Superman Returns

Superman Returns

Went for Superman Returns with the BU gang … and I’ll also talk a bit about the evening la …

We almost missed the show cause we made a blunder on the timing, where we lost our bookings, but due to our CRM know-how, we squeezed in seats albeit that we had to sit in ‘couple seats’ … so the only funny thing is, we had the only people in those couple seat rows with guy-guy occupying it. Good laugh. I leaned to my right, & YL leaned to his left as we had no arm rest in the middle. Hilarious.

So anyway, it started off ok … just that the movie had a very 70s feel (DL concurred) and I almost thought it was like star wars with the zigzagging around the planets & stars thingy at the start. Then bla bla bla, Clark Kent this, Superman that, Lois Lane this … suddenly we got Kal Penn (Kumar from Harold & Kumar go to White Castle) as honcho of Lex Luthor (the movie’s baddie supreme) … and later we see James Marsden (Cyclops from X-Men) as the husband-beau (whatever since they were supposedly not married) of Lois Lane. Which reminds me, no wonder Cyclops died early in X-Men 3, he couldn’t be acting at both Superman Returns & X-Men … and probably Bryan Singer couldn’t part with him (they must be some kind of fraternity brothers or something). And the costume? The red is just funny … not the old red I saw, this had more … maroon-ish touch.

So anyway, enough crapping about the craps … go to the movie. These guys at Warner Brothers really found another Christopher Reeves clone … and they not just got an actor that looks like him, they also planted the entire movie with a 70s feel … yes we see gadgets of today like plasma, clamshell mobiles, but the seaplane, the yellowish feel around the movie just makes it a weird touch.

And Lois Lane? She’s ok looking, but definitely not the (ahem) bombshell or (quoted by the Lee brothers) kick-ass as fans perceived her to be. She’s now sports a maternal feel, left in between the new man in her life & man of the past, Superman. There’s however a moment of tenderness between her & Superman (you might have seen it in the clips).

The whole movie is ok, Superman returns from Krypton, baddie emerges creates chaos, Superman battles his own demons, then battles the baddie, but the ending does not include him getting the girl. But consolation (maybe), he got a kid off her. Not too bad huh? And the kid’s name is … ahem … Jason.

Go watch it (it’s superman anyway) and you don’t want to be the only wheeze who’s left out. It’s ok, but go with minimal expectations. Just another Superman movie.

Review - Cathay Cineleisure Damansara

This is the 2^nd time I went to Cathay, last was to watch CARs and last night, Superman.

The cinema really pales in comparison to GSC 1-Utama. For a lot of reasons. The seats are smaller, less comfy & really reminds you of the olden day cinema where they place the entrance near to seats, not behind the seats like GSC to minimize noise. Down point.

The entrance waiting place (whatever you call it) is really messy. At the ticketing counter, there’s a stair leading upwards with the signals to show which cinema is open already. So you’d think that the stairs lead straight to the cinema but funny cause there’s no attendants at the stairs. But the moment you go up, you see another crowd bottlenecked at a small opening where they really let people walk it. And once you are in, the corridor is so small, it really suffocates to walk … and I’m sorry that GSC 1-Utama comes up tops again for comfort, not just in seats, but also in atmosphere & at least they are generous in even walking space. When I walk into GSC 1-U I can see lots of space to walk … nice large plasmas to see previews, away from the bustling crowd outside buying tickets.

And the toilets. Man! It’s so freaking small for a cinema of such size. Only 3 standing pees and 5 booths. Less than half of GSC & TGV at 1U.

The food counter, definitely not as lavish as GSC, less drinks, less choice of snacks, only 1 type of popcorn ... I tried their hotdogs in my previous visit, it cost me 5 bucks for a hottie that had only ketchup on top. Hello? I can get a 1901 hotdog at GSC … at slightly more expensive price, with good garnishings. The only thing they have that GSC dun have is a shop selling assortment of 'kacangs' ... a remeniscent of olden times.

