go...

Give me your banana
Let me taste your banana
Let me taste your banana

As part of her song, she sings 'Niam Niam Niam' to complete her banana-tasting experience.
I'm not kidding. Listen to it.

American Cat eats with fork and chopsticks

At first, I thought the fork was strapped to the cat's right paw. So I tried to pause the video... I think the cat is really holding onto the fork with its thumb... =_=

The fork and chopsticks-holding looks cute, but I don't think it's ok to feed the cat with noodles, ice cream and sardines (meant for human consumption).

Meanwhile... Blinky and Tiger... simply dun give a damn...

Tiger: *YAWN* ZZZZZZZzzzz


Blinky: What fork? What chopsticks? Don't you dare have any silly ideas... I'm fine with licking my food off the bowl, the floor, and sometimes... off your finger when you have been a good and useful human to me. Thank you.

The 'Heartbeat' Molester

"The police are on the hunt for a Chinese male in his thirties related to a series of outrage of modesty cases, with cases linked as far back as 1999.

Dubbed the "Heartbeat Molester", the suspect's signature move is to request his victims to feel his heartbeat as a pretext or prelude to molesting them.

He approaches his victims, usually girls between eight and 12 years old, at the void deck or lift lobbies when they are alone. He would pretend to be lost and ask for directions, before leading his victims to a staircase, where he would then strike."

Read more here.

Watch the RazorTV report.


Anyone with information on this man, do call the Police Hotline at 1800-2550000.

My Thoughts on Amanda Heng's Thoughts on Gender

"Well, men tend not to accept women who are more demanding in terms of their thoughts and questions, who are more opinionated. The perception of women in Singapore hasn't changed a lot. Most women are required to have a career and to be a wife and a mother. But I don't know how many guys are prepared to be honest with themselves and admit this."

~ Amanda Heng Liang Ghim (2010), 

a former tax officer-turned-Singaporean Artist 
and Cultural Medallion recipient.

......................................................

I understand what she's saying. And you should try to too.

But afterwards, let's just take it one step further.

If I were male and would give the choice of a wife a little more thought than others would, I'd either:

(A) Go for the best of the same - That female who is the prettiest, most wife-like, most mother-like, so that I can claim to have the best wife around.
Guy with the most toys and best wife wins! YAY!

OR

(B) Realise how common and so vulgar it is to get myself one of those wives who work and breastfeed my children, even if she's the winner of the breastfeeding pageant. I'd wanna be different from my male counterparts. That's how I can show that I have 'better taste', by going for someone who is so not (A).

In the spirit of (B), I might start to find someone like Amanda Heng extremely attractive, and tackle her aggressively. And guess what? She may really marry me for being so differently tolerant. Sounds like a match made in heaven?

But going back to the start of this train of thought, remember that I was only going for Option (B), because of me, myself and my ego. Nothing to do with Ms Heng's brilliance, self-awareness and femininity as a female human being.

비 내리는 영동교 ~ 주현미

Ju Hyeon Mi 주현미 (周炫美) is a Korean-Chinese and an ultra popular singer in South Korea in the 1980s and 1990s.

I like this song of hers very much.

비 내리는 영동교 ~ 주현미

밤비 내리는 영동교를 홀로 걷는 이마음
그사람은 모를꺼야 모르실꺼야
비에젖어 슬픔에 젖어 눈물에 젖어
하염없이 걷고있네 밤비 내리는 영동교
잊어야지 하면서도 못잊는 것은
미련 미련 미련 때문인가봐

밤비 내리는 영동교를 헤매도는 이마음
그사람은 모를꺼야 모르실꺼야
비에젖어 슬픔에 젖어 아픔에 젖어
하염없이 헤매이네 밤비 내리는 영동교
생각말자 하면서도 생각하는건
미련 미련 미련 때문인가봐
...................................................................

Where can one buy Korean oldies (not K-pop) in Singapore?

台妹卖槟榔。。。坡妹卖。。。

... 酸奶雪糕

Frolick should start drive-thrus.

I Love You Phillip Morris

I Love You Phillip Morris is a funny but true story based on a real life homosexual con artist, Steven Russell, who broke out of prison multiple times for love.

Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor are great actors.
And of course, LOVE CONQUERS ALL!
Even at 40 insulin consecutive injections!!! YEOW!

The only problem I have with the film is the awkward censoring of (sex) scenes.

세생에! It's freaking R21, alright?!!
Make it VR101 (Very Restricted-For those aged 101 and above), if that makes you less uncomfortable with gay sex scenes.


For those of you who appreciate Carrey and/or McGregor and/or the brilliance of Steven Russell, and have the integrity (and self control) to not download the film online (even though it's not difficult to imagine that you would do so coz the censors did a really shitty job)... Do go catch the film at the Cathay asap.

Rakuichi Japanese Restaurant

'Good Fren' wanted me to experience firsthand this Japanese restaurant which he had happened to go to with a colleague some time ago.

Rakuichi is located at Far East Shopping Centre and Dempsey. Being the lousy yuppies that we are, we of course went to the Dempsey establishment.

The online word has is it that the chef of Rakuichi was formerly with Kuriya and is Japanese. Of course, the CV of the chef is very important these days. If one wants to have a Japanese meal, the chef has to be Japanese. No less. Worth a second thought? Not now... Get on with it oredi...

Anyway...

The decor of the Dempsey restaurant is simple.

It has that contractor-Japanese-themed look. You would understand what I mean if you have been looking around for interior designers and general contractors enough.

Here you see 'Good Fren' trying to look very serious before a meal.

It was lunchtime. (Actually, it was past 2pm on a weekend.) And 'Good Fren' was feeling hungry.

So he ordered the SGD68++ set for us, which came with a chilled bottle of Tiger each. 'Good Fren' swapped his Tiger it for a soft drink, while I sipped on mine. Alcohol tastes better if you have it only once in a while.

And then... The meal started...

The appetizer looked like one of those miniature artworks. My digicam cannot do the scale of this piece any justice. It's just damn cute.

So cute that it warrants another pic on the blog... And yes... I almost forgot... It's perfect with the biru.

And then... The sashimi arrived...

Succulent, fresh and were accompanied by all sorts of greens from the ground to the sea.

The skewers were a shocker. Can you see the thick kong bak lying innocently beside the asparagus? Killer! Killer! Killer!

So juicy and flavourful... The fats simply dissolve in your mouth...

I distinctly remember telling 'Good Fren' at that point, "Baby! I cannot oredi!!"

It's weird... coz until I wrote this entry, I didn't realise that the skewers had only been the 3rd course... And there I was shutting down my ingesting system for the day...

Just as I thought I was gonna explode... The tempura arrived!

ARGGGH!!! I have to eat them!! Its fragrance is too good to resist!

OK OK... *pant pant*... Cannot oredi...

HUH?? What is this???

OMIGOD... I have no more space in my stomach and no idea what I am eating... But I am eating it all the same... Crunchy... and its innards were found at the end of the shell... I must say those were the best part... Mmmm...

Ok, we must be done by now, right? I mean... How much food can they serve us with for SGD68???

I swear I was not gonna be able to eat anymore... I swear!! I swear!!

What the... ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!!! Someone call the police! This has got to be illegal!

It's their flamed signature sushi... How can I not eat it? =_=

With the air-conditioner not working in that part of the restaurant, 'Good Fren' and I were suffocating... From the lack of oxygen and stomach space... We told the waitress to leave the sliding door open...

And I almost pleaded with her... Please... Please... *whimpers*... No more food, ok?

Finally... A bowl of clear fish soup...

Despite how full I was, the fish soup was strangely attractive... Once I was done with it, I felt... comforted.

Last but not least, a lovely end to the crazy Japanese lunch... All things Japanese in a dessert bowl... Sesame ice cream, azuki and mochi... Mmmm...

Borrowing a term from my 20 year old cousin, 'Good Fren' and I had FOOD COMA for the next couple of hours.

The Other Guys

Before we start, I wanna state for the record that I didn't choose to watch The Other Guys. It's my 20 year old cousin's idea. According to him, it's a funny 'bud-cop flick'.

The film is really a spoof of bud cop film against the backdrop of the great financial crisis that the US is still knee-deep in.

