Project 365 2011 - Photo #181

The Facebook killer - Google+. Let's see how far this can go. Google is really the real Skynet.

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Movie: Laddaland (2011)

Would you "stay" or "move out" if your village had ghosts? 

Laddaland (2011) is Thailand's latest horror flick, from the studio that brought us "Coming Soon", "4Bia", and "Phobia 2", all of which I have watched. Hehe.

Laddaland's director Sophon Sakdapisit co-wrote the most successful Thai horror thriller ever, "Shutter" and "Alone" (trailers). If you're a big fan of Thai horror movies, you'd know what I'm talking about.

Teaser: There is an urban legend about a village where screams and shrieks fill the night. Mass murders are taking place and no matter how much the residents pray, it seems like nothing can save them. The death toll continues and the residents are fleeing from this place. This cursed place is called "Laddaland".Synopsis: Thee has bought a new house in a neighborhood named Laddaland and relocated his family - wife Parn, teenage daughter Nan, and son Nat - from Bangkok for a better life away from his mother-in-law who despises him. Parn and Nat are thrilled but Nan is peeved about having to settle down in a brand new environment. Barely a few weeks later, bizarre things start to happen in the neighborhood.

This is the best line from the synopsis - "Death is something we all must face sooner or later, but in Laddaland, your dead neighbors are what you must deal with."

Laddaland is not as eerie as Shutter but it's hauntingly compelling with shock factors, especially unbearably dreary slo-mo scenes with jarring music to scare the pants off you. Apart from dealing with ghosts, this movie also probes the issue of family dysfunction and how much stress a family could handle before everyone is pushed to their limits.

If you're a Thai horror flick fan, I do recommend this movie.

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #180

This giant glass of pearl milk tea is called Mother of Pearls from Igentis, Tropicana City Mall.

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Our AT-AT Walker!

If you know Star Wars, you will know what's an AT-AT Walker! Anyway, I'm glad to explain. The AT-AT Walker is the All Terrain Armored Transport Walker. Here's the link.

This is actually a mini walker. :P See that cute, tiny snowtrooper? :D

More photos on my Facebook album.

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #179

I received this letter from DiGi.

Congratulations!

You are one of the Consolation Prize Winners of "DiGi April Comic Strip" contest!

You have won yourself:
Fila Waist Pouch voucher at RM26 (Normal Price: RM59)

Once again, thank you for your continuous support to DiGi and stay tuned for more great offers from DiGi. Congratulations again!

"Stay active with DiGi for more delightful surprises in the future!"

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #178

You should know which toilet to go to. :P

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #176-177

A joyous occasion - the grandparents' 60th (diamond jubilee) wedding anniversary. Not many couples have such wonderful privilege. Nowadays, most couples get married in their late twenties or early thirties. So, it's almost impossible to celebrate anniversaries up to the 60th year. 

On a side note, exciting months are ahead, so I gotta stay perked and focused! Wheee... Ooops. I need to stay calm too. :)

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #175

David's dad has this electric satay grill. I think he enjoys baking satay. :D

Note: We are all home in Terengganu this weekend for family functions, i.e. celebrating David's brother's 21st birthday and the grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary.

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Choosing A Month to Get Married

Photo Source

Getting married anytime soon? Be it folklore, superstition, myth, or tradition, here's an interesting guide in choosing a month to get married. :)

Disclaimer: Some statements can be quite tart, do read at your own discretion and risk. Don't fret if you happen to choose a month that comes with a somewhat disheartening description.

JANUARY
- Married in January's hoar and rhyme, widowed you'll be before your time.
- Marry when the year is new, he will be loving, kind and true.

FEBRUARY
- Married in February's sleepy weather, life you will dread in time together.
- When February birds do mate, you wed nor dread your fate.

MARCH
- Married when March winds shrill and roar, your home will be on a distant shore.
- If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you will know.

APRIL
- Married beneath April's changing skies, a chequered red path before you lies.
- Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man.

MAY
- When May blossom's flit, strangers around your board will sit.
- Marry in the month of May, you will surely rue the day.

JUNE
- In the month of roses June, life after marriage will be a honeymoon.
- Marry when June roses grow and over land and sea you will go.

JULY
- In July with flowers ablaze, bittersweet memories on for days.
- Those who in July do wed must labor for their daily bread.

