Some Old Friends

It's not everyday I get to hang out with the old gang from Bandar Utama. But when I get the chance, it's sure nice to chit-chat and catch up on how everyone's doing, get updated on the latest 'gossip', and even play around with the Jiunn Lung himself!

I haven't really put up any pictures with them in it before because we always end up laughing til we lose our minds instead of getting some shots. Oh well, here are some of them. Coincidently, The Curve and Ikano already have their Christmas decorations up so thought we mind as well get some shots in the jolly holiday athmosphere.

Wei Lun and Jiunn Lung

Wen Jie and Siew Tim, still going strong =D

The inside of the tree seemed to fascinate me more than the outside

Sesatman, Wen Jie, and a very bubbly Siew Tim

Wen Jie and two Snowmen

Wen Jie and Siew Tim by the fireplace

All of us =D

All of us with Jiunn Lung's best friend

Don't you just love the Christmas season?

The Dark Knight: Blu-Ray

During my trip to the Curve today I stumbled across the best thing that EVER hit Blu-Ray. Okay, I do not own any Blu-Ray discs. No surprise due to the fact that I do not own a Blu-Ray disc player.



Regardless, this is one of the most EPIC movies ever, in my opinion, and it would be a crime not for me to pick this 3-disc wonder up and probably keep it until i finally get some form of a Blu-Ray player to watch it on someday. If you haven't seen what Blu-Ray clarity is like, you're missing out on some amazing visuals. I could've sworn I once saw Captain Jack Sparrow look at me when I was watching The Pirates of the Caribbean on Blu-Ray at the Sony concept store.

However, my joy was halted when these guys have immediately been sold out before they hit the shelves this week. No matter, the store at Cineleisure Damansara will be receiving more stock next week. Okay, now where can I get my hands on RM170?

Twilight Review

I got the rare opportunity to catch the premiere of one of the most highly anticipated novel-turned-into-movie, of the year with none other than my beloved Nat today at One Utama.


Practically everyone out there knows about the Twilight story which revolves around the relationship between a vampire and a mortal, and it's safe to say that a majority of the female population have read the books of the series. I for one, have not. So this review is based purely on the outlook of it as a movie.


As far as the storyline is concerned, most of the readers of the book would probably complain about how they had not included certain scenes in the movie. And because of that, I was treated to endless whining by the audience which was filled with young teenage girls when I watched the movie. Voices that went "AWW, HOW COULD THEY CUT THAT PART!?" and "EH? I DON'T REMEMBER THIS PART IN THE BOOK?" could be heard from all over the cinema. But from my point of view, I have to say that the story was played out very well. This is very unexpected because I'm not the biggest fan of sappy love stories.

The characters were also very entertaining to watch. Each of them with their own personality, which complements the interesting storyline. Of course, the characters that were the center of attention in the story were none other than the Cullen boys as girly noises from teenage girls could be heard from every end of the cinema throughout the movie going "OMG! OMG! HE'S SOOOO HOT!" or "OOOOOOOOO HOTNESSS!". It got really annoying after a while.


Overall, it was an unexpectedly enjoyable movie to watch. I never thought I'd enjoy a love-story kind of movie, but I did enjoy Twilight. However, I would encourage you readers to catch the movie at a time where noisy, young teenage girls would be fast asleep to prevent being annoyed throughout the movie. I am not a fan of the series, but from a neutral's point-of-view, it was a good show. Still not enough to persuade me to start reading the books through, but I highly recommend catching Twilight.


Movie Rating:
3 out of 5

The Spirit: Story

I finally figured out the storyline of this mysterious-looking movie from an online source. The movie trailer is definitely misleading. Here it goes! Hope it helps clear up a few other foggy misinterpretations of the movie other than my own.


"Adapted from the legendary comic strip, WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT is a classic action-adventure-romance told by genre-twister Frank Miller (creator of 300 and SIN CITY.) It is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the SPIRIT (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, the OCTOPUS (Samuel L. Jackson) has a different mission: he's going to wipe out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront … all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader."

Hot Toys: HellBoy and Abe Sapien

Now here's a movie most of you would probably be more familiar with. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about me as I have never seen HellBoy I nor have I seen HellBoy II. (If I'm not mistaken, HellBoy I was called "Super Sapiens" when it was released here in Malaysia)

Anyway, regardless of whether you've seen the movie or not, you'll agree with me that the two figures that are to be released by Hot Toys look absolutely superb, and I still believe so even if I have no knowledge of the character whatsoever. The detailing on "HellBoy's" (if that's his name) body is superb and he comes with an awesome set of accessories. Definitely one for any HellBoy fan.

I can't say much about the character, Abe Sapien, but just checking out all of these pictures makes me wanna pick up the Dvds of the two movies one of these days.

HellBoy






Abe Sapien

Hot Toys: The Spirit

With the upcoming release of the new movie, The Spirit, Hot Toys have announced the release of two cool looking one sixth scale figures from the movie. One of the main character in this story, The Spirit, and two, this other character, played by Samuel L. Jackson known as The Octopus (yeah I know, that's a ridiculous name).