And lastly, I’ve seen lots of cinema showing their own presentations like TGV with their flying & swooshing T-G-V … and GSC with their flushing drinks, popping corn & revolving tickets, but Cathay goes all the way out to beat them … they had a very long ‘Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah’ which took 3 minutes to show their old pre-movie presentation, for each decade from the 70s, 80s, 90s & (oh wow) the new look. Puh-lease, who gives a damn? It’s a Cathay propaganda!!!

Damn, I sound like I am damn sore, huh? The cinema is ok for movie, but in total cinema experience, pales in comparison with GSC 1U. 3 stars for Cathay Cineleisure since I am in a generous mood ...

A vow for patience ...

‘Patience’ said the learned one.

‘Why?’ I asked. ‘Have I not been patient enough? Have I not been reasonable?’

‘I think you need to look beyond your own world. You forget a lot of things.’

‘Am I?’ I pondered. ‘Sometimes I wondered what would have happened had I not left. Things started to change after I’ve left. It’s so unfair’

‘But would things have changed had you not left? Don’t you agree you were the catalyst for all those changes?’

‘Yes, I agree & with some regret that I was never there to enjoy the fruits of seeds I sowed’

‘That’s where your other problem is. You’ve never let go; you are chained to a possibility that’ll never be & that chain keeps you leashed from seeing the horizon’. Pause.

‘Perhaps it’s time you looked forward and maybe take another look at where you are. (Pause) It’s not as bad as you thought.’

I threw my trademark cynical look

The wise one exclaimed, ‘You’ve been high flying for the past 2 years. You had everyone serving you on golden platters as wonder boy. Too much good thing can be counter productive’

‘Perhaps it’s time you viewed things with more reality’ he added. ‘What you thought as gritting you teeth is not enough. Perhaps enough to breeze through good times, but bad times, I question’

‘Bide your time, you’re young and one day you might look back & see this experience as the best you’ve had’

‘Yes’ I thought. And a ray of sunlight broke through my clouds of grey. ‘I shall remember patience’, I vowed.

Review - Princess Mononoke

Having watched Spirited Away earlier this year, I was awed by the interesting way Japanese animation spread their stories. The story for Princess Mononoke has the equal charm, being the predecessor smash hit to Spirited Away … and having watched this predecessor, I can understand why.

The fantastical story has the under streams of humankind’s evils, greed, lust pride & wrath sweeping away all that’s left. And it’s all up to Price Ashitaka & Princess Mononoke to bring an end to this war beset by humans against the spirits & gods of the forest.

Young Prince Ashitaka starts off as the tragic hero who valiantly saves his village from a demon god, but upon slaying the monster, it left him with a curse that slowly shall devour him and a curse that also grants him superhuman strength. To free himself from this, he has to journey to the west & seek the forest spirits from where the demon descended.

He arrives as the voice of reason for the warring humans & spirits, where in the game of war, suffering & perish is prevalent, but what will emerge from the scars of this? An intriguing end awaits, & the tale will give you a different feel from the usual Americanized animations we feed. Be delighted with some Asian touch to the fantasy.

4 stars out of 5

Review - Just Friends

he loves her
she loves him not

Watching ‘Just Friends’ is like a trip back to secondary school. It really is. Simple plot, guy secretly has feelings for his best friend, but he’s fat, geeky and is nothing but a friend to her. When rejected, he leaves in a huff, declaring he’ll leave his ‘loser’ town & never to return until he’s a success.

I relate a lot to the movie because the character Chris Bander is so ‘me’ … me as the school nerd, Mr. Un-cool, the outcast … so I never really returned (I mean met my old school mates) in almost 10 years until last year …

Anyway, back to the story … 10 years after leaving New Jersey, by chance of work brought him back … but no longer the ‘loser’ … he’s now Mr. Cool, rich, womanizer … and it does not take genius to guess who he meets … yes, his best friend, Jamie, still the stunning looking lady & still available. That’s what this movie is all about.

