When it just eludes you

I really don't get this no matter how many times I read it again and again....

PETA is taking it to a whole new level

Apparently I have been linked in a comment for a feminist's post regarding PETA exploiting women for their publicity campaigns. I have nothing much to say about PETA and of the near nude women posing in their ads but I do feel that sometimes, feminists really need to relax and not get their panties in a bunch over a seemingly harmless way of getting messages across.

The comment linked my post, 'When Men Go Nude' and while I'm totally alright with that, it also said that the following picture could be found on my blog. Actually I have never seen the aforementioned ad picture for PETA and I have not posted it on my blog.

The thing is, I liked it. It certainly makes a statement. So here you go.

Probably I'll be linked to the Pope's blog for this? I can almost imagine the title of the post , "Die you sinners! Thou shalt burn in hell." Or something similar in context...

Oh my nuts!

I was browsing through the AskMen.com articles when I came across this in their Manly Vegetables writeup.

Walnuts

They’re not veggies, but they’re just too manly to overlook. Walnuts have been used for millennia to enhance rock-hard maleness, if you catch my drift. More recently, scientists at the University of Malaya in Malaysia have developed a potent love potion from walnuts that rivals that famous blue pill performance-wise. The natural supplement, which contains the equivalent of 3.3 kg of walnuts, boosts performance for up to four hours. Still, eating a few walnuts every day has added benefits. They’re loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, a protective fat that has been shown to boost brain power, protect your cardiovascular system and stave off the worst effects of rheumatoid arthritis. They are, however, high in calories, so limit your intake.

Certainly not bad huh? Well, the thing is I really disliked the lecturer who spearheaded the research. In my opinion, he is one crappy lecturer that had no ability to teach whatsoever. It didn't help that I hated the subject he lectured on too. And oh yeah, I felt that he was one of those typical Chinese lecturers that resembled all the things I dislike in the Chinese in general.

Being reminded of him when I'm surfing a US men's website is something totally unexpected.

A book review: The Camomile Lawn

I seem to have a thing for British writers. I find their writing exceptionally beautiful and Mary Wesley's The Camomile Lawn is of no exception. Masterfully written, it vividly describes the tale of five cousins in wartime London and Cornwall - of despair, of hope, of sexual comforts and of lost innocence. The story reflects on how the uncertainties of war affects every aspect of life and how the heightened sense of mortality sheds inhibitions on love and values.

In my opinion, it is a book worth reading. It's actually a rather intense tale and I found it hard to put the book down after opening it up. Surprisingly though, there was humour to be found in the book with candid moments that I think is refreshing in a tale about war. It kept the story balanced, saving readers from being bored.

To balance the unlimited was to make it limited

It was just perfect. It couldn't get any better. I was so pleased that I actually couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. I mean, could something free be that good? Well apparently it can be.

Yes, it was the most perfect seats. Dead right in the centre - not too close to the stage and yet not too far either. I was pleased that I could get free tickets for such good seats.

Then I saw the musical.

To be fair, I would say that it was not really my kind of thing. The humour, the pop culture references and the songs were just not right for me. I am sure alot of effort was put into it and it was a commendable work. However, the musical scores were not original (they used melodies from popular songs) and I found that abit corny. To make it worse, the humour was forced and it seemed like they were trying too hard to make you laugh. I felt the entertainment value was abit limited.

Performance-wise, it was good but other than that I can't say anything more positive about it.

Good seats, bad musical.

A rather good balance don't you think?

Accrued Benefits

I have been sleeping alot more lately. When I was a student, I only slept for about five hours a day and it was, surprisingly enough for me to function. Of course, I slept in lectures too but that's beside the point. Now, even ten hours a day is not sufficient for me to feel rested.

I scoffed at others that have an early bedtime before and look at me now - I'm asleep everyday at ten. It is kind of sad thing when you think about it.

Oh, I know, sleeping more is a good thing. Studies are showing that you can even lose more weight if you get sufficient sleep each day. Nothing like some beauty sleep, eh?

I got the sleeping part down to pat alright.

When does the beauty part kick in?

Lukewarm at best

I'm feeling a little disgruntled at the way I was treated today. I may not have been to many events since I started my job but I think, I have been to enough to tell that the company was not treating us right. Fine, maybe they thought focusing more of their attention on the retailers is the wise thing to do. Nevertheless, we, the media are the ones that not only will be reporting on your product launch but writing about your product. I think I shall give a lukewarm writeup at best, as I was received that way.

Alcoholics Anonymous

I feel like crap.