These are definitely two odd-looking characters and frankly, I have no idea what this movie is about. And after asking some of the people in my circle of friends, I can conclude that A LOT of people have no idea whatsoever about this movie. You guys should check the trailer out and see what you can make of it.



Any idea what the movie is about? After watching a few trailers a couple of times. All I can say is that the movie seems to have this Sin City kind of vibe going on, and the story could possibly be about this, erm, playboy-like dude? Okay, I'm clueless. If any of you have any idea whatsoever about what the movie is about, please leave a comment and explain it to me.

In the meantime, here are the prototype pictures of the two upcoming one sixth scale figures from Hot Toys.

The Spirit






The Octopus

Birthday Pictures: Part 1

In conjunction with the birthdays of that fell in the month of November and December, a few of us G11'nites' decided to have a little barbecue party at Nat's place on the 25th of November. The people who's birthdays were being celebrated were none other than Ethan, Joanne, Ruth, Su Ann, and myself.

Nat's place, being a condominium, also allowed us to have a pool-side barbecue party. A very big thanks goes out to everyone who planned the party (you guys know who you are). However, in the end only a few of us jumped into the pool (Henri of course, being the first) due to most of the girls having "that mystical ability to turn the water red during that time-of-month". Haha. Regardless, it was still an awesome party.

I've just got this set of pictures from Lyndy's Facebook page. A big thanks to Lyndy for putting the photos up. This was actually my first time logging onto Facebook in ages. I shall update my Facebook page when I can find the time and the will to do so. In the meantime, check out this first set of pictures =)

Basking in the pool (check Joanne out)

Contemplating wicked stunts to pull off

Saachi and Melvin trying to start the fire

Estee WHO? and I

A shot with some of my beloved classmates

Joanne and I, along with Ruth posing =D

Joanne and Ruth

And at long last, beholddd FI-YAA!

The birthday people with Mei Yin

The birthday people with Mei Yin, from another angle!

Check out the birthday cake!
(Baked specially by Leong Karyan)

Time to sing-along kids =D
(Joanne's acting cute here)

Karyan your cake is awesome!

Everyone gazing into the distance

Thanks for an amazing year guys =)

Eighteen

It really wasn't an event I was looking forward to. As you guys can probably tell from my previous post, I was referring to the complications that were arising over the combined birthday celebration that we were having yesterday. All of that was really sparking off some unfriendly vibes going around some people, myself included.

How did the day turn out? It was Out-Of-This-World. I had an excellent time throughout the day. And one point, I was having so much fun that I had to take a break so I could enjoy the rest of the amazing day. My friends really do have a way of turning things around. I'm sorry if I ever doubted you guys. And you know what, let us all just put all the complications we faced behind us.

I will post pictures up once I've compiled them from everyone. Man I really need to remember to bring my camera around with me more often. Hahaha. Thank you so much to all of you for the awesome day. And thank you baby for turning what I thought would be a disaster, right on its head into something worth remembering for years to come =)

What a time..

..to piss me off, that is.

You say you've got plans. Why can't I have plans? Why must I be the one who has to compromise? Why?

Why is it that you brought my hopes up, telling me that you're gonna change the plan because you "understand" how I feel? Why did you have to do that? And then not change it at all, and the worst part is, you don't even have the decency to TELL ME?

Finally, can't you at least be open to suggestions? Be open to how I feel about it? And the thing about being open to someone's opinions is not only listening to it, but respecting what they have to say as well.

Okay, maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I'm being a little selfish. But tell me, wouldn't YOU be a little selfish if you wanted that one day of every year to be special?

I am just so disappointed.

Anger scale:
4 out of 5

ps: I'm not only angry. I'm sad too.

SAM Coroboree 2008

How was my first experience at a 'Prom' like? Okay technically, that was my first experience at a so-called 'formal' event, excluding wedding dinners because I never really dressed myself up for those. Anyway here's what I have to say. The overall experience was just alright. You could say that it didn't live up to all the hype that everyone had in the build-up to prom. But hey, in the end, all that matters is that we got to celebrate with the people who helped us make it through our college year. And I must say that there were many beautiful people on the night with everyone out looking their best. All of you looked stunning =D

Oh and speaking of firsts, it was the first time I came into contact with a 'nightclub'. Each guest was given a free ticket to enter Euphoria for the night. I'll be very honest with you guys. I have never ever liked the whole "club scene" mainly due to the fact that clubs are filled with pretentious young people wanting to label themselves as "cool". Of course, I'm mostly referring to people from my/our generation.

But still, I was curious to see what all the hoopla was about. So I entered one of the so-called "more happening" clubs in town, and I have to say, after that experience, yeah, I'm pretty much certain about my initial idea of what clubs are like. Only now, I see it as a place where girls are treated as mere objects. A place where "hot" girls are placed in a higher class than the girls who do not appeal to the guys as well as they do. Talk about shallow. I hated the clubbing scene before, and right now, I hate it even more =)

As I promised, here are the pictures from the South Australian Matriculation Prom night, all from my point of view of course. So yeah, there will be "that guy" appearing in most of the pictures.

