Bond Films

I always like Bond films, regardless if it is the best in the series or the black sheep of the franchise, I like them all.

There is never a bad Bond film, all is enjoyable and fun, but a handful will be rather pathetic. But if I disregard how those handful will disgrace the 40 years old franchise, I can still enjoy them as a 2 hours long eye candy and mindless special effect flick.

The previous Bomd film, critical and box office successful Casino Royale has resurrected the Bond-mania in me. From then on, I started to collect the "Ultimate" DVD of all Bond films. The release and viewing of Quantum of Solace is light a rightly timed booster for my collection. In conjunction with the release of the latest Bond film, the studio has repackage a few Bond Ultimate DVD in to a few box set and priced rather low compare to "ala-carte" Ultimate DVD. Of course there will be a slight difference.

For a start, the DVD case is not as good as the ala-carte's, and the simple booklet is not given, not that I care. All I need is both the feature film and the special feature DVDs are inside.

After successfully making me quasi-broke before even entering December, I have finished collected until the very last of Roger Moore's Bond films. Ahead will be two of Dalton's and 4 of Brosnan's. I already have the 2 disc special version of Casino Royale and to my dismay, now they just released a 3 disc version, with some additional feature, particularly one about the art of parkour which I loved to know more. Still considering, although I think my conscience had talked me into forgetting it. Hopefully they got a quasi-original version of it in Amcorp Mall that is cheaper....

The Case of The Dead Battery

So Saturday...as usual I will spend sometime with my car. Since friend will be fetching to the wedding guy's bachelor night, so I have all the time I need before night.

After a quick wash at a nearby RM 8 car wash service (I have not wash the car myself since a couple of months ago...I'm allergic to detergent, yeah right), I took the car home and proceed to rewash the windscreen and the windows. As you humble me is a bit of a perfectionist, I have to make sure every inch, I mean CM of the windows are covered. So, I have to turn on the electric power source so that I can lower the power window to clean those hard to reach area.

This done, I applied some rain repellent liquid on the windscreen. It has been rainy lately, I think this will come in handy. The whole process only takes me around 15 minutes, and by the time I was done, the mother of the baby my mum is babysitting came and we successfully dispose the very last job related thing for the day.

So I happily make myself a giant glass of iced coffee, and online and happily wait for my driver to come. I found that the typical Chinese bachelor night is always boring. There will not be any stripper and all the relatives will be around. Whoa, so the meaning of being bachelor is, you have relatives? The only difference between bachelor night and the night function Chinese typically have for the deceased (where you go there give donation money and sit don't know do what) is, instead of mourn, the bachelor night is a celebration, instead of looking at the deceased one last time, we visit the bride's room; instead of eating some lamely made food and cheap drinking water, we have nicer foods and booze, and the better part is bachelor nights do not have those annoying religious rituals.

Despite the fact we need to be early the next morning, I think we will hang around there rather late if not for some unexpected annoyance I choose not to relived here. After a rather lengthy journey, I got home alas, around 1 am. Worried that I may forgot the red packet for Sunday's wedding dinner, I think it will be good if I put the invitation in my car, for I surely will drive there. So I get to my car and found something weird...hey, the car key still in the car.

No...those cliche plot of car key lock inside care will never happens to me. The car isn't lock, but the power never switch on. I could barely see the battery light on. Try to start but it couldn't. Optimistically, I thought "It has been 7 hours the power if left one, maybe after a night sleep it will be OK tomorrow". Of course it won't.

I got up early the next morning trying to start the car. Oh shit! It was dead, and I need to have a car for the "buddy delegation". I interrupted my dad's morning shit and ask him to help jam(or jump?)-start...but of no use. We spent around half an hour trying and trying. At then end, I called my friend informing this bad news, but I still join the delegation anyway, but not driving. Thing is, the delegation also do not need this many cars as he expected. So in a way it doesn't really matters anyway.

Of course I didn't tell any of them what really happened that day. For it will be extremely paiseh for me to face the wedding guy with such stupid incident. And in order to make the misinformation works, I have to misinform other friends as well...Sorry, but now you get the truth~! Haha~

Alas, and EL on Monday and I got my car towed to the service center and the battery get a new replacement for free. Of course I have to do the misinforming part again, if not it may not be for free. If everything happens for a reason, the this incident of the dead battery happened because maybe God predicted I will get a hangover from the wedding dinner. Well, it is something a expect for being a buddy at the "Yam-Seng" session anyway...That night, highly intoxicated but still not drunk. It's good I don't have a car to drive that night.....

Misfired (Inspired by a true story)

There is no take two in life. You will live up to this motto if you have one of this experience.

All is set, all is ready for the big day of your brother. Today, you will get a new family member, a sister in law. As with all typical Chinese wedding your brother, along with his buddies has started their journey to his future wife's house. There they will endure countless mindless challenges set by your sister in law's "sisters".