It's funny for about the first 10 minutes, and had a further sprinkling of laughable moments or jokes afterwards. =_=



The only saving grace of this film is... its... ENDING... credits!

I'm not shitting you. The ending credits had kind of link to how the story unfolded, but more importantly, they are in fact 'educational'*, as attempts to highlight the greed and perversion of post-modern capitalists.
*Assuming the facts and figures provided are valid.

For example, it highlights the average CEO to Employee salary ratio over the past 80 years:

In early 1900s, the ratio is 7:1.
In 1990, the ratio is 107: 1.
The increase is about 1.25x per annum.

However, by 2010, the ratio has increased to 319:1.
A 10x increase per annum for in just 20 years.

Watch it and ask yourself:

Yes, business organisations have gotten more complex, 

but is/are the CEO/top executives really worth that much? 

Or perhaps, 

the answer lies in that employees should be paid more?

'The Other Guys' End Credits: Giving a Silly Comedy a Serious Message (VIDEO) | Inside Movies

High IQ is... merely high IQ

“Some think people with a high IQ can be omnipotent,
but that’s not true."

~ Kim Ung-Yong, World Recorder Holder for highest IQ score of 210.

It's very 'human' to seek easy proxies to 'know'.
To know the past.
To know the 'facts' now.
To know what's in the future.
By dusting off earth from rocks, staring into crystal balls, shaking a bamboo holder full of sticks, getting an octopus to pick out the winning soccer team...

This stems from a fundamental need to feel like we are in control.

We try to measure/estimate/predict everything, then attempt to use the measurements/ estimations/ prediction we have made.

Of course, mankind started to measure how 'smart' a person is. Many tests are devised, each claiming to be more 'accurate' than the previous. The more hoops one is able to jump through, the 'smarter' one is. The test outcomes become a fact that labels the test-taker for life.

Once this obsession catches on, the act of test-taking takes on a life of its own. The class of 'Smart-Chasers' emerge. To the 'Smart Chasers', anything or anyone who has been tested as 'smart' has to be the best. Not once has these Smart Chasers stopped to wonder if ace-ing maths tests really did mean that one would be the best leaders for the nation. But somehow the system is designed that way. Also, the more effort they put in to chase the smarts, the more special these 'Smart-Chasers' feel about themselves. When sorely lacking in talent, one can still feel special by defining effort as the barriers to entry.

Then you have a class of those who have aced the tests, the 'Smarts'. These are 'successful' test-takers who enjoy the extraordinary benefits and aura bestowed upon them for ace-ing the tests. Unwilling to give up these privileges, the 'Smarts' are unlikely to change the system that has brought them where they are. Most Smarts, even if they refuse to admit it, despise those who are not like themselves. No different from more traditional means of differentiation such as lineage, caste, race etc. To keep up the barriers to entry, to keep themselves special.

Mr Kim Ung-Yong is definitely intelligent, but not because he has the world's highest IQ. But more importantly, he has the honesty and courage to see through the bullshite and disregard the rubbish expectations and assumptions the world has made for him.

He asked himself,"Why must the person with the world's highest IQ be working for NASA?"

That's what makes him better than everyone else.

Buried

This is a frustrating film to watch. I found myself stretching my legs excessively in the theatre, while I watched the protagonist struggling in his coffin. I guess everyone is claustrophobic to a certain extent.

Have you ever felt this?
Trapped... Helpless... No one can help you... Not your parents... not your partner... not your colleagues... Not your government...

Buried is a cruel film. It makes fun of one's worst nightmare.

Vintage Gaga

A couple of girls, Ruby and Eliza, emailed me about their little vintage venture called Vintage Gaga. I've never met them, so I tried to gather as much as possible over email.

They told me that they are colleagues in the social work sector. The stuff they sell are what they would wear.

To understand the stuff more, I tried to probe more on where they are sourced from. These shopaholics would only say that they get their stuff from the US, Australia, Canada etc. Any more specific and they would be giving away 'trade secret'. =) Also see their Facebook page.

Through the Vintage Gaga website, I lifted a few pieces which have caught my eye.

Any self-respecting girlie girl can't resist this cute 60s mod-dress. Those pockets!!

Although I do not wear ear rings, I love these. Delicate, yet making a clear statement.

