i'm feeling really crappy right now. Due to apparent lack of sleep, I was practically a zombie for the whole of this morning (but not the Dawn of the Dead kind of zombie, mind you~!). Perked up abit during my westmall trip earlier but the simmering weather wore me down pretty quick; by 6pm, I was practically the living dead...

Anyway, I hate it when people take advantage of me because of my "mr nice-guy" facade. Its damn aggravating... I do NOT like to pushed around, period!! And I dislike acts of charity... I can manage by myself, thank-you-very-much!

Another thing; I love my mom but she's suddenly got this weird idea of going picnicking with some of my aunts at eight-freaking-am tomorrow morning!!! that's sooo crazy~!! and she just HAD to pull rank and ask -- no, she ordered -- me to come along! Argh~! Early morning picnic on a saturday with a bunch of makciks surely takes the cake! @%$**!

ohwell.. will take a nap soon & hopefully my grouchy mood would dissipate by the time I wake up...

 7:35 PM    

when I was a young boy, I would often creep onto my father's bed in the late hours of the night if I couldnt, somehow, get myself to sleep. He would try, of course, to allay my fears and coerce me back to my own room (which I shared with my other brothers) but very soon, fatigue would overwhelm him and he would fall back into his deep slumber. And then, I would lie there, staring in the dark, listening to him snoring softly, feeling his warmth beside me.

If throughout my childhood and for most of my teenage years, i never really felt my father's presence in my life, it wasnt his fault at all. Being a man of little education, he had to work long hours each day to bring home enough income to support my mom and my three other siblings. The only times i could see him were in the mornings before he left for work and in the few hours before he retired to bed at night. My father wasnt a stranger to hardship... The weekends were not days to sit at home with his family but an opportunity to earn just abit more. As an individual, he was gregarious (often far more than that was necessary) and generous. There was no man whom he didnt see as a friend or that didnt possess a potential for goodness.

It's been almost four years since he left us... but sometimes, the memories of those few months before he passed away are as vivid as ever. I'm not really sure why suddenly I am thinking of him now in the wee hours of the morning... (though i do think of him frequently). Guilt? Remorse? Or just plain melancholia? Perhaps its all these reasons and more.

Whatever the case, I think I have trouble sleeping tonight...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I remember how your skin felt
As cold and hostile as marble
as I pressed my lips against your rigid forehead.

I remember the scented flowers
strewn across the floor where they laid you,
and you,
wrapped in sheets, pure and white as fresh snow;

I remember the brown earth
That swallowed you…
and the beautiful setting sun that ornamented the sky
on that sacred Friday.

No more mortal suns shall you see; No more moons.
And we who are left behind,
Have only memories that dull with the years
And photographs in battered albums
As testament of your existence.

And now in feeble words
I try to frame the last remnants of a dream,
dreamed long ago.
So disjointed and garbled like puzzle pieces
That refuse to fit,
These fragments of memory.

It is not my intention
to push blame,
But Time is the thief who has stolen from me
The clarity of my memory.

---- circa 2003.

 4:16 AM    

There were more than 28 million votes cast this week and John Stevens had around 4 million of them. Since there were only 6 contestants left, that works out to be an average of roughly 4.67 million votes per person... Therefore, it must have been quite a close shave for the bottom three this week i.e. John, Jasmine & Georgie; John was just a teeny weeny bit unfortunate.

Although it's certainly about time that John is voted off, I cannot help but feel a kind of poignant empathy for the poor chap. It must have pricked his conscience to see his more talented peers get eliminated while he gets to sit safely on the couches. Millions of discriminating Idol audiences out there are hating his guts for having out-stayed his welcome in this competition, but the blame should not fall on John Stevens; instead, the fault lies in the gazillions of mindless, female tweens that keep voting for him week after week.

It is undeniable that John's voice has a distinctive and appealing flavor to it but he isn't Idol material -- yet. Perhaps, when his voice matures abit, (and he learns to hit his notes properly) he'd be ready to be the next Michael Buble. Or perhaps Not... hehe.

Isnt it such a pity and an irony then that next week's theme is Big Band???

 11:59 AM    

My apologies to all for my "disappearance" these last few days; I think I needed the mini hiatus to clear some things up in my mind...

One of the issues which I had to resolve was my disappointment over Jennifer Hudson's untimely elimination from American Idol. She was my ultimate favorite for this season's AI and honestly speaking, the competition will not be the same without her. Perhaps it was her "underdog" quality which appealed to me most (not only is she an Afro-American, she's unapologetically chubby & not so good-looking :p) or maybe it was just her vocal theatrics; whatever the case, it is surely a tragic travesty for talent competitions everywhere when someone who only sings in tune (less than) half of the time (i.e. John Stevens) is preferred by voters over someone like Jennifer. She probably had never hit a wrong note in her entire life~! Ohgod.. I've once again succumbed to John Stevens bashing! sheeeeesh! Well anyhow, at least now I don't feel like muttering an expletive evrytime I see his freckled face on TV. LOL

It's Salsa night this week and the guest judge was Gloria Estefan, who unabashedly admitted that she wasnt there to judge but merely to "root and smile"... It's abit embarrasing but I gotta confess that I used to own Gloria's Greatest Hits compilation VOl.1 on cassette. I practically grew up listening to such infectious gems as Conga, 1-2-3 and Rhythm's Gonna Getcha but I knew that Gloria's uptempo and rapid-fire songs would be difficult to carry convincingly by anyone else save herself. Hence, i watched this week's episode with more than a little trepidation...

Fantasia Barrino started the ball rolling with Get On Your Feet and in an impressive show of spunk, managed to interject her song in some parts with words of support for the ousted Jennifer. I think she's the only contestant who exhibited her displeasure over Jennifer's elimination so explicitly.. I'm not sure if it's all a devious strategy on her part to win over more fans for herself but I'd rather give her the benefit of a doubt. More importantly though, despite giving such a rousing performance, I think the overall result was only slightly above average. George Huff didnt do so well either with Live For Loving You; it was a good attempt but he didnt really sound very credible somehow. However, LaToya London's Rhythm's Gonna Get You was much better executed and her dance moves were convincing, although abit on the cheesy side. Frankly speaking, I think it was LaToya's vocal versatility which gave her a lead over her Afro-American counterparts; Fantasia & Georgie are strong singers but they dont seem to be able to keep up with the trademark salsa rhythms which are an integral part of Gloria's uptempo songs.

