The City Never Sleeps

Just my last entry before booking in back to the island again.

Was sick on Fri am and seen the MO (high fever, with temp running high to 38.5 degree C) and was given 2 days Attn B. OK, so we happily book out at 8 that nite. It rained on our way back and managed to reach home at 10pm.

Chong, my buddy, was unable to make it to the Army market at Beach Rd to get some army necessities. I took over him and i bought the stuff. Then, i walked all the way to Kwan Im Temple at Waterloo St for my prayers, get a tailsman and walked all the way to The Cathay. There, i catched U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, an African musical at The Picturehouse. Before that, had a serving of Blueberry yoghurt sorbet at Ben N Jerry's. Yums...

And i was surprised that i am the only audience in The Picturehouse for the 12.25pm show of U-Carmen. Nevertheless, the show starts on time.

If you do not know what the heck U-Carmen is about, ok let me tell u: do you know the famous opera named Carmen? The background and settings of Carmen has been brought to modern day Africa, with the leading character Carmen, who is now a worker in a cigarette factory. She is beautiful, and she uses her beauty to attract men. She seduces Jongikhaya, a police sergeant, and he falls in love madly with her. She abandons him when she feels that their love dies. He gets so mad that he killed her. The End.

In short, this is how i summerised the story of Carmen: girl seduces boy, boy falls in love madly with girl, girl dumps boy, boy gets jealous and had the girl killed.

One reason why i catch U-Carmen is because 1) this is my 1st African musical i ever watched, 2) they are singing an opera here. Not really worth $10 for the show, but at least the comfortable environment makes it up. So comfy, that i almost fall asleep in The Picturehouse.

However, the cold surrounding in The Picturehouse shivers me out, that i fall sick again last nite. At least when i am typing this entry, i've recovered from flu, but not cough.

Guess cough is spreading around the whole Tekong at this moment.

After 2 weeks of confinement in BMTC 2, i'm back at home now.

Was posted to Pegasus Coy Platoon 3, where welfare of the soldier is one of the main concern for the recruits. The tales of BMTC is haunted does not really scare me, but it makes me wonder: is it one of the cause that makes tonnes of recruits fall sick?? (In fact i'm am sick too. Ahem Ahem Ahem...)

Food sucks, too much night snacks, tough trainings... and i make it thru for the 2 weeks. At least i know, Platoon 3 was blessed with 2 nice and caring Sergeant. On the honor's list are: Sgt Jagdeep and Sgt Elson. (Sad to say, Sgt Jagdeep returns back to Ulysiss Coy to take care the 2 platoon of female recruits.)

Volver means to return in Spanish. Kewls...

Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsve first creates Vozvrashcheniye (The Return) , about 2 boys in their early teens faces the bare facts of seeing their father return back home after leaving them for 12 years.

Now, Pedro Almodovar goes back to a feminine based storyline about a mother who was not aware that she's dead, and her spirit wonders around here house. Her existence, however, resolves the conflict between her daughter, granddaughter, and herself.

I can foresee that Volver will only reach the island during Chinese New Year 2007.

Somehow, i am thinking of how will life be when i return home 2 weeks later from my confinement. Amazingly, i am not alone in BMTC 2. Clement will join me tomorrow, and Jeremy follows on Mon. Was rather amazed that Jeremy is require to go for PTP even though he passed his NAPFA. Was on the phone with Jeremy a while ago:

Me: Hey, how long will you be there?
Jeremy: confinement is 2 weeks mah, then can book out every weekend...
Me: eh, i mean, do u have to go for PTP?
Jeremy: arh.. i have to go for PTP even though i pass my NAPFA...

The topic changed after a while, where i return back to the time where we 1st known each other 3 years ago. After feeling so much guilt for being a bit nasty to him for some occassions...

Me: Jeremy, I...thank you and sorry.
Jeremy: ???
Me: Thanks for being friends for 3 years, and sorry for being nasty to you in the past.
Jeremy: Hey, that's okay.

Somehow, Volver makes its debut here before it opens here, and it happens at my home.

Will only be back at least 2 weeks later. So, to my dear readers,

Good Night and Good Luck.

Finally, after 3 years of toil and tears, sweat and arguements, and endless sleepness nights and blah blah blah...i've received my diploma.

Well, after months of not seeing your classmate whom you lost contact with, you will take some time (at least for my case, yes.) to recognized your classmates. And this is what happens: i mistaken Elias as Clement, my secondary school classmate. Hohoho... how senile i am.

And this is my observation of the graduation ceremony: 1. Those who are supposed to turn up turns up. 2. Those who should not turn up turns up. 3. Those who should not turn up did not turn up. 4. Those who should turn up did not turn up. And the usual suspects applys to the 1st.

And i shall fast forward about the ceremony: the constant yakking with some old friends, catching up with them on when are they going into Tekong (guys)/ are they working (gals), then say hi to the lecturers (well, for them, they have a sense of achievement, as they feel that they have done their deeds.) and asking how are they, invitation to the hall and be seated by a certain time, welcome the guest, speech and yada yada yada.

The crucial time comes: going up on stage to collect the certificates. And i collected my crts. Oh yes, they give you a empty folder 1st, then you walk one big round to the back stage and collect your diploma.

And everyone collected their diplomas. So now, here comes the best pic out of all that i've taken:

And you should know that yesterday was the day of 666. So i watched this with Shyam:

Flight of the Phoenix director John Moore create a remake of the 1976 classic that was directed by Richard Donner of Lethal Weapon series and 16 Blocks. And though The Omen was edited to get a PG rating, it still managed to scare the shit out of some girls and even guys.

The Omen brings in more thrill and more gore and violence, compared to the 1976 version. But somehow, something from the classic was missing in this remake. And what is this thing? Dunno. But i could see that The Omen has scare the shit out of many people.

