I Love Paris

This blog is not meant solely for movie reviews, but by sheer coincidence this post is also about a movie. However, the film I’m about to talk about could not be more different from the one I reviewed previously.

It all started with The Da Vinci Code coming out a few months ago. Like countless others, I watched it. The movie was OK, not horrible but not excellent either. Tom Hanks, one of my favourite actors, sadly didn’t show the kind of acting brilliance he displayed in previous films such as Forrest Gump. I was, however, quite impressed by Audrey Tautou’s performance. She played a strong character and was the emotional core of the storyline. I vaguely recalled that her breakout role was in a French movie called Amélie. Her acting talent intrigued me so I sought to get a copy of the film. When I finally obtained and watched Amélie a few nights ago, what I saw blew me away.

Amélie is a shy young woman who works as a waitress in a café in Paris. She’s quirky and curious and revels in life’s simple pleasures, like skipping stones across a river. She also had a tragic childhood that makes her a bit of a loner. One fateful day, she sees a news report about Princess Diana’s death. This leads to a chain of events that convince her to become a regular do-gooder, going out of her way to help others and make people happy. Her adventures and escapades are highly entertaining yet touching to watch.

The supporting characters that surround Amélie are a truly colourful bunch. From the staff and regular customers at the café, to the landlady and tenants of her apartment building, to the neighbourhood grocer and his assistant, these people all play a part in Amélie’s life. They factor into highly amusing subplots and provide us with the film’s lighter moments.

Of course, no movie would be complete without a good love story, and the one in this film definitely does not disappoint. During one of her outings, Amélie meets a guy who’s as queer and lonely as she is, and she’s instantly smitten. His eccentricity is obvious through his hobby of collecting and piecing together photos that are torn up and discarded by their owners at instant photo booths. Amélie feels a connection with him, yet has not the courage to go up and speak to him face to face. Instead she chooses to love him from afar, and plays elaborate games with him to let him know her feelings without discovering who she is. Their relationship is genuinely romantic and funny and sweet without being sappy. This love story is one of the best I’ve ever seen, and it gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside that made me wish I were in love too.

The cast of this movie display superb acting skills. Audrey Tautou absolutely shines in her portrayal of the mischievous and charming Amélie with her expressive eyes and infectious smile. There’s no doubt Tautou has serious talent. However the acting and storyline aren’t the only things that make this film great. The cinematography is excellent and the music delightful. The movie also takes us to various beautiful locations around Paris. Amélie is truly an art film.

To be fair, this movie contains scenes that aren’t commonly seen by us Asians, who are (arguably) more conservative. The film features topless women and a sex shop and a hilarious example of why “banging” is a term for sex =D Nudity isn’t taboo in Europe, so a certain degree of open-mindedness is required on our part. But I’m sure that’s not a problem, especially for the guys who’d take this as an extra incentive to watch Amélie =P

I cannot stress how glad I am that I found this gem of a movie. After an overdose of American films, Amélie is a breath of fresh air. The multi-million dollar budgets, explosive action, dazzling special effects, predictable, recycled storylines and disproportionately beautiful people that are a Hollywood staple are not present in this film. Hearing the characters speak in a language I didn’t understand and having to rely fully on subtitles was strange, but only at first. Once I got caught up in the story, I completely forgot I was even watching a French film. All in all, this is one of the best films I’ve seen.

The tagline for this film is “She’ll change your life”. Watch Amélie, and trust me, she will.

P/s: If anyone is interested in watching this movie but can’t find a copy, let me know and I’ll lend mine to you =)

He's A Pirate

It's been over 6 hours since I exited GSC 1Utama after watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and I'm still floating around in post-Pirates euphoria. I really shouldn't be this high over a movie, but I am. So sue me =P

When the movie first came out, I couldn't wait to see it, I adored the first one so much. But my hopes were somewhat dampened after reading reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, one of my favourite sites. The critics are quite harsh, but give a fairly accurate view of how good a movie is. The general consensus is that PotC2 is all style and no substance. Christopher, who'd seen the movie before me, didn't help much when he said it wasn't great but just OK. So my expectations were lowered, but only slightly. Luckily, I'm not too critical when it comes to movies. I LOVED it.