The funny part is, he’s caught up between his new self & his old self … the caring best friend & the evil womanizer & corporate asshole in him. Torn? The plot’s spiced up with more … Enter his big fan … the spoilt teeny bopper star, Samantha and Dusty, the wolf in sheep skin eying his beloved Jamie.

As aptly reviewed on IMDB …

‘See this movie. It's full of laughs and we can all relate to Chris. His family dynamics are hilarious and I guarantee you'll think, if you have siblings, "I've done that". See this flick for entertainment, not for the answer to life's greatest questions. Expect nothing and enjoy everything.’

I enjoyed this movie, mostly because it reminds me much about myself as the ultimate loser in relationships, the classic corporate asshole … a lot like the movie, except its happy ending.

Hehehe. Some honesty is good for the soul. Cheers.

Review: The Harmony Silk Factory

The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw

As a kid, I loved history … I loved to dive into books of legends, stories, adventures, tragedies & the reason I loved them more than fantasy was that they were very real, albeit from bygone eras, but there’s always some aura about them all … that someone had lived through that bit of time.

When I bought the Harmony Silk Factory, to me, it was nothing more than just a book by some guy from Malaysia whose books made it big in the UK. Yes, a Malaysian guy, Chinese, but what the heck you know?

All assumptions died the moment I read the 1^st page because the story just gripped me. I may have stopped for lunch, for a bath, for my class, but I pursued it with all interest because of the way it was written.

Picture it … Malaya in pre-WWII, the town of Ipoh, still in its maiden days with the wondrous caves, the pomp of old Chinese & English luxury … the amazing rise of a kid whose luck turned, the hesitant wife and the ponderous ang-moh … all embroiled in the same circle, which divided the book into 3 rich perspectives.

The mix of olden days, the Kinta Valley, nature, Japanese occupation, old school romance and English touch makes the book a rich canvas painted with all these colours. So vividly described, that I can almost walk on each page I turned. Either that, or my imagination must be flying.

Read it if any of these tickle your fancy. 4 over 5 stars

Balance ... a trick question

Someone I met yesterday told me, there are three types of people … one that focuses on the past, the other on present & the last on the future. The thing is, aren’t we all a bit of each? Of course there could be a dominant feature, where I’ve seen people who just can’t let go of the old stuff … perhaps it’s a feeling of something unaccomplished, perhaps it something of liking how things were.

There’s also people who spent a lot of time enjoying the present … where extreme cases can enjoy all without thinking of consequences (consequence is a future thing anyway), just what they are doing at the present & spending the most they can … and I have relatives who go bust to maintain a lavish & extravagant lifestyle when they cannot afford it. It scares me more when I read the paper over the past 2 days that many retirees don’t have enough in their EPF until their end days. What does that mean? Support from family I guess.

Come to think of it, I’ve lived a bit of each previously, and the part about enjoying the present? I just went extreme during my university & AIESEC days, just kept doing things I loved, things I have passion for … and breathed every moment with 100% of what I have to give (even in my dreams). I would say that my experience is extreme cause 95% of Malaysians I know do not take time off to do extreme stuff (this is not physically extreme, but extreme in the sense that it’s not contributing to my career. In some sense, it did free me a lot … a lot of time to think of the future, a lot of time to realize several childhood dreams, which has been crucial in boosting my esteem.

I have lived mostly in the past during the end my school days, still trying to think I was the school genius, the nerd who can beat the balanced people … but I think with advance of levels, I began to fall short … and it was hard letting go of what I built up, only to be taken away by moving to another larger institution when I am marginally insignificant. It’s like, ‘so what genius?’. But when I look back, I realize also that the 1^st time I let go was the hardest, but I grew strength to strength with letting go of more stuff and it became easier.

Working life brings out another dimension … particularly the part on reality. To be realistic, you must think of the future. The future is nothing if we don’t do something to prepare ourselves for it. The real sad part about it all is, the more you are into building your future, the more likely you let go of your past & present. It’s not good for balance, but it happens cause so many people I know are so absorbed into it. Of course there are also some who are too into the past, that they are comfortable & don’t want to leave where they are now, the pain of adapting & letting go of the old times is too much to bear. There are some who focus too much on enjoying the present that they don’t save or live prudently for the future. Having written this, I just realized that perhaps I am one of the few who’s too focused on the future?