John Stevens simply butchered Music Of My Heart. Enuff said...

I never heard the song Here We Are before but Jasmine Trias's version was pretty alrite actually. At some parts though, her voice didnt seem very right (perhaps she went offkey abit)... At any rate, I just lurrrvvvee her new, matured look (sans flower)! Beautiful and Babelicious!!! unfortunately, i cant say the same for Diana Degarmo's fashion sense; The dress (if that's what u call it) she was wearing seemed to be at least two sizes too small for her... Thankfully, Diana didnt let THAT perturb her and overall, her interpretation of Turn The Beat Around was easily the best performance for the night. It was energetic without seeming to be contrived and her vocals were spot-on. Finally, Miss Degarmo has raised herself from the ranks of mediocrity (or for this week at least)!

This is certainly one of the lousiest weeks so far in AI3 but I wasnt expecting a good show anyway. My only complaint is that nobody sang my all-time Gloria favorites; Heaven's What I feel, Coming Out of The Dark and the Olympic theme, Reach.

My ranking of performances (from best to worst) --> Diana, Latoya, Fantasia, Jasmine, George & John.

PS: I don't think there is a point anymore in predicting who will be in the bottom three...

 2:15 AM    

The search for the last missing person believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed section of Nicoll Highway has been called off yesterday evening. The person, Mr Heng Yeow Peow, was a foreman of the construction site for the Circle line and his family have already been notified of the decision. Mr Heng is survived by his wife and two children, aged eight and ten.

Nishimatsu-Lum Chang Joint Venture, main contractor of the MRT Circle Line worksite, has offered an ex gratia payment of $30,000 to each of the four families who lost a member in the tragedy.

Can money compensate for the lost of a loved one? Perhaps the answer is a resounding NO but I'm sure the company did not mean it that way... I do not know anyone who has relations involved in the accident, yet somehow, I still feel a sense of loss; a feeling of dejavu, so-to-speak, of how cruel Fate can be.

However, who am I to question God's design? only He knows the purpose of His actions...

 3:39 AM    

The most significant feature of reality television, which has made millions of viewers tune in relentlessly week after week, is its unpredictability. This is also the reason why I detest reality tv with all my might and main... but even with the knowledge that "anything is possible", I persisted to watch American Idol and let myself be deluded by the excitement and the pathos. Music and drama combined -- An irresistible combination indeed...

The bottom three this week: Fantasia Barrino, Latoya London & Jennifer Hudson... An unpredictable outcome but predictably, Jennifer was eliminated.

I am angry and appalled. Three very talented singers had the lowest amount of votes. The less capable singers were safe. Where is objectivity? Where is discretion? Had the millions of viewers all over America abandoned all powers of discernment, threw good judgment out of their windows and opted to think with their asses instead of their brains??? Or perhaps millions of people with good judgment had either forgotten to vote or didnt vote as religiously as they should in order to keep the more deserving contestants in the competition. Whatever the case, it is clear that the voting system is flawed. Why else would a very talented singer (i.e. jennifer) be eliminated over others who had only half her talent and voice??? Perhaps there's a conspiracy afoot. With the current system, audiences are allowed unlimited votes. Maybe millions of mindless idiots had simply voted for the most undeserving contestants as if their lives depended on it. Maybe these idiots had been bribed by some big national company to vote indefinitely, hour after hour, until the voting lines close. Maybe, maybe, maybe...

It all boils down to the fallibility of human judgment, and in a competition where human judgment decides the fate of its contestants, even the slightest error or misconception by one person can have a staggering effect. jennifer hudson is a victim of injustice and human fallibility but undeniably, she is one helluva singer. I'm gonna miss her...

 1:33 PM    

Prior to watching this show, the only famous song by Barry Manilow which I know is that famous (or rather infamous) Copacabana. So who IS this iconic manilow fella, the person who has been deemed "what Clay Aiken would look like in thirty years time"?? Well, besides being the possessor of a very funny looking nose, Barry Manilow also has a whopping 41 albums, and 38 top 40 hits under his belt! On top of that, Barry has received Grammy awards, Emmy and Tony awards and has garnered numerous other nominations for his work. Pretty impressive, eh??

The Good
It is hard to believe that It's A Miracle was ever a Barry Manilow song after seeing and hearing the fabulous Fantasia Barrino perform it on-stage (she was all over the place actually). Fantasia had successfully made the song her own without having to tear it apart with the over-the-top vocal pyrotechnics which she would normally employ in her up-tempo performances. However, that little trick Ryan pulled by presenting Fantasia's wee little daughter to tv audiences through-out America was a brilliant (although conniving) idea; I'm certain it would have a positive effect on fantasia's votes. Latoya London's All The Time is easily the second best performance for the night. She was able to pull off all her notes flawlessly and even sounded much better than Fantasia, but I think the one department where Latoya is sorely lacking is personality. Jennifer Hudson though, is constantly letting more and more of her competitive side shine through. I concede that she has always been overtly dramatic and her rendition of Weekend in New England was no different but I cant help loving this gal~ The sheer power of her voice and her charisma is just too irresistible! She has definitely become one of the forces to be reckoned with in this competition.

The Middleground
Diana Degarmo's One Voice was a far cry from the mediocre pieces she had done in recent weeks and her voice had never been better! Excluding a couple of flat parts, it was actually the perfect song choice for her. Jasmine Trias too, seemed to be bouncing back with I'll Never Love This Way Again. Some notes at the end, however, were abit shaky but other than that, it was a pretty good rendition. When all is said and done though, i dont think that either Jasmine or Diana will ever perform anything spectacular enough to really distinguish themselves from their older and better contemporaries.