I had too much too drink yesterday at an office drinks session yesterday - and maybe a little too much too eat as well. Came back with a heavy head, totally inebriated and a full stomach. Fell asleep for a while and got up to hurl. Yes, hurl. Now I know why it is aptly called hurling. The flying projectile when rather far and with a rather great force. I could actually feel my stomach constricting totally as it emptied everything I had. Luckily I made it too the loo.

I can't really remember much but I think I did text a few people when I my brain was in shutdown. I hope I didn't say anything inappropriate.

Can't blame me. I had a bad day yesterday. Blame the horrible day?

Now, I'm nursing a bad hangover.

And everyone wonders why I don't drink.

Creative Coma

I think I'm suffering from writing overdose...

Too much of a good thing is bad.

Help?

LOL

Actually I wanted to write something about my day doing some men's beauty product research at the Pavilion and Suria KLCC but then somehow lost the will when I was trying to put together sentences. Am I desensitizing my creative thoughts to mental stimulation? Will that creative spark eventually burn out?

Crap. I'm raving and I totally don't know where I am heading with this post.

It's gonna me Monday again tomorrow. Join me lapsing into a coma?

Take a stand for those that can't

Today I made a difference. I pledged Rm 30 each month to the WWF Malaysia to help with their ongoing nature conservation efforts. I've always wanted to donate but I was a student back then - now that I'm working, why not? One dollar a day is not that much to myself but it will make alot of difference to the animals saved by the efforts of the WWF.

I made a stand for those that can't.

Will you?

Gratifying

So it has finally reached the one month mark of me working. How has it been? Oh, sure I have my complaints and the usual moanings about deadlines and stuff. However, if you ask me, I can't imagine myself doing anything else for a living. Writing is fun and nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing my name in print above a well written piece.

I received my first official paycheck yesterday. Yeap, money well earned is money to be proud of. However, you know what is better? I received the June issue of my magazine too yesterday - hot off the printing press. Let me tell you, it was one of the best moments of my life. Finally, I am a published writer.

If I had to describe my feelings in one word about my job, it would be...

- Gratifying -

How many out there can say the same thing? :)

Make sure you get it once it hits the bookshops. I have three articles in this issue but in the next issue, you'll definitely see more of me :)

My achy breaky body

I had a fitness event at Mont Kiara this afternoon. It was with Get Active, a personal training studio and I felt like a Hollywood star for at least a few hours. I had the services of a personal trainer and I think it was a really good experience. I mean, professional advice tailored to your fitness level, needs and goals - what more could you ask for?

My personal trainer, Amy was professional, cheerful and a really wonderful person to be around. Nevertheless, she really put me through the paces thoroughly. I went home feeling feeling achy but yet satisfied. I would certainly get her for full time training if only I had the cash. Naturally, they don't come cheap and good things even more so.

Should I continue with the regimen since I do have a gym at my place? I'll let my laziness do the talking.

A first taste

I attended my first theater production today and I had great fun. It was the local production of Paula Vogel's How I Learned To Drive and it was staged at the Actors Studio, Bangsar. As much of a neophyte I may be, I would say it was good. The script was fantastic and I savoured the language immensely.

Really wonderful.

My Devil Wears Prada Week 1

So one week has passed. Honestly, it wasn't bad. I had fun and ultimately it was a great experience. So much to learn, so much to pick up and so much to absorb in so much of a short time. What did I do?

Let's see. I finished a couple of editorial pieces. Completed an advertorial piece. Attended my first cover shoot and got to meet Malaysian singer, Ezlynn. Wrote the cover story and went for a beauty product launch.

Alot to happen in five days.

I survived.

My Alma Mater - A Love Affair

So it happened that I dropped by to visit my old school today. I didn't realize that it was the last day of school today before the term break and hence the overall atmosphere was rather hectic. Nevertheless, it came as a pleasant surprise that most of my teachers remembered me, if not by name at least by sight. I thought that it has been a rather long time since I paid a visit, I think about two years since I left five years ago. Nostalgic? Yeah, I miss my teachers - at least most of them.

Average makes it to the top

All hail Whitney, the very first average size model to win America's Next Top Model. Cycle 10 was a little bit disappointing but I really liked Whitney from the beginning. I think she's simply gorgeous.

This is one of the few times that the girl I really liked won. I was really rooting for her.

Kite Killer

Oh yeah. I watched The Kite Runner a few days back and I was a little bit disappointed. Oh, the movie was good but that was the problem - it was just good and nothing else. It did not give me any more reason for better praises and neither did it make an impact great enough for me to leave the cinema feeling awed. If I would be more brutal, I would like to say that the plot felt a little bit contrived. Certainly it was heart rending but overall, it felt forced as if the movie propelled forward with the sole purpose of making everyone shed a tear or two. I could very well make a prediction on what would be happening next just based on choosing the saddest thing that could happen in the storyline, short of killing off the main character that is.