The former Mrs Woody Allen aka Mia Farrow makes a remarkable performace though, by playing the kind in apperance, evil at heart's Mrs Baylock, who was the nanny for Damien, the child who was born an anti-Christ.

Go see it for yourself. It is too scary to say what happens in the film. But for yesterday, since i was sitting on seat D6, i has been constantly keep a lookout on my surroundings, as victims featured in The Omen died by having something falling from their head.

Cos i do not want to be killed on 06.06.06, at 6.06:06pm.

Just a moment ago, i finish yakking with Elias and Frankie through MSN.

Elias came from TP aka my classmate, as i've mentioned in my earlier blog. Frankie, on the other hand, is a new friend from KL that i've know.

Elias just completed his BMT and now awaits from further notification. The poor dude was resting at home right now due to infection from Tekong. He told me: things are pretty fuck up there.

Frankie tells me that he looked forward to life in Singapore, and told me he would rather be a S'porean when i told him i rather be a M'sian.

And quite a while ago, i, for no apparent reason, just feel that my heart is going to explode by talking to 2 people, since i am equally engrossed in the topics of their conversation.

I would rather make myself feel that the beat my heart was beating when chatting with both skipped.

Here am i writing my last blog on a saturday before i enter Tekong, after stuffing down 2 plates of rice with some pork with preserve vegetables, stir fry beans and pan fried fish with tomato sauce and a bak chang for dinner, I slice of French loaf + i red bean bun+ i piece of Shak Kek Ma (eh that was egg pastry deep fried into crispy slices, mixed with mal sugar to form a shape of cubes)+ i cup of Ice Milo and a glass of Merlot for supper. God, never in my life would i eat so much in a night. But who cares??

Bought myself a Casio G-Shock for my 2 years of army life (feel that there is a need for digital watch) at Parco Bugis Junction for $79. Not the design worn by Tom Cruise in his M:I 3, cos i don't print notes. But afterall, i bought myself a G-Shock cos i feel that is a need for me to do so.

Nothing much done today, cos i have an initial thought of visiting MOS or Zouk before Tekong, but it seems that i couldnt find any khaki to go for. Never mind. i can go there some other time.

Wed is my graduation night, Thurs buffet lunch with mum in Marriott, Fri lunch in Pulau Tekong. How fast time passes...

...and how bizzare life is.

Dan Brown earns himself fame and tonnes of golden mountain by writng the novel, The Da Vinci Code. It is a phenomenom, where people are drawn into the world of symbology professor Robert Langdon, French cryptographer Sophie Neveau, the meanings behind Leonardo Da Vinci's drawing, sculptures and statues.

Ron Howard turn the print into the screen, and after running for 2 weeks, i finally step into the theatre to be in the part of the phenomenon. No no no, it's not that i am detest against such stuff, but you see, i was preparing my holiday to KL, and was wondering should i go watch it in KL, since it costs only RM12 for a weekend ticket to catch the uncut version there. And those who knows me well will know that i tend to be picky about the choice of movie theatre and the size of the hall. Yes, such factors will make or break your movie session, and i am not someone who is going to see my money goes down to the drain by choosing the wrong theatre, wrong hall, and a wrong film.

And it seems that watching a movie at GV Tampines is a bad choice. Regretted for choosing GV Tampines cos it is near, and i am going for a jogging session at East Coast later. So i want some rest before i totally exhausted my body. The hall is small, the screen is small, sound system is bad (can be compared with Yangtze soon, if GV do not buck up and still wants to charge $9.50 for torn seats and sub-standarded sound system.)

150mins of drama about the duo trying to find out the truth that could shake the faith of Christianity may sound exciting, given that you have a mix of American, British and French cast.
While Tom Hanks seems to be singing solo for the American side, Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Paul Bettany presents a trio and Audrey Tautou and Jean Reno represents the French counterpart, the adaptation can either makes you go high or just simply makes you yawn. As for me, it makes me get excited for a while, and the rest of the time, yawn.

It is exciting to see the car chasing scene where for the first time, i am seeing Audrey Tautou leading the police a wild goose chase on the streets. And sometimes how i wish Tautou will learnt at least 50% of the skills from Uma Thurman (especially The Bride's 5 Point Hear Explode technique in QT's Kill Bill.)
As for Hanks, he leads his platoon mates to seek Private Ryan in the war, but somehow, his skill of defense has gone down to the drain as time passes. He could not really fight for himself when he was attacked.

Sad to say, no chemistry reaction took place on the US-French duo. Will Ron Howard see more people queueing up at the box office counter if he pairs Hanks and his former working partner Meg Ryan again?

Hanks and McKellen enjoys debating about the founding of Christianity, and in the end, it is history overloaded. To a non-Christian like me, it is information overloaded. To the Christians, they might not share the same view as the 2 genius. To most, they yak as if they have no tomorrow.

Alfred Molina and Jean Reno becomes the biggest sidekick in Da Vinci Code. Somehow, their apperance is just included for mabey, the sake of putting it? Paul Bettany seems to be the only person who makes the movie worth keeping your eyes wide open for 150mins. He plays Silas, a killer who works for the Opus Dei, where he tortures himself with whips on his back, so as to remind himself the pain Jesus suffer when Jesus was crucifixed on the cross. Obviously, it leads to the anger of the Opus Dei members around here, where they claimed that what Bettany did was crap. They did whip themselves in real life, but they do not whip to the extend that it bleeds, and they only do it once a week, not everyday.

Rob Marshall turns Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha into a bad show, and now Ron Howard cannot fully adapt Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code onto the big screen. All talented casts wasted. Oh yes, in Singapore, both movies were screen in both English and Mandarin subtitles, even though English is the main language used in both films.

Yawns.