The tagline for the movie is "Captain Jack is back". Boy, am I glad he's back! Guys think girls like him because Johnny Depp is hot. Truth is, Jack isn't handsome at all, hell he looks slightly demented. But he's CHARMING. And friggin' HILARIOUS. And he's got that roguish, scoundrelly bad boy thing going on. And really, that's reason enough for the ladies to swoon. Ya gotta love Jack Sparrow. I know I do =D

Ah, but let's not forget William Turner. Now he's cute =P Pity his character is somewhat two-dimensional. But still, he's really sweet and devoted, and would do anything to protect his girl (why can't I get a guy like that?). He deserves better than that two-timing Elizabeth Swann (I won't spoil it for people who haven't seen the movie, so if you're curious go watch it). He deserves someone like me =D

Davy Jones. Now there's a villain for you. Octopus head, peg leg, and heartless, literally. The makeup and overall look of him and his crew is disgusting but cool. And the best part is Jones isn't really evil, he's just bitter over a long-lost love, which gives his character depth and makes him vulnerable. He isn't as fun as the scenery-chomping Barbossa from PotC1 though. But he does have a super cool "pet", the Kraken. Oh, and much to my amusement, one of his crew members speaks Cantonese =D

One of the things I love most about this movie is the fact that EVERYONE is back. Not just Jack, Will and Elizabeth, but even the supporting characters from the first movie. Non-human ones as well =D People you thought couldn't possibly show up do exactly that. So for those who haven't seen it, brace youselves =)

I think I've raved enough about PotC2. But here are some of my favourite quotes and one-liners from this awesome film. Enjoy =)

Will: What about Jack? I can't leave without him!
[sees Jack getting chased by dozens of cannibals]
Will: Never mind, let's go!

***

Tia Dalma: You know I require payment.
Jack Sparrow: I brought payment. Look.
[shoots the monkey]
Jack Sparrow: An undead monkey! Top that!
Tia Dalma: The payment is fair...

***

Davy Jones: Can you live with yourself Jack? Can you live with condemning an innocent man - a friend - to a life of solitude?
Jack Sparrow: Yep, I'm good with it.

***

Elizabeth: There will come a time when you have a chance to do the right thing.
Jack: I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by.

***

Pintel (the fat bald pirate) is rowing the boat while Ragetti (the skinny one with the wooden eye) is reading a book upside down.
Pintel: You don't even know how to read!
Ragetti: It's the Bible, you get credit for trying!

***

Guard the boat, mind the tide...don't touch my dirt. - Jack to Pintel and Ragetti

***

My incredibly intuitive sense of the female creature tells me you're troubled. - Jack to Elizabeth

***

You know, these clothes do not flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in my cabin. - Jack to Elizabeth

***

I can't wait for Pirates 3! =)

The Scientist

A few days ago, I cleared out the massive post-nuclear junkyard that is my book cupboard. A-Levels is over, and university beckons, so I wanted to chuck out my old stuff to make way for what lies ahead. Thus I began sorting out what I wanted to keep for future reference from what could be sold off or sent for recycling. For some, the action of throwing books out is a joyful one. I can just imagine the more creative ones dousing their books in kerosene and torching the lot. But while this task was definitely liberating, to my surprise it also got me quite emotional. Those who have spoken to me recently know that I've decided to pursue a degree in accounting and finance, so obviously I wouldn't be needing my science books and notes anymore. Yet, I didn't have the heart to throw them away. It stirred something in me and made me think.

I realised how much I'll miss studying science. I'll miss the facts and laws and theories that explain why the world is the way it is. I'll miss the mind-blowing physics formulas and the tongue-twisting chemical names (think 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine).

I'll probably miss the practicals the most. I still remember my delight upon finding out that in college each student gets a lockerful of their own things and will perform experiments individually, as opposed to high school where we either worked in groups or only watched as the teacher demonstrated. I'll miss wearing my white labcoat, now stained with chemical splotches, that made me look like a doctor/mad scientist. I'll miss going into the laboratory each week and tinkering around with an array of extremely expensive and cool-looking apparatus. I'll miss the feeling of apprehension and anticipation I felt before starting each of the many challenging and crazy experiments thrown at us.

