Ip Man Had A Puppy Love With Ice Kacang

Last weekend, I hit the cinema for some breakaway after a hectic working schedule. I watched two movies. Not Ironman. Not Superman. Not Spiderman. Not even Ultraman. But Ip Man 2. This movie is one of the movies I’ve been waiting for, having watched the first sequel 2 year ago. The first won the best picture award which was a rare feat for a kungfu-type movie. You see, there are so many martial art movies in Hong Kong but never from my knowledge I’ve seen one “true” kungfu film won best picture apart from “Shaolin Soccer” and “The Tiger Which Crouched and the Dragon Which Hid”. Many sequels can’t live up to the success of the first series. But this not only meets the expectation but surpasses it.

The fighting scenes between legendary master Sammo Hung on the dining table and also the duel with the Englishman-Mohammed-Ali boxer are really one of its kinds. A normal round dining table that is so small and to put a person with sumo- size figure of Sammo Hung to fight with Ip Man must be very pressure for the 4 table stands. His duel with the abusive boxer also reminds me of the show “The Contender” and “Rocky” although this time the hero doesn’t wear gloves to fight in the ring. When Ip Man beat the boxer, people inside the cinema clapped their hand. It makes me feel like I’m one of the audiences inside the boxing arena of that movie too. Anyway, I’m planning to watch this movie again if there is any opportunity. I wouldn’t surprise if it will win the best picture again. Another thing I would like to suggest is the original soundtrack of this movie composed by Japanese Kenji Kawai.

After some bloodied scene of Ip Man, it’s time for some romance type feeling to calm the soul. The second movie I watched was in the newly open Wangsa Walk cinema. It’s Ice Kacang Puppy Love. It’s a local film production by our very own singer/actor Aniu. Well, not many actually know him abroad as he’s not the action–hero-handsome-looking artiste. But say as you might, he has the witty and funny type look in a movie. The scenes inside the movie are awesome. Believe me, the cinematography of this movie is something new to most of the viewer I can guaranteed you that. It’s because all this while we were so accustomed to Hong Kong and Hollywood films, that I know every parts and territories of the scene shot in Hong Kong. To see something different like the kopitiam and some stilt-sitting houses in the movie really put me in shame. Why? Because I’m a Malaysian and I can’t recognise where it is!

One funny thing happens when I watched this film. After being greeted on the entrance, we found our way to our seats. Of all the sudden, Han Ching stared at me and moved her eyeballs to the other corner. I look besides her. There was this one Malay couple sitting besides her. She quickly took out the tickets to reassure me that we were not in the wrong cinema. So, we were expecting some jostling out from our aisle when the movie started but 10 minutes passed... 20 minutes passed... The Malay couple actually sat for the whole duration of the movie. I’m sure they didn’t watch the movie by mistake. But I’m sure even though they might thought Ice Kacang sounds familiar like cendul, I’m sure they will understand the movie from the subtitle and the body language. For a local production, I found this movie to have all the elements to win best picture or best new director or best actress not only in local but Hong Kong film award. The theme music 初恋红豆冰主题曲 《纯文艺的恋爱》 sung by Aniu is also worth to listen to.

Woohoo : The Best Tiger Show

Me: Excuse me... I would like to have two tickets for this Tiger Show... Er... no.. Tiger: Woohoo show.

TGV: Sorry sir. It's full.

Me: Huh? But I still haven't told you the time I wanted.

TGV: I know but it's already full for the whole day.

Me: (in disbelief) Can you put me in waiting list just in case those who reserved tickets didn't collect it.

TGV staff: No sir. All the seats has been bought up.

Me: %@#!%

After that incident, I tried to buy from online. After clicking on the cinema, the show I want and also the time, I was shown this screen:

"Sorry. Please choose another show time."

First thought was this gonna be some error in my Google Chrome Java applets. Tried with Mozilla and the reply is same.

"Sorry. Please choose another show time."

I was like %@#!%. Then, I chose another show time and returned with the same page too. I even selected the show time that I thought people won't usually pick but the it's the same. So, I was thinking this must be some error with TGV website. I gave a last try. I chose the the show three days in advance. Wala.... I was shown the cinema seating page where I get to choose my seats.

While I was navigating the seats I wanted, I was puzzled to why I can't clicked on the seat. Most of the seats are in brown colour while there are a few without colour. I was telling myself why can't I choose the seat when there is a lot empty seats available. I sighed a for second. Soon, I noticed on the bottom right of the screen which shows the legend.

Brown colored seat : Sold

Blank colored seat : Still available.

I was like %@#!%. Looks like there is nothing wrong with my browser. Nothing wrong with TGV. It's just that the movie is selling like hot banana fritters.

Last week, I managed to watch this movie finally. Han Ching had to go the cinema herself and the empty seats available is 3 days ahead. Yet, the seats are limited. So the millionaire question. If you ask me which movie is the best I watched this Chinese New Year. It got to be Tiger: Woohoo. Funny, sentimental and meaningful. The scenery in Kuantan Beserah is really captivating. Most of the actors and actresses are quite well-known in local scene if you watch Astro and listen to MyFM. However, one thing I have to say after watching this movie is:

Shoot. I'm from KL!