Let me take this moment to have a good look & laugh at myself. Hahaha. Hohoho. Hehehe. (lame laughs, I know, but I am indeed laughing inside)

In life we need reminders. If we live without appreciating our past, it’s like life without values, without principles and our past built that into who we are today. If we live life building for the future, our lives can be taken away anytime … it’s just a short lease given to us to own a body, then that’s it. But if we live too much in the present, we can go on to the extreme lengths of destroying what we have from the past and not preparing for the future. Life is complex huh? But that’s why I was not born to be a bird or ape or insect.

There was another friend who recently wrote a profound piece on balance in life. She has a point. I think that balance is the secret behind great people. All great people have the hallmarks of extremism in their exterior, but for most I've read, they have another side, balanced not by just concerns of past, present & future but also by people in their lives.

A human comes with the potential to make a difference, to be the difference and to pass it on. Then again, not everyone is in that league. The rest, are just beings slightly above animals. Who am I? still chasing my potential & dreams …

Keep on walking …

Review: CARs

Watched CARS at the new Cathay at Cine Leisure … while the cinema was so-so and the movie was ok, I kind of enjoyed both experiences. The movie was surprisingly long & lasted around 2 hours …

I am sure that you would have heard about this animated feature by Pixar & what it’s all about, so I won’t try. If you don’t, I think this is a flick you should watch (whether in a cinema is another debatable question) because it takes a lighthearted approach (although in some ways, nonsensical to my dry wit, but hey come on, it’s a kids flick after all) to fast tracked people especially. And life’s not about getting that coveted big deal, it’s not about flash & show … but to be part of something, be grateful for what we have & (surely) side track in our journey to success … cause we never know what we might miss or come across.

My advice (for any kids flick) … never ever go at a time with a lot of family & kids going, like err, Sunday lunch time cause I had a kid on my right side patting me here & then, another at the back with an awful laugh & laugh at almost anything (even un-funny times) & at my ears (my poor dearies).

Rate: 5 over ten … acceptable fare, but not awe inspiring … just heart warming

Tough grinding week ... I survived!

(A picture of my in office, on Thursday morning)

This week was a crazy week … a lot of rushing around, doing a lot of frantic things due to cock-ups that slipped through my fingers & came back to haunt me … so most of the time I was like … don’t wanna fight anymore … but come Friday, must be the climax … I just started to raise my voice in retaliation of all the unnecessary stress that banged at the doors of my brain. Had not lost my temper in a while, it was close, but I managed to only raise my voice.

But this was a momentous week … run a conference after a long time over Mon & Tue … then my head honcho bossed around for Wed (that’s another day gone) … Thursday was solving all operational issues … and Friday? That was all about screwing my broadband provider for getting back my internet & after a titanic struggle, I finally got it fixed. The problem is Maxis not living up to their promises & me being the prick I am, fired all the way to the department head for solution. Even though I had raised a stink all the way up, their operations still sucked & had to run through their bureaucracy to finally get someone to my office by 5:30pm. By then, I was quite cross since the delay was all unnecessary. So, all the way home, I just immersed myself in super loud music in my drive home & shouting & screaming all the way to let out all the stress and since it was jam for most of the way, seemed better than lying at the mercy of jams.

The rest of the week was challenging … from my MBA (since it’s a compact semester & crazy old me decided to go for finishing it by the end of this year instead of a leisurely stroll until April next year) … lots of jam on the road … and I did not have any chance to chat over MSN (yes I missed someone J)

Friday evening was quite a breeze actually … a short chat about home improvement, wish lists & quote of the day … “errr ... I didn't say I won't buy more than a mug for u” … my typical way with words, making dubious comments, with hints of non-compliance, but then again, not confirming disagreement. Too deep for you? It’s ok, today’s Saturday, so no need to think so much to understand me … chill …

Gotta rock this weekend with all I’ve got, it’s gonna be a rocking rollercoaster until August when my crazy semester ends.

