My gear(s)!

am personally very happy with the pictures taken with this compact camera (hosting a micro four-thirds chip)! Had done quite a lot of reading before deliberating my buy close to one year ago, and after numerous trials, i'm very happy to say that the XZ-1 is certainly my favourite (in terms of picture quality). nevertheless, i realised that once too often the camera goes bonkers when i change to the 'view' mode after taking a pic (read: display interface disappears and only the view remains). Not sure if it's a bug or not, and it's certainly something that i do not want to live with when i'm outdoors happily snapping pictures away. the resume of this camera? Refer to the pics taken for my Bali and HK-cum-Macau trip! :-) (P.S.: Anything before that was taken with my other favourite compact-compact cam the Lumix FT-1, which boosts HD video-taking capability than unfortunately is not offered by the XZ-1.)

Relic of a missionary (30 episodes) (... what is wrong with the title?!)

nice poster!

have not had a HK TVB series "captivated" me for quite some time. Maybe 'cause recently most shows are set in present than ancient themes. Being quite a fan of Chinese history myself, i wouldn't say that i wasn't motivated to wiki a bit more on the historical settings this show was set in. overall i thought the show to be quite ok - different; as i mentioned, it's been a while since the last period drama. Plus, it's not a show which requires much brains to understand and have post-show greviances due to unjust replications of history (read: 宫心计 and the likes). a pity laughing gor is clearly showing signs of ageing in the show, and not really in a 'gracious' way. At times, he seems like he is unable to move his move while trying to act out his emotions *pity pity*. oh, by the way, this is not a review, but if you are keen to watch this show, please do! :-)

Hmmmmm...

can't seem to get the stupid blogspot webpage "in-sync" i.e. nothing happens when i press the 'Publish now' button. Yeesh. Shall leave the blog hanging like that, as per my HK and Macau post.

Hong Kong Hong Kong~ oh, and Macau

Kung Fu, Panda too! (read it in the way Jack Black would read it.)

last of my movie-review trilogy (done in reverse chronological orders... ha!) for the day.
Synopsis: so now Po's accepted by his fellow peers, the furious five, and respected by his villagers. the only thing is, there's still bad guys just waiting to dominate the whole of China! So, this sequel favours the aggressor in the form of a Peacock (voice casted by Gary Oldman), Lord Shen. And so yada-yada-yada, kung fu pandamonium kicks in in various hilarious forms. A good to watch for kiddies during the school holidays.
RPR: 7.5/10. Personally i liked the way how the script ties in why Po's species are so few in both the show and reality, and some faint links to a Peacock being a royalty vs. a certain dynasty in China.
although we don't get to see the actors and actresses, kinda appreciate the means the movie producers went through to source for all the big names to cast in this series as well too.
P.S.: Oh yeah, and Jean-Claude van Damme, nice choice picking to cast in this movie vs. the Expendables, whatever your reason is / was.

The Greens return in 2011.

well at least this 'Green' franchise looked for a decent-looking male lead.
this movie features the 2nd Green Lantern from Earth (yeah, i did some reading on my own and realised that there are actually 4 Green Lanterns from Earth to boot), Hal Jordan. A playboy and flyboy by reputation, he seems to be intimidated by responsibility rather than any other more daunting things he has in his life to worry about. nevertheless, this story brings about the origins of him taking over the legacy from a dying purple alien Abin Sur. So, Hal (Ryan Reynolds) goes about exploring the responsibility-current lifestyle thing and finally decides to keep the ring and its power for good. Too bad the terms of his employment contract does not state clearly that he's to take on a giant alien lifeform - which even the most powerful and senior Green Lanterns are not able to handle as well - alone.
RPR: 7.5/10 - i've seen better comic-transited-to-big screen productions, but the story's of chewable size and i guess it could be enjoyed by everybody because it does not require extension powers of comprehension to understand it.
kind of like the part this DC comics superhero "parodies" in a way the term about responsibility versus the Tobey Maguire's Spiderman trilogy (not to forget Spidey's from Marvel).

Transformers' big screen finale is...