AUGUST
- Married in August's heat and drowse, lover and friend is your chosen spouse.
- Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see.

SEPTEMBER
- Married in September's golden glow, smooth and serene your life will go.
- Marry in September's shrine so that your life is rich and fine.

OCTOBER
- Married when leaves in October glow, toil and hardship is what you'll know.
- If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.

NOVEMBER
- In veils of November mist, fortune your wedding ring has kissed.
- If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.

DECEMBER
- Married in days of December cheer, love star shines brighter year after year.
- When December snows fall fast, marry, and your love will last.

All the best and may you be blessed!

Sources:
The 12 Months of Marriage
Wedding Months

If you wish, follow updates about my wedding adventures here. ;)

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #174

Okay, this is a very girly post. *giggles*

Two weeks ago, I had glittery pink fingernails. Today, I give them a shade of elegant pearly white to match my dress for this Saturday's dinner. Now, I need to be extra careful while handling things with my hands, just to make sure they stay pretty till then. :D

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #173 - Twilight Watch

Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko. The first book in this series is Night Watch and the second book is Day Watch.

Synopsis:

A dark and exhilarating hybrid of fantasy, vampire story, and detective potboiler, Twilight Watch is the third volume in the series that has become an international sensation.

Living among us are the "Others", an ancient race of humans with supernatural powers who must swear allegiance to either the Dark or the Light. A thousand-year treaty has maintained the balance of power between the two sides, but when a renegade Other absconds with a fabled book of spells and appears intent on using it to alter the course of humanity, the forces of Light and Dark must cooperate to stop him.

Anton, the hero from Night Watch, is back, but when the culprit turns our to be an old friend, the race against time becomes more urgent than ever. In a world where reality and magic commingle, and where different degrees of existence are layered one atop the other, nothing is ever quite what it seems.

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Simple Chicken Tomato Spaghetti

On impulse, I decided to cook a simple dinner on a weekday. Without any inkling of what to cook yet, we took a stroll within the neighborhood supermarket. After a good 15 minutes or so, inspiration came knocking. Okay!

Let's cook a simple chicken tomato spaghetti dish!

What I Bought?

A packet of spaghetti, 200g chicken fillet, 2 tomatoes, 1 stalk of celery, 2 red onions, 1 clove of garlic, and 1 can of Prego Tomato, Basil & Garlic spaghetti sauce.

How I Cook?

• Onions and garlic were coarsely chopped.
• Tomatoes were cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Celery was shredded.
• Chicken fillet was minced and marinated with light soy sauce and black pepper.

Preparing the Spaghetti

A whole packet of spaghetti would be too much for 2 persons. So, I roughly measured 4 handfuls of spaghetti and cooked them in boiling water with a little bit of salt. When the spaghetti was cooked, I drained and tossed them with a little bit of olive oil.

On a side note, here's an online guide on how to cook pasta properly.

Preparing the Sauce

First of all, I stir-fried chopped garlic till fragrant in a skillet. I took extra care not to burn the garlic because I really disliked the taste of burnt garlic in my food. :D

Then, I added chopped onions and stir-fried the mixture till fragrant too. This took less than 2 minutes because the skillet was hot enough.

After that, I added minced chicken.

I continued to stir-fry till chicken turned white. This took about 5-8 minutes.

Then, I added Prego sauce and half a can of water and let the sauce simmered for about 10 minutes. Then, I added celery and tomatoes.

After another 10 minutes or so, I turned off the heat and added a little bit of salt to taste. Finally, I garnished the sauce with some celery leaves that I've put aside earlier on.

Tada! Dinner time!

I realized that tomatoes released much water when they were cooked. So, I guessed I should have reduce the amount of tomatoes next time to achieve a thicker consistency for the sauce.

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #172

Windows 7 T-shirts in 3 colors - green, red, blue. I didn't get the black one though.

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Movie: X-Men: First Class (2011)

Witness the Moment that Will Change Our World.

X-Men: First Class (2011) is a superhero movie based on the characters in Marvel Comics. It's the prequel to the X-Men movie series, focusing on "the formative years of Xavier (Professor X) and Magneto" and set primarily in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Synopsis from IMDb: Before Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-MEN.