Review: Violences des echanges en milieu tempere

I’ve not watched foreign movies in a long time, the last time I watched one was a Slovak movie at GSC Mid Valley last year, with Fiona, Zuzana and other AIESEC trainees. The funny thing about watching foreign movies is about watching the expressions in a language that you don’t understand, and if you count on the subtitles, you really miss out on the action.

The beauty of watching one is from trying to understand what they are trying to do, and actually the less talking, the simpler it is to understand. That should be the art of acting at it’s best.

So, I watched this movie below …

VIOLENCES DES ECHANGES EN MILIEU TEMPERE

As translated on the screen “Work hard, play hard”

Direct translation (courtesy of Google) “Violence of the exchanges in moderate medium”

Summary (courtesy of GSC cinemas)

Philippe (a fresh graduate) arrives from the provinces in Paris to take up a job in a large consulting firm. On the morning of his first day at work he meets Eva, a young solo mother. They quickly become involved.

He's enthusiastic about his first mission, which is to audit a small factory with view to a takeover by a large corporation - unbeknownst to the factory employees. Philippe's boss is impressed by his reports and hands him the responsibility of a new task: to select the staff who will be capable of adjusting to the factory's new organization. Henceforth, Philippe must convince himself and Eva of the validity of his work and confront the men and women who will lose their jobs in the takeover.

My take:

I think the movie started off slowly, but it also grows on you. It explores the dilemma of Philippe between doing his work as a process consultant versus his conscience that his result is ultimately to improve efficiency & reduce unnecessary workers in post merger. It interesting because for most fresh people, tend to have more conscience than people who’ve worked for sometime … as they say, it’s not personal, it’s work.

Hi dilemma as someone fresh is not just about work, but also his relationship with Eva, a single parent … and while it was good when it lasted, the closing hints that he’s moved on to a more ‘realistic’ relationship with someone else, possibly a more educated & fellow professional.

The movie is a casual take on adolescence in the working world, how it affects a person & how reality drives someone to change. Have a watch & see how much it reflects your true self.

Reminder to myself ...

I think I am one of those guys who just gets up each day being dissatisfied with what I have & wanting to have & fight for more. Sometimes too engrossed with my chase, that I forget small things. I guess everyone has their moments, where we need reminders.

Chanced across Xiaodoudou’s memoirs before she succumbed to cancer. It’s not a nice thing, death especially someone so young, but reading it gives me an insight into life of someone who’s grateful to live another day, to cherish it and live it to the fullest of every second. Saying your graces, thanks and reminding of how things we are fortunate to have is so important when we remember that fate does not lie in our hands.

It’s entitled, “I love my family & deerdeer”

I shall keep this in my mind, burning these thoughts hard … it’s not too long ago the Zahir reminded me of a similar analogy, why people at war live life to the fullest, because they live in a constant cherish of the moment, of today ...

Right, we never know what’s in store for us tomorrow. Even when we are not at war or with disease. Life’s fragile …

Seize life with both hands & cherish the golden moments, savour the joy. Give all you can give. People never remember the rich of the past, but those who gave their all to people, people who left a mark in lives & in history. That's the hallmark of great people.

When it feels right …

Life is a strange journey. While the formal education for my path so far has been mostly scientific, the unscientific part has many other forms & teachers.

I’m talking about the ‘softer’ aspects of my life, for example being around people, dealing with them, engaging them … it’s a very strange process to go through at each stage. It’s like a game, we just keep bumping our heads, sometimes starting all over again from level one & slowly going up again. For example, when we made our 1^st friend in life, how would we know if this is right friend? Even it is, how do we know how long we’ll be playing at this level with this friend? Levels change when people move, physically or mentally or socially. I’ve changed friends when I moved schools, when I work, when I change companies …

Each time we engage at a level / platform, we pick up something, perhaps a skill / perhaps a perception. All these guide what we do in the new environment. For example, if we had someone who cheated or hurt us, we would take double steps to be wary on the new encounters.