Synopsis: Finale of the Transformers trilogy, and I'm rather glad the show ended our torment of a big screen reproduction of one of our childhood's best toy franchises.
bascially, the Decepticons banked on a final trump card they always had - and the Autobots did not know better - to regain their status as rulers of a planet (what would you expect of the name 'Decept'-icons). Autobots, being the good guys, naturally fell for this with their human allies and brought back to Earth with them the trump card and war, much to Decepticon's delight. Following which a raging battle between the forces ensues, but not before the draggy parts depicting the Boy-Gal-Relationship between Sam (Shia LaBeouf) and another 'hot babe'.
RPR: 5/10. Gets draggy at parts without building up the storyline. Although the action scenes at the back were good, somehow it pictures Optimus Prime as a horrifying cold-blooded killer. Remember his warcries back in episode 2 when he goes ranting about how Decepticons were worthless junk and all when going about his robot-killing spree? It's really something like what the bad guys would say and do.
also, should Shia LaBeouf be getting bored of acting in shows which requires him to be protraying the one thing he is good at, which are his crazy antics of talking very, very fast i.e. until hyper? He should cut down on his sugar or caffiene intake, whichever's doing this to him.
oh, and a "trivia" thingie; this episode actually stars bigger names like John Malkovich and Patrick Dempsey. But hell the latter's the bad guy, and I like seeing his a*s gets kicked.

Blackening Berry

just gotten a BB Bold 9000 phone late last night and am setting it up frantically to use it as my data plan will be disabled and replaced with a 'proprietary' BB data plan.
i feel less-than-privileged to be using its dumb, unintuitive set-up software which so 'fortunately' conflicts with my Windows 7 suite on my desktop i.e.:
- i can't get the BBappworld software loaded into my BB using the USB connection; an error message saying that IE8 is facing an error keeps popping up without end.
- even as i blog i can't even get the website to detect my BB connection through the USB.
prior to this, i was registering for a BIS account and i had to re-load the page 7 times just because the verification code i entered was wrong - the stupid verification code bar is truncated such that i can't read whether it's a 'v' or a 'y'. Also, the screen name i selected is unavailable for use. With reference to so many other website registration services online, you mean BB can't infuse this field input with an instant database checked so that we need not input and re-input the 'password', 'confirm password' and 'verification code' fields over and over again, just due to a minor error? omigoodness.
this is really not a very good start-off impression with the BB for me.

Bali bali~

just been to Bali early April. Apologies this trip review comes before i complete my Prague and Budapest's. Will make it quick since Bali's an easy place to go :-)

Fly - Airasia. Hey, who knew they had humidifier in the cabin?



Stay - Mandala Desa Resort. Service's great, staff's nice, place's serene but a fit far from Ubud Central.



See - The typical Balinese rice fields. Though i thought it was not the best season to view one.



Visit - The Uluwatu temple for it's amazing sunset. The monkeys here are fiercer than those in the Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest. According to our tour guide it's because they are fed nuts, which induces the aggressive behaviour. Myth or fact? - I'd believe the locals.



Visit - the Ubud market for a good bargain. Don't be shy; this was my maiden bargain training ground. Starting off with 30% of the originally offered price would be good.



Visit - the Sacred Monkey Forest. Why not? If you are around the area. At least you can wear your spectacles here without fear of it being snatched away by the inhabitants of this forest.



Eat - Black Canyon Coffee if you are at Kuta's Discovery Shopping Mall. Not a Balinese franchise, but it was a great find.



Eat - Seafood by the beach! Take your time to pick the location where you wanna eat.



Drink - the Balinese Bintang Beer. Nice and cooling for the weather here.



Go - Beaches (the Dreamland Beach to be exact). Jimbaran Bay and Kuta beach are not as clean - and it's much more touristy.



What can i say? Can you read the words on the tees?

20.09.11.GOW3.

Ugghh. The anticipation...

World Invasion: Battle L.A. - rocks!!!

this is one of the nicer movies i've watched for a long time!!!
Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez stars in this show (can't tell from the trailer eh? No clues as to EVEN someone whom we know is acting in it. Just like 'Rec', or that show whereby aliens invade earth but the show was shot almost all in first-person??? Sooo forgettable). i guess Michelle Rodriguez starring as a warfighter is no longer new (via Resident Evil, S.W.A.T., Avatar etc.) but Aaron Eckhart is. He plays the role of SSG Nantz very well and as expected being the male protagonist, unleashes some "John Wayne" action in kicking some extraterrestial's butt. i LIKED his "John Wayne" part(s) in the show. (At the rate of him kicking so, he'd probably be awarded some adamantium Star already.)
also happens that this is a long-time never-been-so-good alien-cum-war movie (the last good ones IMO were Independence Day and Black Hawk Down) which i've not been seeing on the big screen for quite a while. wait a minute... did i just say that?
interesting enough, this is one of the very few movies which had a very sucky trailer but the show turned out great. Usually it's the other way round. Also, the title of the show - really throws people off the hook that THIS could be a good one (producers, please think of better names more befitting of the movie?)
RPR: 9/10 - Plot's not fresh, but the way it was put across is. Thumbs up!!!

