ABSOLUT Justin

ABSOLUT Justin http://apasionese.multiply.com/ It's a challenge to tell you about myself when I am constantly changing, when I will spend my entire life trying to know myself--never to fully understand myself or others. God knows I'm a different person that who I was two years ago. All we can do is list likes, dislikes, characteristics, physical attributes, what I do. So: this is who I am today, right now.. I think boredom is a personal insult. I am most happy when I am with my familiy and friends. I love to travel, try to read in my spare time, enjoy a good movie. There are some quality television programmes I must watch. I have conversations with friends over coffee or tea. Like everyone else, I listen to music. Back in the days, much time was spent in clubs. The scene no longer holds my interest. Too many shallow people with superficial agendas. I can't have a conversation with loud music. But it's tolerable from time to time. I have high standards for society. Not high-society, necessarily. Just high standards. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:22:05 -0000 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:10:00 -0000 ABSOLUT Justin http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/logo http://apasionese.multiply.com 100 100 And Then There Was One... <a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SHvBBwoKCEEAAHXaFyc1"><img class="alignright" style="WIDTH: 240px;HEIGHT: 189px;" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SHvBBwoKCEEAAHXaFyc1/insomnia-cartoon6.jpg?et=pE%2Co4s%2B0frdJqIfpIGNUMg&nmid=0" border="0"></a>One sheep left. And I still couldn't get any sleep... So here I am writing this ridiculous post at 5:10 in the morning... my alarm clock is going to go off in about a hour's time... and then it's time to go to <strike>work</strike> <strike>sleep</strike> work.... What is wrong? Maybe it's that little conversation I had with my boss yesterday.... :-( Demoralising sia!!! Oh well, gotta take things in my stride and think positively right? maybe all this positive thinking is giving me insomnia. http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/240/And_Then_There_Was_One... Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:10:00 -0000 It's All About Survival <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SB6QWQoKCEEAADlGYfc1"><img border="0" class="alignright" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SB6QWQoKCEEAADlGYfc1/no-fun-center.gif?et=8NcLgbI05MPxt3Jk6JOyig&nmid=&nmid=94451330"></a>There's a saying that goes "Time flies when you're having fun". Fun? I am definitely NOT having fun. The past 4 months was anything but fun. And see how fast time has gone by.... blink of the eye and we're 5 months into 2008. Things are not going well at work, in fact, it's getting a bit out of hand. I used to feel in control of things, but with the recent changes in the work environment (I am not talking about the renovation or whatsoever), everyday is just like a day of survival in the wild... watching our backs in fear of "poisonous" arrows from predators ... watching our steps so as to not step on anybody's tail (or shit)... and also watching our heads, in case some bird sitting on top of the trees decides to drop some dung on you... it's all about survival. Some of you might wonder, "Not so bad right, Justin seems happy, what?!". Yes, I might "look" happy... but in fact, i'm feeling like shit inside. Sometimes, there are moments whereby it so damn painful just to put up a happy fro... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/239/Its_All_About_Survival Mon, 5 May 2008 03:37:00 -0000 Jumper The trailer was interesting... special effects were out of this world... his (jump) abilities were damn cool... something that I guess a lot of people would want to have... cos if I REALLY have his 'power', I would jump right out the the box-office and demand my money back! Cos the movie SUCKED BIG TIME!! In short, a genetic abnormality allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between 'Jumpers' and 'Paladins' who have sworn to kill them. To his amazement the Paladins have shock nets and whips to tie down Jumpers so they cannot Jump. The movie did not explain a lot of things. why was he abandoned at 5? how is he related to Griffin (another jumper)? did the dad die? did samuel l. jackson get out of the grand canyon eventually? who are the paladin and why do they want to kill jumpers? With so many unanswered questions, the whole movie became a over-hyped... http://apasionese.multiply.com/reviews/item/40 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:32:41 -0000 The One before Lunar New Year <a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/R6gCVAoKCEEAAG5jOoU1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/R6gCVAoKCEEAAG5jOoU1/gongxifacai.jpg?et=Swdgz5eH8t3NfnlQBmVIeg&nmid=" border="0"></a>I know it's been a long while since i wrote something here. That's because I've been <strike>working</strike> slogging away with work...   