I think all I'm trying to say is that there are other ways of evoking emotions that just relying on showcasing brutalities and deaths. Of course, there is nothing wrong with brutalities and deaths in a movie but when you have so many of those until other aspects are hidden, then it feels a tiny bit over the top. Other values of kinship, friendship and love in the movie was shunted aside in the attempt to milk sorrow from the audience.

Yes, I have not read the book but strangely, I'm not motivated to purchase it after watching the movie.

Phones

I found this hilarious. Couldn't stop laughing. Maybe because I didn't expect the punchline to be from the maid.

The phone bill was exceptionally high and the man of the house called a family meeting.

Dad: People, this is unacceptable. You have to limit the use of the phone. I do not use this phone, I use the one at the office.

Mum: Same here, I hardly use this home telephone as I use my work telephone.

Son: Me too, I never use the home phone. I always use my company mobile.

Maid: So what is the problem? We all use our work telephones.

Free

After about two decades of continuous education today is the day I finally end it all. This very day marks the end of one phase of my life and the beginning of another.

Free?

Probably not. Henceforth begins the phase of backbreaking labour that follows financial independence.

How does that feel? A little intimidating and yet in many ways so, very seductive. To be finally earning your keep. It is a hallmark of worries to come. :)

A book review: My Family and Other Animals (Gerald Durrell)

This is long overdue. Oh, well. Here goes.

This book is purely wonderful. I'm a lover of animals and any tale involving animals usually do capture my interest and my good opinion. However, this book is more than that. It tells the story of Gerald Durrell during his childhood stay on the Greek island of Corfu and the many animals he met, discovered and kept as pets. Woven into the story is the various antics and eccentricities of his family that really made the book such fun to read. Indeed, the book is full of wit, satire and sarcasm that livens up the story in so many ways, making it all really laughable.

I got the book at the weekend flea market at Amcorp and it was really such a steal. I forgot how much I paid for it but it was only a few bucks. Gerald Durrell wrote various other books and I'm currently searching for them. I'm hooked.

Yeah, they even made a television series based on the book. I can't seem to find a download so I guess I'll have to purchase it.

Finally, I'll leave you with an excerpt that really made me laugh and I feel that was a wonderful ending to the book. He managed to capture the sorrow of leaving Corfu but yet manages to make light of the event by injecting a little humour into the scene, making it a perfect closing to a great tale.

As the ship drew across the sea and Corfu sank shimmering into the pearly heat haze on the horizon a black depression settled on us, which lasted all the way back to England. The grimy train scuttled its way up from Brindisi toward Switzerland, and we sat in silence, not wishing to talk. Above our heads, on the rack, the finches sang in their cages, the Magenpies chuckled and hammered with their beaks, and Alecko gave a mournful yarp at intervals. Around our feet, the dogs lay snoring. At the Swiss frontier our passports were examined by the disgracefully efficient officials. He handed them back to Mother, together with a small slip of paper, bowed unsmilingly, and left us to our gloom. Some moments later Mother glanced at the form the official had filled in, and as she read it, she stiffened.

'Just look what he's put,' she exclaimed indignantly, 'impertinent man'

Larry stared at the little form and snorted.

'Well, that's the penalty you pay for leaving Corfu,' he pointed out.

On the little card, in the column headed Description of Passengers had been written, in neat capitals: One traveling Circus and Staff.

'What a thing to write,' said Mother, still simmering, 'really some people are peculiar'.

The train rattled towards London.

On the moon with Armstrong

It is finally out. I've waited for this so so so so long. Why does it take so long for a book to be published in paperback?

These money grubbing publishers should be rounded up and made to eat their own hardcover books. Then let them use all that money earned from forcing people to buy these hardcover editions of books to get their stomach cut open and the books removed.

I'm rambling. Shouldn't be rambling when there's such a nice nice exciting wonderful book to be read.


Can't wait to read about my all time favourite necromancer.

Ciao!

Celebrating Gaia

And your homework today is to go read up on the Gaia Hypothesis. It's a very interesting read. Do your little part and be more aware of our earth.

Blogosphere's 50 Most Unknown Bachelors

I'm late again. Whoops. Forgive me Sam?

BACHELOR NO : Err....What's my number again?

NAME : Zyklon22

OCCUPATION : Writer :)

AGE : 23

ZODIAC : Dual Cancer/Leo ( born on the cusp) with Scorpio on the rising

FAVE HANGOUT : A bedroom with an internet connection, telly, chips and books.

TALENT : To be a stoic temperemental.

Three things you can’t live without?

My wit, my confidence and my innate ability to be evil.

What is the sweetest thing a girl / guy has done for you?

