Pirates of the Crap-ibbean: At Wits' End

itunes: Simply Red, Simplified (2006)

I simply cant believe of what I saw for the tedious 2 hours and 45 minutes is a total crap. The only consolation is I'm amazed that I did not doze off and my patience is quite substantial to last me to the final scene (oh yes, there is one last 3 mins scene after the lengthy credits, dun bother to watch if you are rushing off or dying to leave your cinema seat cos you dun miss much anyway.)

The opening scene is absolutely redundant. Mass singing pirates at the gallows have nothing to do with saving Jack Sparrow.

Indeed I find it enjoyable to watch the 1st 30 minutes of how the gang went to Captain Sao Feng to get/steal the map in order to rush and save Jack Sparrow. I thought this should catapulted the show into a higher intensity. Never knew that when Jack Sparrow appeared, in the next an hour or so, the movie collapsed into a merely boring mass feud plot, as if they were playing some kind of a betrayal musical chair game. Though not boring to make audience walk out of the threatre, I guess the main reason we saw big money have been spent well on everything except the script of this movie.

As expected in most Hollywood blockbusters, it is inevitable to have a great kissing scene between the leading actor and actress. I would say the one in this installment is as stale as the love scene between Queen Amidala and Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode II. The scene is so draggy that you can close your eyes and yet have sufficient time to relax them altogether.

Tia Dalma promised Davy Jones (Calypso's lover) that once the sea goddess Calypso is freed from her body, Calypso will wipe out everyone at sea with her cruelty, vengeance and power unleased. For that moment, I thought the movie will once again lift to the closing climax with a big monster. What a turn off, I feel cheated of my money really. Upon the release curse is said, you will see Tia Dalma merely grown so huge in size (surprising the ship did not sink at all), let out some disturbing screams to lead audience on, and eventually collapse into millions and millions of crabs, yes it's crabs, pouring into the sea, that's all. Not even a single sight of Calypso. To make thing worse, Will Turner even told her that it's Davy Jones who betrayed her initially that leads to her confinement within Tia Dalma's body, it seems that Calypso did not take any revenge at all, which I expect she would. Damn fucking redundant character and plot here.

Davy Jones and his flying dutchman is another disappointment. He emerged as a powerful character in Part 2 but in this parter, he behaves like any other ordinary human being under the threats from Lord Cutler Beckett. Yeah he did some human-like rebel towards the end but his death is just simply too predictable and straight forward. Isn't he suppose to be mighty and strong? Why is he so vulnerable here? What an insult to this significant role!!!

Unless you are a die-hard fan of this series, else for any other amateur audience, I would suggest you to keep a score card to keep track of everyone and what they did in the past. If not, this lengthy bore will be reduced further to a mere confusion and more flash than content. No wonder the cinemas held Pirates of the Crap-ibbean marathon shows prior to the screening of this instalment, a fresher course for audience like us.

There are tell tale signs throughout this movie saying this is a crap show. Millions of crabs appear to move Jack Sparrow's ship to the beach so that the gang can get to him easily. The other one will be the disintegration of Tia Dalma, full of crabs (or full of craps? haha) as well.

After all, the film looks gorgeous; this is one of those movies where you can see its entire budget laid out before you onscreen. The sets are stunning, the water looks beautiful (of cos thanks to Bahamas Tourism Board) and the framing of all the shots gives the film a sense of grand scale. The most impressive scene will be when Sparrow, Barbossa, and Swann walking down a beach to the final ship to ship battle.

Listen to my advice, bring in more tibits and bedtime pillows, take more toilet breaks dun torture your poor bladder and kidneys, or ipod or PSP if you have one.....haha

Mum and Dad

itunes: Stevie Wonder, Ballad Collection (1999)

My mum had a fall from the ladder last Sunday. It was really my fault, I should have put the pair of shoes on the rack in the storeroom myself. I rushed to the direction where the crushing sound came, and there I saw her sitting on the floor, obviously in pain agony. At that instant, I was in deep shit remorse, why should I let the elderly frail lady do the job despite when she volunteered??!! I really hate myself for taking her for granted, for she always there for me and never fail to answer whenever I need anything. Fortunately, she was able to get up without much assistance, much to my relieve, no broken hips. For the rest of the evening, I was worry-strickened as she cant hardly move her body well, apparenetly still in pain even after my dad help to apply medicated oilments over the affected area. I woke up several times in the night, walked over to her room and see if she was all right, only going back to sleep when I knew she was sleeping soundly. Come to think of it, this is what my mum did when I was a little boy, running temperature the whole night.