In the blink of an eye, it's already February, which means that the end of the financial year is drawing close. I believe for those that follows my blog would know that this is the 'busiest' period for me, especially. To make matters worse, I was asked to attend a 4-week long course. Even though the lectures and workshops are very interesting, especially when they cover topics like "Rat-a-tat-tat, Vroom-Vroom, Thew-thew, and Ka-boom!".... don't get it? haha... bo bian... quoting one of my course-mate, "Classified lor!"   Despite being on course from 8:30 am to 5pm, I was still expected to do my daily work when i'm back home... sometimes I wonder how many hours of work do we have to put in?   If the 14-hours-a-day work schedule wasn't enough to wreak havoc with my stress-level and HBP, t... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/237/The_One_before_Lunar_New_Year Tue, 5 Feb 2008 05:27:00 -0000 The One where I turned Three-Six. <A href="/photos/hi-res/upload/R4uSVAoKCEEAAGAk5e81"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/R4uSVAoKCEEAAGAk5e81/IMG_1420.JPG?et=AWrQPhnVDhp%2BkrnvATluFw&nmid=&nmid=75509270" border=0></A>I'm drawing inspiration from the oh-so-famous "Friends" TV series for 2008's postings... Post titles are going to be starting with "The One..." and hopefully, i'll be able to keep to it.   I officially turned 36 today... and if it wasn't for the wonderful events my bro and my colleagues had lined up for me, i would probably be home sulking (haha... male menopause?)   I must first thank my bro darteo who had organised all the events for the day, from the cake-cutting session in office, to the wonderful dinner at Astons... if i had missed out anyone who was part of the 'organising committee', my apologies. My sincerest thanks to you too!   Well, it was my first time at Astons and I must say that the food was really good! I've heard about it from cowan, and was the one who 'hinted' to darteo sometime in August (we wanted to try that for his birthday, but in the end I opted for the much overhyped and overpriced Morton's instead)... but nonetheless, he remembered!!   Eve... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/236/The_One_where_I_turned_Three-Six. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:56:00 -0000 Beauty World (The Musical) Set in Singapore in the mid-Sixties, Beauty World is a musical melodrama about the adventures of Ivy Chan Poh Choo, a small town girl in the big city. A mysterious jade pendant brings her from her hometown in Batu Pahat to Beauty World, a fabulous if somewhat seamy 1960s Singapore nightclub, where she hopes to locate her long lost-father. In her adventures, she meets up with her dotty pen-pal, gets a extreme make-over for her stage debut, crosses the path of the cabaret’s vindictive star, and learns some heartbreaking truths about love and life. The last production of Beauty World I watched was the one on TV for the President Star Charity. I thought Sharon Au was a hard act to follow... and the new cast was practically unknown... BUT was I wrong!! The performance was flawless!! The leads in the new production was absolutely fantastic. Irene "Mrs PCK" Ang was hilarious as Wan Choo.... This has got to be one of the best local musical I was seen. If the tickets weren't so damn... http://apasionese.multiply.com/reviews/item/39 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:07:46 -0000 The Last Post for 2007. <a rel="nofollow" href="/photos/hi-res/upload/R3jonQoKCEEAABfuZQw1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/R3jonQoKCEEAABfuZQw1/Photo%2039a.jpg?et=WT%2BzwXqQwxNlt65zF3lyjw&nmid=" border="0"></a> "Should auld aquaintance be forgot, And never brought to min'?" Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) Scottish poet. My friends, have a wonderful 2008 ahead. Happy New Year. http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/235/The_Last_Post_for_2007. Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:02:00 -0000 The Tattooist A first ever Singapore-New Zealand film collaboration focuses on a thrilling tale of tattoos and tribesmen in The Tattooist, where the supernatural and the spiritual take over from the ordinary life and tattoos take on a frightening new dimension. American tattoo artist Jake Sawyer explores and exploits ethnic designs from around the world. At a tattoo expo in Singapore (was there ever one??), he glimpses the exotic world of traditional Samoan tatau in the work of the fiercely proud Alipati and falls in love with Alipati’s attractive cousin, Sina. A pervasive, angry spirit is unleashed when Jake steals an ancient Samoan tattooing tool, and Jake’s art takes a dangerous turn as everyone he touches faces mortal peril. Hoping to put an end to this curse, Jake follows the Samoans to Auckland, where he meets an old adversary, tattoo artist Crash and a new one, the respected Samoan elder Aleki Va’a. His investigation takes him on a devastating journey into the dark side of Paci... http://apasionese.multiply.com/reviews/item/38 Tue, 4 Dec 2007 15:39:28 -0000 The 'Supposedly-To-Be-Last-Week, But-Me-No-Time-So-Now-Then-Post' Post <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/Ry6sigoKCr0AAFZuCQc1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/Ry6sigoKCr0AAFZuCQc1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Ry6sigoKCr0AAFZuCQc1/IMG_0615.jpg?et=1a%2Ck2yraVBIvmKOO78%2CycQ" border="0"></a>I have finally gotten some 'spare' time to do this entry cos it is DAMN late already... it was supposed to be up last week, but my week had been so hectic that I barely had any time left... The main event of last week had to be jules and jiahui's birthdays... one's on the 30th of Oct and the other's 1 Nov, so we decided to do it on Halloween's, and since it was a working day the following day, we thought it's just going to be dinner (WITH CAKE). I chose this cosy little place in the East that my friend Colin had recommended called 'The Bark Cafe', which was located within the Changi Chapel and Museum. I've tried it the last time my reservist mates went for Cohesion night... and thought the ambience was quite nice... on top of that, parking is FREE!!! The only problem is ... damn far from workplace lah!!! (and somemore, the guys driving there got LOST!!!) <a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/Ry6sigoKCr0AAFZuCQc1"></a><a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/Ry6t3AoKCr0AAHU7dNE1"></a> Anyway, the cafe serves Western and Local food. The fried chicken wing was FANTASTIC and we ended up eating 3 plates of them... ... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/234/The_Supposedly-To-Be-Last-Week_But-Me-No-Time-So-Now-Then-Post_Post Mon, 5 Nov 2007 09:25:00 -0000 This Leopard Runs Like A Cheetah! <A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RyRqigoKCr0AAB-@Iiw1"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RyRqigoKCr0AAB-@Iiw1/DSC00134.jpg?et=wovR3%2CqfDPacZB39BEkuow" border=0></A>I got home especially early on Friday to wait for the the spotted cat to be delivered... It was supposed to be delivered on the 26th (the official launch of the Mac OS X Upgrade 'Leopard'), but i didn't get my hands on my copy until the following day... nonetheless, it was well worth the wait!!! I spent the whole weekend 'transforming' my MacBook from a 'Tiger' to a 'Leopard'... not that i was having problems with the installation, which incidentally, took only 5 clicks and 1 hour plus of waiting time, but i was just busy fiddling with all the new features... so fun! The new operating system has 300+ new features (eg. Time Machine, Spaces, Stacks etc)... but i guess the best bit was that my Mac runs so much faster!! I can tell, cos now I can run Windows XP and Mac OS X SIMULTANEOUSLY without any latency (it used to freeze up when i toggle between the 2 OSes)... Well done Apple!! http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/233/This_Leopard_Runs_Like_A_Cheetah Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:42:00 -0000 Overwealmed. <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RwpV9QoKCr0AAFOIMDA1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RwpV9QoKCr0AAFOIMDA1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RwpV9QoKCr0AAFOIMDA1/DSC00087.JPG?et=NLxf86q%2CQZL1jI3dPmItQQ" border="0"></a>Today had been a horrible day! I am so overwealmed with work that I didn't know where to start. Everything seemed to be going wrong.... the files and papers are stacking up... my phone was ringing off the hook... I really need to priortise and work on ONE thing at a time... I was at the dentist in the morning to get my chipped tooth looked at, and I was told that I need to do a crown for it... She told me it's gonna cost me around $500 for the whole procedure... but i still went ahead with it. So she took some x-ray, took a mould of my teeth, and patched up my tooth (apparently the crowning can only be done next week)... and the whole bill (just for today) came up to $190! DAMN!!!! I had the SHOCK of my life when I reached home in the evening and found this package on my table... it's from my best friend Elaine.... and guess what.... My own PERSONALIZED iPod TOUCH!!! (yar... my name's engraved on the back!!) <a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RwpV9QoKCr0AAFOIMDA1"></a><a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RwpaPwoKCr0AACGiKRI1"><img class="alignmiddle" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RwpaPwoKCr0AACGiKRI1/collage.jpg?et=IznHuwBg%2CoJFnxnuMlck7A" border="0"></a> Aiyoh! WOMAN!!! Why??? My b'day is in January leh... Christmas is still FAR away..... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/232/Overwealmed. Mon, 8 Oct 2007 15:55:00 -0000 Road Trip : Viva Las Vegas 17th - 27th Sep http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/album/27/Road_Trip_Viva_Las_Vegas Sun, 30 Sep 2007 01:46:06 -0000 The Dancing Fountains of Bellagio Song : God Bless The http://apasionese.multiply.com/video/item/12/The_Dancing_Fountains_of_Bellagio Sun, 30 Sep 2007 01:40:30 -0000 The Last 60 hours : Leaving Las Vegas <a href="/photos/hi-res/26/34"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/26/93"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/26/90"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/6/photos/26/300x300/90/IMG_0334.JPG?et=cOlgw83LjL5ZCuxdkSfsgg" border="0"></a>My last few days in Vegas was quite packed. I went on the much-hyped Grand Canyon Helicopter tour, which really burnt a whole in my pockets... a whopping USD 365 for a 1.5 hour fly-past of the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Strip... But it was damn exciting!!! I can't remember the last time I was on a helicopter... I think it was when i was almost 8 years old... The ride was exhilarating... I was just sitting next to the pilot...and had a great view throughout the entire tour... I also did all my last minute shopping for those that passed me their shopping lists... Besides the heli-tour, I also went around the world in 4 hours flat! haha... Here's how I did it! Egypt to New York I started off in "Egypt". Luxor has got the be the most spectacular hotel on the strip... The main building consists of a 30-storey high pyramid... and it was guarded by a ten-storey high sphinx! <a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/26/34"><img class="alignmiddle" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/9/photos/26/300x300/34/IMG_0192.JPG?et=TvDTPbBBwHPywqSF7QzwoQ" border="0"></a> After Egypt, I took the monorail to Excalibur, and walked over to "New York". <a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/26/34"></a><a href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/26/18"><img class="alignmiddle" src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/9/photos/26/300x300/18/IMG_0125.JPG?et=88D68Qw+sO7yOYr,iXoqyg" border="0"></a> New York! New York! has a re... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/231/The_Last_60_hours_Leaving_Las_Vegas Sat, 29 Sep 2007 15:55:00 -0000 The Past 48 hours... <IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RvcZcQoKCr0AAChMdiA1/IMG_0168.JPG?et=mhnjTPR4P%2CvHojI%2CVDkDjA" border=0>It's 6:17 pm on a bright hot Sunday here in Las Vegas, but the weather was not so fine for the last 48 hours.  There had been strong winds (a typhoon warning was raised actually), and heavy downpour that caused a bit of flooding on the streets... rain in the desert? cannot associate lah.. haha... Anyway, today (23 Sep) marks the start of fall (autumn) in Las Vegas, the weather is suppose to turn cooler... Well, I've been getting busy for the past 48 hours too... Busy with shopping of course! Yesterday it was the Factory Outlet at Primm Valley (35 mins away from LV), and this morning, it was the Premium Outlets at Downtown LV. Spent so much money sia! Managed to get some good bargains at the Banana Republic, Gap, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole and Cole Hann. <A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RvcbNAoKCr0AAEmtcDI1"><IMG class=alignmiddle src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RvcbNAoKCr0AAEmtcDI1/Untitled-2.jpg?et=UUoZFGFGpCznWW3XedvsIg" border=0> </A>Besides shopping, I also managed to catch a show at the MGM Grand... Joan recommended Cirque du Soleil's 'KA' and it was SUPER SPECTACULAR!!! I managed to get pretty good seats, just 4 rows from the stage... so close th... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/230/The_Past_48_hours... Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:17:00 -0000 KÀ by Cirque du Soleil The last Cirque du Soleil production I watched was "Alegria" when they came to Singapore a couple of years ago, and at that time, I thought it was just a hyped-up overpriced circus show. So when my friends recommended that I MUST catch KÀ" while I was in Las Vegas, I was quite skeptical. In the end, I was BLOWN AWAY!!!! "KÀ" is a saga that follows the adventures of two Imperial Twins (a male and a female) who become separated during a siege of their Far Eastern palace by evil warriors. Except for an opening comment by an announcer setting up the story, there is no dialogue in the 90-minute production.And so they rely on action to tell their story, creating Cirque du Soleil's first action-adventure show to rival any Hollywood blockbuster. The $165 million spent on the theater and the show was money well spent. It is an experience you will remember for a long time, almost as if you were part of a multi-million-dollar motion picture. Technology is the star of "KÀ" -- a... http://apasionese.multiply.com/reviews/item/37 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 07:27:22 -0000 60 hours and counting <A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RvL02QoKCr0AAGmYB@Y1"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RvL02QoKCr0AAGmYB@Y1/conference.jpg?et=rgdsD3yY2CnD36VR%2BX0SUA" border=0></A>It says 6:37 am on my desktop, when it's actually 3:37 pm (Thursday, 20th) over here. I've actually spent almost 60 hours in Las Vegas... and frankly speaking, I'm almost getting bored... The flight into Las Vegas was quite ok... despite the long hours in the air, I managed to get a 'good' seat, right at the back on the plane (cos by the time i checked-in online, the plane was already full). The seat I had managed to recline 45 degrees, so i managed to get some sleep. The first leg of the flight was 7 hours, to Japan, then it was another 10 hours to Los Angeles, and then it was a 4 hours wait at the Domestic terminal before my 49 mins flight into Las Vegas... Checked into the Imperial Palace Hotel, where i'll be staying for almost 90% of my trip here. The hotel was quite old... and the gamblers at the casino were also on the old side...but my conference venue was just across the street... phew... so convenient.<A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RvL02QoKCr0AAGmYB@Y1"></A><A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RvL08AoKCr0AAGsgGKE1"> <IMG class=alignmiddle src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RvL08AoKCr0AAGsgGKE1/ip.jpg?et=n%2BVo252fnf1OZhTbOFT6UQ" border=0></A> Before I left for this trip, gisbabe actually told me that the hotels are q... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/229/60_hours_and_counting Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:36:00 -0000 So, this is what a 'brother' is supposed to do... <A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/Ru1gpQoKCr0AAF-lNs01"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Ru1gpQoKCr0AAF-lNs01/IMG_0050.JPG?et=Emra%2Bgtq8DycTMHpWrXlqQ" border=0></A>I just came back from William and Sharon's wedding... and it had been a really hectic day! Firstly, I was part of the 'brother' contingent, so i had to haul my lazy ass to Tampines at 5 am to get ready to pick up the bride, who happened to stay in Bukit Batok.... and the weather wasn't really helping...   Luckily, the jie-meis were quite lenient (probably because we were running late... and the parents didn't want to miss the auspicious hour)... so all William had to do was a pole dance (which he did HORRIBLY), and a few rounds of the hoola-hooping (which he did horribly AGAIN)... all i did was stood there and LAUGHED... if that's what a 'brother' is supposed to do, then... err.... quite fun lor.   Anyway, we were let off around 10 am... so i went over to Tampines Mall and bought myself a brand new 'toy'... and managed to get back home to rest for a while before my next BIG assignment in the evening... Emcee!!!!   So, i had to haul my lazy ass down to Grand Hyatt at 5pm... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/228/So_this_is_what_a_brother_is_supposed_to_do... Sun, 16 Sep 2007 16:37:00 -0000 Hairspray and here's ONE more star "<img src="http://images.multiply.com/multiply/icons/clean/24x24/reviews.png">" to make this one of THE BEST movies I have watched so far this year! Hairspray is a remake of an old film from 1988 (which was equally as wonderful!), which had inspired a broadway musical to be made from it (the 1988 one). Set in 1962 Baltimore, the film follows a "pleasantly-plump" teen named Tracy Turnblad as she simultaneously pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against racial segregation. It's a simple storyline... but it's the