It’s impossible to calculate what a person thinks inside, we don’t even know what variables & fixed values in their daily life calculations; what can be compromised & what cannot. We can only calculate odds based on assumptions & analysis of options that they have. If we pick a skill, we can perhaps analyze, but what if we pick up perceptions?

Perceptions are a strange mix combined feelings based from experiences; they are not very solid in explanation but yet, they place strong impressions in our heads. Thus the conception of using ‘gut feelings’ … which is just the amalgam from the past.

There’s been many times in my life when I felt right about things or ideas, which guided me on my path. The strong ones were usually right but I’m thinking that perhaps it felt right because I really wanted it no matter what happens. Going to Slovakia was one of it and choosing AIESEC over studies was another. But one thing’s sure, the times when I felt weakly right about it has not always returned with strong results. It’s like … you know there’s something wrong somewhere, but you cannot pinpoint it and yet, time calls for decisions immediately … and it was the best choice at the moment, even when you know that there’s something much better that you desire or want. Among it was taking the move to the China market with Marcus Evans & the other was falling for the wrong person at either the wrong place or wrong time.

But can it be that it was wrong from the moment I had some doubts? Feelings are strange in the sense that when we feel strongly for something, we fight tooth & nail for each inch with overbearing positive ness but when we plant the seed of doubt, we constantly seek the Achilles heel of the equation? This is the strange part of feelings because it drives you to go aboard logic & the extra mile.

Perhaps it’s true, because for the half choices, I’ve went to the extent of exploring my logical paths & having done that, no one can question if I did my best (at least logically) for it. But deep down, I know that if it had that magic, that spark, that little extra … I could have worked my magic on it.

In the past months, I’ve been pushed to the limit in these tests of feelings. Been quite dormant with my true self … just been holding back to see what happens. I think it’s time to let loose the lion in me. For what I feel right & want, I should go all the way for it (screw the external factors & face failure in the eye). For what I’ve doubted, I’ve to make that choice, to fight for it all the way or just let go.

And at this moment, things feel right … least until end of 2006. Time to make it all happen.

If it’s to be, it’s up to me.

Caving at Gua Tempurung

Prelude

Caving. This is something I thought of doing for sometime, it sounds scary in some stories / blogs, but the wild side of me just keeps the hype burning inside. So, when the infamous BU Boys + Unca Lim gathered a group to go to the infamous Gua Tempuring, I just cannot resist.

As per the old saying, if you plan too ahead, it never happens, it’s better to be spontaneous and that’s sort of the motto for the former Bukit Serdang Boys (BSB). So, after a dinner on Friday, the 1^st car from KL went … Vivien, YL, Whitsney and me … in a long ride to Ipoh beset by series of long jams … so we reached there slightly before 12am … after some bath & mid-nite coffee, we crashed.

But the long haul from the previous night was all worth it because … we got what we came for … mouth watering Ipoh dim sum … and I tucked into heavenly porridge (at this joint opposite Yoke Fuk Moon, but cannot remember it’s name), delicious har kow and har mai … with big prawns inside (I am so in love with Ipoh dim sum) … the KL dim sum I’ve eaten all this while is a TOTAL sham in quality comparatively.

Next, caving … at Gua Tempurung, Gopeng …

Here we go …

So we got there, rendezvoused with the Lee Brothers (Dennis & David) + KK (aka Pocahontas) … made the rest of the group. And we had to wait for more guests because they don’t have enough guides since it was a public holiday (King’s Birthday).

The entry into the cave was tentative & did not seem like what I thought was the dangerous caving experience; we just walked through a series of steps & just ooh-aah-ed at the stalagmite and stalactites, some like the lovers rock, the elephant, and a couple more to go along with our resident friends, the bats. And my guide? He’s Malay, but he exclaimed more Ai-yas and Ai-yos (with a lot of his exaggerations) than any Chinese guy I know of. And that was for the entire 4 hours of the thing.