I'll miss the terribly fragile glassware that my class was so prone to breaking. I'll miss the rack of test tubes filled with solutions and precipitates so vibrantly colourful, a friend once compared them to an eyeshadow palette. I'll miss the ridiculous electrical circuits with their wires and minute components that caused us so much grief because they never seemed to work, the multimeters that rarely gave us the readings we needed. I'll even miss the repetitive measurement and timing experiments that required steady hands, sharp eyes and limitless patience, which I lacked. I'll miss using scientific lingo like "fractional distillation" and "electromagnetic induction". I'll miss the sense of accomplishment I felt everytime my experiment was successful, the jubilation whenever I got the right results. And believe it or not, I'll miss my Chemistry lecturer, Mr Yeap, who'd give a loud exaggerated sigh whenever we broke something and laughed in our faces whenever an experiment bombed because we didn't listen to him.

Many friends of mine are also leaving pure science behind to pursue social science degrees like economics. I don't know if they feel the same way. For me, there will be times when I take out that good ol' labcoat and put it on for memories' sake. But right now, I have to focus on my future, on this new unfamiliar path, and excel at my chosen field.

So, at long last, I bid farewell to the scientist in me.

Football Mad Nation

To some, it's Joga Bonita, the beautiful game. To others, it's 22 men chasing a ball around a field. But whether you love it or love to hate it, everybody knows it. Football.

Once every 4 years, the world is thrown into chaos. People can't sleep at night. Productivity declines. Stock markets plummet. Fights break out. Security is at a maximum. Patriotism flares. National flags are flown on every street corner, draped from every window. Blood, sweat and tears are shed freely without limit. Prayers are offered for the success of the men on the frontlines. No, it's not a war. It's the FIFA World Cup.

The 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany concluded on 9 July, after a month of people turning nocturnal and mamak shops, big screen TV manufacturers, telecommunications and satellite TV companies making loads of money. It was eventful, to say the least. I confess I didn't watch many matches as I like sleeping more than football, but the newspapers kept me well updated. My conclusion is that while the game itself may be beautiful, every other aspect is anything but.

Injury was common. There were fouls aplenty, and numerous cards were awarded, some to the tournament's most high-profile players, fairly or otherwise. There was much animosity on and off the pitch, so much so that for once the fans were better behaved than the players. The media levelled harsh criticism at coaches, players and even their wives and girlfriends (WAGs). And the world found out what happens when "kings of football" fall from grace. Truly, I was more shocked by the violent reaction of the Brazilian fans than by Brazil's actual loss. France faced the same scenario in 2002. I guess it's the curse that comes with winning that golden cup; everyone expects the winners to do equally well the next time around. Well, with Italy hoisting the Cup this year, we'll just have to wait and see how they perform in 4 years' time.

With all the negativity that came with this year's tournament, I couldn't help but wonder if the game deserves the popularity it enjoys worldwide. But then I figured, anything that can make people disregard age, ethnicity, religion, language and culture, and unite to laugh, cry, hope, pray and cheer together as one voice for what they believe in and what they love, has to be a good thing. So here's to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

A Night To Remember

This post is over a week late, but I felt I had to document what was one of the most spectacular events of my life and probably my most cherished memory during the past one and a half years attending A-Levels at HELP University College. The A-Levels Annual Ball 2006.

I have to admit, I'm not a ball type of person. I didn't attend my high school prom, for reasons that I didn't like the thought of spending a great deal of money on one night, as well as the overemphasis on having a date. Those same reasons applied this time around, and until April this year I was quite sure I wouldn't go.

However, my decision was turned on its head when I was told all former Student Council members would get free admission. Obviously it would be downright silly not to go for the Ball when you didn't have to pay for your ticket. The whole former SC (except Bryan) and my classmates were all going, and it would be both a post-exam celebration and a farewell of sorts to the many people I've gotten to know during my time in HELP. So I decided to attend, and I didn't regret it for an instant.