I'm clueless about the X-Men characters because I don't read the comic books and the only X-Men related movie that I've watched was Wolverine. I've no inkling of X-Men's back story or the entire list of characters. So, I watched this movie in total ignorance. :P

Since this movie focuses on the early years of Professor X and Magneto, there are quite a number of teenage mutant characters - Mystique (blue-skinned shapeshifter), Beast (beast, obviously), Havok (plasma blaster), Banshee (sonic screamer), Darwin (the evolution adapter who died early), and Angel (the winged mutant who turned away from Professor X's team).

The villains are the Hellfire Club led by the narcissistic former Nazi scientist, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). His minions are Azazel (teleporter), Emma Frost (January Jones) (a mutant who can turn into diamond form), and Riptide (a mutant who can create whirlwinds).

Well, since I'm unfamiliar with the X-Men franchise, I watch this movie for pure entertainment value. The part that I like the most is Hugh Jackman's cameo appearance as the future Wolverine. Cool! The special effects are pretty good too, especially when Magneto deflects missiles from the navy or when Banshee is flying and doing his supersonic stunts.

A very entertaining movie indeed!

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #171

The long bread is called Winnie the Pool (yeah, you read that right. I don't know why it isn't spelled as Pooh) Snack. The smaller square bread is Caramel Brioche and the bigger square bread is Chocolate Brioche. They are from Ficelle Boulangerie & Patisserie, Jalan 3/109F, Danau Business Center, Taman Danau Desa, KL.

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Movie: Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011)

Living investigator. Undead clients. Zombie partner. No pulse. No problem.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011) is a comedy horror movie based on the Italian comic book Dylan Dog.

Synopsis: Dylan Dog (Brandon Routh) is a supernatural private investigator, the only trusted human being for the undead - vampires, werewolves, zombies - who are living undetected in the human world. There's a truce in place to keep peace and Dylan is the one they turn to if any of the undead crosses the line.

However, Dylan has retired from keeping tabs on the undead and he's now working as a normal private detective for a living. One day, Elizabeth (Anita Briem) hires Dylan to solve her father's death. He refuses, only to discover that his assistant Marcus (Sam Huntington) is also killed and is turned into a zombie. Now with Marcus as his undead sidekick, Dylan travels across New Orleans to solve the murders.

I've never heard or read the "Dylan Dog" comic series, so I don't have preconceived thoughts about the movie. I like the storyline, simply because I'm fascinated with stories about the undead. However, don't get me wrong, I despise the teen flick, Twilight though. :P

From the Internet: 

"Dylan Dog isn't a terrible movie, just one that feels like a tepid mishmash of secondhand concepts, never developing a distinctive atmosphere or unique personality of its own."

"Dylan Dog feels like its ideas were stolen from western entertainment - a mash-up of sexy vampires, burly werewolves, and comical-gross zombies - which Hollywood then stole back from the Europeans, forgetting that other movies have explored that evil terrain thoroughly, exhaustively and better."Now, here's my verdict. The sad thing about this movie is the performance from the actors. Brandon Routh has dashing good looks and a body to die for but these alone are not good enough to make him an A-list actor. I'm quite tired and quickly lose interest when I watch his so-so acting with a severe lack of connection to the character that he's portraying.

Sam Huntington saves the movie with his believable and honestly funny antics and we get a couple of laughs, especially when he tries his best to come to terms with his new-found status a zombie. In fact, his presence does provide the much needed distraction to this somewhat boring movie. Anita Briem doesn't do much justice to her character as she also seems to be disconnected and often times, weird and unbearably over-acting. 

Unfortunately, despite having a potentially good storyline, this movie fails to impress the audience with its unsurprising plot developments and unimpressive cast. You might just give this movie a skip unless you've watched all other movies and there's nothing else to watch at the cinema.

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KWSP Saturday Operation Time 2011

Every first and third Saturday of the month - 8:30am till 12:30noon

• January: 15 Jan
• February: 5 Feb & 19 Feb
• March: 5 Mar & 19 Mar
• April: 2 Apr & 16 Apr
• May: 7 May & 21 May
• June: 18 June
• July: 2 Jul & 16 Jul
• August: 6 Aug & 20 Aug
• September: 3 Sep & 17 Sep
  
• October: 1 Oct & 15 Oct
  
• November: 5 Nov & 19 Nov
  
• December: 3 Dec & 17 Dec

Website: http://www.kwsp.gov.my/

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #170

Finally, I've used the GSC Birthday Month Coupon to watch X-Men: First Class at GSC, Mid Valley. The birthday coupon can only be used to buy one ticket for movies listed on the asterisk listing.

