Boring Telly

I'm in an irritable mood. I feel grouchy.
Maybe I still need sleep to recover from the lack of it. I slept around 2am last night and woke up close to noon just now, and I yawning away already.
Maybe stupid Drogba's goal in the last 5 minutes of yesterday's game, which went into extra time, make me feel dissatisfied.
Maybe Doolittle's elimination from American Idol make me feel sad.

Maybe I just feel lost. While preparing for exams, I was pratically SQUEEZING time in to watch Amazing Race All Stars, American Idol, Heroes and my favourite sports games.
Now the Amazing Race has finished racing, so Mondays nights are boring.
Melinda Doolittle's out of Idol, leaving only my other hopeful Jordin Sparks in the finals, so, I'm kinda half enthusiastic about the show this coming Wednesday and Thursday.
Soccer season is practically over.
There aren't much baseball games on telly.
The only 2 I can count on now Heroes and F1 races. But then again, season 1 of Heroes has wrapped in the US, and countdown is happening here now.
Damn, I need to find some programs to fill the "tv-void". Maybe I should start watching 麻辣天后宫 (Gossip Queen) back again. I stopped watching it for close to 3 months already. I can't start watching my TVB or Jap serials. Because once I start on one episode, I'll carry on and on, no need to do my text readings or study already.

I'm bored and sleepy...

WTF?!

I'm definately pissed, not pleased! Americans who voted for American Idol or say they are ardent fans of American Idol should get their ears checked. Reasons not in any order of importance or preference... (To those whom find it offensive, I apologise in advance...)

1) Last year, Chris Daughtry's place in the final was given to someone who shoved her boobs into the final. But never mind, he's now selling more albums any ANYONE on the show last year, well, that includes some of my favourites like Taylor Hicks & Kellie Pickler. But never mind, he's selling albums, not boobs.
2) This year, history repeats itself. The "Resident Pro" (as Randy Jackson always address her as) was voted out, and place given to Beatbox-er Blake. Hellooooo, American Idol is a SINGING competition, NOT BEATBOX competition. Like what Dear says, he sings out of beat! OMG!!! Why is he not voted out instead? I really pray hard some producer will sign Melinda Doolittle up.
3) Well, either the show is fixed, or Americans are really deaf. It happened with La Toya and Hudson, happened with Trias, happened with Daughtry, now Doolittle.

Luckily, I still have a reason to watch the finale, because another of my favourite, Jordin Sparks is still in. If she doesn't win, I'm kinda convinced that the show is fixed... I'm suffering from Doolittle Withdrawal Symptoms already.

Amazing Amazing Race

Uchenna & Joyce came in last in this week's episode in Amazing Race: All Stars and were eliminated. Why this episode was amazing was due to certain reasons...
1) I actually got up early at 8am to watch the simulcast from the US.
2) Coming in first last week, they took very very risky decision and kind of stupid too, and thus ended up in last place.
3) When you depart from the pit start, in cases of travelling to another country, the clue will tell you which airport to land in that country and which mode of transport (walk, taxi, drive, public transport, etc) you should take to your "first" destination upon arriving that country. From there you will retrieve your next clue which either informs you to go to another destination, or perform a roadblock or detour. It was the first time I saw a clue that said: "Take a taxi to the next pit stop..."

Uchenna and Joyce were almost the first to get tickets to fly out, but they took a very risky route, choosing one that only allowed an hour of connection time for transit. For most international flights, you need at least 45 minutes and any delays will cause you to miss the flight. They had gotten a concierge to help them book tickets and could have asked him to find alternate routes, or do it themselves, before comfirming on this risky route. Always consider all options before deciding...
While waiting to check in, they were talking to three other teams, Ozzy and Danny, Dani and Eric, and the Beauty Queens, who were on a "safer" route but would arrive slightly later. Mirna and Charla managed to research their way through the internet for a much earlier flight. All the three teams cautioned them that it was too risky, and I was wondering if rules would allow them to change flights after getting tickets, which I think they should be able to, because Dani and Eric did it once.
If I were them, I would reconsider and tried to change for the flight they were taking because there are three other teams with you as an "insurance." Uchenna and Joyce are aggressive racers, but I never thought they would take such a kind of risk, knowing that there are three other teams on the same flight. Reaching early in the next destination does gives you lead time to do the tasks, but if there are three teams together with you, it just boils down to who completes the tasks faster. In the end, their first flight touched down ten minutes late and thus they missed the connecting flight.
By the time they touched down, all four other teams had already completed the tasks and were checked in. Hence, that was the reason why the clue read: "Take a taxi to the next pit stop..." when they arrived at Batu Caves, the "first" destination upon arriving in Malaysia.