Natalie, my lovely significant other

Myself with the two lovely ladies, Natalie and Huey Ren

Chan Su Ling and Myself

Bee Hui and I

She was dying to take a picture with us dashing men

Su Ann, who surprised everyone by turning up looking stunning for the evening

Susan, looking gorgeous as always

Susan and Ruth

Let's all do "The Ethan glare"

Myself and Ang Lee Jing

With Tan Eilene

Me and my source for all things laughter

The fine gentlemen of G11

Some of the lovely ladies

Henri Tan Kok Yan a.k.a "G2000 Man"

Ruth Leo May Siang and I

Leong Karyan and I

Joanne Lee who looks very lady-like and gorgeous I must say =)

Them again =D *awww*

Sheng Loong, Lyndy, and Ruth

Lyndy the bright blue princess, and I

Estee Hoo, who shouldn't be taller than me..

Soh Yew Chong from S8

Rachel Ong and I

My Economics lecturer, Mrs Soh and I

With Teresa Chong

Brother bear put on a Polar Bear's skin on the night

Don't we all just look stunning dressed up? (excluding the guy on the far right of course)

Girlygirlygirlgirls

Natalie and Yee Chien

Myself and Ee Von

Natalie and I in Euphoria

My Wish list

Ever felt that feeling where you want that special something on your birthday just so badly, but you can't seem to have it because it's out of reach? I'm not talking about something that costs a hefty price or anything like that. This is well, something you can't put a price on. Priceless. But you just wish you could have it on that special day you celebrate each year.

Three years ago, on my birthday, I decided to have a little gathering with all my friends at my place. It was a barbeque party, with good food and everyone managed to turn up. Of course there were the presents. But one thing was missing... Two of the closest people to me in my life at the time could not make it and had to cancel at the last minute. Two of the people who helped me make it through the entire year were not there. I didn't enjoy myself very much to be honest. Went to sleep that night and felt the pain flow through me just thinking about it.

Guess that's one of those experiences that I keep buried in the back of my mind. Unfortunately, the thought of it reemerges when I think about celebrating every singly one of my birthdays after that. This year is no exception.

I cannot emphasize enough the fact that I want to be close to the people I love on my birthday. The people who just mean the world to me.

1. My family - the people who were the ones who have supported and cared for me every step of the way
2. My classmates (just the group I spent the day with today, no one else) - the year wouldn't have been what it is without you guys
3. Shaun and Melissa - the two amazing people who have helped me in so many ways that I am ever so grateful for their care and support. Always being with me through thick and thin and assuring me that at the end of the day, there is always someone who I can call my 'best friend', my 'brother'

You know the stuff that I was talking about earlier at the beginning of this post, of how much I want this special something, but cannot have it? All I'm asking for is some personal time with that special person in my life right now who has really really been the highlight of my year.

4. Natalie - I never thought that I'd ever meet someone as amazing as you are. Sorry, amazing is too small a word to describe how much you mean to me. There's nothing more than I could ask for than to spend some personal time with you baby, where it's just the two of us. Not somewhere where you have to look over your shoulder every second to see who's watching.

That itself, proves to be easier said than done. I will be praying hard till the day we finally do. I love you

My first Prom night

Firstly, I shall begin by saying that I have no knowledge whatsoever about what a 'prom' is, for glorious SMK Bandar Utama did not have one the year I graduated. Very demoralizing as you know, I guess it's one of those things and teenager would want to do before they head out into the world, have a special gathering with the people who helped you through the year, and made your education journey what it is.

Thankfully, that isn't the case this year as since Taylor's College is a more.. established college (students there have the moolah), we can afford to have a prom night. Of course, everyone has been frantically running around the past few days in search of that perfect outfit, and more specifically, that perfect gown/dress, for the ladies. I think the most common question that has been going around every SAM student's lips would be "Eh, what are you wearing to prom ah?" I am definitely no exception, as well, I'm simply curious to know what does one wear to a prom, and what does one consider "formal". (Noob)

Anyway, I hope all of you have picked out your perfect outfits for tomorrow's event. I'm sure I'll be seeing some lovely ladies, and some sharp gentlemen tomorrow evening. Pictures will be up on my next post ;)

Assassin's Creed, by Ubisoft Review

You guys have probably read about how much I've been wanting to finish of Assassin's Creed for quite some time, but two days ago, I've finally managed to accomplish that feat. The holidays are starting off with a bang indeed. Let's just make this a simple review where I lay down the Pros and Cons of the game.


Pros:
1. The storyline is superb. So superb that one may feel as though they are watching a movie as they indulge in fantastic screenplay and excellent voice-acting.
2. The graphics are BEAUTIFUL. I think it was Estee who once said to me "what movie you watching?" when I was playing this game at Ethan's place. Mind-blowingly superb graphics. Definitely a sight for sore eyes.
3. Gameplay is excellent. Especially with the help of the xBox controls. Running up and swiftly assassinating someone is simple with the tap of a few buttons that merge together like a symphony.
4. There is no "difficulty" for the game. Everything is standard. And the way the people react is determined by the actions you make. Which makes for an excellent experience.