So anyway, we walked through the man made steps, which ended at the end of the stretch known as “Top of the World” (the foothill of T-o-t-W) and then we entered a hole with water … and here starts the part where we soak our shoes into stretches of water … and it’s a disgusting feeling for me (I hate wet-feet) … so we crawled all the way to one end, with a hole which we saw the PLUS highway (in fact, from the highway, it’s a waterfall which you cannot miss if you’re traveling from KL to Ipoh). Beautiful. Breathtaking. We also took a group photo here (more like a mid point).

Now, this is where the real adventuring part comes in. we hiked back to the foot of T-o-t-W, but with another way, a much more treacherous one, where we had to slide all the way down (45 degree angle), which was my most memorable part … I took something back from here, a bruise on my under thigh (which I cannot sit comfortably without hitting the sore) and I did feel the rush of sliding down with my flapping arms trying to get a grip of the situation (literally) and not slide down into the oblivion.

(2 photos from Hijack Queen)

But is the biggest challenge is yet to come. After hiking up & down in endless darkness (I think too much darkness had started to get on to me) … we arrived at the part with the most thrill … sliding down the angle at 75 degrees (almost vertical) at 4m with a ledge at the 2.5m mark. Looking at it just freaks me out. But that point had no turning back because the more you slide down, the higher your escalation of commitment … you just have to do it. And that’s not the end of the quest, we had to drop down a hole of 2m depth at the width of around 70cm in diameter.

But that’s the end of it actually because the most fun part comes in … to wade through water at waist level (or chest depending on rainfall) in subterranean caves until the starting point … which I just went in the lead trying to figure out directions through markings on the walls & human waste (shoe soles & plastic). The end was surely the best saved for last as we arrived at a nice mini limestone waterfall, with formations smooth enough to lie on and enjoy the water flowing through my hair and the feeling was cool.

So what would say about Gua Tempurung? I think the experience was excellent, a memorable outing, good crowd and fun, my only gripe was my pain in the arse (still prevails today).

Key points:

o You need a good torchlight (6cm diameter) and hardy knee length durable pants (jeans preferably)

o A small bottle of water (there’s a lot of dust in the cave & you can get dehydrated)

o Dun go with groups that have kids, they limit what your guide will show you cause more precaution & safety is required

o Wear some pants with knee length (minimum & preferably durable), otherwise you risk scraping your thighs when you slide down the slopes, which I got a small part of my under thigh’s epidermis scraped off … enough to give me the agony of motion & sitting down (it just stings a lot when the skin touches something)

o Dun go on a public holiday like we did, a lot more people (I’m surprised that so many people work on Saturdays & have use for Saturday holidays)

o I read another blog, which said that the exit had a mountain pile of shoes … casualties of the strenuous caving, but was disappointed not to see any … since my shoes braved it all and survived … without any problems.

o The cave has many dangers, and many holes that suddenly appear when all ahead looks smooth. Do not simply go unless you’ve got a good torch or best, follow your guide cause they know where these treacherous traps are. Mine told me that people broke a couple of bones for their folly.

o You get REALLY dirty & muddy, so go with some clothes that you don’t mind dumping after the trip or something really hardy & dark.

o Your shoes will be TOTALLY soaked, due to the subterranean streams, so go with an old one, which you are about to discard, otherwise, buy a very cheap shoe if you have brand new ones.

Summary

Do go, it’s a great trip … I might not sound enthused with my friends as I just grumbled about my bruise, but I really enjoyed the trip

Extras

o The dim sum at Ipoh was heavenly … succulent prawns … that’s what I will dream of from now on until my next trip to Ipoh

o Ipoh coffee is really smooth … I usually scorch my throat when I drink coffee, but even after 2 glasses, the feeling is just nice ... perhaps coffee is like beer, best when smooth?

o The cave has parts with strong guano (bat shit) smell, so it’s part of the package deal.