The Bad
I had a feeling that George Huff was trying his very best to regain the support of his fans after last week's dismal showing and what better way to do it than by singing Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again. Unfortunately, the result was only adequate at best. Georgie's gospel-stylings seem abit overwrought and out-of-place somehow; I much prefer his heartfelt and low-key Against All Odds last week. This is NOT a good sign. My only hope is that Georgie will just stop trying too hard and do what he has always done best; i.e. singing with his heart. Not surprisingly, John Stevens' Mandy was intolerable! I'd rather torture myself by listening to the boyband version (the one by westlife) rather than listen to his weak and pathetic interpretation. Sorry, John~ your crooning aint so bad but evrything else you do just sucks! ;p

It's obvious that we are now in the age of the Dueling Divas; Fantasia, whom I've always felt was too complacent for her own good, is now a favorite of mine after her heart-wrenching Summertime from last week. That song seemed to have humanized her somehow (or at least in my eyes) and as long as she tames her "yeah yeah yeahs", I'm certain she'd make it to the top eventually. I believe that Latoya has the best voice in this competition but she hasnt got the magnetism of Fantasia's edgy charisma and I fear this might handicap her chances of winning. Jennifer Hudson has done well so far by choosing songs that manage to showcase her dramatic vocals effectively. Nonetheless, her strength can easily become a weakness if her theatrics are not properly controlled. Despite all my conjectures, I'm really looking forward to seeing these three powerhouses battle it out as the top three in this year's AI... ;)

my bottom three predictions: John Stevens, George Huff & Diana Degarmo/Jasmine Trias.

 2:09 AM    

The very recent nicoll highway collapse is testament to a significant revelation I made not too long ago; singapore is not really the safe haven I used to think it was. The incident, which occurred around 4pm yesterday, has claimed the life of one man so far and injured three others. Three people are still missing and the prospects of finding them alive are not very bright.

I can really empathize with the relatives of the missing personnel; it is certainly not easy to hold on to even a glimmer of hope that your loved one might be able to survive the terrible wreckage. (By the way, I spotted the actress who played Mimi in the local sitcom Oh, Carol! amongst the small crowd at the holding area for relatives, looking so distraught... how sad! )

It seems that April is really an eventful month for singaporeans. We've hardly recovered from the widespread blackout last week and another "event" had to occur, only this time, lives are at stake. An explosion, or a series of explosions, were suspected to have caused the steel supports over the tunnel of the Circle Line site to give way and subsequently, the whole area caved in, including the highway itself. However, I wonder; could this tragedy have been averted somehow? Firstly, it is a well-known fact that most of Nicoll highway was built over reclaimed land way back in the 1950s. Perhaps reclaimed soil just isnt sturdy enough to support the heavy subterranean work being done in that area. Moreover, that section of the Circle Line was said to be one of the deepest that the engineers had to construct since it had to run underneath the Singapore river. Wouldnt this have only aggravated the already "weak" soil in that plot of land?

Nevertheless, these are only my personal speculations and it has been announced today that a panel of experts will be established to investigate the actual cause of the incident. At the end of the day, the root of the matter is not as significant as the inconvenience the collapse has caused on the thousands of commuters who use the highway as a link from the east to the city area of Singapore. Nor is it as significant as the lives of the people still trapped beneath the rubble... God bless.

 11:59 AM    

I've heard it said,
That people come into our lives
For a reason
Bringing something we must learn.
And we are led to those who help us most to grow
If we let them and we help them in return.
Well I don't know if I believe that's true,
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you.

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun,
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Half way through the wood.
Who can say if I've changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed For Good

---- excerpt from the Broadway musical, Wicked, by Stephen Schwartz.

 10:31 PM    

That is the rhetorical premise which the latest Korean film, Into the Mirror, seems to be riding on to pull the crowds and I think it worked. Albeit to a certain extent of course.

Rewind to last Saturday night;

Was sitting down at Maxwell food centre wif the regular blokes having our usual supper & kopi when we suddenly realized that we havent watched a movie together fer ages... Someone suggested watching an after-midnight horror-flick & though I was (and still am) a staunch non-advocate of this mindless genre, I reluctantly agreed to the idea eventually to prove that I'm not such a scaredy-cat as is widely believed. Moreover, it doesnt help that I was grossly outnumbered four against one. Hurrah for democracy~ ;p

Anyway, so there I was at one-thirty freaking am, milling about at Cathay Cineleisure and surprisingly, it was practically teeming with teens & young adults (who probably think it's sooo cool to be hanging out til late hours in orchard on a saturday). The Cheers store was brimming wif people and it felt rather ridiculous queuing up behind ten others, just to pay for a measly can of season's lemon tea... Thus my belief has been validated; most singaporeans are nocturnal creatures. And I must confess, late-night movie-watching is an interesting experience indeed. For one thing, do Not expect movie-goers to abide by the basic rules of cinema ethics, especially if the film in question is in a tongue non-native to singaporeans.

Back to Into the Mirror;

The Japanese have already perfected the psychological horror-flick genre with gems like The Ring and Ju-on but the Koreans have taken it a step further by infusing other elements such as melodrama to rejuvenate a saturated market (think The Tale of Two Sisters and Wishing Stairs). Into the Mirror, when it comes down to the fundamentals, does possess what it takes to be a good horror/ghost story. I shall not give out any spoilers at all because the unexpected twists in the movie are essential to its enjoyment, but rest assured, there were plenty of shock-moments in the first half of the film to satisfy even the most sated audience member. The second half however, suddenly took a turn into police-detective cum fantasy genre and this was where some of the more impatient individuals in the cinema might have dozed off as the pacing became abit draggy at certain parts. Nevertheless, the momentum picked up again somewhere near the end and culminated with a bewildering cliffhanger.

On the whole, Into the Mirror isnt your run-of-the-mill scare-fest at all but rather an intellectual stab at an already tired formula; so if you're looking to be scared out of your wits from start to finish, you better look elsewhere. UNfortunately though, director Kim Seong-Ho's attempts to intrigue me with unconventional and highly imaginative plot-reversals fall flat because of his inconsistency in keeping to the finer details of his story. Whatever the case, the film still offers some very excellent visuals and cinematography especially in the use of mirrors to create a perpetual atmosphere of eeriness. Not entirely engaging but not so bad a watch afterall. ~ my ratings: 3/5 stars! scare-factor: 3/5 stars!