In fact, I have not taken a good look of my aging parents all these while until one day when I suddenly realised how much they have grown old nowadays. Subconsciously, I keep having the younger image of them when I was young. I tried to recall when was the last time they nagged at me, the last time my bad-tempered father lost his temper, the last time I was disciplined with a cane, the last time I hug and hold onto them like candy, I simply cant remember at all. They see me through my growing up stages, but now I was so busy with my own life that I didnt even notice, and even neglect that they really have aged so much.

I grew up in a family that were conservative that no affection are openly displayed within the house. I guess my parents believe actions speak louder than words, and I know they love me and my sister dearly. Likewise, there are so many times that I wanted to thank them for the small errands they run for me, but I just cant even bring myself to say, let alone to express how much I love them vocally. Which is why nowadays I prefer to stay at home, even on weekends. Even though I stay in my own room most of the time, I know my parents are glad and contented that their child is keeping them company at home, they would occasionally pop their heads into my room, start some small talks like: wanna a slice of water melon?, urging me to adjust the blinds if the sun is too glaring, what I would like to eat for dinner?.....Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I would pop over to their bedroom on my way to the toilet to see if they are okay and sound asleep. I just want to convince myself that my wild imagination is unfounded. What really bothers me is that I cant help but to worry that they may just gone the next morning one day. Every year as my parents aged, I'm getting more insecure over their wellbeing. I dunno how different my life will be should I lose any one of them.....which I know it's inevitable one day.....

Anyway, the doctor confirmed that mum just suffered from some hip muscles injury, not the fearful bone fructure. Guess what? My mum wakes up at 430am every morning and when my alarm rang at 6am this morning, the whole house was in total darkness and I grew panicky, jumped out of my bed and hurried to my mum's bedroom. What a relief! She was still sound asleep. Ya, rest well and recover fast, mum!

Have you ever ask yourself how much time you have spent with your aging parents? Have you ever notice what they have been doing at home even since they retired? Have you ever take a closer look at them, how much they have aged? Have you ever neglect their pair of mellow loving eyes, looking at you now is exactly the same way as when they coaxed you to sleep when you are little toddler? Ask yourself....

No Music No Life 05/2007

itunes: Bjork, Volta (2007)

BLAST, BLAST, BLAST, my CD budget for this month busted!!!
The list of CDs that I have bought in May 2007:


Bjork, Volta (2007)
Normal Edition


Bjork, Volta (2007)
Limited Edition
Release of the month. That's all I can say. She never failed to impress and surpise her fans even after the 2 experimental Medulla and Drawing Restraint 9. In Volta, she has returned to shouts and volume that we fans find a sense of comfort belonging and recognition. This is truly Bjork! I bought the 2 versions, the normal edition for listening and the sealed limited edition for collection, like I usually did for all her previous releases. The most amazing thing is a friend who hates her all these years, bought this album willingly after sampling it. That's great is not it?


Tori Amos, American Doll Posse (2007)
I used to love her like I love Bjork. However, listening to her last 2 albums is really exhausting. It's not because Tori has failed as a singer songwriter, I was thinking if she has moved on to a realm that I can hardly connect with or am I losing patience at these over 20-tracks albums? That explain why I have not listened to this after buying it a week ago.


Thievery Corporation, The Cosmic Game (2005)
I bought this because of the sale at HMV. Until just now I realised it was a Taiwanese pressed CD, damn really got ripped off. An EU pressed version usually cost a third more. I thought I got the best deal for the EU pressed, sigh. Nevertheless, this completes the discography of my favourite electronica duo.