A sweet, self written poem sms-ed to me on my birthday that put a smile on my face. I shall not elaborate. I'm still keeping it in my hp.

The most daredevil thing I’ve ever done is...

Trekking in a bloody cave full of bleeding bats without a fkin guide, but of course - with wacky friends. :)

What’s one thing you’re glad you’ve outgrown?

I'm glad I've outgrown being dependent on having company around me constantly.

Your biggest mistake is...

Not having the courage to break out from the mold shaped by social obligations and personal expectations earlier in life.

Which actor would play you in a movie about your life?

Tobey Maguire? LOL

Why do women / men...

Why do women feel that they should have everything in their favour? Gender equality comes with both the bad and the good. Take it or leave it I would say.

And I write

It is official. I picked up my letter of appointment today, got it signed and now, I'm officially employed. I am gonna be a writer! Woot!

My thoughts? It is surreal. Never would I imagine that I could be writing for a living. Even saying that sounds unbelievable. There is something dreamlike about it all. It will take a while to fully sink in I guess.

My feelings about the whole thing? It's all excitement and thrill washed down with a smattering of apprehension and flavored with a tiny dash of self-doubt. You can't blame me. I'm taking a big leap out of my field of study to do something I've always dream of doing - something I never thought I could and would be doing. I think in this case a little self-doubt is permissible. Don't you think?

I'm going to be starting in June but I have been asked do to some pieces for the magazine on a freelance basis at the moment. So I'm gonna be in print for the June issue. Weeee.

Anyway, one bad thing is that my plan to menganggur one year is seriously dashed. Sigh, I so need a holiday. I guess I can't have my pie and eat it at the same time.

Now before I end I need to say this one more time for it to sink in.

I'm gonna be a writer.

There, that's three times now. Third time's always the charm.

Life!

Yeap, all that hard work paid off. My mock-up of a magazine of choice has been printed and submitted for my magazine publishing class I took. The result? I'm damn proud of it. It is amateur work I admit but I'm proud of it all the same. I have very little experience with graphics work but I think I managed to pull it off completing the layout and all the best I could.

Hey I managed to land myself a job when I printed and brought a few of these to the interview the other day and what more can I ask? :) It was worth it being editor-in-chief despite all that death-defying work.

Sourpuss?

Would I say I'm sour? Probably yes.

You Are a Lemon

You have a very distinct personality. And if you're not being sweet, you're a little hard to take. You're a bit overpowering, especially in one on one situations. And while you are very dominant, sometimes your power is needed and appreciated. You can liven up a dull situation, and you definitely bring a fresh outlook. You are a bit of an acquired taste, and you tend to grow on people over time. People feel refreshed and rejuvenated after spending time with you.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

A book review: Shalimar the Clown

Truth be told, I am not a great fan of political novels and this one by Salman Rushdie did not change my perception much. I tend to avoid political novels purely based on the reason that if I would want to read about politics, I could just as easily purchase the daily paper. However, the story of an American ambassador, his wife, a village dancing girl, their love child, an Islamist hit man and how they are all tied together by both love and hate intrigued me enough to purchase the book. As much as I stood in the bookstore trying to hazard a guess, I could not imagine the plot connecting their much disconnected backgrounds. These separate lives on several continents and in numerous countries seemed like an insurmountable task to be put together into one novel.

When read, I certainly enjoyed the story development but the writing is too abstract for my taste. I do know that thoughts and feelings are abstract in their original form but is it not the job of a writer to capture them into writings easily understood and imagined? Though some parts of the novel proved to be much easier to fathom and read, overall it was a struggle to complete.

To me, it was alot of words, a lot more cultural references, neverending pop culture, infinite name dropping and definitely more than enough political messages.

Scented books

There is nothing like the scent of new books. It is refreshingly seductive (literary-wise, of course) and it is exciting in too many aspects to be described. In many ways, the very smell of a freshly purchased book brings back memories of pure contentment - reading that is, and nothing else. The light scent that wafts up when you turn the crisp pages is enough to get you high and the cool touch of your fingers against the smooth, unblemished texture of the paper heightens the sensation and bolsters the reading experience.

However, old books have their mark too that I find addictive. The musty smell of a book with yellowing pages brings to memory of books that are a comfortable read. These books are books that have weathered time and are an easy-going kind of novel to be carrying around. They speak of past happiness to be found in their pages and the continual collection of cheer in readers to come.

If anyone ever bottles the scent of books, I will surely be their number one customer.

Stairmaster

I walked up 14 flights of stairs today because the electricity was out and thus no elevator. I reached my room turned on the fan, waited ten seconds and the electricity came back on....

I think if I walked up everyday I would be able to lose half my weight by the end of the month.

Addicts they are!

