TV Drama Review #242 - E.U 学警狙击

No.of Epis: 30
Year/TV Stn: 2009/TVB
Cast:
Ron Ng ~ Zhong Li Wen
Sammul Chan ~ Li Bo Qiao
Michael Miu ~ Jiang Shi Xiao
Kathy Chow ~ Cheng Ruo Xin
Elanne Kong ~ Jiang You You
Michael Tse ~ Liang Xiao Tang (Laughing)
Kaki Leung ~ Hua Ruo Bao
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
After ten years behind the bars in Taiwan, Jiang Shi Xiao finally returns to Hong Kong. Besides finding his daughter You You to mend their relationship, he also plans for revenge. On one hand, he pretends to surrender to triad boss Du Yi Tian, the man who caused him to be jailed. On the other hand, he tries to gain trust from police officers Li Wen & Bo Qiao. With the help of Shi Xiao, Li Wen managed to catch Du Yi Tian & uncover the drug factory. Unfortunately, Li Wen gets fired from the police force as he helped Shi Xiao to traffic drugs. Li Wen decides to join Xiao's triad & turns his back against his colleagues.
After his boss is killed, Laughing has to gain Shi Xiao's trust in order to maintain his position in the triad. Both Shi Xiao & Laughing show interest in Tian's wife Ruo Xin, but Shi Xiao's initial motive is to use her to climb up the ranks.
Just as Xiao thinks that everything is under his control, he discovers that the people he trusted the most betrayed, tricked & used him...
Slacker's review:
You must be wondering why I watched "E.U", without watching the previous 2 seasons. Reason is pretty simple, because I wondered why Laughing Gor is so famous. Haha! Not just that, I want to see Michael acting as a triad boss. Anyway, "E.U" did not disappoint me in terms of storyline. The drama was fast paced and full of twists & turns. Quite exciting~ Of course, there were weak links here & there, but that did not spoil the fun. Don't worry too much if you are like me (did not watch the previous 2 seasons), as most major characters in the drama were not linked to the previous seasons. The biggest problem in this drama is the 2 leading girls, who are very green in acting. They should have find better A or B-listers to match Ron & Sammul.
I'm always critical about Ron's acting, and though his performance was not too bad here, I thought there's hardly improvement as well. Li Wen is the "rash guy" as opposed to Bo Qiao's "calm guy". Ron is always good in such characters, thus no surprises from him. However, it's quite obvious that the story was skewed to Li Wen after he became an undercover. Bo Qiao was more like a support character, up till he shot Laughing. Anyway, the guys' chemistry was good, and that shld be the case since this is the 3rd sequel.
Sammul's performance was alright too, but I guessed there's nothing too outstanding from him as well. Qiao's r/s with Ruo Bao was quite a sudden development for me, coz' it's just too fast. Anyway, there's hardly any chemistry b/w them.
Michael Miu is actually the real main lead in the drama, since the storyline is all about him. Well, it's hard to fault this veteran actor, and I enjoyed his performance. It's nice to see A-listers challenging evil roles. Ending for Xiao seems to easy for him! He shld have died after killing so many ppl!
Now I know why Laughing Gor is so popular. Michael Tse's performance was really good. Initially I did not like his portrayal of Laughing as it was quite exaggerating. However, it got better & better and the best part was the twist for Laughing! Simply exciting!
The ladies here are quite weak. Kathy Chow is not weak in acting, but her image simply didn't suit her. Yes, the lady has aged, but I thought she looked too auntie here. Kathy cld have looked so much better lo! Ruo Xin is perhaps the most impt female character in the drama, but she was not spared in the end. I liked her chemistry with Michael Miu, as their r/s development was the best & most convincing.
New girl 1 - Elaine Kong was the better actress as compared to Kaki Leung. You You has two major developments in the drama, one is with Li Wen & the other with Michael Miu. I thought You-Wen r/s storyline was not too bad, as it was full of ups & downs. You-Xiao storyline was alright, as You is always Xiao's weakest point. It's really sad that You has to work against his father in order to protect Wen.
I did not like Ruo Bao, and neither do I like Kaki. Sorry about that. She's just too plain~
Theme song is " Hei Bai Bian Zou" by Ron Ng, Sammul Chan, and Michael Tse & ending theme is
"Shou Zhang Yin" by Elanne Kong.