Cons:
1. Ubisoft could have incorporated more "killing-blow" moves for different weapons. In the game, you have 2 basic melee weapons, a long sword and a short sword. But as the game progresses, you attain newer variations of these 2 weapons which inflict higher damage. It would have been better if new moves came together with this damage.
2. I despise having to run about the city collecting flags. Although collecting these flags is not essential to complete the game, it still is to unlock the full-ending. And let me tell you, with all the beautiful huge landscapes of this game, it's not an easy task of running around searching for tiny flags all over the place.


That's about all I have to say about Assassin's Creed. I highly recommend it to gamers of any genre. Definitely one great gaming experience. Many thanks to Shaun for lending me his xBox 360 to play this. One of the best, if not the best games of the year. Definitely deserves a perfect score.


Overall Rating:
5 out of 5

Brother of Mine, I share your pain

Have you had a younger brother or sister who has picked up a part-time job before?

I have. Normally, I'd just let the whole experience be a lesson for him, to learn the value of a dollar, to realize how hard is it these days to even earn RM4 an hour. I thought it was going to be none of my business..

So I thought.

Ever since my brother has started his part-time job as a waiter at 'Pasta Zanmai' in One Utama, he's been coming home late every night, tired, exhausted, as though he's just been through hell. And every time I ask him the question "how was work?" I get the reply, "tiring, as usual".

Today I came up with the bright idea that the rest of my family and myself could drop by and have dinner there to pay him a visit. Yet again I thought it would be a fun occasion. Yet again, was I wrong. It was hard seeing my brother wait tables, clean up after others, and worst of all, get messed around by stupid customers. Yeah, no kidding. He tells me stuff about how customers treat him as though he's a piece of dirt. Yesterday, he told me of this man who said this to him when he recommended something on the menu, "SHUT UP. You're just a waiter. We don't need your bloody advice." Man the thought of it just boils me up inside.

At first, I thought this job thing would be a good idea to get my brother away from his computer-addict ways...but now...I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish November is over soon so he can be the same happy brother I know who sits in front of the computer all day with his games.

Where has Nick been?

The things I have done in the past 3 days (in chronological order):
1. Picked out what to wear to prom
2. Watched typical MPPJ stupidity in action
3. Stayed up for a geek party
4. CONFIRMED what I will we wearing to prom
5. Completed Assassin's Creed

Eventful? YEAH! Fun-filled? YOU BET! It's also made me realise a few things, like, how picking out clothes for prom isn't as easy as it seems. Especially if you're someone who didn't have a prom to go to after graduating from Form 5. And yeah, I now see how much trouble GIRLS have to go through to pick something out to wear to prom. It's no different for the guys.

Have any of you gotten your prom outfits yet?

As for the part about MPPJ's utter stupidity. This is what I'm talking about. Have a good look.

*click to enlarge*

If you guys missed it, pay attention to the time of the parking ticket, and compare it with that of the fine. Yeah, Shaun parked his car across the road from the shops where we went in search of my prom outfit. And it just so happened then when we got back, there was this nice little piece of paper that any driver dreads to see stuck between their windshield wiper. The both of us were extremely upset (and still are) about it. I mean, okay I shall lay this out in an orderly manner.

1. How in the world is the officer able to predict the future?
2. Did he have some sort of quota to finish at the end of each day before he could report back?
3. Can't he just live with the fact that people DO abide by the laws?
4. What is bloody wrong with some of the authorities in our country these days?

That little event is such an annoying stain on an awesome day.

Anyway, as for my update on Assassin's Creed, I shall be posting up a review soon. Til then, all the best to the SAM students still having to await their final Accounting paper.

Quantum of Solace Review

The feedback that I have gotten from friends about the new James Bond movie would be "The story okay-okay only larh", "This time the bond girl not hot one", and "That other James Bond guy, the Mamma Mia one (Pierce Brosnan) is still the best lah". So I just had to see for myself what this movie had in stored.


I finally got the chance to catch this highly anticipated movie today at One Utama with Natalie. Surprisingly the cinema was near-empty and we managed to get pretty good seats smack right in the middle of the back row. Awesome stuff.


As for the movie, I have to say that I was quite impressed. I haven't been much of a die-hard fan of the Bond series, so I have not been following the trailers and such, but according to dear Nat, she claims that some of the action scenes have already been shown in the trailer so you kinda know what's going to happen next. I shall not reveal any spoilers for those who have yet to catch it.


From a personal point of view, I really like how the "new" Bond movies (portrayed by Daniel Craig) portray how agent 007 turns into the Bond we all (people in OUR generation) know. It's as though you can feel a sense of internal conflict in the guy. And Quantum of Solace does an excellent job in picking up exactly where Casino Royale left off. Basically the story revolves around James driven by rage to know the truth about his beloved Vesper, who was killed in the previous movie.