I was kinda of sad, but now am ok. Maybe I would feel sadder if they had lost because they finished the tasks last. Now, I hoping either the Beauty Queens or Ozzy and Danny will get the million bucks. I just can't stand Charla and Mirna and Eric's too bitchy for my liking. I kind of thinks he bullies Dani too! She always ends up doing the tough roadblocks and Eric gets all the less physically challenged ones, I really pity Dani as being his girlfriend... Poor girl...
The Beauty Queens are really seemingly nice (not as bitchy as Eric), though they yielded Dani and Eric in this week's episode. They soak up the pressure, are polite to the locals (not like Mirna who always shouts at people) and not extremely cunning (the opposite of Rob and Amber). Nice people will have their rewards and I hope they will be rewarded with that one million bucks!
My reason of backing Ozzy and Danny, I think they are damn funny.

STM Again!

When I was blogging just now, I wanted to add some stuff into the entry. But I forgot! So, I'm here again to finish the unfinished...

1stly: Either coffee hates my SCPPP text or my text hates coffee... I spilled coffee on my text AGAIN! My text is sooooo damn ugly now! Argh! I hate it! Might as well, I should soak the entire text into coffee, so all the pages are uniformly brown...

2ndly: Uchenna & Joyce came in last in this week's episode in Amazing Race: All Stars, I almost cried when they checked into the pit stop. Thank God it was a non-elimination leg. However, they need to come in 1st, if they don't, they will have a 30-min penalty assessed. I hope they will pull through just like how they did during the last season they participated in. Touch wood, if they do come in last again, I hope it's another non-elimination round, cos usually there are 2 every race.

3rdly: I can't help my eager-ness. I went to Heroes officially webby and read the synopsis all the way till episode 18, 11 episodes ahead of what axn is showing. I kinda feel like kicking myself in the ass for doing that, cos it just spoils what's coming ahead, but, it's great to know that the one whom I suspect is the baddie, isn't the baddie after all. The baddie, is... hehehe... Read the webby to find out... Warning: contains spoilers...

4thly: I wana watch TMNT!!! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, turtles in a half shell... Argh, I'm like waiting for soooooo long for it! Thankfully, it's in all good cinemas this Friday!!! Woohoo!!!

5thly: Finally went to eat at Liang Court's Meidi-ya's Supermarket's "foodcourt" just now after buying friend's bday pressie. The Jap curry was yummmmmmyyyyyy, and the pork loin, woooooooo, so tender... Thinking of it makes my mouth water. But the potato salad was a bit off, kinda too sweet for a potato salad, but then again, I'm a damn freaking big sucker for Jap stuff. However, its just weird how come I don't have a soft spot for Toyotas, instead, I have a soft spot for Bentleys, Chrysler PT Cruisers and vintage cars, esp Mini Coopers and Beetles. Hmm...

Back to my text...

Now Showing... 1st Cuts: Sweet Dream and Turtle Soup

i remembered sometime back i dissed a whole load abt sg's film industry. but i watched the first installment of 1st cuts just now, n it threw me back a little. 1st cuts is a series of 4 unrelated stories, shot in HD (high-def) in a kinda tele-movie style.

first, ms shi will tok on the HD thingy... its digital more thn digital if u get wht i mean. colours r slightly sharper, so r the pictures. n i watched it on a 14-inch tv w/ a (oopsy) portable antena which resulted in a bit of "double vision". still, the pics looks soooooo good. but to compare with film, film is of cos better. HD n digital dun give tt kinda "grainy" thingy.

now, i'll tok on the telemovie. script was good!!! in my sense sorta way. its abt a mother n daughter, discovering themselves n each other whn things happen. well, wht could be worse whn u're fatherless, yr granny's in hospital, u're preparing for your O's, yr best friend dun understand u, n u have to help out everyday at the stall, leaving no time to study, much less even for sleeping...

whn thy started to display a certain festival happening in sg's chinese community n the timeline (eg; 5 months to o levels), i tot it was to let viewers understand how much time was left for this gal to study. but its only till she asked her mum y she wans to celebrate all kinda festival, thn i really understood the meaning behind it. before her dad passed away, he would write all the festivals n the calender. n y the mum wanted to celebrate was i guess in remembrence of the dad...