 11:58 AM    

In an unforeseen turn of events, Jon Peter Lewis, the 24 year-old "pen salesman" from Idaho (yep, he's from california though he auditioned in Hawaii), bid his last goodbye on American Idol. I must admit I'm not a fan of JPL, but I was kinda sad to see him go; somehow or rather, his quirky dancing & distinctive voice (perfectly suited for elvis & eltonjohn songs) had become endearing to me... And he is rather cute... like a hobbit~! ;p

I'm surprised that Jasmine didnt make the bottom three this week while JPL & John Stevens were in the bottom two spots. The millions of JPL fans all over America must have cried their little teenage hearts out when Ryan Secrest announced JPL's name... It was indeed an unexpected twist. Frankly speaking, I'd much rather if John Stevens was eliminated; vocals-wise, he is definitely much weaker than JPL. However, I predict that the former's horde of fans would be more vigilant next week & try their utmost best to keep him out of the bottom three spots...

I agree (albeit most grudgingly) with Simon that age is an important factor on AI. Thus, it wouldnt at all be such a surprising thing if Diana, Jasmine & John are in the "hot" spots next week. Judging by the demographics of their fanbase, Diana or Jasmine might be the one getting the axe but we'd never really know what the judges (Simon especially) might say to sway the outcome of the votes. Well, only time will tell... By the way, I guess I'm not as good a soothsayer/oracle/seer as I thought I was but then, one out of three predictions accurate is still better than nothing~! ;p

PS: I've changed the colors of my template. The old one sort of gives me a headache after repeated viewings... Any feedback will be greatly appreciated~ Have a great weekend folks! ;-)

 11:59 AM    

I take back all my doubts I previously had about Quentin Tarantino's ability to judge AI3; he was as caustic as Simon Cowell on a bad hair day & as lavish with praises as Paula minus all her incoherent ramblings. In short, he KiCks ass~!! Simon, for once, had to actually do abit of work, to come up with something to top Quentin's comments... but I digress. It's obvious that Mr. Tarantino has been following, and is possibly even a fan of, AI3. I'm also certain that he already has his own established favorites and non-faves. Unlike Simon though, he tried to be as objective as he could and gave credit where it was due... I greatly suspect, however, that Mr Tarantino's presence was just a shameless plug for his new movie (i.e. Kill Bill Vol.2) which is opening Friday in U.S. theaters. Nevertheless, should Simon Cowell ever decide to quit AI, I think Fox network has just found his replacement... ;p

well anyway, let's get on with the contestants... the final EIGHT in this competition!

George Huff started the ball rolling with a gospel-ized version of Against All Odds but unfortunately, the judges werent feeling him tonight. I have to agree that the phil collins song doesnt seem to suit his coarse vocals yet somehow or other, Georgie finally won me over. Despite his sub-par performance, it was very sincere & heartfelt & I thought he handled the negative criticisms from the judges rather superbly. (He even thanked each of them in turn..) Jennifer Hudson came out next wearing naught-else but a skin-tight black gown which emphasized too well the amount of blubber she's got; But then, her powerful take of I Have Nothing completely blew away every other version previously done on AI, thus making up for all her fashion boo-boos. I think my Jenny should win the most-improved contestant award if ever there is one... Jon Peter Lewis might not be as vocally gifted as the other contestants, but he certainly has charisma aplenty. He did some nifty leg-work during his rendition of Elvis' Jailhouse Rock and although I may think it all resembles a pig having an epileptic fit, I'm a hundred percent positive he'll be pulling millions of teen/tween votes tonight. However, is it just me or does his eyes have a glassy look to them whenever he performs??? *shudders*

Diana Degarmo, predictably pulled off My Heart WIll Go On rather well inspite of a couple of flat notes. She looked uncannily like Kate Winslet's long-lost younger sister though.. LOL. I gotta give her props for daring to take on a Celine Dion number. In my honest opinion, I think the judges were a mite too hard on the poor wee lass... she looked so browbeaten after they practically eviscerated her performance that I juz felt sorry for her. Fantasia Barrino brought the show to a whole new level with her spectacular interpretation of gershwin's SUmmertime from Porgy & BEss. A million teens probably went "whatthehell is porgy & watever???" I was an instant FAntasia fan... I thought it was the most sensitive, honest and poignant performance she had ever executed; and no more "yeah yeah yeah"s!!!!!!

I think Jasmine Trias is rather unlucky to be performing right after Fantasia. The former's When I Fall In Love was almost good but compared to what fantasia had done, Jasmine just seemed to be trying too hard. I still like her tone & timbre of voice though and I believe she's capable of so much better. John Stevens was safe in his element with casablanca's As Time Goes By and it was quite credible too. At some point in this competition, John must realize that it is simply impossible to croon his way to the top; after last week's fiasco, it's painfully clear that his voice is just not good enough for this competition. Having said this, it is indubitable he'd get as many senseless votes going for him as that hobbit fella. Last but definitely NOt the least, Latoya London decided to pull out all the stops with west side story's Somewhere. I'm amazed at how she successfully managed to "RnB" a song which is practically a staple for Broadway luminaries like barbra streisand & linda eder, so convincingly, thus making it her own. Seriously, I got the goosebumps listening to her belt the last few seconds of her song!

It is clear from the outset that Fantasia and Latoya are the frontrunners in this competition but it seems that Jennifer and George are also major contenders.. as long as they remain to be in the judges' good books. JPL and John have improved somewhat since last we saw them whereas Diana & Jasmine have not been making much progress. Honestly speaking, the latter two are good singers but their young age is clearly a disadvantage, hindering them from evolving as quickly as their older peers. John's days are also numbered but I think his fan-base could sustain him for at least a couple of weeks more.

my Bottom three predictions: Diana Degarmo, Jasmine Trias & George Huff/Jennifer Hudson. But if God was fair, John Stevens would be one of the bottom three... ;p

 5:24 AM    

i'm abit miffed that last night's American Idol was postponed due to a simultaneous broadcast of President Bush's third prime-time news conference of his presidency. Anyway, this week's theme is Movies and i'm very excited over what the contestants are gonna sing tonight... Last year, Clay Aiken sang Somewhere Out There during Movies night & this song has become a perennial favorite of mine eversince. Moreover, Quentin Tarantino, cult director of some of the best movies i've ever seen (i.e. Pulp Fiction & Kill BIll Vol.1) is making an appearance as guest judge. The idea is quite preposterous of course (why the hell is a film director judging a singing competition?? it's totally irrelevant, i tell you) but I'm willing to give him the benefit of a doubt; maybe he's just as controversial as Simon in his comments. I'm only keeping my fingers crossed that he wont be as sugar-coated as Paula...