A James Bond movie would be nothing if not for it's action scenes and there are some action scenes in this one are definitely pure "edge of your seat" action, from car-chases to brutal fight scenes. Unfortunately, there are of course those that make you go "Oh, I've seen that one before". As far as the action goes, it somehow does not meet up to my expectations as a full throttle action movie. The action scenes are still good nonetheless, just not great.


As for the ever popular 'Bond girls', let's just say the girls in this movie might not be what people have been accustomed to seeing in previous Bond movies. Which is actually a good thing in my opinion.


So that's it for my brief review of the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. I hope I did not give away any spoilers. But you guys have to definitely catch this one.

Overall rating:
3 out of 5

Round 5: Chemistry

FINAL ROUND! *ding ding ding* The day is actually here. The day where I can say I've completed my South Australian Matriculation course. Wow.. okay I gotta calm down a bit. I still have the final task ahead of me which is to accomplish the Chemistry paper.

Ah, they've saved the best for last. Chemistry has frankly been the subject that I'm the worst in. Barely scraping through all the exams and common tests. I would believe that an A for Chemistry is out of reach, but I shall still attempt to shoot for a B16 at least. Not impossible, but it requires me to do extremely well tomorrow.

Trial Result: C12
Forecast Result: B15

It's getting closer, I can taste it. Even so, I have a feeling that I might not enjoy tomorrow as much as I think I would due to the fact that Natalie, and the most of my fellow G11 mates will still have to sit for their Accounting examination the following week. Best of luck to all of you =) I can't celebrate without the people who have given me such an amazing year.

N95 8GB

• 2.8" 16M color QVGA display
• 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and Carl Zeiss optics
• Massive storage capacity and increased RAM
• Wi-Fi with UPnP technology
• Built-in GPS receiver and A-GPS functionality
• Nokia maps application covering over 100 countries worldwide
• Dual-slide design with dedicated multimedia keys
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• 3G (with HSDPA), EDGE and GPRS support
• Symbian OS 9.2 Series 60 3rd edition Feature Pack 1 user interface
• TV-out functionality
• 1200 mAh battery

The Ultimate candidate for a new mobile phone is here. And believe me when I say ULTIMATE because I mean ULTIMATE. Does it fit my requirements? Does it look stunning? Does it function well as a REAL PHONE?


You bet! Note, this is the N95 8GB, not the first version of the N95. Basically, Nokia analysed the flaws on their first N95 model and came up with a newer version, while slapping on an 8GB hard-drive on it! Along with additional RAM and a slightly bigger screen. That leaves us with this beauty of a phone.


However, let's just take a look at some of the flaws. Starting off would be that Nokia have decided to remove the lens-protector feature for the 5-megapixel, Carl-Zeiss lens camera. Why they have opted to do so? I will never know. Besides that, due to the BEHEMOTH of a hard-drive on-board, they have decided to get rid of the memory card slot. Which is probably the right thing to do considering that I'd utilize this huge mass of storage space instead of saving data on my measly 2GB memory card. However, this would make data-transfer a lot more difficult as the USB cable would then be the essential tool for data-transfer.


And basically those are the two major flaws. Enough to stop me from liking this phone? Most definitely NOT. Of course, not forgetting the most important factor when buying a mobile phone, the price tag. Since the Nokia N95 8GB has been out since October 2007, the price has definitely shrunk along with it. It's possible for you can pick this guy up for RM15xx if you get a good deal. With a phone jam-packed with features, I'd say that you're getting your money's worth.

Round 4: Economics

I can feel it getting closer to the end of the exams. So close that I can taste the sweetness of freedom! *cough cough* Anyway, after recoiling from the difficult task of waking up at 5:00am in the morning for today's Biology paper, I have to yet again wake up at the unbearable hours of the early morning. Random fact! The day actually feels longer if you wake up early =D

Economics is here! A subject that I dread sitting examinations for. Why? Simply because the questions they set are ever so unpredictable. After sitting for Economics paper, I am never confident and I always have my fingers crossed hoping for the best.

Trial Result: B16
Forecast Result: B16

I want an A17. Enough said.

Megan Fox as Wonder Woman

Do you think it would make a good Wonder Woman movie?

No calm yourselves down people (hints to CERTAIN people), don't get over-excited over this picture. It's just some fan-made poster from Sideshow Forums entitled "WHAT IF Wonder Woman were played by Megan Fox" ;)

Round 3: Biology

Biology oh biology.. you wouldn't believe the number of times I've managed to come THIS CLOSE to getting an A for Biology but somehow managed to let it slip due to some mediocre done non-internal assessment papers. Not this time.

Just based on my current Internal Assessment marks it's definitely not impossible to get an A17. Which is a very very bright ray of hope. My strategy in facing this third paper? Vomit out every bit of information that I can give related to the question.