TVB fans who like police-detective-triad plots should not miss it!

Vesak Day

--莲池阁寺--
Went for my annual sutra chanting for Vesak Day celebration. The ceremony is getting simpler and shorter each year. I thought it did not serve much purpose. Quite disappointed. Anyway, met up with my cousin's family. Had a nice chat before we left the temple.
--City Square Mall--
E.W, Aunt Jo & I decided to visit the new mall @ Farrer Park. The mall is big, and there are many restaurants, but other shops were alright. Not much crowd on a public holiday.
--Mustafa--
This was Ah Ching's first visit to the mall leh! Haha! Ok, it really felt different to be a minority there. Lolz~~ However, I was not intimidated by the crowd...hahaha!
The things sold at Mustafa were not that cheap, but their luggage section was pretty amazing. There were some cheap bargains there. Their supermarket section was really an eye-opener. There were so many products which I've never seen before! Haha!
We also found a row of restaurants selling Indian vegetarian food behind Mustafa. Pretty cool but E.W could not eat most of them as there are onions & garlic in Indian Vegetarian meals. Saw "Bombay Cafe" which sells Indian Chinese Veg food, and there's Jain veg too. Maybe shld check it out someday.
It's so funny to see a SingTel ad in Tamil. Interesting, isn't it?
City Square Mall.
--Dinner--
Went to Komala's Vegetarian Restaurant for dinner. It was my first visit there, and Komala's was actually a "fast-food" Indian restaurant. Choices were quite limited, and prices were not very cheap.
My Paper Tosai. The curry was watery but quite tasty. It's a pity that their Masala sold out.

Vesak Day Special - Happy Buddhist

Personally, I see the ideal Buddhist to be a very happy person. Why so? Simply because he is one on his way towards Buddhahood. In short, he is happy because he is going to be VERY happy!

You see, all Buddhists should be incredibly happy people because they have discovered, and practise the Buddha's teachings. A good Buddhist sees clearly his sufferings and their causes (First and Second Noble Truths). In fact, he sees this so clearly that he is on his way to True Happiness (Third Noble Truth) by the practice of the Dharma (Fourth Noble Truth).

So you see, a good Buddhist is a happy one. Don't be a "half-sided" Buddhist that is stuck on the First and Second Noble Truths, who end up lamenting and agreeing totally that life is full of suffering because of greed, hatred and delusion without learning how to get oneself and others out of it! Be happy! And bring happiness to others!

-- from The Daily Enlightment, Book 1: Reflections of the Practising Buddhist.