The former Student Council minus Bryan (check out Dipesh's pose and shoes =P )

Thus began my preparations for the Ball. For guys in general, it's safe to say that getting ready for the Ball only begins perhaps an hour before they left the house. For most girls, however, it's a completely different story, and I was no exception. I shamefully admit that my build-up to the Ball started a good month before the actual night. In my defence, however, I had my final exams going right up to two days before the event, so I wanted to be prepared. My first objective was, of course, getting a dress. My friend Sher Reen introduced me to Phenomenal, a dress boutique that truly lives up to its name, and where I'd eventually gotten my dress. Poor Sher had to endure about two hours of me trying on a dozen different gowns, proof that she has the patience of a saint. I'm truly grateful to her, not just for helping me prepare for the Ball but for her support throughout our friendship.

Sher & I camwhoring (I love this pic)

Then exams hit, and for an intense 4 weeks everyone was buried under piles of books and labouring through papers with little time to spare a thought for the Ball. Once the last paper ended, however, a tsunami of HELP students surged through the many malls in the Klang valley. Anusha, Li Xia and Yew Jhin, three of my close friends, asked me to join them in what turned out to be one of the most entertaining yet exhausting shopping trips I'd ever done. We roamed 1U and The Curve for a total of about 7 hours, and everyone was drained by the end of it. Being the only guy there, Jhin became brain-dead and looked like he was going to keel over. I bet he's scarred for life and would rather crawl through a mile of broken glass then shop with us again.

The next day again saw me hitting the malls, Sungei Wang in the morning for shoes to go with my dress, then rushing off to Mid Valley for lunch and more shopping with my high school pals. I'd never shopped so much in such a short span of time before, and by the end of the day I never wanted to hear the word 'shop' again. When my mum saw the 3.5 inch stillettos I'd bought, all she said was to make sure I didn't fall and kill myself the following night.

I used to scoff at girls who said they needed several hours to get ready to go out, but come the day of the Ball I understood what they meant. Anusha and I headed over to Li Xia's place to do our makeup before Choon Wei fetched us to Jhin's house. I ended up delaying everyone because, to put it simply, I'm not a makeup person and did some serious damage to my face. Take it from me, never learn to apply mascara an hour before going out. Anyway, we left our stuff at Jhin's and his brother kindly sent us to our destination, KL Hilton.

Upon arrival I realised I'd foolishly left my camera at Jhin's house. Luckily, my dad was able to go there and bring it to me, but not before sounding me thoroughly for being so absent-minded. Not having my camera with me would be a sin, because everyone looked ravishing. The guys looked handsome and dapper in their suits, while the girls looked fabulous with their elegant hairdos, lovely makeup and flowing gowns. It looked like a scene from the Oscars, and I was thrilled to be part of it. As gorgeous as the gowns and suits were, the true scene-stealers were those in traditional dress, and there were quite a number. My girl Meena looked smashing in a chilli red saree and chandelier earrings. The moment I saw the former SC president, Dipesh all dressed up in his Indian attire complete with scarf and Aladdin slippers, I knew he'd win Best Dressed, and sure enough he did.

The guys looking like dashing gentlemen

Red-hot Meena & I

The ballroom itself was a sight to behold. The theme for the Ball was Lost In Paradise, and the simple but enchanting decorations set the mood for the night. Leaves, vines, white flowers and candles lined the entrance arch and walkway. Beautiful, though I must admit for a while I was worried about setting my dress on fire, what with all the candles on the floor.

Sher & I on the red carpet. Note the elegant decorations lining the way in. (courtesy of Ms. Kimmie)

Lovely table centrepieces

The opening performance was the hottest (pun intended) one of the night. Fire eaters spitting clouds of flame into the air truly got us 'fired up' for the rest of the Ball. This was closely followed by svelte belly dancers shaking their bon bons and gyrating across the stage. Next came the pleasantly short speeches by the A-Levels Department Head, Mr Jahn Cheah, Dipesh and the current SC president Divya, after which they unleashed us on the food. Meena and I went crazy by assaulting the dessert table first, loading our plate with every type available. To my disappointment, only half of them were actually good, and that's all I ate for the entire night. The general opinion of the main courses weren't great either, so I didn't miss much. It's really sad that a 5 star hotel like Hilton can't give us good food when the price of the ticket is so high.