*Yikes~* My american idol anticipations are getting waaaayy out of hand~!! I'm probably just brimming over with anxiety over what my favorite contestants are gonna sing this week...

There was a blackout in the northwestern part of Singapore late tuesday night, with about 80 000 homes affected. Thankfully, i'm NOT staying in Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Timah, Bukit Panjang or Jalan Bahar and thus my home was not plunged into total darkness like those of my friends staying in those areas. HOwever, just when i was starting to feel all smug about it, a loud explosion rocked the entire neighbourhood here in taman jurong... It was 130am and it was definitely no thunderstorm... A peek out of my window revealed a brouhaha occurring at the road junction where WestPoint Clinic was (the place where i normally visit the doctor when i'm sick) with a couple of police cars parked along the kerb. By this time, my mind was racing with visions of suicide bombers with grandiose agendas running amok in this little out-of-the-way neighhourhood. Soon though, my inquisitive nature got the better of me and I decided to go downstairs and check out the commotion myself. When I reached there, a steady crowd had already gathered (all as kaypoh as i was, i suppose) and some firemen were putting out the flames on what seems to be the remains of an ambulance... Nothing really very exciting but u can check out the details of the incident here.

What was really mindboggling was the fact that no one in my family was awakened or even stirred from their comfortable slumber! hmmm.. Perhaps the ability to sleep like logs even through deafening explosions is a dominant gene in my family... ;p

PS: my apologies to those who tried to comment on my haloscan board but could not; I wasnt aware that it wasnt working as it should have. At any rate, the problem has been fixed.

 2:20 PM    

This movie is the latest comic-book adaptation to hit the bigscreen and it was a labour of love for the gifted mexican director, Guillermo del Toro, who was also the man responsible for such diverse movies as Blade II and The Devil's Backbone. I've always been a sucker for comic book heroes (think XMen, Spiderman, Daredevil etc... ) and fortunately, Hellboy did not disappoint. Well, not much anyway... ;p

I didnt think very highly of Blade II & its effusive violence, but I simply ADORED The Devil's Backbone; the latter remains to be one of my most favorite horror/drama films of all time. Therefore, I'm glad that del Toro had infused Hellboy with a similar sensitivity and melancholic air reminiscent of Devil's Backbone instead of just a monotonous dosage of the regular in-your-face monster bashing. For one thing, I thought Ron Perlman was perfectly cast as the brooding title character who displays sardonic wit with impeccable comic timing. Selma Blair's casting as Hellboy's love interest, the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman, was also an inspired one; she adds the right amount of pathos to a female role which otherwise, would have been rather forgettable. My only complaint is that her character is mostly under-developed due to insufficient screen-time. The gothic set borrows heavily from the old TIm Burton Batman movies but this is not such a bad thing. What is refreshing about Hellboy is the peculiar line-up of good guys (with their amusing idiosyncrasies) which sets it apart from other comic-book adaptations and their typically good-looking superheroes. Disappointingly, the movie's baddies are all one-dimensional, cardboard stereotypes and some of the action sequences were simply average when compared to those in XMen2 or Spiderman.

When the end-credits of the movie finally rolled, I had some mixed feelings; del Toro's Hellboy was certainly lacking in "wow" factor in some parts and the storyline, though interesting, was only mildly engaging. However, these inherent flaws did not detract me from appreciating the lavish sets & some of the excellent characterizations (of Hellboy especially). Essentially, my appetite had been whetted for a HellBoyII. ~ my ratings - 3.7/ 5 stars!

 11:50 PM    

I bumped into a dead flamingo today in my neighbourhood. Nope, I'm not pulling your leg; the proof is right here in my handfone's photo album... Unfortunately, i do not have the cable attachment that would allow me to transfer pics from my hp to my pc, and I am not keen on trying out the MMS thingy so you won't get to see that pic in my bloggy anytime soon. ;p Anyway, here's the gist of the story; I was on my way to NTUC to get some groceries when i saw some pink stuff lying on the pavement by the side of the road. Initially, I thought it was just a bundle of colored polythene bags.. u know, the sort they give out in shops. However, upon closer inspection, I was simply astounded to find the carcass of a pink flamingo! It wasnt really big so it was probably a young lesser flamingo... Anyhow, the poor thing must have been passing through the area and had stopped for awhile to feed or sumthing & had inadvertently gotten itself run over by a vehicle. Subesequently, someone (maybe the guilty motorist) had moved the body to the sidewalk so that it won't be a hindrance to other motorists... What a tragic way to end its life~! :( The weird thing was, there were several jurong sec students walking by that same spot but the sight of a dead flamingo didnt perturb them as much. It was pretty surreal... if it wasnt for the visual evidence in my handfone, I wouldnt have believed a word I'm writing right now...

While we're still on the subject of flamingos though, I read somewhere that seeing a flamingo in your dream represents either a sense of community or cooperation or an indication of new experiences or situations. OR it could also mean that you're overly conscious of your physical appearance... hmmmm. *ouch*~! Could this uncanny coincidence be Fate's pointed dig at my occasionally obsessive vanity??? wadever~!

