Wordless Wednesday post-holiday ...

Yo welcome back all you workaholics! Crash any house parties? Got drunk on sodas and Raya cookies over the weekend? Gathered enough ang pows to cover your next roadtrip adventure? As for me... only managed to visit 3 houses this year for Raya so far, and that's only because I take serious invitations seriously.

And this my friends, is what food, fun, fellowship is all about! The redefinition of my Raya holiday and extended weekend...

 2nd Day Raya Breakfast with Laksa Sarawak ...

@Fat Cat Cafe, Stutong, Kuching

And iced coffee...

So what else is new, other than this extra curves? The more to hold me with baby... :p

The Expendables 2 ...

Opting to watch movies instead of Raya house visiting?

If you're looking for intelligent storyline, this isn't it. If you're looking for some ass-kicking scenes, this could be it. If you're looking for tough good looking guys, this also could be it only if you're into men past their primes. But if you're looking to watch your favorite action heroes from the preceding generation congregating for an hour plus working towards a common goal without killing each other, then oh yeah, this is it!

Google the plot yourself. What I can tell you is that watching THE EXPENDABLES 2 is like watching bits and pieces of Rambo, Die Hard, Delta Force, The Terminator, Universal Soldier, Masters of the Universe, The Transporter, and a little bit of Fist of Legend in there. The Expendable 1 had its moment of violence, gore, and dry jokes, but it was the first time some of these big time names got together and it was entertaining. But watching the sequel, I cannot help but feel as if it's the finale season of the heroes from that generation.

Like the character of Sylvester Stallone said "That plane belong in the museum"... to which Schwarzenegger replied "We all do..." Somehow that got me laughing like crazy. Oh the truth and the irony.  

 

Barney Ross, Lee Christmas and Hale Caesar...

Watch out for the famous one-liners -- I get a lot of points for spotting these! ha ha ha -- and some dry sarcasm that you wish you could use on your bosses or immediate supervisors on a daily basis.

A lot of blood, violence, and pretty hard to believe actions -- like running into the line of fire that came from all directions and not gotten hit even once, but wait, this is a movie la, no one dies but the bad guys--, and hard to decipher moments -- like if you're so tough and unpredictable, why didn't anyone do something brave and stupid to save one of their own but they could risk everyone's lives without even thinking? --- Hmm. 

All in all, it was very entertaining... for me at least. I bet there won't be anymore alumni movies like these -- we're not counting The Avengers or any of the comic book stuffs -- anymore because everyone's getting so old and wrinkly and slow. Although I can't say the same about Bruce Willis, and Statham is from a different era. I would've wanted to see more of Jet Li's part in this but oh well... Did I tell you Chuck Norris was there too, complete with that unmistakably hard to ignore music theme every time he appears? Too classic it was almost funny!

Imagine if they had Steven Seagal, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh and Michael Dudikoff that dude from American Ninja, it would've been really challenging to direct without one hero overshadowing the other. In fact, I would've preferred to watch Datuk Michelle playing the role of Maggie in here but again.. oh well...

To tell you the truth, I'm biased. I only watch it because of ehem Jason Statham and his sexy bald head and short legs. And for the pure ecstasy of watching Van Damme getting his ass kicked real hard and sorry ... never did like that guy.

Statham ... aww...

Nothing grand here people, you would probably rather wait for the DVD version if you don't want to waste your money going to the cinema. But if you're looking for some cheap and straight entertainment, why not. THE EXPENDABLES 2 is more about heroes having fun for the last time.

Happy holidays!!

Raya holiday wishes ...

It's rush hour outside!

All those last minute Raya shopping, schools out of sessions, and those not exactly celebrating also crowding the malls and streets looking for best deals... and here I am wishing it's 5.30pm already so I could clock out and join the throng of those not celebrating but pretending we are.

So chill out my fellow bloggers, my silent readers and stalkers... take a breather and enjoy the holiday season. Go have fun! Visit those open houses! Eat, drink and be merry!

Here's wishing all my friends, relatives, colleagues, ex-colleagues, blogger acquaintances, yo stalkers...

SELAMAT HARI RAYA!

And have a looooong restful weekend!

That stuff about blogging ...