it's a telemovie n i shouldn't cry, in a more common sense of way. but i did. whn both mum n daughter finally understood each other, it was shot/told in such a subtle way. it was touching n tugging at my heart...

eh, but i got something to comment on the lighting leh... maybe its the HD thingy, the "white" looks glaring, thus making those scenes which needed lights turned a bit fake, although the shadows aren't harsh. there was this shot whr the mum was at the stall, n the market behind her was closed. coudn't c much details in the backgrd, thus making the foreground (whr the mum was) a bit kinda "slapped" onto a black screen, mayb it was the contrast between black n white which was too much for me to take.

whn the credits rolled, i saw a familiar few names, like heard n seen their names somewhr out there before... but there was one, i was definate i knew him, m senthil... he was the grip for this telemovie n my coursemate! woohoo!

but overall the movie was good.... really good... if possible, (i might be thinking sfc, mda n raintree pix might read this...) send it for some film fest, digital section... might get back something...

cant wait for the 2nd one next week... btw, its on mediacorp channel 5, 11pm, right after survivor!

n, i missed luo shen's ending last 2 epis again.... damn it! for the 2nd time already! grr... mayb i should just borrow the tape back...

Where are my baseball matches?!?!?!

By the way, stupid ESPN still not showing the baseball matches!!! Argh!!! Pek chek!!! Wonder have to wait how long more... Sianz...

Kor Kor, thanks for your "Zui"! Jeter hurt...

Sob sob... No live telecast of MLB games on SG's ESPN yet... Made me so happy for nothing. Checked out espnstar.com n found that they only start telecasting on the 10th... They betta not push it to a later date again... So i chked mlb.com to chk out NYY's season opener's score. Thy won, but Derek Jeter (sob sob...) dislocated his shoulder n will be out of action for a while... Haizzzzzzzzzz........

There's never ending news of people getting SARS, when will it ever stop?! Poly n uni students have appealed for the institutes to be closed during this period, the ministry refused. Now, after a student from NP kena, they closed NP for 3 days n poly staff had to track those who were in contact wif tt student. I was thinking, if only these institutes are closed at the same time as the pri n sec sch n jcs, thy would not have to go thru so much trouble. Pardon me, but I think the authories are just not doing things enuff in order to contain the virus spread.

Leslie Zhang Guo Rong, singer of my all-time fave song "Zui" commited suicide on Apr Fools Day. When I first heard the news thru CNA, I was thinking, wht a crude Apr Fools joke. When CNA reported it again, the news started to sink in, but i just cant believe it. The next day, there was newspapers spread n the entertainment news progs aso reported, it was thn i really realised it was true. Although i still refuse to believe what has happened, the fact is that it has already happened. He's so so talented... "Kor Kor (which he is usually called), everyone will miss you n your songs"

His death reminded me of Zhang Yu Sheng. Although he did not take his life, he was involved in an accident which made him lay in hospital for many days, never waking up n died. The images of him layin on the hospital bed, Amei, Su Rei and other frds holding hands in a cricle saying prayers for him and an inconsable Amei who was crying n crying, all these images seems to happen jus only ystday. Even at a memorial concert on his one year death anniversary, the image of Amei crying on stage, unable to finish her song which he wrote for her, is still so fresh in my mind.

Do talented artists have to come to a not so good end? Y do thy have to pass away this way? Or are there many others who died this way, n jus that thy are in the limelight, we are able to feel the loss to the industry? Do most of them suffer from depression? Tao Zi made a comment on her show which i agree, "Leslie is like 'so up there', many of us would think twice abt calling to chat wif him cos we are jus small fries". So do great artistes have to be lonely?

Angbows, tv, pirate queen...

Jan's coming to an end... so is chinese new year... yet to count my angbows but i estimate should have a tad little over 300, thanks to a boost of 200 from my parents.

Some things r done, some yet to be done. my adobe stuff r still in the cupboard waiting for a new lease of life on my comp. yet to install nero on my comp too... waiting for the "mood" n a day to finish up all these stuff.