Last monday, a chimpanzee tried to escape from the Singapore Zoo but ended up drowning in Mandai reservoir. It was hypothesized that the chimp, six-yr-old Rhamba, was agitated (possibly bullied) by some other chimps in her enclosure and this provocation was enough to cause her to climb over the electric barriers on a tree and run for freedom. Such is the power of peer pressure. If I had been one of the visitors at the zoo on that eventful morning, I would probably have considered this a wonderful anecdote to entertain my friends with. Fortunately, I hadnt and thus I could relate very well with young Rhamba's plight; as a young chimp raised by humans, to be thrown into an enclosure of strangers (though they may be of the same species) is certainly nothing short of distressing. Could the drowning have been avoided? Most probably yes if the zoo staff had been more responsive & careful. However, it is also inevitable that Rhamba would suffer from a panic attack due to the accumulation of stress she received in her living space. Still, how the culmination of such stress would manifest itself was unbeknown to anyone.

I mentioned earlier about empathising with the late Rhamba; I know what it feels like to be a social outcast. Frankly speaking, I was quite an introvert in my younger days so-to-speak and I practically lived on the fringes of "society". Thankfully, I managed to overcome my timid nature (to a certain extent) and I can be brash, outspoken & outgoing on occasion. It makes me wonder though, if things didnt turn out the way they did, would I have encountered my own version of Mandai Reservoir and drowned in my bid to escape???

I must admit, that's quite a morbid thought. On a more positive note, unlike Rhamba, I can swim. (I didnt go through THREE beginners' courses in swimming for nothing, you know! LOL )

 11:53 PM    

Once again, i did not manage to catch the AI3 results show from the comfort of my living room & had to be content with a very shaky telecast on TVmobile. but then again, I never liked the results show anyway...

The producers changed the giving-out-the-results system; so instead of sitting down comfortably on the red sofas while their fates are being sealed one by one by Ryan Secrest, the contestants were grouped into threes according to the amount of votes they obtained.

group A - Jennifer Hudson, LaToya London & George Huff
group B - John Stevens, Jon Peter Lewis & Fantasia Barrino
group C - Jasmine Trias, Camile Velasco & Diana Degarmo

Honestly, this new system is just a waste of time. By logical deduction, any group with Camile in it would be in deep shit whereas the one with George & LaToya might as well start walking back to the red couches. And I was right... with the exception of Jasmine, my predictions were pretty accurate (cant u just see how smug i am?? hehe). I'm just peeved that mr red-haired crooner wasnt in the bottom three... Seriously, his gazillion of fans probably either need a major lesson in objectivity or need to have their ears dug out.

Anyhow, I've been in love with Camile's raspy yet soulful vocals eversince i saw her during the Hawaii auditions.. I think she's got loads of potential but sadly, after 4 weeks of competition, she still hasn't shown any significant improvement (she did, however, manage to conquer her nerves to a certain extent). On the whole though, I hope all her critics bear in mind that she's only seventeen and she's got a long way to go before she matures as a performer and as a singer. While I'm sad to see her go, I'm also confident that we'll see more of Camile Velasco in the future... ALL hail the Hawaiian Lauryn Hill~!!! ;)

 12:40 AM    

I've never really been a fan of elton john but i think his stuff arent so easy to sing... thus, i predicted some horrid performances and i was right. How unfortunate~ SIR Elton John, however, is too much of a big-shot to make an appearance as guest judge but he was kind enough to appear in the recorded commentaries to say his piece about each of the contestants. I've got a weird feeling that the eltonjohn theme not only presided over the songs, it was also dominant in the dress code... Jackets and dresses in fuchsia or fluorescent colors just dont seem to work for me somehow... ;p

The Heavyweights -
I think Jennifer Hudson's Circle Of Life is the big winner for the night. She just nailed the song with the sheer power of her voice and i was... awestruck!!! Without a doubt, she blew all the other performances before her clear out of the water... Latoya London made up for last week's lackluster performance with Someone Saved My Life Tonight and it was the perfect song to showcase the wonderful control she has over her rich vocals. Moreover, i'm so glad that she decided to forgo her gruesome hair extensions~ LOL! Although I've never been an ardent supporter of George Huff, i must admit that his rendition of Take Me To The Pilot was certainly one of the better performances of the night. I just realized how consistent he has been vocally, week after week, and his unflagging enthusiasm is indeed something to marvel at. More importantly, he succeeded to gospel-ize an eltonjohn song with heartfelt credibility~ way to go, Georgie!

The Middleweights -
Fantasia Barrino's Something About the Way You Look Tonight was very reminiscent of her performance during country week. That's not a bad thing at all but why did she have to do that "yeah yeah yeah" thingy again??? SERIously, i think George Huff and Fantasia Barrino are bordering upon the realm of predictability because they just have that uncanny ability to mould whatever song from whatever genre/theme to suit their vocal styles. Latoya and Jennifer on the other hand, seem to do it the other way around... I'm not really sure which method works better but I'm more inclined toward the latter; Nonetheless, I hope that these four aforementioned will somehow make it to the top four positions in this competition ;)

Jasmine Trias' Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me started off pretty well but there were a few shrieky parts and at least two or three flat notes. It's apparent that her voice has yet to mature as well as her other, older peers in this competition so in that sense, my poor jasmine is at a slight disadvantage :-( Jon Peter Lewis was in his element singing RocketMan; he's got the vocal tone to carry an eltonjohn song convincingly but regrettably, i think his voice is just not strong enough for him to be one of the frontrunners in AI3.

The Lightweights -
Diana Degarmo's outfit was gorgeous but her I'm Still Standing was absolutely*bleargh*... But Paula mentioned something about her being sick so i guess that explains it; furthermore, Diana did look abit under the weather. Camile Velasco seemed to be enjoying herself onstage so much, I feel quite guilty for not being able to enjoy her rendition of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. But it really was a shaky piece and i fear her days on AI3 are numbered, just as Simon had prophesied. Similarly, John Stevens' Crocodile Rock was as disappointing; he seemed to be getting from bad to worse each week and this time it was near-intolerable. It's such a waste really; Camile & John are both incredibly talented but their vocal styles are too genre-specific and therefore, the varying themes on AI only emphasizes their lack of versatility rather than anything else. The harsh reality that these two favorites of mine might face the axe sometime very soon is certainly rather depressing. Even so, someone has to go...

Bottom three predictions: Camile Velasco, John Stevens & Diana Degarmo.