So there I was half-way to the buffet table holding my huge empty heavy dinner plate, and got waylaid by a familiar face who's more interested in what I was doing there than who I was with. Sometimes familiarity and history tend to make people think that they have every right to shoot all kinds of questions at you and you're obligated to answer. And sometimes you answer anyway because you tend to think that you owe them some sort of explanations and all that we-go-way-back crap.

Actually, I was a little irked and annoyed that someone with that level of work experience, field expertise, education, and so-called openmindedness could be both sarcastic and cynical when it comes to technology and social media. I mean, the world is revolving, and if we don't catch up, or at least follow the progress from a safe distance, we'll forever be backward and stuck in the dark ages of our own mind.

Oh I was talking about blogging actually. Getting there now. Everytime I think about that few minutes of bothering to explain myself to the man, I just get riled up all over again. He knew I had been blogging for a few years already, and admittedly when I first started, the content were a little immature, personal, sometimes too dark and depressing, and without any focus. But now the content is more guided and focused and has grown up with me.

Still... I think that's the beauty of a blog. You can be random, you can be focused, and you can be you the best (or the worst) that you can be, or even grow up with it, like I did.

So, his questions? Bits and pieces of them sounded like this...

"I remember some of you were in the group with the media when we were doing this development coverage. I mean, bloggers? Come on. Have you seen any of the stuffs they write?"

To myself: Oh yes I have, they're good stuffs too. Good job. Nice. Knowing you even read them makes me proud of them bloggers yo...

"Why are you  telling the world what your room looks like, what toothpaste you use, what you eat, how you hold your chopstick, bla bla bla ... as if anyone would be interested? And then mixing with the press as if you're a reporter, I'm sorry to say, but your reports are not even newspaper stuff. Some of them are not even qualified to be called a writer... If you can call yourself that. A blogger.. come on. I don't  know why you guys even get invited. Free stuff?"

Ok I have to stop myself right here before I make myself upset again. Oh yeah, it was that hostile, stemming from, I suspected, the threat of a mere blogger standing right in front of him who gets invited to the same event as he was, treated with the same respect, and probably gets more hits and readership than he does. But then again, he wasn't talking about me, he was merely generally expressing his opinions (although I don't remember asking for them) about blogging and those closely or directly associated with it.

I let him finish before I politely answered. Was even getting a little defensive already because oh that did touch a nerve. At best, blogging is something I do in my free time, I write about stuffs that caught my fancy, I defended issues that are close to my heart, I expressed myself freely but always within the bounds of proprietary and the law, I tried not to offend any parties or groups or race or culture, I vent about life in general, and I read all other blogs that are worth reading. But then, anything worth writing is always worth reading.

That's the best part about blogging. It's not the same as writing for the press, sir, as if you don't already know. It's not even pure journalism stuff. In fact we didn't learn this in MassComm classes in my days. True, we're reporting on something sometimes, but you can't compare lil known us with you reporters from the press. We never even claim to be one. Those that do, they probably earned it. I'm humbled that I could even be invited to the same events as you are, to do a little coverage on the same stuff we attended, to write my piece in my own words, and to construct a complete entry that will never get through the editor's desk before I hit the 'post' button.

So what if we write day to day accounts of our journeys? So what if we take pictures and share them? So what if we have grammar mistakes sometimes, or that we repeat ourselves, or that we write not according to your set of rules? So what if we state our views and even be vain sometimes? We don't have an editor that checks our drafts nor do we need one, because we are each responsible for whatever we put up in the Internet. Don't you think we know that? Those who don't or ignore that bit, well, that's up to them.

You see, when writers are not being edited or corrected or rewritten, that's when the real opinion comes out, as honest as it gets. You don't have to like it all the time, you only need to evaluate it and decide whether to believe it, accept it, challenge it, or push it aside and discard it. Or if you want to drag some of them to jail, that's up to you too, since we have all been warned and so do you.

If you worry about why I'm here, ask the organisers, they're the ones doing the invitations. Don't be threaten by me or my peers, Sir, we're merely journal writers. Half of what we write will never even make it to the press. We are all aware that the medium is evolving very fast ... But that's another enty.

What I don't get is he is being paid for his job. I'm doing it for free. So, what is the problem again? I won't stop blogging just because you call my writing worthless. You should try it sometimes too, it's really therapeutic.