stellar cast and EXCELLENT soundtrack that took my breath away the minute the show started! Hairspray stars John Travolta (he's cross-dressing in this movie), Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron (swoon!), Elijah Kelley, Allison Janney, and introduces newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad. It's kinda funny to see John Travolta dance in a huge fat bodysuit... but I think he did a wonderful job playing the "mother" ... http://apasionese.multiply.com/reviews/item/36 Fri, 7 Sep 2007 16:50:43 -0000 Fresh Off The Shelves... <A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/Rtp1ngoKCr0AACfcnj01"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Rtp1ngoKCr0AACfcnj01/CIMG5823.JPG?et=VHbFEFXwoqmtaW%2BQ2CtqpA" border=0></A>Alright, it isn't really 'fresh' cos it took a plane from US to HK to Singapore... but it was released officially in the States on 6 days ago. :D Finally, thanks to my cousin, i've gotten myself a copy of the "Heroes Season 1 DVD". From what i heard, it's only going to be available here in Singapore sometime October... unless you import them or ask travelling friends to buy... Nonetheless, I've put off watching the series on cable, as well as those downloaded versions... cos i prefer watching them commercial-free AND on a real TV. So now i've got some catching up to do... And if things go well, i'll be able to catch the Second Season premiere of Heroes when i'm in Las Vegas two weeks from now.... keeping my fingers crossed here.... :D http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/227/Fresh_Off_The_Shelves... Sun, 2 Sep 2007 08:20:00 -0000 Ratatouille Ratatouille is the latest animated offering from Disney/Pixar. It's about a rat (Rémy) who longs to follow in the footsteps of his hero, the late Chef Auguste Gusteau — at one time considered to be the greatest chef in Paris. After discovering an unusual way through which he can control the actions of the hapless Linguini, who was working as a garbage boy in the kitchen of Gusteau's restaurant at the time, he is given the ultimate opportunity to show the world what he can do. There hadn't been an animated feature that has gotten my attention since Finding Nemo... and I had to see what the hype was about Ratatouille. The storyline is simple and straightforward. But kudos to the the filmmakers at Pixar for raising the bar this time round. The food looks delectable, the backgrounds vibrant and the characters — human and rats — well defined. Ratatouille is not a kids’ film. It is a feature the entire family can enjoy. In fact, adults may get a bigger charge than the youngsters. ... http://apasionese.multiply.com/reviews/item/35 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:44:03 -0000 I Bought Cake! <A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/Rs-sHQoKCr0AACroK4A1"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Rs-sHQoKCr0AACroK4A1/CIMG5808a.jpg?et=bO5rufHOLIcbeDyJYdA%2Cig" border=0></A>It said "24 August 2007, 2359 hr" on my SAF100A...that was supposed to be 'official' time I will be let off from my in-camp, and thank goodness for the weather, I managed to out-processed a cool 12 hours ahead of schedule... raining wor... exercise cut wor... scared falling tree branches and lightning strikes wor.... Anyway, it was good news for me... cos originally, i wasn't sure as to whether i was able to attend darteo's birthday celebration... now can liao! :D But of course, wanted to surprise him... but he said he 'clever' and called my bluff... So, with so much time in my hands, I still managed to go home (and get out of my WET uniform), took a shower, went to town and bought myself 'something'...and went to Sun Moulin to get darteo's birthday cake... the absolutely wonderful Black Forest!! Then it was all the way back to Paris Ris Downtown East for the chalet cum BBQ... This year, due to my in-camp, I wasn't able to plan the celebration... so the assignment was 'outsourced' to j... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/226/I_Bought_Cake Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:23:00 -0000 Flavour Of The Day : Curry <A href="http://apasionese.