Just go watch it!

also was recommended to watch this show by a guy friend, a certain Mr. Pork who happens to also be an Adam Sandler movie fan.
plot goes that a successful plastic surgeon in the form of Adam Sandler, Dr. Mckabee (not sure if this is the correct spelling though) was a failure in his actual love life so he's all in for one-night stands. A charmer as he may be, he still fell for a lady of his 'dreams'. To go with the flow to get this girl once and for all, he engages Jennifer Aniston, his clinic's assistant, and her entire family (excluding her divorcee husband) to help him (con) out.
Nicole Kidman actually guest stars in this show.
overall satisfaction after watching this movie --- good :-)
as usual, Adam Sandler plays the good 'ol nice guy role (he's a natural somehow - but forget Zohan) and this movie comes with a happy ending.
RPR: 8/10

Ah Balling shifting after all...

awww... so in the end the stall is shifting to Ghim Moh food center after all... guess business is not as good as it used to be ever since it shifted to this new site. Thankfully the nice Penang Char Kway Teow is not moving away.

Movie Review backlog Pack 1: Made of Honor, Definitely Maybe, Bride Wars

not that the shows all belong to a certain category, but as you would have noticed by now, I'm quite into action flicks so as my interest in reviewing them with higher priority. Now, some non-action flicks which one of them has become one of my favorite shows of all time!

1. Made of Honor (main lead Patrick Dempsey)

i did not think the male and female leads look dreamy actually, considering you are expecting a 'dreamy' film (from the show title and the trailer). Understand from some that Patrick Dempsey happens to fall under this category from his role in ER... (don't understand). :-s
Plot-wise, i guess the quirk 'you do not know how something (or someone) is important to you until you lose it (or them) is the backbone of this story. The male-female best-friends-forever kind-of thing? Doesn't work in this movie.
In conclusion, a happy ending!
RPR: 6.5/10 - some of the scenes were shot in Scotland. Niceee~

2. Definitely, Maybe (main lead Ryan Reynolds)


was recommended to watch this movie by Mr. SKY (his initials, not his actual name). Having common tastes, i decided to go for this show just one week after watching Made of Honor. Definitely, Maybe was definitely less publicised over here than Made of Honor.
the story is about a divorcee dad telling his daughter (in the very cute form of Abigail Breslin) his love story in order for her to identify with who the mom is, amongst the ladies mentioned.
there were 2 heart-warming parts where: (1) the dad comforted the daughter in response to her empathatic exclaimation that nothing good happened out of these relationships; he simply replied 'you happened'. (2) the daughter, after spontaneously saying that his dad is a 'slut' for being involved with so many women, and while the dad was walking away, she said 'but i still love you'.
not exact words from the show, but you gotta give the show some credit for making me remember this. I watched this show back in 2009!
RPR: 9.5/10 - watching the show the second time didn't work for me though.

3. Bride Wars (main leads Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson)


a really, really chick-flick, i would call this show. I cannot believe i sat through the entire show and in the end found some topics to discuss on.
plot revolves around 2 good friends in the form of a blonde (Kate Hudson) vs. a brunette (Anne Hathaway) who always wanted to hold their wedding at this particular place in town. Ends up, due to a screw-up by their wedding planner, theirs fall on the same day, same time (well at least it's not so cliche as 'with the same guy')! so it's all-out between the 2 BFFs to fight between who would hold the wedding of the century.
eventually, the plot takes an unexpected twist (at least for me) which left a bitter after-taste for me (about the twist but not the movie). Good one, i suppose. Very few movies would leave me like this (both the 'unexpected' twist and the bitter after-taste). So i would say the movie's not bad at all (if you can sit through it).
RPR: 7.5/10

P.S.: Oh, before i forget, movie posters in this blog's courtesy of the respective internet webpages.

the greenhorn(net)

this show is so. boring. period. I mean, some of the jokes were ok (coming from Seth Rogen) and the duo did create some spark when "bickering" but other than that, it seems to spoil my childhood memories of Kato being cool and the main character being the main character.

car's cool. Gadget's cool. Villian's weird (you may remember Christopher Waltz as the villian as well from 'Inglorious Basterds'). Cameron Diaz's aged. The same scene that have worked in 'The Mask' more than 10 years ago is no longer...

if you have nothing to watch during the weekends, yup, you should choose some DVD rentals to watch. This show? Wait for the TV release.