The GT crew
Top: David, Vivien, YL, Christine, Whitsney, Justin
Bottom: KK (aka pocahontas), me, Dennis

Check out more photos at Jayteoh from multiply

Joys of blogging ...

Life's not always perfect, even when we plan to, so 'why bother?' ... as I asked myself many times?

I go along with imperfection because I choose my battles, which I would like to win, and others which I can afford to let others win.

So, when I blog, I am not aiming to be the best blog in the world. Rather, my blog is an avenue to express myself & to mostly try to recollect & hopefully see my actions from another angle. I try not to see blogging as a commitment, rather as friend … a diary of sorts.

I am a fan of photoblogs because photos mean a thousand things & it’s open to interpretation, it can be both beautiful & ugly at the same time. Only weakness of photos ... or rather the power of writing ... as writing helps structure thoughts & beliefs and photoblogs cannot do that.

The best part of bloggin is that no one will cry for blood if you get it wrong, no one will fine u a thousand bucks for mistakes, no one will fire you (except yourself) … proof read for once, as long as it’s what you want to say, it’ll be fine … it should not be what others like or want to read. Imperfection ... at your fingertips.

Revenge against the control freaks ... lies within bloggin' Just my opinion la.

ps. if you cannot handle nasty remarks, just take off the comments segment :)

Go ahead, express yourself ...

Movie review

CAPOTE


Pronounced correctly as ka-poe-tay … the whole movie drags at a pace I cannot last, it just keeps testing my patience, but I guess that’s what it is. It’s about this writer who doggedly pursues live convicts to find inspiration for his works. He has some voice problem, which makes the lead actor, Mr. Seymour Hoffman sound girly (quite unlike his role as the twisted baddie in MI3) … which the girly voice gets to my nerves (not being too open to diversity these days myself). Conclusion? If you like biography styled movies going for the slow, nitty gritty details of a 70s author’s life, with very slow pace & girly voice, then go for it cause you’ll savour every moment of the movie. If you want some fun, something to perk you up after a long week of work, this movie will bore you to death. Absolutely. And I wonder how this actor got the Oscar? Must be cause he lasted with the girly voice for the whole movie, quite a feat.

For acting, FOUR STARS.

For entertainment, NEGATIVE ONE STAR. As far as I'm concerned, this movie is KAPUT-LEH

DERAILED


Another movie by Clive Owen, this time with Jennifer Anniston … so what about it? I think it’s a cool movie with a twist … started off with an ordinary salaryman (Owen) in a tight lifestyle, who meets this charming commuter on the train (Anniston) … which becomes an affair (on the 2nd time they met, now that’s fast). But it’s an affair which never happened and went wrong, when some guy breaks into the room when they were making out? The mugger seems to have the best of all worlds, he rapes JA, whacks out Owen … then continues to blackmail Owen days after the agony. And the story gets more interesting. Something worth your time.

I recommend it, give it a FOUR STARS

Early morn ...

I love it when I see the rays of morning sunshine from my office. Unlike my old company, where I don’t sit next to the window (where the blinds are always blanketing the view at all times) and even the view is blocked by the imposing Stan Chart building (Boring!!), my current office not just has a nice view, but also unblocked by any building, which gives me a good view (although there’s a view of an unfinished building & also the reason why there’s no building blocking me in a hotspot location in KL).

So anyway, just turn off all the lights, and see the different shades of orange, yellow, white spectrums zoom through on most days, although the recent ones are more reddish & purplish due to the rainy days.

Today it’s a serene morning, with the clouds enveloping the sky, brushes of orange ray contrasting the purplish & bluish clouds … a signal of dawn for yet another day. It's not a 'bursting out' feeling from brought mornings, but the yawning rays slowly pushing out the lights of yet another day.

It’s good to take a deep breath, take a moment of inspiration from the view before I jump into work again … but hey, it’s Friday, so there’s life over the weekend to look out for.

p.s. will take a picture sometime to let you see what I mean