TV Drama Review #241 - Oh! My Lady

No.of Epis: 16
Year/TV Stn: 2010/SBS
Cast:
Chae Rim ~ Yoon Gae Hwa
Choi Si Won ~ Sung Min Woo
Lee Hyun Woo ~ Yoo Shi Joon
Park Han Byul ~ Hong Yoo Ra
Moon Jung Hee ~ Han Jung Ah
Synopsis:
Yoon Gae Hwa is an ordinary housewife who has divorced from her husband and try to seek for a living. She is told by Yoo Shi Joon, the boss of a musical production company that if she cld get Sung Min Woo to sign a contract with them, she will be offered a job.
Just then, a child appeared in front of Sung Min Woo & to avoid scandals, Min Woo sign the contract but wants Gae Hwa to take care of the child in return.
Things get complicated when Yoo Ra, Min Woo's first love, returns from abroad.
Slacker's review:
"OML" is a typical rom-com, and I enjoyed it, despite the uncreative storyline. Any dramas focusing on super stars could not avoid stuffs like scandals & contracts. Haha! Well, thank goodness they did not make Min Woo a perfect character, or else everything wld seem so fake.
Anyway, "OML" is a light-hearted, touching & funny drama which I think nobody wld say it's boring.
Glad to see Chae Rim's comeback, but I hope she wld not stuck with the auntie image in the future. (She's not that old ok?) I really loved Gae Hwa; she's a loving mum, a hardworking employee, and a super understanding friend. Chae Rim's portrayal was good and she did not exaggerate with her auntie behaviour. Chemistry with Si Won was great, and I thought her scenes with little Ye Eun were simply great.
Choi Si Won is not new to acting, but this is his first proper drama which he's the leading man. (I wld not count "Legend of Hyang Dan" in since that drama was only 2 eps long). I cld see Si Won improving as the drama moved on, and I think he wld be a good actor in no time. Min Woo was imperfect in many ways, thus there were lots of development going on for him as well. Initially, he was arrogant & cld only think for himself. However, after much realisation & self-awareness, Min Woo finally knew how to care for others and to prove his acting ability. The drama also gave Si Won an opportunity to showcase his good vocals. Hehe! Scenes with little Ye Eun were quite entertaining soon.
The woody actor Lee Hyun Woo is back. He's somewhat still the same, though he managed to show expressions in some scenes. Chemistry with the cast was alright, and there's hardly any chemistry b/w him & Moon Jung Hee.
Moon Jung Hee's role is quite minor here, but I liked her new image. What's more? She cld dance! Cool! It's a pity that her storyline was quite a sad one, as Shi Joon was pretty much a woody person as well. For once, I thought her reason to see another man was quite justified. Ha!
Nice to see Park Han Byul's comeback as well, but her acting was average. Even her character Yoo Ra was typical and annoying. Well, you need a breakthrough, Ms Park.
Last but not least, gotta mention the little child actress who acted as Ye Eun! She's just so kawaii~~~!!
Do check out "OML" OST as well, got a couple of nice songs there.

Sunday @ Orchard

--Shopping--
Ah Ching's main purpose of gg out today is to buy a pair of working pants. Well, GSS has not officially started, but most stores are already having sales.
First stop @ Ion, I was disappointed that Dr.Cafe has closed down! Found a nice jacket @ Springfield, but don't have my size. (40% off leh....a little gek sim)
Went to Wisma's G2000 & bought a long-sleeve blouse. Did not find any suitable pants there...
Walked over to prettyFIT & E.W told me to buy a pair of heels for work. I saw 2 pairs of my shoes @ 50% off now....haiz~ In the end, bought a pair of their new leather heels. It was really comfortable, but the price was a little steep la.
Went to Isetan, and happened to see another Springfield store beside Mango. Saw that jacket again, but still don't have my size. I told E.W that maybe that size was the max they had....and E.W replied that P.S still got their store. Ok! Shall go to P.S to check it out~!
--Cedele @ NAC--
Finally brought E.W to have a meal @ Cedele.
My Mocha. Well, I guessed Cedele is still better for their juice & tea? I hardly cld taste any coffee in my drink.
E.W's Mint Tea. The tea tasted like some cough syrup, but the mint was very refreshing.
E.W's Spicy Roasted Aglio Olio. It was quite delicious! I think this is one of the best Aglio Olio I have ever tried.
My Black Pepper Crab spaghetti. I loved the crab meat!!! However, the soft shell crab was a little redundant. I was expecting real "black pepper crab" to be served, but the dish turned out to be quite different. Haha! The black pepper was not strong and I loved the spaghetti with olive oil. Highly recommended!
Bought some of their cakes back for dinner/supper. E.W bought 1 Carrot Walnut, 2 Choc Banana Expresso & 1 Choc Truffle.
--Continue to shop--
Saw the super nice photos of the Biodiversity exhibition outside Mandarin Gallery. Now you realised that actually there are so many wild animals & interesting insects living in different parts of the country! Most of the photos were hard to take in one shot, and I bet the photographers might have spent hours & days just to get that one perfect shot. Do stop by & take a look at the photos when you walk pass Mandarin Gallery.
Walked to 313 Somerset as E.W wanted to get her OP membership card. Saw a pair of pants @ OP and it was really comfortable! I thought it was so funny to buy a decent working/casual pants @ OP, out of all places.
Finally, we reached P.S and went to Springfield for the 3rd time. Saw the jacket & I found the size I wanted!!!! It's really fate sia~! Lolz!

