Everything's a beaucoup!

Tuesday had me battling the manic evening rain down town. Thanks to Rae, I had free movie passes to catch 13 Tzameti. Friends couldn’t make it so I went for it alone.





Judging from these pictures alone, you can guess that it is going to be bleak.

13 TZAMETI has a very strange plot. It is about using someone else’s identity doing something one has totally no clue about. It is one foot into suicide, we might say. But to the immigrant Sebastien, it is a chance the handyman has to take lest he brings home nothing for his family after his customer died before paying him.

Anyway, Sebastien is soon embroiled (somehow) in a strange and sickly game of Russian Roulette, a damn twisted shooting game. Anyway Sebastien earned money from that game and things look great. Until he goes home…

…jeng jeng jeng...

This French offering is almost noir. It is in black and white, a cannot-make-it femme fatale, anti-hero who is destined to doom, lack of sound, lack of props, a la German Expressionism, brutal crime, sadistic, senseless killing, over-enthu chasers aka police and a weird-assed storyline. From the sound of it, 13 Tzemati seems totally bleak and nonsensical.

But strangely, it is not.
Okay…I did find it (brain)numb-worthy but the thought soon vanished.

The simplicity of the shots and cinematography is appalling BUT gripping at the same time. One will be pulled into the setting and will develop the urge to run and hide and then eventually, suicide. Haha. I really blame the black and white pictures.

Oh well.

The story is definitely not for everyone. Some viewers will be dead long before we reach the exciting part. Therefore, 13 Tzemati is definitely for the patient people, those who find bleakness surely must have stemmed from something and then lead to somewhere. If you want fast-paced, dizzy colours…you will be better off watching *ark* Norbit.

Shit.
I totally messed up my brain writing this.

Anyway, I had just finished writing the article for the building/achitectural magazine. This time round, I didn’t “go” to China or Barcelona. Instead, it was a Penang building for me. Oh well. About $300 for *ahem* a one night effort. That sounds awrite.

And later…thanks to Rae (again), I will be catching a Jap show and then review it for an online portal. No monetary gain, this one…but in return, it will the free screening of unheard/unseen movies. Again, that sounds awrite.

Sigh…

Been on the computer since very early this morning. Spent my night reading up building specs and architectural info for the article and ended up sleeping on the living room floor covered in pulp fiction. Tonight, a sound sleep I must get. Otherwise, I cant party tomorrow…

Well, tomorrow IS Friday after all.

Later.


P/S: Movie starts at 1915hrs. That means I cant catch the live broadcast of AMI and The Dance Floor results.

P/P/S: It means I cant catch Hana Kimi…again. Faint!


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I'm a ...slaaaaaaave for you

Am supposed to do my writing but somehow I was distracted by clips of women belly dancing on youtube.

Yes, belly-dancing.

Dont ask.

*snap*snap*

Back to work.

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Overboard and self-assured..I know a dirty word

I spent a considerable part of my night last night crafting my review for 13 Tzemati. Caught it alone last night (ticket courtesy of Rae Tang..HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!) after battling a torrid evening rain. Alas midway, I decided to lie in bed to rest for a while. It was a bad decision. When I got up 2 hours later, the monitor screen was ...blank.

Man!

To think I actually read up and did some links about French film noir... and had definitions regarding the genre. I was about 5 sentences into finishing my yesterday's blog entry - complete with pictorial birthday tribute to Rae. But nooooo... I decided to lie down to rest my spine instead.


Moron.

Anyway had fancy drill training just now and then rushed all the way to Tanjong Pagar for lunch. I also realised that tomorrow is the deadline for my building/architectural article. I got the notice last Friday but I only managed to read it today and ...voila...here I am now...emailing architects in Malaysia and wherever else for extra information on the project I have to write about.

Damn.


Moron.

Time now is 1735hrs and I know I should continue with the article. But I have the strongest urge to shit, sleep and drink (not in any particular order). American Idol is starting in less that 30 minutes' time and I cant seem to focus anymore.

Besides...wahlao eh..there are many teen couples who think the library is the latest hotspot to make out. Nabei...get a room lah you smelly smelly kids with blind raging hormones.


Bloody morons.

That's it.
I am going home.
The library reeks.
It stinks.
Smells like horny teen spirit.
Get me out.

YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU!
STOP YOUR BLOODY FONDLING AND KISSING.
LIBRARIAN! LIBRARIAN!!!


P/S: Susan, it was nice to do lunch. See you soon and..hang on in there.



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Molon Lave!

480 BC… gosh, no one could imagine how long ago that was.

"Dig it out for yourselves!"






Madness?
This is Sparta!

300 is definitely one of the much awaited movies of 2007, thanks to its hyped trailers and its nobody-famous cast. Somehow the latter somewhat heightens the expectations whether it will survive not having anyone so Hollywoodish. Afterall, the most famous is Gerard Butler and I only know him in The Phantom of the Opera.

Spartan King Leonidas: This is where we fight! This is where they die!
Captain: On these shields, boys!
Spartan King Leonidas: Remember this day, men, for it will be yours for all time.
Persian Officer: SPARTANS! Lay down your weapons!
Spartan King Leonidas: Persians...COME AND GET THEM!

Cheesy.
Maybe Frank Miller could have done it in its original Greek dialect or something. Because it sounds really cheesy in English…especially with them coming out of the Phantom’s mouth. Hah.

Anyway, this 300 admits that it is not based fully on the Battle of Thermopylae. Might as well since the original is so much convoluted and I just want to enjoy a god damn movie. The cinematography is nice although we know that is mostly done in front of a green screen. The sex scenes between Leonidas and Gorgo, however, are quite indulgent for me to bear.

No…it is not overtly stimulating or vulgar…but I think it is very indulgent. I mean…come on…add in a blowjob and a 69-stance and you have the complete art of love-making lesson already!

Bad sex jokes (and costumes!) aside, 300 is a show worth watching due to its affiliations with Sin City. Its excellent story-telling method is palatable and its plot is simply understood even though the basis is all Greek to me (kwa kwa kwa). Yes, the battle seems ridiculous, the Oracle’s pink tits are hilarious and Ephialtes is just a horny traitorous freak… but well, we ALWAYS can depend on patriotism to sell a story.

Extra info here: Xerxes was curious as to why there was such a small Greek force guarding Thermopylae and interrogated some Arcadian prisoners. The answer was that all the other men were participating in the Olympic Games, forbidding them to participate in war.

OLYMPIC GAMES?
Boy, those Greek people sure had their priorities screwed up.
And here we are thinking that men avoiding NS is just our problem.

By the way, the Persian Xerxes looks like he is straight from punk-era Britain. Probably Miller had Vivienne Westwood in mind. Ooh nasty.



Met Jay and Jo and we headed to Botak Jones (@ Ang Mo Kio Ave 5) for dinner. Alas, that bloody American decided to close his stall today so we had to settle for an alternative. After that we headed to the AMK Hub to have a look-see. AMK Hub is “set to become Singapore’s largest neighbourhood mall” and I believe Arup. I worked with them before while sourcing for some global architectural matters.



We went to this game shop and I was tempted in getting either a blue Nintendo DS Lite or a white Sony PSP…got neither. I shall re-think about it. Or wait for the price to further reduce. With that in mind, if you know of a place/someone selling the former for less than $230 and the latter for less than $280, do let me know. Thank you very much.



I shouldn’t be engaging in such things.
Not at this age!
Help!

Oh well.

The camp was a bit boring…considering that it wasn’t really very NPCC based. Since it was a combined camp with the NCC, the activities were mostly general. Thank God we didn’t combine our drill. That would be totally shitty.



Friday night saw a scare in school. A kid came to the canteen clutching his head, which was oozing with blood. Instead of rushing to help, I headed to the NPCC room, found a corner and covered my face. It was a sight too much for me to take. It is not that I had totally no concern for the kiddo. But I am terrified of blood and I have no First Aid bone in my body. Of course there were others who rushed to the boy. It turned out that as he was climbing up the stairs to the bunk, one joker who was running in front of him pulled down the shutter behind him. The shutter then fell on this unfortunate being, cutting a deep, long gash on his forehead. Blood was spilled down his face, his shirt, onto the floor…all the way to the canteen. He was then sent to a GP and had a cosmetic surgery. Apparently his wound was glued together.

Oh man.
Can you think UHU?

Boys…they will be the death of me.