Trial Result: B15
Forecast Result: B16

Yeah that Trial result is really disappointing. Hopefully things will improve this time round because anything less than an A17 is simply unacceptable for my Biology.

Best of luck to my fellow SAM coursemates =)

Sony Ericsson C905 and Nokia 6500 Slide

I've been pretty satisfied with the use of my Nokia N73 for the past 2 and a half years now. But as you know, as time goes by, it starts to show its annoying flaws.

Problems I'm facing with my Nokia N73:
- The joystick keeps popping off (I think I've lost it and found it back twice already)
- It keeps notifying me that I have insufficient memory in the phone when I actually have a huge chunk of unused memory
- Due to the fact that it claims I have insufficient memory, I have been unable to receive messages on time and sometimes get them on a delayed basis
- The Symbian operating system lags every now and then
- Camera lags and the preview of the shot usually takes some time
- I don't like the huge 'T-Mobile' sticker splashed right along the center of my phone that screams AP-SET! AP-SET!




Points that I love about my Nokia N73:
- The 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics is excellent and been able to take pretty decent pictures for me for the past few years
- The visage of the phone is gorgeous

So there you have it. Why I am thinking of getting a new phone. And hey, I'm even considering switching over to Sony Ericsson if they have something good to offer.

Factors that are of importance to me in a new phone:
- Relatively good camera
- Neat user-interface
- Functions well as a regular PHONE

Any candidates? Of course! So far I've been taking a look at two beautiful pieces of technology that are most definitely pleasing to the eyes.

First up we have the Sony Ericsson C905


I'm sure a lot of you have heard or seen this badboy. And it's been catching everyone's eyes not only due to the fact that it looks stunning, but more so because of its megapixel fire-power. The C905 is packed with an 8-megapixel camera. Definitely more than enough to satisfy my photo-taking needs (which will most probably be pictures of still objects and people, no fancy scenery and all that)


It also has incorporated Sony Ericsson's neat user interface which is almost on par with that of Nokia Symbian phones, only this time it doesn't lag as much.


Price-wise, the C905 is estimated to be released sometime towards the end of the year, maybe around December and there's a very big chance that they will slap a hefty price tag on this guy for its megapixel capabilities. Estimated to cost around RM18xx for AP set and RM22xx for an original Sony Ericsson warranty.

At the other end of the ring, we have the Nokia 6500 Slide, which has been out for quite some time now and isn't really one that's new in the market. Wei Lun is actually using this phone and according to his opinions, he says it's actually not as good as compared to my Nokia N73. Well, the specifications say pretty much the same thing as this one packs the same capabilities as my N73, but my N73 having a slight edge over it due to its Symbian operating system.


Even so, the 6500 slide slips past the N73 in terms of its design, which is gorgeous to say the least. The sliding mechanism also functions well and Wei Lun says his has yet to show its flaws after using it for half a year. One of the problems he has encountered is that the memory card, which has to be stored INSIDE the phone UNDER the battery pack keeps slipping out each time his phone is nudged. According to Wei Lun, another flaw of the 6500 Slide is the fact that it doesn't have a very powerful onboard speaker, which is a surprise because according to reviews that I have read online, it is said to have a pretty decent sounding speaker.


Overall, I think I'm going to be considering this one slightly over the Sony Ericsson C905 due to the variation in the price range. As this is a phone that has been released quite some time back, it costs only RM8xx! Which is a really good deal for a 3.2-megapixel camera phone with very good functions and a great design overall. Recommended for people who are planning to switch phones at the end of this year (hints to Natalie Ang Sue Li) =D

There you have it, these are pretty much my two options at the moment. However, I'll still be looking at other models that are in the market right now as I am still very undecided. But as far as the race between these two mobile beauties goes, I would say that the Nokia 6500 Slide slightly edges past the Sony Ericsson C905, mainly due to the varying cost of these phones.

Quantum Of Solace Video Game

I haven't been playing video games of late. Maybe it's because I have a Pc that's well, not up to par with the usual standards of today. But thanks to people like Shaun and Ethan, I have been exposed to the wonders of video game marvels like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry.


With the recent release of the new Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, Activsion have collaborated with the Bond cast to produce the Quantum of Solace video game. And since there wasn't any official video game released during the time of Casino Royale, this one will be incorporating both the stories that lead to the becoming of Bond as the 007 that we all know and love. From what I see in the previews, this is going to be one of the best Bond games ever released since Golden-Eye which was one awesome game back when I was in form 2.


I've always been a fan of these Bond games ever since I got my PS2. Unfortunately, times have changed and this one is only going to be made available on the PS3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii. Dammit X) The game is already out if I have not mistaken, and this trailer is nothing short of mouth-watering for any die-hard fans of the series. Enjoy =)

I Miss

I miss sitting next to you in class
I miss holding your hand under the table
I miss scribbling doodles on your notes
I miss you doodling me back but on my arm
I miss watching you walk into class all sleepy every morning
I miss having you lay on my shoulder with your eyes closed
I miss being able to be around you all day 7 days of the week
I miss you

The people who ask me the question "don't you get bored of seeing each other everyday?".. they don't know what they're talking about.