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #169

Love this T-shirt. Colorful. Cheerful. Meaningful. :)

Everybody needs a hug everyday!

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #168

Fourtitude is inspired by fortitude, i.e. courage in facing adversity.

Do find out about Fourtitude.asia here. We are Fuel, Uberfusion, Hexa Initiative, and Red Tree Ventures. 

Welcome.

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RM50 June BFF Voucher @ Bulldog English Pub, Taman Sri Hartamas

Ecstatic! My name is picked as one of Bulldog English Pub's June BFF Voucher winners! Each winner will receive a RM50 food voucher for dine-in at Bulldog, valid for the month of June 2011 and can be collected from Bulldog's Bar.

And coincidentally, my birthday is in June, 16 June. ^_^

Thanks Bulldog!

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RM50 June BFF Voucher

My voucher number is BFF0811 and I use it on the spot for my "second" birthday dinner. :P We've been to Finnegan's at Mid Valley for my "first" birthday dinner earlier this month.

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Bulldog English Pub & Restaurant

Address: 31 & 31-1, Jalan Sri Hartamas 7, Taman Sri Hartamas, 50480 KL.

Website | Facebook Group

I like Bulldog's interior wall decor - very tastefully English with photo frames and giant beer bottles.

Replicas of a bottle of Guinness and a bulldog are on top of the front door.

There's even a very cheeky bar notice board in the bar.

If Angry Wives or Girlfriends Phone
Our Answering Charges are:
"He's just left" - RM0.25
"He's on his way" - RM0.40
"He's not here" - RM1.00
"WHO did you say?" - RM2.00

Now that's cute!

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Our Dinner

Here are our choices for my birthday dinner.

Beef & Guinness® Pie
 
Beef cubes cooked till tender in Guinness® with vegetables. Baked in short crust pastry. Served with vegetables, creamy mashed potato and gravy. 

I'm really impressed with the hearty portion of food served on the plate. The Guinness-infused beef cubes in the pie are slightly bitter but very tasty, tender, and flavorful. I couldn't stop spooning the pie's interior for more beef cubes. The creamy mashed potato melts in my mouth and is sinfully delicious when eaten with lots of thick gravy.

This perfect comfort food is washed down with a glass of Strongbow Cider, my favorite pub drink since I don't really like drinking beer and hard liquor. I'm okay with Baileys and Bloody Mary, not anything stronger.

Ultimate 'Bulldog' Burger

Double beef patty, cheddar cheese, bacon, mushroom and fried onions in a golden toasted bun. Served with chips.

I think we fall in love with this burger the moment we set our eyes upon super generous layers of beef patties, BACON strips, cheese, and fried onions! How could one resist juicy beef patties and most importantly, perfect oil-glazed bacon strips? No one could!

I sincerely believe this burger lives up to its name - the ULTIMATE 'Bulldog' Burger. However, I still think that it'll achieve its supremacy IF the beef patties are replaced with PORK patties! Just my two cents. ;)

For more Bulldog's food, check out their menu.

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I think I'm one pound heavier? *sobs* :P

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #167

A birthday gift that brightens the day - a canary yellow bead accessory from Riyuna. Thanks babe! :)

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Things I Do to Keep My Blogging Passion Alive

Photo source 

Not too long ago, blogging was the ultimate choice for people to express themselves online. Today, blogging seems to be a dying fad. 

Earlier this year, NYTimes.com published an article speculating that blogging is a waning trend, as younger Internet users drift towards micro-blogging via popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Facebook is basically a multi-purpose hub for posting everything social, whereas Twitter allows posting of bite-sized messages no longer than 140 characters. Both sites provide an easy avenue for sharing ideas and keeping in touch with everyone. 

I've been blogging since August 2007. To be honest, sometimes I do feel uninspired to write lengthy posts with substantive conversation on my blog, especially when I run out of ideas and due to the lack of readership. My blogging passion is dwindling and ever since micro-blogging gave online expression a new perspective, I've also conveniently turned to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Posterous. 

Nevertheless, I still love my blog. It started off as my online journal and I vow to keep it alive and kicking. However, I find this easier said than done. This is when I stop hammering my poor brain for ideas and start doing something out of the box to jumpstart new views and hopefully find new topics to write about. The idea is to keep my blogging passion as alive as ever.