Lucky Ching went home happily.....after spending 3 digits in a day. Oh my~

张信哲『幸福觉哲20』世界巡回演唱会

14th August 2010 7.30P.M

The MAX Pavilion @ Singapore Expo

I AM COMING!!!!

SN's Farewell Lunch

--Chef Daniel's Kitchen @ Illuma--
Thanks CY for picking this restaurant. Our dept plus ME from S.C & J from AYS went to have lunch at CDK in the afternoon. This was my 1st visit there, and I thought the restaurant was very spacious. CDK offers a range of Asian & Western cuisine, though I personally think Chef Dan is more specialised in Western food.
All of us ordered their set lunch @ $10.50, and I thought it was really worth while. What's more? They got a list of main courses for you to choose.
The cutleries.
Pumpkin soup & bread. The bread was soft & tasty, while the soup was really sweet.
SN's main course, Grilled Sirloin Steak. Looks delicious~
ME's Grilled Chicken.
My Minced Chicken Burger! The minced chicken patty was really delicious & smelt so nice! I took the 1st bite and the patty tasted so much like some Siew Mai~ Lolz~ The bread was quite delicious too.
Dessert of the day. Forgot what's the name of this cake, but it's not too bad as well.
This is their kitchen area, and it's separated from the main dining hall.

Well, today is SN's last day in CIMB. I hereby wish you all the best in your new job, and continue to pursue your dreams. It has been a pleasure working with you for the past six months. Take care~^^

Oh ya...rmb to tag the photos on FB!! Thanks!

Sunset

--Pics taken by E.W--
@ 6.53p.m
@ 6.55p.m
@ 6.56p.m

Looks like E.W also likes to take sunset pics..hehe~

Comp Crashed!

Wah feeling damn pissed off now.

The idiot pc just shut down & I can't even re-start after it "blackout" for 2nd time!

!@#$%^&*

TV Drama Review #240 - Queen of Housewives 贤内助女王

No.of Epis: 28 (SCV) / 20 (Korea)
Year/TV Stn: 2009/MBC
Cast:
Kim Nam Joo ~ Chun Ji Ae
Oh Ji Ho ~ Ohn Dal Soo
Lee Hye Young ~ Yang Bong Soon
Sun Woo Sun ~ Eun So Hyun
Choi Chul Ho ~ Han Joon Hyuk
Yoon Sang Hyun ~ Heo Tae Joon
Synopsis: (Edited from Dramawiki)
Chun Ji Ae and Yang Bong Soon are high school classmates who did not have the best relationship with each other. Ji Ae was the most popular girl in school whereas Bong Soon was the girl that was always made fun of. Years later, their roles are reversed as Bong Soon's husband, Han Joon Hyuk, is very successful whereas Ji Ae's husband, Ohn Dal Soo, is just an average company worker. Things get complicated when Dal Soo starts an extra-marital affair with his boss's wife, Eun So Hyuk, while Ji Ae met Heo Tae Joon, who faked his identity so that Ji Ae does not know that he's the CEO of Dal Soo's company.
Slacker's review:
There were a lot of positive reviews of "QOH", but I was a little bored with the drama. Perhaps I was just sick of Bong Soon's scheming acts as she tried to get back at Ji Ae, and I was bored about how the guys' rivalry with each other. I just felt that the story was going round & round before the real action kicked in.
It has been ages since I last saw Kim Nam Joo's drama. Her transformation of becoming an ajumma was pretty convincing, and Ji Ae was entertaining. However, I did not like her pair up with Oh Ji Ho. She definitely looked better with Yoon Sang Hyun! Ha! Lee Hye Young was another veteran who's acting was just great. I hated Bong Soon to core, but I enjoyed her scenes with Joon Hyuk after he was sacked. Their r/s was like from cold to super funny & loving.
Sun Woo Sun's performance was not bad too, though her role So Hyun was such a poor thing.
As for the guys, Oh Ji Ho did not receive any awards from MBC last yr. I wondered if it's because Oh Dal Soo was not a interesting character, or is it because OJH attended KBS's drama awards. Haha! Anyway, I did not like Oh Dal Soo. He's just plain boring!
Mr Choi is one of my fav. actors, and just as u thought that he's very serious in the drama, think twice. Lolz! He was quite comical on & off, and he was so cute after he confirmed his love for Bong Soon. Couldn't stand this couple sia~!
Tuan kept telling me to watch out for Mr Yoon, and true enough, his character was quite interesting & charming. I loved his scenes with Kim Nam Joo, as their chemistry was much better. But then, Tae Joon did not end up with anybody too....haiz~
There are some nice songs in the drama, but the song that left me the deepest impression was sang by Tae Joon. I found the song very familiar, and it turns out that Jeff Chang sang a cover version of it a few yrs back! ^^