Why won't exams end any sooner..

Work

How many of you fellow "youngsters" have worked a part-time job before?

What am I talking about? You know, the kind where we young people wanna earn a little extra cash during the holidays and decide to pick up a part-time job in One-Utama, or some other shopping mall. I'm sure most of you have done some sort of work before.

But no, not me =D I haven't worked any job before due to me claiming that I have a "busy" schedule. Ah whatever to that. If things go well, I might end up with an events-related job after my current SAM examinations. Not one of those jobs where you clock in at 9 in the morning and clock out at 10 sorta thing, but something that requires me to be able to be at the scene during an event of some sort.

Why do I want a part-time job? Well, I guess it's for the same reason for everyone else who has a part-time job, that is to earn a little extra cash for spending of course. And hey, IF i go abroad next year, I'm probably going to take up a job so I guess you could say it's also for the experience.

Who do I thank for all this? None other than my brother-from-another-mother, Shaun =D the not-so-"Cina" part of the family (I'm the "Cina" part). LOL. Hopefully, I'll get to work at 'his events' and all.

MiXo Mc

Landslide

What a way to end the Mathematical Studies phase of SAM. Today's paper was agreeably one of the toughest if not the toughest Math paper any SAM student has ever sat for. No kidding. I think it's tougher than all the other past year papers we've done.

One of those papers where we start off with the first few questions going, "Hey this ain't so bad? =D" and then as we move deeper into the paper, the panic starts to kick in as we're met with insanely challenging questions which tests our skills to be able to describe rather than calculate solutions.


On to a lighter note, I've just finished watching two thrilling episodes of the "new" (it's "new" because you know we get the broadcast late here in Malaysia) Heroes Season 3: Villians. Yeah yeah, I know I'm a little late to the party.

It was really really good. Okay it's just been the first two episodes, but they have still managed to maintain that whole anxiety, "edge-of-your-seat" Heroes feel to it which is a major plus point. As for the negative side of it, they seem to be throwing out a lot of the "juicy bits" right here in these first two episodes, so I can only wonder if they will still manage to surprise us as we move further into the season.


With that said, I can only look forward to more episodes being screened on Star World. Unless.. "Henri, do you mind saving the rest of the season in my external hard-drive?" hahaha.

ps: Ando + BLUE FLAME WIELDING POWERS = TOTAL OWNAGE!!
(hahahahaha..hah..erm.. heh.. =D)

Round 2: Mathematical Studies

Maths in college has always been somewhat of a roller-coaster ride. With inconsistent grades throughout the year. Not to mention that one incident during the Mid-Year exam where I blanked out during the exam. Argh, that was a major blow to my Internal Assessment.

Even still, I've managed to work my way back to achieving relatively acceptable grades of late and hopefully improve myself in the paper I'm facing tomorrow.

Trial Result: B16
Forecast Result: B16

I'm actually very satisfied with the B16 forecast considering how inconsistent my Maths grades have been. But maybe, just maybe, if things go my way (any probably the way of everyone else sitting for this exam), an A wouldn't be that out of reach.

Once again, best of luck to all the other Mathematical Studies exam candidates =)

Recharged

Finally got the sleep I needed. Guess what? I woke up at 1:50 in the afternoon today, only to the sounds of my brother and sister coming home from school. If they hadn't made some noises, who knows how long I could've slept till.

Sitting at home here basking in the cool breeze that the rain has brought. The atmosphere just brings about this relaxing feeling and perfect conditions to practically do whatever you like at home. As for me, I've pretty much been lazing around. Tied up some loose ends for Mathematical Studies, which is our next paper. But I haven't been able to really do much yet.

Anyway! Yes, updates on yesterday's ESL paper! Well, it's ESL. There's nothing much that I can say other than it was relatively challenging, but I could surprisingly finish it on time. Encountered a few nit-picky errors with my in-text citations and that was only because I am a perfectionist and my work HAS to be neat or I will freak out and wreak havoc. All in all, it wasn't easy, and wasn't extremely difficult either.

Hope everyone else had no problem accomplishing it =) Mathematical Studies coming up next! Exams.. exams..

Hot Toys: Bank Robber Joker (box pics)

I pre-ordered this guy back sometime in September and it has just been listed by Hot Toys on their website that they've begun shipping. Of course, priority's given to Hong Kong, and hopefully they'll make their way down here as soon as possible. The long and agonizing wait is killing me.

And these in-box pictures are definitely not helping very much *drools*

The box with the outer slipcase

The box with the outer slipcase removed

The Joker in all his glory trapped in a plastic prison

The new box-design is simply immaculate. Which is a very good thing for me since I do not intend to take it out of the box when I get it. Hahaha. It's okay, fondling with the box is fun too =D

I can't wait for this to arrive in Malaysia. Here's a shot of the new Heath Ledger Joker head-sculpt. Yeah, this is what everyone's paying for when they buy this figure.