Soon after, we all headed to MacRitchie Reservoir for our night hike. The initial plan was to go to Sentosa but somehow it was changed. The kids were made to walk without light for about 3km…just following the light sticks on the ground. Meiling, Ezalyn, Ronald (fellow instructors) and I grouped together and walked the route…to disturb the kids. Well…nothing much to say except..haha..it was really god damn freaking dark.

Thank god for the headlight I had on my head.
Just like a miner.


Only prettier.

Field cooking on the 2nd day was fun. I had kids telling me they didn’t know that canned food could be eaten directly from the cans.

Kid 1: You mean, you can eat sardines just like that?
Ed: It is already cooked!
Kid 1: What about this baked bean food?
Ed: Open and eat it!
Kid 2: No need to cook ah, ma’am?
Ed: No need.
Kid 2: Why like that….
Ed: Well, you can eat sardines together with chilli, tomato, your mother’s secret recipe for all I care. However, you can eat it straight from the can.
Kid 1: Eeeeee……




Nothing exciting happened apart from the time KW and Evonne walked out of their squad during a punishment session held by some of the instructors. That was seen as open defiance and well…in a pseudo-military, uniformed group, that was a big hoo-ha. Being someone who knew KW and Evonne very well ( I knew them since they were in Sec 1!) it was definitely disturbing to see them behaving that way. However, I did not let emotions stood in the way (it was very hard) and had to talk to them.

Sigh… kids nowadays are so complex.

We also had to entertain bullying cases, fights and racism during the camp. God, running camps used to be so much easier. Now, it is like conducting a global political congress, complete with petitions, strikes and rallies.



Anyway…let’s put angsty teenage problems aside. The end of the camp starts my one week March holidays. And somehow…the air, though hotter, seems a wee bit sweeter.

Let me enjoy the night a little bit.

Gym Class Heros - Cupids Chokehold (Music Video)

Add to My Profile More Videos

A thousand times goodnight, loveless.


P/S: Molon Lave means "Come and take them!" Leonidas said it.

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Hold me tight and dont let go

It's almost 1230hrs.
School is almost officially over for the term vacation.

I have the most intense urge to sleep.
I cannot take it anymore.
I want to sleep.
I NEED to sleep.

Wait.
What?

A camp?
You mean I cant sleep?

Watch me.


P/S: CY...reading your blog kept me awake for a while. Write more, write more!!

P/P/S: Suddenly I am yearning for Perth again.


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It's not over till it's over...and it's so over now

Am still awake.
Fell asleep at 2300hrs and woke up almost 2 hours later to create worksheets.
Am just done with creating for one class and I have 1 more to go.
Havent packed my bags.
Camp starts tomorrow.
Die.


Wanted to catch 300 but Grace got a little bit sick so we postponed it. Just as well. I stayed back later. After shooting some hoops with some students, I adjourned to playing floorball with the school's floorball team. Almost fainted due to lack of fitness.


The relief teachers were playing against the students and hah, we were out-rawed, man. I was trying to keep cool...had to control the panting..huffing and puffing.
Must maintain.

Continued with badminton for a while after. We then limped off to dinner at Northpoint. It was already 1900hrs then. I had never stayed back so late in school before. Thank God it was for recreational purpose today.

Oh well.
I better get back to work.

A thousand times goodnight. ya'll.

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I Hope, I Think, I Know

Good morning, ya'll!

Man U just managed to pull a disappointing 1-0 win over Lille, courtesy of Larsson. Ah, what would we have done without him! Man U wasnt particularly fantastic. But like a certain Andrew Leci had said it, it was still a win nevertheless.

It is 0600hrs...a bit pointless (and not to say, risky!) to go back to bed. So I shall mope around the house a bit.

Yesterday was tiring. Had the 2nd combined UG training and after that, I played futsal with my cadets. Almost ripped my NPCC skirt. And because I wasnt wearing proper shoes, my heels are aching like crazy now.

Oh well.

The relief teachers have planned a floorball game later after school. Yay!!! Thursdays are my long, stressful days so an adrenaline-pumping (I hope) game is perfect for me to let off steam. Oooh cant wait...cant wait.

Okay. I am done preparing some worksheets for the students. Think I shall now limp off to the showers.