At any minute, the whole delegation will return in their cars decorated specially for this wedding, along with your new sister in law. As any typical Chinese wedding, they blow the horns endlessly, making as much noise because they know no one will complaint, as this is a celebration of a new beginning of both the bride and the groom.

It came suddenly! Although you expected it, but the sudden break of dozens of horn startled you. In a flash, you remember your mission! You have to ignite the fire cracker! To bring this celebration mood to a higher level. Not a second to lose, you retrieve the lighter from your pocket. You have sudden boost of adrenalin, you dash fast and far to the front gate, and as the sound of horn is getting nearer, you ignited the fire cracker and it blast like a psycho with a M-16.

Then here comes the brides car cruising magnificently, passing you, passing you house...

OK this is weird, shouldn't it suppose to stop right at the front gate and one of our boys here gonna open the car door for them and get a red packet?

And this car does not look so familiar....and why does it take to corner? And all other buddy cars follow...and none of them looks like someone I know....

Damn, I lighted the fire cracker for the wrong delegation! This is our neighbour's! They have someone getting married today as well!

Oh damn, the fire cracker cause us a fortune to get from a smuggler. We only have one...now what should I do when my brother's delegation get here? Shit......

Inspired by a true story occurred on November 23th 2008. I was in one of the arriving buddy car, and the family that screw up the fire cracker ignition is my friend's wife's neighbour, who happen to have a wedding going on the same day. You should see their faces when they realized they got the wrong delegation. It's bad, but I can't help to laugh!

Wedding Season...

So, last Sunday a friend get married.
One of his neighbours is getting married on the same day.
One of his wife's neighbours is getting married on the same day.

Close friend # 1 has a cousin getting married on the same day.
Close friend # 2 also has a cousin getting married on the same day.
Close friend # 3 has a relative getting married on the same day.

Friend's friend has a friend getting married on the same day.

On the 23th of November 2008, there are more wedding cars than police patrol car on the road.

On the 23th of November 2008, walked in customer to some major Chinese restaurant will be disappointed.

On the 23th of November 2008, you got a feeling that everybody is getting married and it is a hype now...getting married? No way.

In the middle of this, my company Annual Dinner at December 19th.

Looking forward, close friends (both bride and groom) is getting married one December 27th.

My cousin, is getting married the day after, December 28th.
Another cousin will be getting married on January the 4th, 2009.

Wedding banquet food is nice, provided you don't have them too often, say once a quarter will do. Now, I will be happy is they serve other stuff, say Japanese? Italian cuisine is fine for me as well...

But I can only hope...

This year end, wedding season. And none of them see clearly what they are signing up to...God Bless them...

Review : Quantum of Solace

Alas, the long waited sequel to Casino Royale. This is the first direct sequel ever in the Bond franchise. The film event started just hours after the final scene of Casino Royale.

Unlike Casino Royale that started the film with a quasi noir black and white pre-title sequence that briefly explain the origin of James Bond (origin as in how he get to become 007), Quantum of Solace starts the film with a mind blowing car chase featuring the Aston Martin DBS V12. It is always fun to watch the car chase in Bond film. Not only we get to see super cars in action with great driving stunt, but it is just fun to see how they destroy these super expensive cars as if they were bought using cow dung instead of money. The case ended in a rocky cliff construction site...and somehow reminded me of the very first car chase of Bond films in Dr No.

The title sequence is rather so-so compare to the last one. Although the naked women image is making a comeback, but I prefer the innovative use of playing cards' motive to represent elements like blood, smoke or bullet in Casino Royale's title sequence. As for the song, well, so far nothing can match Connery era's theme song.

Being a direct sequel, the film's main story will be about Bond tracking down the main culprit behind the activities in the previous film. Although Bond appears to be not so affected by Vesper death, but throughout the film we can see that the death indeed affected him a lot. So, the viewer will not be so sure if the action in this film is more on the world saving mission or rather a personal vendetta by Bond.

Actually, the world saving part of the mission in this film is like a bonus. Bond's mission is rather more to personal vendetta and it is fabricated by the need to track down and make clear what is the organization supporting Mr White's plan. This can be proven by the setting of character Camille Montes who is trying to avenge her families death. Camille is a parallel to Bond in this film but both find their solace in a different way.

For Camille, her haunted past died after she avenge her families death, and is going to start a new life, while Bond, despite the advice from his friend and superior, is still haunted by Vesper death and to a certain extent, use it as a motivation to keep on going in his mission. Rather a Batman way of handling death of love ones...

There is a good balance between action and exposition scenes. After a few minutes of super stunt, we get to take a breath and being fed with plot devices. There is nothing new about it, the evil plan is a workable one but typical in most post modern spy and conspiracy theory film. But in anyway is better than laser gun satellite and invisible car and surfing on tsunami.