RPR: 4/10 - And what's with Seth Rogen's "grunting" kind-of voice when he's getting excited??? Doesn't work well for a hero.

Trip Review: Vienna, Austria

seriously i was not amazed by Vienna's airport when i first stepped out of the plane. nevertheless, as this was my first time in Europe for a holiday, i was ready for nasty surprises which thankfully none turned up. The airport was not magnificient but not exactly clean either. But, the weather was cool in October so i felt better than i ever was back in my country.

over the next few days, i was delighted to find out that the transport system in Vienna was actually quite established and convenient to travel around the city with. During my 3 days' stay i did not have to take any buses at all (in fact, we avoided them after hearing about pickpocketting in Eastern Europe was a prevalent crime) to get around key attractions. Of course some places we went on a half-day guided tour so there's pretty much nothing to complain about; except that people in this city does not seem to observe punctuality very well. But i do like the fact that there's not much people in the streets at all.

food is not as expensive as you would think, but probably because i had some expectations of paying around EUR10 for a meal or so then.

the thing i liked most in Vienna were the cafes all around the city centres. The feeling when you step inside some (e.g. Hotel Sacher, Mozart Cafe) were like you stepping into the actual scenes of a movie. And not to mention the coffee and pastries there were no mediocre fare either. Nicee~

the museums around makes the scenary looks better even. Loved the Musuem of Natural History here.

the thing i did not like about most probably would be that the people here are not always friendly to you, especially if you do not speak in their langauge, or 'cos you are Asian. Dunno, but maybe it's just me. However, compared to Prague (my 2nd stop), Vienna was mild...

Eastern Europe... 1st stop: Vienna, Austria

i just love this city...





... the (huge) Pork Schniztel...





... the (spicy) Mozart kaffe...



... the ORIGINAL Sacher cake! And not forgetting the sights...




... le (magnifique) Vienna State Opera House...


... the (more-oustanding-than-Smithsonian) Musuem of Natural History (exhibits in English language!)...





... the (royal) Salzburg Palace...














... and the (tranquil) Cistercian Monastery of Heiligenkreuz (Holy Cross).

just some of the amazing sights to behold during my stay there. Hope i would be able to return to this city someday.

当敌人倒下的时候，请给他。。。天王椅 (来喘口气）！否则，我睡不着！

what's more appealing to Andy Lau's fans than an 5-min long MTV featuring Andy Lau? A 130 mins movie featuring Andy Lau of course!
no, seriously, would i say this movie is good?
it leaves kind of a cheesey after-taste from featuring a lot on Andy Lau and his 内心戏, but unfortunately the film cuts were done pretty badly in my opinion to not protray effectively the misery he had to bear with the demise of his daughter. Can't really blame the Heavenly King on this; his acting skills are still superb, but too bad the movie just showed a tad too much of him. Nevertheless, who's complaining about him constantly bearing his ever-charming smile throughout the scenes?
the most touching scene in this movie in my opinion is the part where the young monks brought out food and water (and an expected good-smashing-session giver Jackie Chan) for the soldiers besieging the temple.
go see it!
RPR: 7.5/10

我能打一百个！！！

quite a while since i last updated my blog... been real lazy for my own good. haha~ this show would be one of my fave action-cum-chinese-martial arts movie. Of course, credit must go to Donnie Yen, who was also the martial arts director for this flick.
Other than the action scenes, the plot is quite thin, but, can hold on its own. A superhero-theme in the early years of republican China? Cool~ except that the outfit seems too close to Kato of Green Hornet fame. Who knows... maybe Donnie Yen was also competing with Jay Chou for this role in the big screen Green Hornet movie (to be reviewed later on in my blog) then?
my fave scene was one part in the dojo when Chen Zhen literally 'kicked a guy away'.
is Chen Zhen really so powerful? What do you think... he survived an entire firing squad! So... are, you, kidding???
RPR: 8/10 (for the fighting scenes, man!)

oh, and by the way, a Happy Rabbit Year to all!!! Let's not be busy until we 吐 in the 兔 year.