Sleepless Night

It's official. I got 0 hours of sleep the night before the first exam paper. 20 more minutes and my alarm clock will start ringing away. I can already hear the echoing prayers from the nearby mosque, the rustling of the hamster in it's cage outside, and my maid getting out of bed.

It's interesting, I went to bed at 11:00pm and 7 hours can just fly by like that with a little tossing and turning.

If you're reading this message on this lovely first day of the week, please pray for me that I'll be able to make it through the day.

4:00am

Surprise surprise! It's 4am in the morning and here I am blogging.

No, I have not been burning the midnight oil studying for tomorrow's exam. Besides, there's nothing you can really study about English. I can't sleep. I can't even keep my eyes closed for more than 5 minutes. You know what's ironic? This is the latest I've ever stayed up this whole year. What a wonderful time to pick to stay up late isn't it?

On a more serious note, I'm really worried how I'll be like in college later. My alarm is set to ring in about less than 2 hours. Will I be able to pull through at the end of the day? How will I perform in the examination? Will I fall asleep halfway through my english essay? Will my efforts to try to tire out my eyes blogging from my bed be in vain?

Argh.. no more Chinese tea for me at night before examinations. I feel terrible right now. Not literally. But I feel really REALLY awake.

Round 1: ESL

Round 1 and it's a showdown between your's truly and English as a Second Language Studies (ESL), a subject that I have never fully mastered, never fully understood, but has managed to pull through without taking any serious damage.

I have to admit, this isn't one of my favourite subjects this year and has definitely tarnished the image that I initially had of English being a subject that I could get an A without studying for.

Trial Result: B15
Forecast Result: A17

The forecasted A17 isn't out of reach but it'll definitely require me to get my creative juices flowing and whip up a good essay and not screw up the format of the letter.

Lastly, since ESL is the only paper that's being taken by every single candidate in SAM, all the best to all you other SAM students sitting for this examination tomorrow =)

May God's angels watch over and guide everyone through the exam.

Black Canyon at Cetrepoint, Bandar Utama

I've just gotten back from a satisfying lunch with some pretty looking food. So I thought I might just give this food-reviewing thing a shot. You know, those blog posts where people put up their comments on the food and all that.

So as most of you who have eaten here before, the type of cuisine would be a blend of Thai and international cooking. Meaning stuff like "Tom Yam Spaghetti" appears on the Menu, along with other Tom Yam dishes. But today I decided to have something on the subtle side and ordered myself their "Barbeque Chicken with Garlic Stir Fried Rice" which is one of my favourites on the menu over there.

Bbq Chicken with Garlic Stir Fried Rice

Spring Rolls

As for the drinks, you'll be spoiled for choice as they've actually got two menu's, one for the food, and one specially decked out for their specialty beverages. Of course some of the favourites would be their "Mocha Glacier" and their other fruit shakes.

Ice Lemon Tea

Mocha Coffee blended with Oreo

Mocha Glacier

Overall, I wouldn't say the price of eating there is cheap, but it's not too-pricey either. Quality of the food and the drinks are top-notch, and the service is excellent.

ps: Michelle Kavitha Benjamin thinks the Siamese guys who work there are hot. LOL.

My Rating:
4 out of 5

Teenage girls..

Acting all bubbly around others, being extremely "nice" to everyone, sucking up to all the teachers, basking in the glory of all the compliments they receive, adoring every bit of attention they can get, and most of all, wanting to impress every single person in their social circle.

All the typical traits of the "teenage girl who has just entered secondary school". Normally this wouldn't be an issue for me to worry about as I would usually just let them be, and let them learn for themselves that being TOO nice isn't always a good thing. Something or "someone" will definitely come along at some point of time and teach that girl this lesson. And let me say that being taken advantage of isn't a fun thing.

The main reason for me ranting about this is that I have a typical teenage sister who cares not about the feelings of anyone in her family but would rather do everything she can to impress everyone in her circle of friends. And there's nothing that pains an elder brother more than to see her younger sister being taken advantage of. I'm sure you other elder brothers out there with a younger sister would understand where I'm coming from with this.

No offense to the girls reading this post. This "theory" is just something that I've observed among a majority of teenage girls these days, and I know not all teenage girls portray themselves like this.

What I'm trying to say is that, "if you have a pretty face, it doesn't mean people won't walk all over it"

Two days away

Two more days to the first paper of the SAM Finals.

The recent study sessions in the library during this past week has been very productive in my opinion. I've finally been able to improve certain weak parts of my Chemistry, tightened up the loose knots for my Mathematical Studies, and tomorrow I plan to read up in-depth on some Biology. Ah, of course exams always have a way of turning everything we've studied on its head and leave us dumbfounded in the end. Praying hard that it doesn't happen this time =)

Is it true that "when one finds it hard to study, it means that they're prepared?"

I'm just curious, but I would like some of your answers on the question above. Anyway, it's really late, and I'm feeling really sleepy after a very eventful day right now so I shall check back in the morning to put up another update. But this is all for now!