P/s: If any of my reporter/journalist friends is reading this, please don't be offended. Merely having a moment. And I claim the above as my own sole opinion on blogging/bloggers and not influenced or have anything to do with anyone/anything. And yes despite this difference in opinions, I am still friends with the man.

Step Up Revolution ...

I suggest that before you watch this movie, you should first (if you have not done so) watch Step Up, Step Up 2: The Streets, and Step Up 3D. Why? Because then you'd be able to compare the dance theme, the hot bodies, the brilliant choreographs, and new dance moves.

Not going to spoil the movie for you, so google the plot yourself. Lame storyline and weak chemistry aside, my overall verdict: WOW!  

The whole time I was watching this movie, I kept thinking about signing up for dance classes or getting that gym membership, or go see a personal trainer cum nutritionist about a weight loss program. Looking at all those flat tummies, lean bodies, toned muscles and healthy dispositions made me want to weep... or skip the next meal. Ha ha.

The finale moves ...

The Step Up Revolution theme is Flash Mob dancing, but it's unlike the usual flash mobs you see on TV where the steps are more or less the same like that of any line/group dancing. It's more complicated and very well rehearsed. Unlike the previous Step Up movies where the dancing were usually for competitions or bragging rights, this one is more about sending a message to the mass ... well at least towards the end, ie. after they messed up their chance at a contest initially.

New faces, new characters ... I was disappointed not to see any crew members from the previous movies except for Moose and Kido and that unnamed 'Cop' (from Step Up 2).You should see Moose... he has the Michael Jackson moves! Like I said, you should watch 2 and 3 before you watch this.

Moose, Kiddo and Cop...

What I probably don't get is, they are mob-dancing illegally and their faces are not exactly masked or hidden, so why can't the authority pinpoint them easily? Oh well, it is called a story... so I'll let that pass, and a lot more.

When it comes to watching a movie I enjoyed quite intensely in the end, I'm quite forgiving.  So not going to overanalyse anything. Just one: I still like Step Up 2: The Street way way better.

Baby, let's hit the gym!

7 facts about me...

I missed the beautiful adventures of July, it was in my record, the best month I've ever gone through, for some personal reasons that I shall not mention because you probably won't care all that much anyway. Curtains down on July and ...

Hello AUGUST! The good times should just keep on coming, shouldn't they?

And what better way to start the month rolling than to be tagged and flagged up by a Blogger Friend I've never met but who gives me all the reason in the world to keep on writing? Yep... Ms Rose from Rose' World has just awarded me with tada ...

I know a lot more of you out there are more versatile than me, more unique, more special, more talented, more grammartically and politically correct ... but like all of you, I take all my readers seriously and I appreciate all of them. So, Thank you Ms Rose for the award. You do warm my heart.

She did mention that I need to state 7 facts about myself, as part of the condition of accepting this virtual recognition, little, as it may be. Here I go -- painstakingly keeping a lot of things private while showing you a glimpse of the real person behind the name -- spelling out randoms facts about myself:

1. I am just recently taken off the market, so you can forget about me writing depressing stuffs in here ever again. I know some people (sometimes me included) who feeds on other people's depression and misery that they bother to put online (yeah, the dark side of us all), but hoooo yeah! Enough about that. It's finally time to write about happy stuffs. Told you it'll be a good year.

Sorry, I tend to babble and be wordy when I'm excited, but next!

2. I drink coffee everyday, not all the time, but at least once a day. It runs in the family, that caffeinated bloodline and all... Wait, you already know this useless fact.

3. I am more of a jeans and tshirt person. But I occasionally wear a casual dress for outing when I feel like it.

4. I'm not crazy about durians, but I love tempoyak (fermented durian).

5. I have changed jobs for the 5th time, including this current one, throughout my whole life. But if you count the part time ones, that'll be 11th jobs in all. Thank God for the wage that pays my bills.

6. I am a phone-with-keypad person. I loath touch screens. But somehow, I gotta start learning it because hey I gotta move right along with the IT revolution right? sigh...

7. I kiss my parents everytime I go back to my own place. If I leave without doing that, I would feel miserable the whole week, like something's missing. Someone from my past once told me I should never stop kissing my mom or dad just because I'm all grown up and they're old. They're the only ones I have, while I still have them.

So that's the 7 facts about me. Useless, all of them, right? :p

And with that, here's wishing you a lovely August, and a nice weekend!