Ray of Light

Pic taken by E.W. It's a pity that the angle of the pic was not gd enough~ Anyway, it's hard to see such a sight.

Mentally Tired

Nothing goes well when my superiors are not around. Ha!

Today was damn bloody a busy day for me.

I just felt that my brain stopped thinking & I worked like a robot for hours.

I just hope that there won't be any big cases this week.

I don't want to handle them!!

天使 vs 恶魔

经常听人家说事事无绝对，总有灰色地带。
人类也是如此，善良与邪恶面也能共存。
每个人的心里都住着一个天使与恶魔。
天使与恶魔的战争叫做“矛盾”。
“茅盾”也带了个朋友，名叫“烦恼”。
最后，烦恼的人类苦了自己。

苦了自己的人类，却继续把自己推向万丈深渊。
因为在这个现实社会里，天使与恶魔是没办法独立生存的。

看来，还是得寻找那解脱之道。

CC Gang Gathering: Ip Man 2

--Cathay Cineleisure--
I thought most ppl wld have watched "Ip Man 2" already, but I was wrong. The cinema was nearly full when I bought the tixs. Luckily I cld still settle with the 5th row from front. The movie was not too bad, though the plot was actually very simple. The focus was on how Ip Man tried to open his martial arts sch in HK, and the 2nd part was the battle b/w Chinese martial arts & Western boxing. The fighting scenes b/w Donnie Yen & Sammo Hung was really exciting. Sammo's fighting scene with the ang moh boxer was damn sad la. Cld not wait for Donnie to challenge the sickening ang moh. Lolz~~~
Performance wise, Donnie was alright. He's hardly expressive, but was quite funny with his way of talking. Like his scenes with Huang Xiao Ming too. I thought Huang's performance was not too bad, but not enough scenes to develop his character further. Xiong Dai Ling continued to be the "flower vase" in the movie, but you cld not blame her for that. The movie did not have the room for women roles.
Last scene was damn lame~The young Bruce Lee appeared before Ip Man, and it was super funny.
Btw, "Ip Man" third sequel is coming in late June, and it will focus on young Ip Man. No Donnie Yen, but we have other veteran actors in it. Don't think I will watch it though....
Why? Coz' I am watching for Mr Yen. Haha!
--Blue Mountain Cafe @ 313 Somerset--
Very sorry KH! I accidentally deleted my photos!!!!! Haiz~
Anyway, GC recommended their pizzas. So we had "Teriyaki Chicken" & "Sambal Prawn" pizzas. Thin crust & not too bad~ I tried their "Tiramisu Latte", and it was great. PY had their club sandwich, but the bread was too dry for her. I forgot what KH had, but it was delicious!

Sunset

@ 6.59p.m
@ 7.06p.m

Broke record

--Yesterday--
Ah Ching reached home at nearly 2a.m.! Thanks to my dearest E.W for fetching me home. I could not imagine how much I need to pay if I took a cab home. Haha!

Anyway, it was a gathering of 3 departments from the small office at 35th floor. Haha!
Call Centre colleague drove us to River Valley for our dinner @ Irvine's Seafood Tze Char. I ate everything except the crabs. Lolz~

Went to Liang Court Party World after that. The women were crazy playing "5, 10, 15". Aiyo~
Of coz, Ah Ching only watched them play la, or else don't know need to drink how many sips of beer. Haha! 2 more colleagues joined us for Karaoke session too...atmosphere quite high ah~ Lolz!