*breathes in..breathes out*

It is going to be a good day.

I hope.


P/S: NPCC camp starts tomorrow..yeah!

P/P/S: March holidays start tomorrow...yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!

P/P/P/S: It's payday.... yeah x 1,000,000!!

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Long ago and not so far away...

In class with my Sec 3s at about slightly past one in the afternoon just now....

Ed: Eh, who is shaking my chair?
Kid A: No one lah, cher!
Ed: Eh...my chair is shaking!
Kid B: No one is shaking your chair lah, cher!
Ed: Hah...maybe I am just feeling "things".

[Turned around]

Ed: Maybe a ghost is shaking my chair!
Kid C: Cher, why?
Ed: Here it goes again!! Class, am I imagining things or is the ground shaking?

[Class was silent as everyone began to focus.]

Kid B: Oh no!! I felt it!
Ed: Oh dear...I think it is an earthquake.
Kid C: Oh!! Tsu-na-miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!

Well, at least now I know it wasnt an encounter with the supernatural.

Back in the staff room, a colleague was talking to her hubby on the phone. It was then I knew that an earthquake really did take place. Her hubby was in Suntec and had to be evacuated. I grabbed my phone and asked Lauren. Hah, she was evacuated too. Exciting.

Anyway...welcome home, Grace! Hope you did take a lot of pictures of Massachussets.
Wonder when will I ever step foot on the land of *ahem*freedom.

Was chatting with my 2 Cambodian students just now and was trying to find out interesting places in Siem Riep and Phnom Penh. Was thinking of going there soon...either Cambodia or Vietnam. So I was digging for places to go, to see, to shop, to club...and of course, places NOT to go. Austin (he "baptised" himself Austin!) even told me to avoid a certain hotel because its compound was infested with druggies.

Now...I just need to remember what was the name of the hotel.
Honestly, they all sounded the same to me in that accent.

Oh well.

It's almost 2200hrs and I just woke up slightly more than an hour ago, after a 3-hr nap. Hopefully, that is enough to sustain me throughout the Liverpool-Barcelona / Chelsea-Porto football matches at 0300 / 0330hrs. Hope Barcelona can pull an upset.


Come on, Gaucho!
So what if they said you are fat?
Haha... apparently I like my men dark and ...erm...rodent-like.
Got a problem with that?

By the way, the Brother just bought another Barca jersey; this time a long-sleeved one. That brought the total tally to 3. He printed a name at the back and this time round, it's no longer Deco, it's Xavi.


Bugger is 5 days younger than me and yet, he looks like he can be my dad.

Man.

Oh...I was chatting and hanging out with my kids after NPCC training on Monday. The session turned out to be a dark, sad one when one of them began to talk about his life. I was so moved that I actually teared a little. It was a very sad revelation. Now I fully understand why he is what he is today. My god, he has gone through a lot and his nightmare is far from over. It is going to haunt him for life. But...but..my heart goes out to him and I wish him all the best. It's just dark clouds for him now. The sun will definitely shine on him one day.

It will.
It has to be.

...and here we are complaining about the slightest discomfort. Pfft!




Let's go to to the park
I wanna kiss you underneath the stars
Maybe we'll go too far
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't care

You know I love you when you loving me
Sometimes it's better when it's publicly
I'm not ashamed I don't care who sees
Just hugging & kissing our love exhibition all

We rendezvous out on the fire escape
I like to set up an alarm today
The love emergency don't make me wait
Just follow I'll lead you
I urgently need you

Let's go to the park
I wanna kiss you underneath the stars
Maybe we'll go too far
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't

Let's make love
Let's go somewhere they might discover us
Let's get lost in lies
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't care - P.D.A (We Just Don't Care), John Legend

Easy-peasy.

Okay..The Robinsons is starting soon.
Later.


P/S: Good luck for your trip, Lauren. Have a safe journey.

P/P/S: Snow White the laptop is experiencing a massive slowdown during start-up time. I suspected it was the crap that the Sister had downloaded. I removed them and yet...still...*breathes in, breathes out* woo sah...

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'C' is for cookie...not good enough for me

Blog war?
No time.






Drew’s so gorgeous.