Various Artists, Motown Remixed (2005)
This CD was selling at 50% at Borders and I bought it out of curiousity on how Motown old hits can be transformed into remix versions. Sounds chilled out, groovy and contemporary yet retain the good essence of the oldies, especially Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On.


黃大煒, Passion (2007)
This is my favourite chinese rocker. He has been in the scene for more than 15 years, produced acclaimed but never hit albums, quite a pity. His love ballads have never failed to enchant me with a sense of tranquility in the midst of his raw deep vocal and emotional delivery. I just love him.


雷光夏, 黑暗之光 (2007)
This indie female folk vocalist used to do soundtrack production as a full time job before turning into full time artist. Hence her folky albums always have cinematic feel and in additional to her poem-like lyrics, it's truly a different treat in enjoying folk music.


松田聖子, Eternal II (2006)
If it's not because Seiko has been my favourite Japanese idol since the 80s, I would not have bought this album from ebay. This is the follow up remake album to Eternal which was released in 1991. As much as she speaks with an American slang, somehow she sounded weird when she remake old hits like How Deep Is Your Love and Time After Time.....


Kahimi Karie, Kahimi Karie (1998)
This is the album that have been on my wantlist for years, until I spotted it on ebay at a very cheap price. The debut album of this Japanese singer based in Paris, is a solid mix of her wispy little-girl vocal with Shibuya-Kei and Bossa Nova genre, delivered in both English and French. The good thing is she sounded so much better than her fellow native, Seiko in Eternal II.


大塚愛, 愛 Am Best (2007)
One of the top female singer songwriter in the current Japanese pop scene, able to write and produce her albums. Well, this is her first best of album since she debuted in 2003.


Below is the list of CDs that contributed to the bust of my CD budget this month. A moving out sale of a CD shop put up a 3 CDs for $12 promotion, with such good deals, I would not give it a miss at all haha.

The Cardigans, Super Extra Gravity (2005)
Limited Edition with Bonus DVD
This CD is in my wantlist but I do not want to pay full price for it. So I'm really thrilled to see it on sale, I grabbed and hold it hard in hand the moment I laid my eyes on it. Comparing to their fun hit album, Life in the 90s, this is definitely a more tone down, mature and serious work. I love the track "Losing A Friend" and "I Need Some Fine Wine And You, Need To Be Nicer"


Sarah McLachlan, Remix Album (2005)
The remix album of her so-so Afterglow. Anyway, 3 CDs for $12, who cares right?


Stevie Wonder, Ballad Collection (1999)
Never own a Wonder CD at all. This is the good time to jump start of owning the music of this great artist.


Luis Miguel, Grandes Exitos (2005)
My favourite latino male in the music industry. His Romance and Romances albums are so captivating. This double discs best of compilation, should worth keep for.


Steely Dan, Everything Must Go (2003)
What more to say? It's Steely Dan!!! Really have to thank my ex gym instructor for introducing this jazz funk rock duo to me.

Nursery in office

itunes: Alana Davis, Surrender (2005)

This is the IT dept of my company, a few floors above mine. Take a good look at these pictures, I risked my reputation and career just to have them in my blog here hehe. At first, I assume this workstation is some kind of a makeshift nursery for the IT staff, well, I'm wrong obviously. It belongs to the admin lady for this department. Gosh, whoever up there please pardon me for saying this, she's a plumb, long haired ugly woman in her 40s, probably been stuck in this position for centuries. Since she dun see herself moving on, might as well 'doll' up the whole place. Her role must be damn free, else who would bother to decorate the workplace into a nursery???!!!!!



See what dangles from the ceiling, strings of hearts (plastic ones somemore).



Well well well, this is the ultimate!! An aquarium for upkeep.

Hehehe evil evil thoughts, maybe I should sneak in during weekends, set fire to the hearts, pour hot coffee into the aquarium and polka dots Piglet, Tigger and Pooh with black marker. Haha that will be nice.....I think I'm too stressed up with work......