Ferocious fire eaters heating up the start of the Ball (courtesy of Ms. Kimmie)

The lithe belly dancers were the guys' favourite performance (courtesy of Ms. Kimmie)

The rest of the evening went by in a blur, maybe because I was having fun with my friends, or maybe because I was half blind from the multiple camera flashes that went off in my face every few seconds. Excessive photo-taking was the order of the night with everyone reaching new levels of camwhoring. I'm normally more comfortable behind the lens than in front of it but even I made an exception. The performances weren't paid much attention and I felt quite sorry for the performers who nevertheless put on a good show. One of the better bands played dance numbers which managed to get people on the dance floor and I was greatly amused to see different people's interpretation of dancing. A couple of high school friends of mine crashed the Ball and it was great seeing them again.

My crazy classmates

Some guys are such posers =P

The fabulous four: me, Penny, Li Xia & Anusha

The final highlight of the night, the crowning of the Ball King and Queen carried more significance for me than I'd ever imagined. Thanks to a little scheming by Sher and Jhin, I was called onstage with the other nominees and ended up becoming Queen. Jhin was also nominated for King but lost narrowly to the actual winner. All I can say is the Ball King's win was controversial, and Jhin was a lot more disappointed than he'd let on, as I discovered later.

Ball Queen & almost-Ball King

Thus the Ball came to a close, but that was far from the end of my night. After more camwhoring outside the ballroom, my group of friends and I returned to Jhin's house with the intention of heading out to A&W. That intention never became a reality as the girls were just too lazy to move the moment we collapsed on the couch, our feet aching from hours of wearing heels. So we just sat there talking about everything and nothing till the sun started to peek over the horizon. The most debated topics of the night were Jhin's loss (which he was clearly very sore about, poor guy) and Sher's problem of explaining to her folks why she was returning home in the morning with her makeup and dress still on after staying overnight at a guy's place. Speaking of which, I must extend my thanks to Jhin for being a gracious host and allowing us to crash at his home. We finally went to a mamak place (looking absolutely ridiculous in our gowns) to have breakfast before parting ways. It was a hell of a night, one I will remember for many years to come.

P/s: For more great photos go to http://helponomics.tripod.com/. It's a site managed by my Economics lecturer Ms. Kimmie who's also an avid photographer. Scroll down slightly and you'll see the link to her Ball photos =)

At The Beginning

I first stumbled upon the weblog revolution almost a year ago. The idea of a diary/journal of sorts proudly displayed on the Internet for all the world to see both mystified and fascinated me. For as long as I can remember, people kept the contents of their diaries private, some literally under lock and key. I couldn't understand why people wanted to publish their lives online while others fought so hard to maintain their privacy. It also puzzled me why anyone would even care about someone else's life when they had their own to worry about.

However, after browsing dozens of blogs by friends as well as complete strangers, I came to realise the draw of blogging. It promoted freedom of expression and individualism. It provided an outlet for pent-up emotions and thoughts. It helped people stay in touch with others. It showed me a different side of friends that I never knew existed, because they never showed it in person. Above all, it chronicled one's life. And life, as we all know, can be pretty damn interesting.

Thus, after much thought, I have decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon. I know I'm a good deal later than many of my blogger peers, but I thought this to be an appropriate time to start since I'm opening a completely new chapter in the book of life. I'm not a smooth talker, nor do I make smart, witty comebacks. I express myself better with the written word, so this will be my chance to let people know what I think. I also hope this blog will make it easier for friends far and near to keep in touch with me. In addition to that, I enjoy taking photos as much as people enjoy viewing them, so this will also serve as a medium for frozen moments of memorable times.

I must warn potential readers that this blog will be unlike the majority out there. Firstly, my posts will be relatively longer. Some call it long-winded, I call it articulate. My posts will also be sporadic, depending on whether I have the time and the mood to write. Lastly, I won't blog about my daily life, because if I did you'd fall asleep on your keyboard. I'd rather tackle specific events in life or ideas and opinions on any subject matter. Your opinions are greatly valued and I welcome all forms of feedback and constructive criticism. At the very least, do leave a comment to let me know you stopped by. It's nice to know people care about what I have to say.

Here's to my brand spankin' new blog.