Action wise, it is so good they have very little CGI in it. Like the car chase, plane dog fight and physical combat with a lot of debris, crashed furniture, torn clothes, cuts on faces etc...It is just hyper-realistic and it is an eye candy.

Acting wise, Craig did it again! Giving life to a update version of Bond. He is the very first Bond that actually give us a cold feeling. He really made is credible that Bond is a cold-blooded assassin that has no opinion taking anyone's life. While Lazenby, Moore and Brosnan have made Bond into some kind of stock character, so far only Craig and Connery have made Bond serious man with a very important mission.

As always, Judi Dench is the best M ever. A little of motherly value, a bit of sarcasm and a competent boss and leader. The previous movie M is like the Commissioner Gordon in the 1960s Batman series that call Batman for whatever idiotically simple crime like missing lunch box etc, Dench's M is like Gordon in The Dark Knight. Yeah, she mean business and there is no joke about it.

Well, this year we have two sequels of a rebooted franchise - Batman and James Bond. Both sequel is applying the same approach - more on realistic plot and characterization, less on campy-ness and gimmicks. Both left us wanting for more. While Nolan is not sure yet for the third Batman, Bond 23 should not be a problem, but just keep our finger cross and pray that they won't screw up Bond like Moore and Brosnan anymore...

Video: Batman: Dead End

So, this is a fan film of Batman made some 5 years ago.

I think it is the coolest Batman live action after Nolan's Batman films. The Batman looks much like Alex Ross work in DC comics. Nice acting as well for both Batman and Joker...

This is even better than the campy Adam West and the "Nipple Batmans" - Val Kilmer and George Clooney...

Fortress of Solitude - Toys Dept

I like to go shopping complex. It has everything; place to eat, place to shit, cinema, shops, karaoke and some even have gym (the management must think the visitor has not walk enough there).

I don't mind going shopping alone, or loiter around in it all alone. In fact, it is the way I find some solitude. Being in some crowded place where no one knows you can give I more peace that stay alone in my room, cause I can always overheard the noise made by my family member, even the faint hiss of a switched on TV set.

If I go to shopping, there is a few outlet or department that I must visit. The video shop, bookshop and the toys department. I like toys. I may not buy any, but I like to keep myself update of what the children can play with nowadays. And toys nowadays are getting more and more interesting, and expensive.

One thing I like about toys department is, there won't be any sales or promoter coming and mumble something like "HowcanIhelpyou, sir?" in a way that you have to get him or her to repeat four times in order to understand the first word. This usually happen when you shop for clothe, which is one of the reason why I seldom update my wardrobe.

I like toys...I like looking at toys...and I plan to get some toys in my car so I can play when stuck in a jam...problem is, I seldom get stuck in a jam...

Furious, partial...

Furious today, I am very.

I expected shits, after a day off. I expected a lot off works, since it is the culture now for the backup to just symbolically clear an order or two for me (I did the same) when backing up. I have no complain. I expected it.

Maybe it is the headache. Don't know why, just some headache. Maybe some evil Monday virus. The headache made all the difference. I can't control my temper.

I shot back all the stupid question emails. I don't care if I offended the other party. They ask stupid question, when the answer is just right before their eyes. They do redundant things, which may cause me to do useless double work. They never learnt from my previous guidance, and keep on being a parasite. What they really think I will give face just because they are foreigner?

This is a day when I will snap when people do this. Why would they? How hard to do things correctly? I am in no way very smart, what I did can be done by anyone else. I was being patient enough to show them, even if they are from other department, not even my team, how to get the information they needed, who to contact, how to check for update. But why still bother me? Is it because I helped them before I will have to obligation to go on let them parasite on me?

Will they ever learn? If they never learn then it is just logically to deduce they yell at their 80 years old mum to whip their dirty arse after poo. This is just so characteristic of them. The pathetic team of the profession that I loathed most...

Strangely enough, my temper is rather clear cut today. Only furious at these people while still has genuine friendliness to other...

Long Vacation?

What is a long vacation?

Long vacation is a vacation so long and you actually get tired of it and want nothing better than get back to work asap.

When was the last time I get this long vacation? Before I got this current job, which is roughly three years ago.

Job hunt can be a very long war, or just a short campaign. The last one I had, it took me more than a month. After working three years with constant income every month, despite all the frustration, am I ready to let it go and start another campaign?

I am just very sure, given the current world economy status, if I quit and start another job hunt, it may be a pathetically long one. My requirement is simple, boring 9 -5 job will do. Just sit in front of a computer with Internet access for the whole day. I do not want to go to the industry I studied, I do not seek thrill, but the peace of monotonous life.

There is bad blood in the office, although I never get affected, but overhearing the idiot, which happen to sit rather near, is like pouring acid into my ears...

Am I ready for a uber long, long vacation? Or better just stay here, stay low, remain anonymous, just live my life day after day ans serve the purpose of my existence, which I do not know. Maybe the God's mail to me about my mission lost due to some postal error...better this way...hahaha