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/Rs2YfAoKCr0AACbGatg1"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/Rs2YfAoKCr0AACbGatg1/chicken-curry-web.jpg?et=hStY6LcJ0ePa%2CgH2ED%2C8Cw" border=0></A>My past 3 days in camp had been quite relaxed...mostly it had been lectures and practicals on military police operations... But the one thing that really got on my nerve was those balls-carrying guys who were trying to suck up to our platoon commander... As a result, they got to do less, talk more and in the end, became total pain in the ass! You can see them hovering around the PC like vultures during lunch and breaks! Then there are those SIAO-ON-just-to-put-up-a-show type! Really hypocritical people! My in-camps used to be quite enjoyable...cause there are a few good buddies around whom i respect and am willing to go the extra mile for... But these guys are slowing completing their liabilities... Thank goodness tomorrow is going to be the last day of this in-camp...and the next one will be a good 365 days away... I cannot stand another minute hanging around these kind of people...curry gives me constipation! Oh, today is my brother's birthday, so Happy Birthday Leonard! Hope everyt... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/225/Flavour_Of_The_Day_Curry Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:20:00 -0000 75 Hours Earlier <IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RsmwXAoKCr0AACp7Xgc1/CIMG5806.JPG?et=gEmmXhs9Cg5PA31IdUkl1Q" border=0></A>Because of my upcoming trip tommorrow, I'll be missing my bro's 31st birthday this year... So I decided to do it earlier (75 hours earlier). Made dinner reservations for two at Morton's The Steakhouse at The Oriental. I did some research over the web the past 2 weeks and this steakhouse came highly recommended... The restaurant was quite 'secluded', tucked away at a dark corner on the 4th floor of The Oriental... We were shown to our table quite promptly...and once we're seated, the waitress started introducing the different kind of meats the restaurant served... the place was damn noisy ... and the waitress' well-rehearsed speech just added to the noise... Darteo had the Single Cut Filet Mignon, while i went for the signature dish, the Porterhouse steak (600g of meat!!). The entrees didn't come with sides, so we had to order what i thought was probably the costliest french fries (gosh! i hope those fries REALLY come from France!). I thought the steaks were o... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/224/75_Hours_Earlier Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:01:00 -0000 Pampered (Day One of HK Vay-kay) <A href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RsREgQoKCr0AABAaJGk1"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.apasionese.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RsREgQoKCr0AABAaJGk1/CIMG5764.JPG?et=sluZNINukTrdaPqHBcFwaA" border=0></A>It really feels good to be pampered! Woke up at 5:30am this morning and had to drag my tired ass to the airport... I was thinking since I had already done an online check-in 24 hours ago, I can afford to arrive later.... We were told by the Cathay Pacific staff at the counter that the flight was full and they were unable to accommodate our previous seat arrangements.... so they had no choice but to UPGRADE us to BUSINESS CLASS! How cool was that??!! And you can REALLY feel the difference! The leg space! Wow! The service! Wow! The presentation of the food! Wow! The stewardess even greets us by our names... "Mr Chong, would you like the omelette or the congee?" Oooooo.... And the best part of this is, I only paid less that $500 for the air ticket! haha!!! The flight took about 4 hours... and we arrived in Hong Kong around 12ish. The weather in Hong Kong .... was a TOTAL disaster!!! RAIN! COLD! FOGGY!!!!  :( We waited around 1 hour at the airport before the hotel transfer people came... http://apasionese.multiply.com/journal/item/223/Pampered_Day_One_of_HK_Vay-kay Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:33:00 -0000 Disturbia [DVD] It was National Day + I was recovering from flu... so i stayed home and watched "Disturbia" on DVD (yeah... the show just opened at the cinemas, but i managed to get my hands on the DVD!) "Disturbia" stars Shia LaBeouf (last seen in Transformer) as Kale, a high school student placed under house arrest for the summer. One year after getting into a car accident that kills his father, Kale snaps at the end of the school year, punches a teacher and is sentenced to three months of house arrest. When his mother, played by Carrie-Anne Moss (who played Trinity in The Matrix), cuts off the power plug to his television for not cleaning his room, discontinued his iTunes and xBox Live subcription, Kale is left with nothing to do. To fend off boredom, Kale starts spying on his neighbors. This includes the new girl next door, played by Sarah Roemer, named is Ashley. Kale quickly determines that when Ashley goes for her daily swim and discovers that she always leaves the blinds to her room... http://apasionese.multiply.com/reviews/item/34 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:53:20 -0000