101th blog: The Persistence of Memory

itunes: Bjork, Volta (2007)

Didnt realised that I have posted my 100th blog nearly 2 weeks ago. It has been a year since I started out last April. I'm quite pleased with myself that I can actually lasted so long. I wrote my first diary when I was 21 and being at this significant age, I told myself that I must document my everyday thoughts and affairs just for that year. Shamefully speaking, the plan did not last long, I stopped after couple of weeks. I was young man then, obviously did not have as much patience and determination as I can now, a mature man.

I'm a person who seldom look back, it just give me creeps. Particularly when old friends start bringing old memories out, these good old things just give me goose pimples. I dunno why I'm like that. Perhaps it reminds me of how old I am and see how time flies and given such a time speed, there are still many things unaccomplished and unfulfilled. Life is short, is not it? So it's best to keep eyes looking forward, but not forgetting experiences and lessons learnt from the past.

This oil painting, La persistencia de la memoria (1931) or The Persistence of Memory by artist Salvador Dalí well reflects my thoughts on old time memories. As time melts and flows by, it impresses anxiety and in a certain way, terror. Yeah, the anxiety of uncertainties lying ahead of my life and terror, I'm afraid of getting old, without realising it.

This question has always in my mind, how does it like to be on one's death bed, holding the last breath of air on earth? What will I see? What will I think? How would I feel?

http://unit.bjork.com/specials/albums/volta/

itunes: 古内東子, Cashmere Music (2005)

Bjork is here.....07-05-07 worldwide

"Things We Can Learn From A Dog"

itunes: 黃大煒, Passion (2007)

This is the look of my work station in the new office. No more room for me. But that's all right for me. I went up to the our head corporate office once and noticed the Treasury Finance Director sat in a open cubicle, worse of all, at the corner of the T-junction of the walkways in the office. At least, my consolation is that my place situates at the end of the room, hence no one will walk behind my PC screen and look at what I'm doing. More privacy for time-off surfing and MSN chats during office hours hehe.

Take a look at the spot marked by the yellow circle. That's the position of the "dog inspired" poster. It was put up by our Assistant GM, just outside her work station cubicle. My colleagues joked that this message must be meant for us to read, else she would have put it faced inwards, right? They refused to read the details and discouraged me from doing so as well. They reckoned it's an insult to our intelligence when she actually want us to be inspired from the lessons learn from a dog. The underlying question is, is she trying to hint that we should act and slog for her like a dog? haha hmm I can smell some negative feelings towards her from some of my colleagues. Really must go gossiping and find out more tomorrow.......hehe

MINI Cooper

itunes: Kahimi Karie, Kahimi Karie (1998)

Saw this pop-up advertisement on the wall of OUB Centre at Raffles Place after my gym session this morning. Impressive and innovative.

The Mini Cooper has been one of my favourite car on the road. Like a cheery English bulldog, it has a sleek, cute design and yet continues to pay homage to the Mini heritage. Yeah, I'm a sucker for sleek design person and as long as the whole car looks good moving down the street, I really care less much about the acceleration rate or the horsepower. Put it this way, what is the point of having a super fast and powerful car when there is a traffic light every 50m in the city? Hehehe

Hmmm talking about Mini reminds me of an incident at the Mini showroom last year. I was there with 2 friends to check out the prices of the entry-level model Mini One. That female sales executive gave us a nonchalant look and responded coldly that even though the COE prices plunged, the Mini prices will not because they are selling a lifestyle. Even if this is true, this bloody woman attitude really sucks to the core. She does not deserve to be in the service industry at all. If I'm seriously getting one on the spot, I will make sure she will not get a single cent of commission from the sale. Damn. Well, since I cant afford one, I just suffer the insult in silence....sob sob hehe. Come to think of it, if BMW and Benz's prices fluctuate in accordance to COE and they are selling a lifestyle as well, does Mini really justify its cost here?

Indeed, owning a car has been my dream, but to own a Mini or BMW is my aspiration. Anyway, what's there to dream and aspire when neither I have a driving licence nor can afford one? Not to mention, side effects like my carbon footprints and pollution a car may bring. Blah, blah, blah.....