See these mice? They are so cute aren't they?






Then we proceeded to stick them with morphine for observation purposes. They are now drug addicts. It's sad isnt it? So much for the love of animals.

I'll probably rot in hell.

Political tsunami in general election

Well, well, it seems the results are shocking. With five states lost to the opposition I'm sure this is the biggest win so far seen in history. I do hope that the opposition will perform now that they have gotten the chance they so crave for.

It's time that they show they can walk the walk since they know how to talk the talk.

Salah tekan

I'm pissed. Some bloody bugger called me four times this morning at approximately 3.30 am and I woke up at the fourth call. I admit, I'm a heavy sleeper and I don't usually get awaken by calls and thus it makes it worse when I do get woken up. Naturally, I couldn't fall asleep again for about an hour and I promptly overslept and missed my 8 am class. What shit.

When I was rudely awaken, I sent him a frigid sms demanding the reason but there was no reply. I called him a moment ago and he said probably he 'salah tekan'. 'Salah tekan'? Four times? I blasted him thoroughly but my anger has not been fully vented yet.

I'm a student with 8 am classes and a never ending load of stupid things to do each week. I'm having a lousy last semester and these people who have no bloody manners and phone etiquette are making it worse.

'Salah tekan' at 3.30 am indeed. Did I mention it was four calls? What kind of mentally retarded person do you think I am to believe that?

Somethings are just too good to be true

After that particularly harrowing experience of last week's assay evaluation where everything, from the recovery value to the coefficient of variation, ran totally, it is like a miracle to be plotting an almost perfect standard curve for this week's creatinine assay. I was feeling right up in cloud nine, that is until I calculated the control value and found out once again my assay is out of control range. Sigh...

Weeeeee. Where is Alice's rabbit hole?

Silly Milly had a filly called Millie who loved lilies,
Filly Millie ate too much lilies which made her dizzy so she switched to dillies,
But silly Milly then got into a tizzy when she saw filly Millie ate her dillies,
Filly Millie then switched to chillies which gave her heebie jeebys.

I'm so going crazy. Help me anyone?

A book review -Atonement

It was a beautiful read. What more can I say? The tale of two sisters estranged by a moment's whim of uncertainty and the tale of two lovers' uncertain estrangement combined proved to be a novel of both exceptional plot and exquisite writing. The writer manages to be unsparingly descriptive but yet minimally wordy making the book a rather easy read.

The book is incomparable to the movie whereby the character development of Briony in the book took on an even greater depth than I could ever imagine. Briony turned out to be more complex in personality, character and thinking yet at the same time more lucid to readers as the book explores most of her memories with greater clarity than the movie can manage. Even more so is the war scene described in the pseudo-memories of Robby where one can actually feel the heat, grime and despair painted in words by the writer.

As much as credit must be given to the movie, the book is a must read for all the fans of the movie.

My last verdict? Definitely a literary delight!

Love me, choose me

I was heading back from a class late in the evening when I met a whole bevy of Indonesian women all dolled up coming down the stairs to meet their potential suitors waiting on bikes. I hardly recognized these industrious women who I meet everyday along the corridors slaving over their cleaning routines, and to see them all excited today certainly put a smile on my face. It looks like Valentine's day is for everyone everywhere, irregardless of status, lifestyle and nationality. It is indeed something cute to see that even these women who are so far away from home, are able to come up with dates for this special day. St Valentine must be smilling today.

And to all those people in love reading this, "Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!".

Superlatives

1. You know it's going to be a great year when the very first day of the new year you get hit by a heat wave as you are out of the house from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. visiting relatives.
2. You know it's going to be a greater year when you come back and you develop a fever.
3. You know it's going to be the greatest year when you have to repeat step 1 and 2 again tomorrow.

Lotus root chips

I saw this in the newspapers and I thought I'll test it out myself. I never thought you could actually make chips out of lotus roots. My mother usually buys it to make some soup but never to fry it. Since I like chips so much I thought I'll give it a try and my mother seems enthusiastic enough.

The taste? The taste was rich and savoury and no seasoning was needed. The only problem was getting it to crisp while not being burned. I guess it is much healthier than the normal potato chips.

Insipid

I'm heading home today and oddly, I'm devoid of feelings. Neither am I happy to be going home, nor am I excited about the incipient Lunar New Year. Are these signs of burgeoning maturity or impending detachment?

The Lives of Others.

Just got back from watching a German movie at the Asia-Europe Institute of UM. Rather enjoyed the movie except for the censorship. Part of the ending was cut out I think, leaving most of us clueless as to what was happening. I had to google it and I got the plot of the whole story from wikipedia. Actually, after reading it, I still can't figure out why they censored those parts.