Oh ya, another colleague gave birth to a baby girl a few days ago! Congrats!!

It's a long day~

Going out with colleagues later for the very first time.

Dinner plus Karaoke....haha! (Sun must be coming out from the West~)

TV Drama Review #239 - The Gem of Life 珠光宝气

No.of Epis: 82
Year/TV Stn: 2008/TVB
Cast:
Louise Lee ~ Bai Xiao Rou
John Chiang ~ Kang Qing Yang
Maggie Siu ~ Kang Ya Yan
Gigi Lai ~ Kang Ya Tong
Ada Choi ~ Kang Ya Si
Elliot Yue ~ He Feng
Moses Chan ~ He Zhe Nan
Wong Hei ~ He Tai He
Bosco Wong ~ He Tai Chuan
Linda Chung ~ Song Zi Ling
Bowie Lam ~ Gao Chang Sheng
Kenny Wong ~ You Ri Dong
Eddie Kwan ~ Chen Qi Fa
Synopsis: (Edited from Dramawiki)
In Bai Xiao Rou’s eyes, her three daughters are just as perfect as diamonds. She believes that the greatest blessing for a woman is to marry a wealthy man. To guarantee a better life for her daughters, she started training the girls since they were young, hoping that they will marry into the richest families when they mature.
Rou's eldest daughter Ya Yan does not agree with her on her values. Yet when she sees that the man Yan is going out with is Gao Chang Sheng, who is very well-off, she decides to let Yan go with her choice. Rou’s second daughter Ya Tong is hopelessly romantic but does not seem to have much luck with men. To make it up to her, Yan seeks to match her up with He Zhe Nan, the son of Hong Kong’s most powerful business tycoon He Feng. Being the youngest in the family, Ya Si is well aware of Rou’s concerns. Having recovered from divorce, Si now decides to pin all her hopes on He Feng.
Rou’s persistence pays off and her daughters have all found a wealthy men. But money does not really bring them happiness and the sisters are gradually losing themselves in vanity.
Slacker's review:
I've not watched such a long TVB drama for a long time. I was skeptical about "TGOL", as the reviews & ratings were not good in HK. However, I thought the drama was quite interesting, as the plot was full of twists & turns, and we cld understand every character in depth. The drama was well paced, though some characters' transitions were kinda illogical.
The veterans were great in the show. Louise Lee was no longer the kind-hearted mum in "Moonlight Resonance". Rou is quite "scheming", but that's because she knew her daughters too well. If she did not do things behind, things wld not work smoothly. However, her ending was a little sad, as she started to lose her memory. In the end, she's just a loving mum who wanted her family to stay together. It must have pained her when her daughters were fighting against each other for their men. John Chiang was the nice & loving dad here, but he also committed mistakes which nearly caused trouble to his family. Elliot Yue was really great too. He Feng was such a gentleman, but after he got kidnapped, he changed to another person, who's so wary of everybody. His acting was very convincing and I cld not stand Feng in the end. Thank goodness, he was "get rid" by the scriptwriter..haha!
The three sisters all had their own flaws. None of them were angels, but I think Ya Tong was the most pathetic fella among them. She was constantly being sabotaged by Yan & Si, who were plotting & co-operating with each other at different times. Ya Tong might be naive, but she's not stupid. The only part I cld not stand her was how she treated Zhe Nan. This lady simply refused to believe him. I thought she must be blind to believe in her sisters after their bad "records". Haiz~ Gigi's performance was alright, as her character did not really stand out among others. Chemistry with Moses was alright too, maybe they had too little scenes together, compared to the other couples.
Ya Yan's change in character was not logical for me. She was the one who was the most clear-minded, but in the end, she did so many stupid & silly stuffs for Sheng. She became so unreasonable for that man, and she's willing to sacrifice her sisters. Maggie Siu's performance was not bad, and her chemistry with Bowie was terrific. This couple was the most "unfortunate" as they separated for silly reasons.