Watching a show now on scv 55... plot's now on a couple... the guy is a useless bum, has a mistress outside. the pregnant wife, or rather soon to be ex-wife filed for divorce n is suffering from stomach cancer. now, she's seeking treatment from a close friend, the "now" gf of her ex bf.. confusing? a bit eh? hehe...

i'm downloading all of the episodes from sex and the city season 1!!! most epis still abt 40% done... boy, i really hate the censorship here in SG... Dun let me get started on it, i'll nvr stop... so, no dvds or tapes or telecast? i turn into a pirate queen! so i say... the censors here r making us turn to piracy indirectly! not tt i'm pushing the blame, its a cause n effect thing, rite? hehe... bleh... "lazy" to argue or debate abt this now...

back to my tv...

Gaining wisdom or wisdom gained?

Was watching TV San Jian Ke just now... Xiao Zhu damn good looking... Hehe... Always had tried to catch the show every week cos Xiao Zhu's in it!!! In the last segment of the show, TV Shou Ca Xian, a mother requested the program to help her locate her son who hasn't been home for 2 mths, not even called. She had approached his best frd before, but he refused to say anything. Xiao Zhu n Hei Ren managed to persuade this best frd abt his whereabouts, only to lead them to a garage whr he had quitted work as a car mechanic a month ago. A chk with the colleagues thr found out that he's currently working in a hotel. So thy went over to the hotel to look for him. Thy managed to locate him and his superior made him call home in front of the tv crew. He did call home to say tt he'll go home for a visit at noon time tmr, but he nvr turned up. Xiao Zhu n Hei Ren decided to let someone from the crew follow him home the next day, thus getting the address. The following day, thy went to fetch the mum to look for her son at his place. Hei Ren gave the son a scolding n thy left after tt. A few months later, the TV crew checked with the mum to c if the son had returned home to visit again n he did not. Xiao Zhu n Hei Ren said something v true. Repay yr parent's love n gratitude while thy are still ard. Thr's no use in putting up a huge procession for the funeral whn thy're dead.

I was brushing my teeth jus now n felt pain on my right lower jaw. Saw a white dot peeping out of the gum. Haiz, another wisdom tooth on its way... Soon, it'll be like the other time, chew food, pain pain... Haiz...

Suddenly I miss all those old games... Dig Dug, Pacman, etc... Dunno y aso...

Stay...

Went to “lim kopi” at Coffeebean, Holland Village (HV) with Keat n Chee today. Talked abt his recent trips to Taiwan n abt other MIA Mei Chin pple. Saw Jerry n Qi today too. Jerry was working n Qi came to HV for dinner wif friends.

Amok’s on his way to Genting now, coming back only on Mon. Nites online w/out him a bit sian cos we talk on icq almost every nite. But it’s ok cos I most prob got a test coming up nxt tues and I’ve to get some stuff for the upcoming softball camp starting on Thurs. And I’ve lots to catch up on my dvd project. Argh… Busy me again… Besides these, I still have to settle cable/ broadband n SCV subscriptions wif my mum.

Yes!!! I’m getting cable n SCV AT LAST!!! No more dial-ups n disconnections!!! No more nites where there is footy on telly n I can’t get to watch it!!! No choice but to subscribe to SCV cos they bring in ESPN. N ESPN got EXCLUSIVE rights to the English Premiere League (EPL). They even got rights to other big games n leagues over the world. Do u call that monopolisation? Anyway, once the SCV subscription is done, I’ll have access to EPL, baseball and softball games!!! Isn’t that SO wonderful? Yokuyata!!! As for cable? Need I say more?

Saw the advert for the “Xing Shuo” vcd jus now on tv. Brought back memories again. The theme song, “Stay” goes like this:

Stay, ying wei ye tai mei, ji mo de yue liang xu yao xing xing pei.

Stay, bu guan ye duo hei, bu guan tian hui liang, bu qu xiang ming tian.

Dai wo fei yuan yuan de, dao tian ya, dao hai jiao,

Hao han de tian ji li, zhi yao you ni pei.

Ye xu ku, ye xu tian, bu hai pai, bu hou hui,

Ying wei ai rang wo men zai ye fen bu kai, Just stay.

~Literally translates to~

Stay, cos the nite’s beautiful, the lonely moon needs stars for company.

Stay, not caring if the nite’s too dark or if dawn will break, not thinking abt tomorrow.

Bring me to a faraway place, to the end of the world n edges of the oceans.

The vast horizon only wants you for company.

Be it bitter or sweet, not afraid and w/out regrets.

Cos of love, that’s why we’ll stay together, just stay.

While translating the song, Kevin called. Long story, so I wun talk abt it. Dun wanna make it seem that my entries are always so damn long.

Time to check e-mails… That’s all for today, folks…