The movie screened was 'The lives of Others' which won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

The plot of the whole movie from Wikipedia:

(The yellow highlighted text is the big chunk of the film cut out by the Malaysian Censorship board)

In the East Germany (GDR) of 1984, Stasi Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler (HGW), a keenly idealistic supporter of the communist regime, is shown interrogating a prisoner who is suspected to know who helped another person defect to the West. In the film, this is juxtaposed with his playing a recording of the interrogation while lecturing a class on Stasi methods. One of the student in the class exclaims that sleep deprivation is "inhumane", but Wiesler replies that it is necessary. He claims that an innocent man will become enraged at the injustice, while the guilty will know he is there for a reason and will become quiet then cry. Then the prisoner is shown crying. Wiesler then points out that the prisoner has said the same thing in exactly the same words, which Wiesler claims shows that he is a liar who has rehearsed this line; someone telling the truth would say it in different ways. Eventually the prisoner provides a name.

Wiesler's old classmate, now a Lt. Colonel, assigns him to spy on playwright Georg Dreyman, who, Wiesler is told, is suspected of Western sympathies. Stasi agents secretly enter Dreyman's apartment in order to install small microphones in the light switches and electric sockets. Wiesler and his assistant Udo monitor the activity in the attic space above the apartment, typing a summary of activities for the record after each shift.

Wiesler secretly intervenes so that Dreyman will discover the relationship between Christa-Maria and the party member. A week later, when she is about to go to another meeting with Hempf, Dreyman confronts her with knowledge of her liaisons. Although they argue, Christa-Maria still leaves. Wiesler later sees her at a bar, and insinuates to her that her talent does not require her to give herself to Hempf. Although at first it seems that Christa-Maria carries out her rendez-vous with Hempf, Wiesler later learns through his underling Udo that this rendezvous in fact didn't happen and Christa-Maria went home to Dreyman after her encounter with Wiesler, although Udo is unaware of the implications of this information.

Dreyman is a supporter of the regime, but dislikes the way dissidents are treated. He publicly stands up for his friends if he feels that they have been unfairly treated. One friend, Jerska, is a director who has lost his reason to live due to being blacklisted. At Dreyman's 40th birthday party, Jerska gives Dreyman a gift of sheet music entitled "Sonata for A Good Man" (German: Sonate vom guten Menschen). Shortly afterward, Jerska commits suicide; this finally spurs Dreyman into speaking out against the regime. Dreyman arranges with West Germany's weekly magazine Der Spiegel to anonymously publish an article on suicide rates in the GDR. While the GDR publishes detailed statistics on many things, it has not published any information on suicide rates since the 1970s, presumably because they are embarrassingly high. Because all typewriters are registered, Dreyman uses a separate typewriter with a red ribbon to write the article, which he hides under the floor in his apartment. Before Dreyman and his friends discuss sensitive issues in Dreyman's apartment they test whether it is bugged: they pretend that someone will be smuggled in a relative's car over to the West. Later they conclude that the apartment is not bugged, because the car is not searched. Unknown to them, that is only because Wiesler has temporarily taken pity on them and had not understood that the discussion was in fact a test.

As Wiesler's empathy for the writer and his girlfriend has grown over time, he lies in his reports to protect Dreyman. Also, at his proposal, the hours of surveillance are reduced, so that it is no longer continuous and he no longer has to share the work with his more objective assistant. Eventually, Dreyman and his friends finish the article and it is published, upsetting the East German government.

Meanwhile, the minister, angered that Christa-Maria had chosen to no longer see him, orders Wiesler's superior, Anton Grubitz, to find some way to destroy her and tells him that she has been illegally buying prescription drugs. Grubitz and his men manage to catch her in the act of purchasing these drugs and she is arrested. Terrified, she turns Dreyman in, although she does not reveal the location of the typewriter. The house is searched for contraband by security officials, but by chance they miss the typewriter. Wiesler is called in to interrogate Christa-Maria. At this point, Grubitz begins to suspect Wiesler's newly found pity and implies that, even though they are longtime friends, a failure to perform his work will be very costly. Wiesler interrogates Christa-Maria (with his boss watching through the two-way mirror) with the same flawlessness and objectivity that characterized him for years. She breaks down and tells him where the typewriter is hidden. Wiesler, however, still determined to protect a couple he has come to care for, travels to their apartment in advance of the Stasi search team and takes the typewriter away.