 2:09 AM    

There's this story being circulated in the infotainment world that the Pope, after a special viewing of The Passion, made the remark "It is as it was" as an indication of his approval of the movie... This has been denied vigorously by his Vatican officials who claimed that the Pope would never give judgment on, much less endorse, any work of art. Even the Pope's spokesperson himself, has refused to confirm the supposed quote which thus brings us to the next pertinent question: Was the quote just a typical Hollywood fabrication, to evoke positive public interest over a movie that has otherwise been condemned by most critics & declared anti-semitic by various religious factions???

With so much controversy surrounding this movie, I just HAD to see it... no matter how much I doubt Mel Gibson's directing skills. Fortunately, I'm not so hard-pressed to find something good to say about the show...

The Good
The actors and supporting cast were top-notch: Maria Morgenstern and Monica Belluci (as Mary, Jesus' mother, and Mary Magdalene respectively) in particular, deserved plaudits for giving as much depth as that is ever possible to two female characters who spend almost 100% of their screentime either whimpering or snivelling. James Caviezel's portrayal of Jesus wasnt that marvellous but I think he was hampered more by an inadequate screenplay than his own acting abilities. Still, for such a heavyweight role, he carried himself quite well. The cinematography was excellent and I think Mel Gibson's decision to film The Passion totally in Aramaic (a Semitic dialect) was truly inspired; it entrenched the movie with so much realism that it's almost surreal when coupled with the detailed sets and costumes. I think, visually, the movie was nearly flawless and there were more than a few parts where I was literally at the edge of my seat.

The Bad
At the end of the day though, this is still a MEl Gibson movie and I could discern similar traits reminiscent of such epics like Braveheart & the Patriot. The symptoms??? - Forced melodrama, unabashed violence, and a mediocre screenplay. Understandably, the intended effect of the graphic violence was to depict as accurately as possible, the tremendous suffering Jesus went through for the salvation of mankind and I think it worked for me for the first three-quarters of the show... After that, I just felt de-sensitized by the whole thing and concluded that Mel is up to his usual extreme theatrics again. Seriously though, the main problem I had was with the unforgivably sparse screenplay; I just dont think it had enough engaging power. All the characters were almost written by rote and the few flashback sequences were like mere obligations meant to disrupt the interminable onslaught of blood and gore rather than to have any real significance. Frankly speaking, I'd love to see some sort of character development woven into the storyline to make it seem more.. erm.. credible??

My apologies if I sound anti-Christian so far but I assure you I'm not. I just feel that Mel Gibson, who is a traditionalist & against ecumenism, is not really the right guy for the job... Nevertheless, I think The Passion is still a commendable endeavour, a visual spectacle & feast for the eyes, and a faithful (though not perfect) interpretation of the last twelve hours of Christ. And for the record, I feel that the anti-Semitic claims are totally invalid! ~ 3.8/ 5 stars!

 11:55 PM    

it used to be that beauty pageants here in singapore came and went without a trace but of late, it seems to be the fashion for them to be so widely publicised that one would have to be an absolute hermit to be oblivious of them. Case in point, take the recent miss singapore universe 2004 aired on channel 5, LIVE, no less. Sandy Chua, a nineteen-year-old engineering undergrad, not only obtained the honor to wear the tiara & represent our tiny island in this year's Miss Universe pageant, she also won for herself a cash prize of S$10 000!!! that's such a sinful amount of money, i tell u!! Unfortunately, Sandy's looks are as ordinarily Cina as they can get... Marilyn Tan or Adeline Lim, i thought, were more beauty-queen material due to their unconventional good-looks. Dont get me wrong but I really dont have anything against Sandy; i'm just envious as hell becuz she's got 10k and I dont... :(

Despite all my dissatisfied ravings however, i didnt even watch the Miss Singapore Universe competition in its entirety last saturday; truthfully, i only caught a brief five-minute performance of Tata Young's Sexy Naughty Bitchy and i think she's one hot babe (though my standards can be rather controversial)! Other than that, i was actually repulsed by the insipid banter between hosts Gurmit SIngh & Michelle Chong... The latter's lame jokes almost made me regurgitate my dinner~! Nuraliza Osman, on the other hand, who exuded class and grace by the spades, carried herself as co-host with unapologetic aplomb. Seriously, out of ALL past Miss Singapore Universe winners, i think she's the most prolific; her lawyer credentials & bollywood-ish beauty have made her a regular household name here, or at least amongst the malay suria-watching community; hehe. (By the way, I never thought much of Bernice Wong when she won last year but actually, she has blossomed to be quite a pretty thing ;p )

From beauty queens to supermodels... America's Next TOP model, to be exact. In the US, this show is well into its second season already but our country (forever always behind by a mile in the western entertainment industry) is currently only at season One. I admit, I'm a staunch non-fan of reality tv; i can probably write a whole thesis on the evils of this entertainment form... yet I get the highs watching a handful of model-wannabes bicker and backstab each other onscreen. u wanna know why?? that's because i have a crush on twenty-yrold contestant Elyse Sewell , who has a BS in BIology and a BA in Spanish. PLUS, she's pursuing a medical degree... Though abit on the scrawny side, i cant resist her sweet yet sophisticated mien. Beauty with brains?? oh yes please!! LOL

the main draw of the show and its undeniable star however, has got to be the legendary Tyra Banks. Not only is she the executive producer, she's also the one who was inspired to bring life to this show... Contrary to societal beliefs that models and beautyqueens belong to a class sorely deficient in mental prowess, tyra has achieved quite a number of titles on her resume; Supermodel, writer, actress, philanthropist and more recently, singer (though i seriously doubt her ability in this vocation)... Is there nothing this woman has NOT tried to do???

Whilst still on the subject of beauty, I think I'm having a break-out... damn chocolates!! @#%*!!

 11:56 PM    

changed my layout abit. i think this one is more user-friendly... at any rate, i appreciate your feedback (tag me or leave a comment as per necessary).

i've been feeling kinda drained lately. the erratic weather is not helping me much...

 3:05 AM    

jukebox playlist
i will be here - clay aiken
lately - rj heltoN
angels brought me here - guy sebastian

another weekend has arrived. how time flies... i didnt even realise that it's already a new month and april fools' day was like two days ago (?). maybe it's an indicator of old age; this obliviousness of passing time. maybe it's a sign of growth & maturity... this knowledge and confidence that time heals evrything. or perhaps i've just grown complacent.. that things will just fall into place for me with time.