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Obama vs Susan Boyle - Inspirational vs Inspirational II

With the current situation I'm in, I lost touch with people around me. The only thing that keeps me up-to-date with Malaysia and the world is the The Star online newspaper and Kenny Sia's blog. One thing they share in common is that they highlighted things which I eventually "youtubing" it. Recently, two videos caught my attention. Both shares the same effect. "Inspirational" should be the exact word to describe it. I came across The Star Newspaper about one journalist's experience with President Obama. Well, Mr President went to Cairo last 2 weeks to deliver a speech. An address to the Muslim around the world. The word "Assalamualaikum" became a hit in online search. Why? Because it came from the mouth of Mr. President himself on that day. So, I did a copy and paste (which Apple finally introduced to their upcoming IPhone) of that word to Youtube. Wala. I was led to the official video by the White House. I'm proudly to say that I'm watching legal video here.

10 minutes speech is the limit anyone will want to hear from every speakers before they get tired, bored and distracted by the person sleeping beside you. 1 minutes is all it needs for me to get attracted and glued my eyes to watch his 1 hour speech. Talk about inspirational! If only my Prime Minister can talk like him. Every words came out directly from his mind which is supported with facts, history, quotes and figures. One could wonder how on earth can he do that? I remember my public speaking script of 10 minutes duration and practise it day in day out for 2 weeks prior to my competition. 60 minutes speech? I suspect he must have a very strong capabilities in memorization. Watch this clip. His calmness and powerful gaze caught my attention. You must remember this. Every words that come from him if it turned out to be wrong, missiles alert might be switched on and his address might turned backfire.

The first audition that shot her to global fame

The second clip is what Youtube claimed to be the one of the highest search in their "tubing" history. "Susan Boyle". 27 millions search worldwide and still counting. Now, who is this 47 years old lady? What has she done that would render people to search for her? I would use the saying "Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover" to the max to describe this magnificent contestant of Britain's Got Talent show. Some sort of American Idol. Entering the hall as a laughing stock and sneer from the audience, Simon Cowell even poke a fun on her. When the music began to play and her voice began to be heard, standing ovation from the crowds and even loud applause ensued. The judges were gobsmacked by her strong vocal. That night itself has caught the attention of Britain and soon the world. All the breakfast shows in America wants to host this simple lady from Scotland. I'm sure her first CD will be instant hit in store.

Her semifinal appearance

What make her so special is that when the world is looking down or negative in this case on her, she turned that perspective around and proved to them that they were wrong. People who look down on her initially, suddenly feel repent and sorry from the inner side of their heart. This sudden change of emotion has turned most of the viewers to teary eyes. Some celebrities even cried. As for me, I'm touched. So sad that she didn't manage to win. But sometimes coming first is not necessary the big deal. When she lost in the finals, pictures of her conquer the front page of the local dailies in Britain. Though she was pipped at the post but her prize was massive global news coverage. Frankly speaking, I don't even know to whom she lost to. Who cares? From this event I learnt:

Loser Is Now The New Winner

Sun Tzu Art Of Email War

Recently, I watched this movie during Chinese New Year, "Just Follow Law". A Singaporean movie which I think is very nice. I began to give Singaporean flick a go after watching "Ah Long Pte Ltd" two days before. This is a scene from the movie about the manager requesting to turn on the air-conditioner after working hour only to be rejected by the secretary. Not to be outdone, the manager turned the office into a war of "cc" and "bcc" emails that involved other departments and had that secretary fired by the CEO eventually.

A lesson to be learned when writing email. Come to think about it. It's indeed true. Sorry Project Manager for all the unwanted email I "cc" (cover ca-chng) to you before. We just want to "bcc" (better cover ca-chng). Hope you understand after watching this movie.

I Have Been Connected....

It's time for me to come out from talking about the story of my life. I was thinking to blog some good movie I watched recently. But don't worry, I'm not turning into some critics like Boon Chuan did on his food. I caught this movie while I was flying back from Hong Kong recently in my Cathay Pacific flight. I've been trying to catch this movie when I saw the article from their magazine. It's actually an adaptation from the original English flick called "Cellular" but after googling it I found that people think "Connected" is better than "Cellular". The word "connected" is not that typical horror movie about someone called you late at night and ask you to look at your back.

It is a zero turned hero story about Louis Koo receiving a call from a kidnapped woman, Barbie Hsu asking him to save her family. How he get connected for that long duration is a question of the cellphone battery ability. The movie is so suspense that it will put you on your seat for the whole length of the movie. In my case, I didn't move even to the toilet. The ending of the stoy touched me a little bit. First and foremost, the scene was at the Hong Kong International Airport. Every part of that location shot, I actually have been there. The last scene at the airport car park is so touching that even the Hongkie guy watching the same movie beside me had to wipe his tear and then have to excuse himself to the toilet for several minutes to calm down his emotion. After that, he replayed and watched the movie again! So, does it worth to watch it? You decide. This was a last year movie. So, DVD or VCD anyone?

Eduardo's Broken Leg

On second thought, I think it's better not to let your son play a lot of football.