During a second search, in the presence of Christa-Maria, when the hiding place of the typewriter is about to be opened, Christa-Maria leaves in shame and runs into the street, apparently throwing herself deliberately in front of a truck. The secret hiding place is opened, but is found empty. A helpless Wiesler, who is watching the events just outside the apartment, tries to tell Christa that he has the typewriter, but can't complete his words. Dreyman arrives at the scene and Christa-Maria dies in his arms. As a result the surveillance operation becomes pointless: Wiesler's superior calls it off but, distrusting Wiesler, ensures the end of his career. The newspaper lying in the front seat of Wiesler's car announces that Gorbachev is the new Party Secretary of the Sviet Union. Wiesler is demoted to Department M, where he tediously must steam-open letters all day. Four years and seven months later, Wiesler is still opening letters when a co-worker with a radio notifies him of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Upon hearing the news, Wiesler and his co-workers leave.

At the end of the film, after German reunification, Dreyman encounters the former minister at the playhouse and asks why his apartment was never bugged. The minister, now a successful businessman, ironically details the scope of Dreyman's extensive surveillance, telling him where to look for the equipment. Dreyman finds the wires and becomes perplexed why he was never caught. The Stasi's archives are now open to the public; he goes there, reads his own file, and learns the truth. While agent "HGW XX/7" must have heard Dreyman and his friends conducting anti-regime activities (such as the writing of the suicide article), HGW did not report those things in his voluminous typed notes, and falsely wrote instead that Dreyman was writing a play on the 40th anniversary of the GDR, a topic the regime would have approved. Next to the final page of notes is a smudge from the secret typewriter's red ink, proving that it was HGW who removed the typewriter. Dreyman now asks for the identity of "HGW XX/7" and is shown his name and photo. He takes a taxi and watches Wiesler for a few moments, working at his new job delivering newspapers.

Two years later, Dreyman publishes a novel "Sonata for A Good Man". By chance, Wiesler sees the book in a bookstore, and finds that it is dedicated "To HGW XX/7, with gratitude". He goes to buy the book and the cashier asks if he would like to have it gift wrapped. "No," Wiesler responds, "it's for me."

The Asian-Europe Institut of UM is having a German film month where they will screen German movies every week on Wednesdays. There's a different movie every week. It's from the 23rd January to the 27th February. Anyone interested can visit the AEI. Admission is free.

Bitter sweet

Part 1 - Sweet

I actually became a product tester today. I was approached by this guy at Amcorp Mall where he asked me to test out a product that hasn't hit the shelves yet. It turned out to be a new product from Halls, a new mint candy to be precise. It was a new experience for me and it was conducted rather professionally I would say. He took us up to the company's office following many twists and turns in the corridor and even a long journey up the elevator. My roommate kept saying we would probably be drugged and and wake up with our internal organs stolen. LOL.

The guy who interviewed me was rather professional. At least he was well dressed and groomed plus he could speak impeccable English. It was a blind test with two products, one being the new product from Halls and the other an unknown brand. I rather liked the mint except that it was round it shape and coloured rather artificially. I mean, round? As soon as it is dispensed I'm sure it will roll all over the place and your mouth will be the last place it would fall into. It tasted rather like Tic-tac and the mint taste was rather weak.

I did get something after all for doing the testing. The snack plate voucher from KFC isn't too bad a compensation I thought. What? You didn't think I would do all that for free did you?

Part 2 - Bitter

I had enough with the Chinese people in my course. Three years I've been with them and still I can't accept their irresponsibility and lack of tact. Their attitude pisses me off and today I really blew it with them.I don't know whether it is their culture, mentality or just because they are schooled differently but it bores down to the issue of maturity. Spoiled to the core I would say.

Therefore, today officially I would like to take the opportunity to declare that I'm not a Chinese. I rather be race-less. Full stop.

Finger in a pie

Of course it was expected of a Tim Burton's movie to be macabre and dark, but Sweeney Todd was a tad too gruesome I would think. A story about a serial killer who teams up with a pie maker to cook up human pies? It was certainly a different kind of musical where the main musical inspiration were people getting their throats slit. One thing that kind of puzzled me was that most of the throat-slitting was uncensored but the final act of killing where the impact of the movie was to be felt was cut out (no pun intended) partially . I'm annoyed that I did not get to witness the climatic killing, slightly akin to being denied the main dish in a full course meal. It's like I only got the pie as starters leaving me hungering for more. More pie anyone?

Rising signs

I've always felt that rising signs play a major part in describing someone. Mine has always been an influence of my personality and I feel it will never change.

Your Rising Sign is Scorpio

You're so intense and passionate - you're on fire! You want to be an angel or a devil... you can't decide which. No wonder you seem moody and even a little dangerious. You've got some major mystery going on, so work it! Your personality is the strongest of all signs, making you hard to deal with. While you're ruthless to your enemies, you're loyal to your one true love.

What's Your Rising Sign?