I love this belt!! Versace's Medusa logo is classic.
Gold and black = Opulent Chic.

Which are your fav pieces from Vintage Gaga?

Three Brothers 수상한 삼형제

I'll give you 3 good reasons to catch Three Brothers on Channel U, every Mon to Fri, 7pm - 8pm.

1. The mother-in-law is utterly unreasonable. ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!! I wanna slap her. Shaddup oredi!!
2. 2 out of 3 brothers are super cute (2nd brother is manly (selfish) and the 3rd brother in his police uniform is.. FWAH!), while the eldest son's idiosyncrasies and helplessness tug at your heartstrings. 
3. I especially like the 2nd daughter-in-law's character and acting. A filial daughter-in-law trapped in a pre-mature marriage and the world of her in-laws' family. She was on the verge of a breakdown last evening. =_=

English write-up here.
Official website in Korean here.

Do remember to watch it in Korean. The emotions are more authentic that way.

김치 있습니까?

During last evening's lesson, my Korean Language teacher told us about the cabbage shortage in South Korea. The prices of cabbage has gone up 4 times, directly affecting kimchi production and prices.


Kimchi/cabbage is so important that the South Korean government is embarking on a 'kimchi bailout' during this difficult period, subsidising the cabbage prices.

In a kimchi frenzy, I am gonna stock up on some this evening. =))

Ketchup is Important

I discovered something shocking about 'Good Fren' this evening.

While walking home from dinner...

BM: I still can't believe that McDees ran out of ketchup over the weekend. I mean... It's McDees, not Loy Kee Chicken Rice! How can they run out of ketchup?


GF: I don't understand why people would choose ketchup over chilli sauce.


BM: Huh? What do you mean?

GF: Before I met you, I never ate ketchup sauce. 


BM: HAAAAARRRR??? Then what did you use to eat with your McDees?

GF: Chilli sauce la!


BM: Har?? How can??


All my life, I thought ketchup was a basic thing. Like how light soya sauce is in every Chinese family. It's so basic that I used to eat it with plain rice.

The Good Wife

I started reading up on the Good Wife because of Mahmud's hawt wife in the Infidel, Archie Panjabi. Goes to show once again... Sex sells...

But that's not the point of this entry.

I mean to say... That the Good Wife is a really solid drama serial. There's a fair bit of sexual tension, sex, crime and of course... good-looking people... It's Sidney Sheldon in a courtroom with regular references to real-life high profile scandals.

I wonder why it's not showing on Channel 5. This would bring in more viewers than the Pupil could ever manage in all of its nth re-runs, even if you double/triple-counted its diehard fans.

Doesn't Everyone Want to be Decent?

My 20 year old cousin and I were having a lovely lunch and chat when this question came up:

"Doesn't Everyone Want to be Decent?"

I'm not so sure about the answer to this question. Questions which require honest answers are usually impossible to answer fully. In any case, I don't think this question (or its answer) is that important.

The more important question to ask is:

"WHY does one want to be decent?"

Who set the rules/criteria of being 'decent'? How are these criteria/rules being 'enforced'? By oneself? By community/ society (people around us)? By higher beings watching over and judging us every second of our lives? What will happen if we do not abide by these criteria/rules of being decent? What if we believe no one is watching?

This of course inadvertently reminds me of the recent Lost & Found wallet incident.

Someone left a comment on that entry, saying that the honesty which 'Good Fren' and I had displayed through that incident was OLD-SCHOOL.

Why is honesty/returning a lost wallet OLD-SCHOOL?

As in, has it become "unfashionable" these days to return a lost item or be 'honest'?

Perhaps... as the blog header suggests... honesty is vulgar...
and therefore... honesty is shocking.
......................................................

'Good Fren' points out a curious phenomenon.
Everyone I've asked say he/she would return a lost wallet. But all do not expect to get back their lost wallets.

Obviously, something is not adding up.

Either all the lost wallets in Singapore have been eaten up by some wallet-eating species or have fallen through the wide cracks in our first world public roads, people are merely giving the 'right answer' to that question of 'Wouldn't you return the lost wallet?"

It's the 'decent' answer to give.

So, it goes back to the original question of the day... WHY does one wanna be decent?