MUSIC AND LYRICS is hilarious! Although I was damn tired and I did (dammit) fall asleep at certain parts, it was excellent while I was awake. The opening sequence was KLASSIK. Come on..it is the 80s! A decade I so love to hate!


Alex Fletcher: The best time I've had in the last fifteen years was sitting at that piano with you.
Sophie Fisher: That's wonderfully sensitive... especially from a man who wears such tight pants.
Alex Fletcher: It forces all the blood to my heart.


Music And Lyrics is almost typical of Hugh Grant type of comedies – think Four Weddings, Bridget Jones, About A Boy, 2 Weeks Notice, Love Actually, Mickey Blue Eyes, Notting Hill. However, I think this movie is made more enjoyable to me is the fact that my favourite screen goofball goddess is in it too. Drew Barrymore is just adorable. Surely you remember The Perfect Catch, 50 First Dates (I love it! I love it!), The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed?


Sophie Fisher: Are you trying to tell me that you enjoyed that orgasm set to the "Gandhi" Soundtrack?

Message wise…this film doesn’t have any. But it does give you that feel-good vibe. And besides, anything with pop (literally too) music is always good. Throw in funny costumes and weird jiggling, it will definitely be entertaining. So yeah!

Anyway…

Yesterday was the start of the first combined training for Speech Day. Various students from various uniformed groups came together to be tortured by me. Actually it wasn’t really torturing. Since it was their first lesson, I instructed my men to go easy on them.


March!
March until you cannot march anymore!
Break?
Break is for cowards!
Water?
Water is for cowards!

Right.

Some of the girls were so whiny I gave all them a 15-minute break just to free myself from their whining and groaning. Great. You give me a 2nd-rate squad and I am supposed to come out with a miracle of a fancy drill performance?

Or…

This is the best the school can give? The best that students here can get? Cham ah!

Showed my English class their term marks and naturally, some were not happy when they realised they had flunked. Like…what the hell, right? You don’t do work, you sleep in class, you hand in late work or sometimes not at all and you expect a pass? Just because you fed me your Home Economics’ under-baked cookies, I wont give you those marks, lah!

Maybe next time, you can try cooking well-baked ones…top with lots of chocolate candies. Maybe..I say maybe…we can talk about passing.



Hah.
But then again…
Maybe there is no other chance.

Tough.


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"Pop!" Goes my heart

Jay, Jo, Nani, Andrew and I popped by Lauren’s house just now. Ismail and Tini came late so we didn’t get to see them. Anyway Jay, Jo and Lauren had a wild time listening to my bizarre work stories. Anyway would love to stay and hang out longer but I had something on in town.

HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY, CLARA!!






Again, I wish you all happiness and may it be a good year – love, life, career, health, family…everything. All the best in the change of job too and hey, everything will be a-okay. Happy birthday!!

So the two birthday girls (Weiling and Clara) held their birthday dinner together just now at Holiday Inn’s Window By The Park. I joined slightly late but hah, tucked into the food immediately.


The dinner sponsors aka Birthday Girls.

It was still quite a spread though the girls whined that it wasn’t extensive. I love, love, love the scallops. Very nice, thank you! There was rojak, laksa, sushi (which I didn't eat obviously), chocolate fondue, salads, soups, desserts…and hah, all I could take were only these two…were too busy to take pictures of other food.



Anyway, thank you ladies. It was nice catching up. And Weiling, congratulations on the marriage proposal! Of course, I’ll be the “sister”..bridesmaid..whatsoever! I shall go mark my calendar, yeah? Did you say September 2008?




I swear I need a better phone with a better camera.

Last Friday, as I was preparing to knock off from work, I was hit by the state of my desk. I realised that I was working in a war-torn area. The desk looked ravaged!




But haha, mine is still not half as bad as the table behind mine!



These are the stuff I have been working with/reading/ watching lately.



Sometimes I am so busy, I don’t have time to wash my stinky glass and it will be like that for a couple of days



Anyway…we have to fill up this record book…urgh.
Not a favourite thing to do for me.




My timetable.



What was that behind my seemingly innocent pooh water bottle?




Hahaahahahahaahahahhaahahahahhahaha.
Change..my ass!


Okay. Am damn sleepy. Need to figure out what to wear.

A thousand times goodnight.


P/S: I watched Music And Lyrics. Nice. Update tomorrow.

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