Silence is not golden

The striking Writer's Guild of America has effectively rubbed the shine off the 65th Golden Globes Award where the ceremony was lackluster at best. Without actors and actresses, without the red carpet ceremony and without the usual witty repertoire that accompanies the presentations, the Globes this year failed to sparkle. It just showed how powerful a force the writers are behind every production on television. The pen is definitely mightier than the sword, and in this case its more of the lack of the pen that killed the show. Therein lies the power of not writing and keeping silent.

On a side note, Atonement picked up two awards which were for the best motion picture and the best original score. Now the question we should all ask is: Can Atonement make it to the Oscars?

I finally got it

Weeee. I finally got it. I bought the book today after taking such a long time searching for it at various bookshops. The book was not in stock at most bookshops and I finally had to get it at Popular and honestly, I' m not a great fan of Popular. That is usually the last place I would purchase a book and this is certainly a last resort. I really don't know how the book will fare when compared to the movie and I dare not hazard a guess. This is because I have read Stardust and it was not as good as the movie. Thus, Stardust broke my theory that books are always a better read compared to their silver screen adaptations.

To those who have not seen this movie, I strongly encourage you to do so. It is a simply beautiful movie. I won't talk much about it as you can easily find more info by googling.

And yea, the music in the movie is also just as good. One of the tunes is now my blog's theme song. :D

She may not have the curves, but she's gorgeous all the same.

Graduated modern vampire to be

I successfully drew blood today in a phlebotomy practical and it was a masterful feat for me. I managed the syringe and needle relatively smoothly despite my big big problem of nerves. While it may not be something to write home about, in my books it's simply great. Usually the person whose blood is to be drawn feels apprehensive and maybe suffers a bout of faint thereafter but in my case the person wrecked with the full-blown stress was myself. Of course I have to thank my partner who was a such a calm lady. She was the best. So after a day of great great stress, I came home with many holes on my arms and it now means that I can probably masquerade as a guy with a substance abuse problem.

Yea, I have not been updating much. I really feel out of it at the moment. When something as simple as blogging becomes a chore, it is no longer a fun thing to do. So many things to write about, so many things to tell but not in the mood to write. I actually thought that my last semester would be very much more relaxing (the amount of credit hours I have taken this semester is very very little) but then now I think it's just as busy as the semesters I had before. I wonder how did I ever cope during my first year. Hmmm...must be that I'm getting older. The exuberance of youth is evading me.

Maybe I should turn to immortality questing instead.

PS: Happy new year 2008.

Breathtaking

I've just watched the season finale of America's Next Top Model cycle 9 and one thing that I feel should get special mention is one of the contestant, Jenah. Jenah's picture for the Covergirl shoot was fantastic. Although she was sent home after that I still think it's the most outstanding photo of the three. I stole the picture from froggies blog. Apologies :)

My Idol

I think the result was a big, big surprise for everyone. It was a great upset for millions of peope I think. Jac, although you didn't win, you're still my idol. Mwakss

Asian idol is a must watch

Make sure you all tune in to the Asian Idol tonight and makes sure you do vote for our Jac! The medley below from IKON is simply beautiful and I felt that the way she ended it was spectacular. Unfortunately she did not win that particular day and I really hope tonight, she does win.

Good luck tonight Jac.

All that glitters is not gold

The Golden Compass was a little disappointing for me. The short previews were of course fantastic but when you've really sat down and watched the movie, you'll find it lacking substance. Oh, all the special effects, audio visually, were impressive but other more than that, it had nothing. It did not moved me emotionally nor did it impressed in me a message so strong, I would leave the cinema feeling awed. One consolation though is of course the ever beautiful Nicole Kidman. She dominated the screen with her presence and I feel she did a wonderful job bringing Mrs Coultier to life. Bravo!

I was Enchanted

I got so worked up last few days about the previous post matter that I forgot to blog this. Well, here it is. I watched Enchanted the other day and I can tell you that is it simply wonderful. I know many of you have been taken by Stardust (my roommate swears by it) but after watching Enchanted I have fallen in love with it. While Stardust has been more of an adult kind of movie, Enchanted appeals more to the children or the inner child in most adults for that matter.

The movie gives you a feel good kind of feeling where its main message, as cliched as it may seem, is that happy endings do exist after all - even in the real world. It brings a smile to your face and you leave the movie theater with a light spring in your step as if all your burdens weren't so bad after all. It brings back memories of when I would watch Disney cartoons such as Cinderella,, Sleeping beauty and Snow White with my sister on hot Sunday afternoons when I was little. Sigh... those were the days of great contentment.

Well, if you have not watched it, hurry up and do so. I guarantee you'll like it. After all, everyone likes a happy ending. No?

If you do decide to go, invite me to tag along. LOL

And yeah, my fav actor from Grey's Anatomy is in it too :D