So, here's the list of things I usually do when I face blogger's block: 

1. Capture photos. One picture tells a million words, no doubt about that. I take snapshots of things around me that I find interesting and I write something about them. In fact, I have a section on my blog labeled as "Project 365" chronicling my journey of "A Photo A Day" for 365 days. 

2. Get inspiration from Facebook and Twitter. This may sound ironic but I believe that blogging and micro-blogging should complement one another. I usually browse through my Facebook news feed stream and Twitter timeline to glean interesting topics. Sometimes I bounce ideas off my friends and as they respond, I find myself inspired to write! 

3. Read inspirational quotes. As I read through inspirational quotes from great authors, songs, movies, TV shows etc., I find myself all perked up and inspired to do more writing. Here's one of my favorite quotes retrieved from Grey Anatomy: "Forgive and forget, that's what they say. It's a good advice, but it's not very practical. When someone hurts us, we want to hurt them back. When someone wrongs us, we want to be right. Without forgiveness, old scores are never settled... Old wounds never heal. And the most we can hope for is that one day, we'll be lucky enough to forget." 

4. Write something along recent news headlines. Things happen every minute, every day, anywhere around the globe. Sometimes I will pick an interesting piece of news headline that I fancy and start writing about whatever it inspires me. For example, the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is a very good topic to write about. 

5. Spin-off from Internet memes. One of the memes that have captured my attention is the 30 Day Book and Literature Challenge. I find that writing along guided topics can be easier and rewarding as well. 

6. Seek feedback from blog readers. I have a handful of friends who follow my online journal closely and sometimes my blog posts are inspired by their preferences and suggestions. Some affirmations from my friends do mean a lot along the way and I can be more inspired to work more on those different ideas. 

7. When all else fail, read a book. This is true in my experience. When all else fail, I will stop blogging, make a pot of hot tea and read a book. More often than not, I will be refreshed and have free-flowing spill of new ideas ready to be blogged! 

I do the things listed above because I really want to keep my blogging passion alive as seriously as I want to leave a "legacy" of my life anecdotes of which my children and grandchildren would be inspired in the future. 

So, what about you? What sort of things keep your blogging or writing passion alive?
 
Note: Article first published as Things I Do to Keep My Blogging Passion Alive on Blogcritics.

Twitter: @bcarticles: Articles : Things I Do to Keep My Blogging Passion Alive http://goo.gl/fb/WtRsb

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #166

Goodies at Chee Seng & Sze Min's Shanghai-themed wedding reception.

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Movie: Super 8 (2011)

It Arrives

Super 8 (2011) is a sci-fi movie starring a group of children and an alien. The fact that it's directed by J.J. Abrams who's famous for Cloverfield gives us a more credible reason to watch this movie.

Synopsis from IMDb: In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Super 8 has garnered generally favorable and positive reviews from the audience worldwide.

Set in Lillian, a small town in Ohio in 1979, I agree this movie does have that classy blend of late '70s and early '80s nerdy sci-fi feel. The tight-knit family-based community, houses, sheriff department and sheriffs give the movie extra dose of the '70s feel. The stand-off scenes between the army and the alien is pretty alarming and the ending is quite bittersweet with heart-warming, tear-jerking moments. And these are attributes of a good movie with entertainment value worth the bucks spent.

But I really couldn't stand a bunch of loud, annoying, goofy kids toying around with puppy love and becoming heroes to save their town. Well, I just don't like kid actors being protagonists because that makes the movie, a kids' movie. And that's why I don't quite enjoy watching this movie despite it being a hit among movie goers. Well, the verdict is for you to make.

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #165

I make myself a cuppa of instant white coffee during tea time today. I love watching the tiny mountain of coffee powder dissolving slowly and forming lovely brownish and whitish swirls. The feeling is magical.

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Movies: Day Watch (2006)

From the visionary force behind 'Night Watch'.

Day Watch (2006), a Russian dark fantasy action movie is also known as Night Watch 2: The Chalk of Fate. As the sequel to Night Watch (2004), Day Watch is based on the second and the third part of the novel Night Watch, the first book of Sergei Lukyanenko's internationally acclaimed trilogy rather than the second book, Day Watch.

Both "Nochnoi Dozor" (Night Watch) and "Dnevnoi Dozor" (Day Watch) are novels about the everlasting fantasy battle Good and Evil, Light and Darkness.