Or maybe it's just saturday blues. *sigh*

 1:15 PM    

i managed to catch a small portion of American Idol just now on TVMobile (i was on my way back frm tuition). the sound system was really bad; couldnt hear much. Furthermore, i had to strain my neck to look past the big-headed person sitting in front of me so my neck's feeling slightly sore right now.

anyhow, the bottom three contestants this week were amy adams, jennifer hudson and most shockingly, latoya london. even from my seat at the back of the bus, i could see the look of guilt plastered all over john stevens' freckled face; he was the one most deserving to be in the bottom three and he knows it himself. Oh well, can't really blame him afterall... the fault lies wif the millions of fans who cannot think objectively. Clearly, where vocals & showmanship are concerned, Jennifer & Latoya proved they were more than competent but at the end of the day, their fates are still dependent on the size of their fanbase. it's all so sad somehow...

Amy Adams did not deserve to be voted off but she accepted her defeat most graciously... i'm so proud of her! ;)

PS: i've just realized that my idol reviews can be tediously long at times. Therefore, i've resolved to keep it as concise as possible frm next week onwards! (and that's one more resolution to add to my list this year! ;p )

 1:26 AM    

I think i've been sleeping abit too much this week. i did a little math.. last night's sleep amounted to around 9 hours! what's happening to me??? i'm really turning into the incredible sloth; i must do something soon to break this vicious cycle...

oh well, wadeverlah duanduan..

Anyway, it's that time of the week again when my adrenaline rises to cataclysmic heights as i wait expectantly for the results of this week's AI3. Will any of my favorites be booted out?? Will the American audiences be totally objective & fair for once and choose someone really deserving to be eliminated??? Naturally, the results are already out in the U.S.A since our dear little country is lagging behind by at least 8 hours... and naturally too, i know who had been voted off (courtesy of the Internet, of course) but i wont leave any spoilers here. ;p As per normal, i shall give MY account of last night's show, devoid of ANY prejudices or biases, be it the judges' or my own (as if..).

The fact that the night's theme was Motown, made me feel abit cheated already. For the layman, Soul and Motown are essentially very similar; they orginate from the same era in the timeline of musical history and predictably, Motown songs would have a similar feel as those in Soul week. (However, i did a little bit of research a few moments ago in order to really differentiate the two because my earlier assumption that Motown music is more upbeat than SOul doesnt really hold true. This is what i've come to understand: Soul & Motown have their roots in Rhythm&Blues and Jazz but Soul music came first whereas Motown evolved as a sort of "pop" interpretation of Soul. As a result, Soul music has a rougher, rawer and more honest quality than Motown...) I think i cant be far from wrong if i say that Soul & Motown are both derivatives of Black music and thus, the Afro-American performers in this competition would more likely benefit from these themes as opposed to the others.

Camile Velasco opened the show with For Once In My Life which had been done by Justin Guarini in the first season. Surprisingly, for once in her lifetime in AI3, Camile did NOT let her nerves overtake her completely & managed to look as if she was enjoying herself during the performance. Unfortunately for her though, it was still very sub-par. Motown was evidently not her thang at all but i really wonder if she'd be able to pull herself together in future episodes and deliver that brilliant performance which we've all been waiting for from her... Jon Peter Lewis was equally unimpressive with his rendition of This Old Heart Of Mine; i much prefer Corey Clarke's take from last season although it pains me to admit so (i used to be anti-Corey). I've always liked JPL's slight eccentricity & the fact that he resembles a hobbit straight out of LOTR, but honestly, his voice is just not up to it.

Latoya London brought down the pace abit with Ooh Baby Baby and i was simply amazed by the subtlety and control in her delivery. On the other hand, the song didnt do much for her (not a very accessible song, i'm afraid) and neither did her awful hair-extensions... Amy Adams' rendition of Dancing In the Street may not be anything spectacular but her vocals were pretty solid & good. The only problem is will she ever be good enough to stand out from the rest of her peers??? The same can be said of John Stevens, whose abysmal rendition of My Girl only emphasizes how out of depth he was in this competition. He was horribly flat throughout the song, something which i thought my dear, old John was incapable of doing... *sigh*

i was very glad that my fave, Jennifer Hudson was up next, and gladder still that although her Heatwave was significantly different from Kimberley Locke's version from AI2, it sounded remarkably good. Straight hair is very becoming on miss jennifer and her stellar vocals, as usual, were spot-on. *Hurrah!* My other fave, Jasmine Trias also scored with You're All I need; it was something performed to near-perfection already by Kelly Clarkson in AI1 but Jasmine didnt let that deter her from executing an amazing rendition. Moreover, I just lurrve her black-shiny-patent-leather look... it was very Lucy Liu! ;p

Diana Degarmo was in fine form, as usual; she tore through Do you Love me Now like a seasoned professional. My only problem wif her is that she's just a tad chunky-looking and wearing short skirts arent helping her out at all ;p Other than that, i dont see how this girl can ever go wrong... Fantasia Barrino's I heard It through the Grapevine sounded nothing like Kimberley Locke's rendition but somehow, the former didnt win me over with this song as much as the latter. i think fantasia's nasal renderings just didnt work for me this time and why does she have to attach so many "yeah yeahs" to the end of her song anyway?? i thought it was so darn cute when i first heard it weeks ago but it's just plain irritating now. Talking about irritating, what's up with that small white towel which George Huff seemed to be carrying onstage during his Ain't Too Proud To Beg??!? Vocals-wise, George was flawless; he even made me forget that Ruben Studdard did an awesome rendition of this song in AI2. However, i still think his hand-gesturing-thingy just doesnt seem to fit. Compare this with Fantasia's cool hand-gesturing-thingy and you'll get what i mean. (Moreover, I really pity the gerl whose head the towel landed on when George threw it into the audience at the end of his song ;p )

my bottom three predictions: Camille Velasco, John Stevens & Jennifer Hudson/Amy Adams.

 1:44 PM