Synopsis: Anton Gorodetsky (Konstantin Khabensky) and his love interest Svetlana (Mariya Poroshina) are Light Others, working as Night Watch operatives in Moscow. Anton's son Yegor (Dmitriy Martynov) is a powerful young Dark Other who would become a Great One as mentioned in a prophecy. The balance between Light and Darkness is affected by the murder of some Dark Others and Anton finds himself framed and accused of the murders. Realizing that the chain of events starts off with a mistake he made a long ago, Anton seeks an ancient Chalk of Fate that has the power to change destiny.

Having read the novels, I decided to watch the movies too. However, I only managed to watch Day Watch on DVD and I couldn't seem to find Night Watch online. Day Watch has a straightforward plot and continuous timeline from its prequel, Night Watch. Apart from the main plot about Anton trying to change destiny, there are quite a number of subplots involving other characters. So, if you haven't read the novels and if you haven't watched the first movie as well, you'll find yourself lost while trying to understand the characters and storyline that don't seem to make any sense most of the time.

Let me highlight some of the main characters:1. Anton: The main character who wants to use the Chalk of Fate to change destiny, Light Other, Night Watch operative.

2. Svetlana: Anton's love interest and apprentice, Light Other, Night Watch operative.

3. Gesar/Boris: Head of the Night Watch operatives/Light Others.

4. Olga: Light Other, Night Watch operative.

5. Yegor: Anton's son who chooses Darkness. Note: In the novels, Yegor is not Anton's son.

6. Zabulon: Head of the Day Watch operatives/Dark Others.

7. Alisa: Zabulon's minion and love interest.

8. Kostya: A vampire whom Alisa falls in love with, Dark Other.

The best parts of the movie come from its fast-paced and mind-boggling scenes, such as a car being driven vertically along a tall building and racing cars driven at impossible speed without causing disastrous accidents. Excellent special effects and well-composed soundtracks give added boost to the movie too.

In summary, this movie is recommended for those who are into dark fantasy.

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #164

A cute turtle keychain from colleague. She just came back from her Pulau Redang vacation.

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Movie: Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)

Stay in the Light

Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) is a post-apocalyptic thriller movie.

Synopsis: When a massive power outage plunges the city of Detroit into total darkness, a disparate group of individuals find themselves alone. The entire city's population has vanished into thin air, leaving behind heaps of empty clothing, abandoned cars and lengthening shadows. Soon the daylight begins to disappear completely, and as the survivors gather in an abandoned tavern, they realize the darkness is out to get them, and only their rapidly diminishing light sources can keep them safe.

The synopsis sounds very intriguing and the first 20 minutes of the storyline is very promising. Some parts of the movie are shot in style, capitalizing on our fear of shadows lurking in dark corners. The idea is to make you scared of the dark. An interesting concept to play with but overall, this movie is generally disappointing.

No thanks to a vague storyline, poor effects, and lousy acting. Hayden Christensen is Luke, who unwillingly becomes the leader of the group while trying to escape the apocalypse; Thandie Newton is Rosemary, a distraught woman searching for her missing baby; John Leguizamo is Paul, a cinema projectionist; and Jacob Latimore is James, a 12-year old boy whose mother was a bartender at the tavern before she disappeared. All of them try too hard to make their characters believable and their attempt backfires. I wonder what crosses their mind when they are starring in the movie.

Actually, a movie with this premise has great potential to generate mounting suspense and lead the audience to connect the dots in the plot and satisfy ourselves with possible explanation, be it logical or not.

Sadly, when this movie comes to an end, I'm dumbfounded. Far from being impressed, I'm profoundly confused because the ending doesn't make sense and there really isn't anything to explain. So, seriously, don't bother to watch this movie.

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Project 365 2011 - Photo #163

We're taking the first step in our wedding planning. :D

We'll be registering for the Catholic Marriage Preparation Course (CMPC) at St. Ignatius Church, Petaling Jaya.

From Ignatian Online: CMPC is a 7-week programme for couples intending to get married, where one or both individual(s) are Catholics. The purpose of the CMPC is to prepare couples for Catholic Marriage and the Vocation of Family Life and Love. Successful completion of the CMPC is mandatory for couples intending to be married in the church.

This course must be completed at least 9 months before the intended wedding date.

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