Ada Choi was really really good as Ya Si. I thought this was one of her best performance! Ya Si was another pathetic woman, as many ppl misunderstood her. Yes, she's definitely not innocent & naive, as she's always planning for herself & trying to play the games with others. Ya Si cld be a very loving wife, mum & daughter, but on the other hand, she cld be a very merciless businesswoman. I liked Ada's fierce glance, when Si was trying to get rid of her competitors, and her near insanity expressions/emotions after she lost her husband & child.
Linda Chung was a support lead here, and she got rid of her sweet & innocent image to portray Song Zi Ling. I really disliked Ling, as she kept on betraying those who chose to believe in her. However, I thought her acting was really great, as her bad girl image was so convincing.
The guys were fairly good, but this drama belonged to the women.
I really thought Moses's Zhe Nan was one of the weakest character in the drama. Not weak as in Moses's acting, but Zhe Nan was really such a pathetic guy who always kena aimed by the "bullies". Ya Tong chose to leave him and not to believe him, while Ya Si kept thinking Zhe Nan was working against her & killed her child. Chang Sheng always wanted to defeat Zhe Nan too. Everybody's targetting at him...haha! Of course, Zhe Nan was not that good either, but I thought he became weaker after his dad passed away. I did not like this change~
Bowie's Chang Sheng was annoying as well. Proud, arrogant, and pretty bad-mannered. I only loved the part when he fell in love with Ya Yan. However, things changed 180 degrees after Ya Yan married to Ri Dong. I cld feel Chang Sheng's pain la, that's why he took revenge on the couple after he found why they got married so suddenly.
Kenny Wong was great here. Ri Dong was an interesting character, because he loved Chang Sheng. However, for the sake of his business, he chose to give up and helped Ya Yan instead. This guy was really sacrificing. Kowtow to him~
Wong Hei's Tai He was boring, because he's the "da hao ren" in the drama. He's so nice to everyone and he did not mind getting hurt. As for Bosco who acted as Tai Chuan, his performance was ok. Tai Chuan was another scheming fella who did not want to be looked down by others. However, he's still very nice to his bro la. Thank goodness he did not sabo his bro like the sisters.
I bet nobody wld like Eddie Kwan's Qi Fa initially. He' such an ill-mannered uncle with a weird hairstyle. Cld not stand him at all!!! Well, things changed as he turned over a new leaf & worked hard for his career. Eddie looked so much better with the short haircut. That uncle image was just too devastating. Lolz! It's a pity that Qi Fa was "killed" by the scriptwriters too. I wld want to see him becoming a successful businessman.
Theme song is "Zhuang Xi" by Shirley Kwan. Insert songs are "Wu Qing You Ai" by Linda Chung; "Xiang Lian Liang Ge Zi" Bowie Lam and Gigi Lai & "W o Hai Zai Deng Shen Me" by Moses Cha.

Lunch

--Joe & Dough @ Chevron House--
You must be thinking Ah Ching only had these for lunch. No la! I already had my lunch before my kopi session. Lolz~ Anyway, I'm back at the sandwich shop to claim my free cupcake~
Their choc cupcake really did not look like the ordinary ones. The chocolate was rich and the cupcake was quite delicious.
Tried their Cafe Mocha for the 1st time, and it was really nice. It's hard to find cafes who do coffee art, that's why I really like Joe & Dough.

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day, but no celebration for E.W. (As usual~) Anyway, any day can be a Mother's Day la~ Haha! Shall treat her to Cedele's vegetarian sandwich someday.
--Vesak Carnival @ NAC--
This was my first time visiting the Vesak Carnival @ NAC. The food fair was pretty small, and this yr's highlight was the 7 Buddhist Monuments. There's also a photography exhibition named "Images of Buddhist Life".
Miniature version of Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India.
Miniature version of Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.
A photo taken in Myanmar.
My favourite photo in the exhibition. The reflection of Mahabodhi Temple in a cup!
Forgot where's the location of this pic!
A pagoda at Bagan, Myanmar.
View from Borobudur. I can't wait to go there!!!
A little girl kneeling down at Gansu, China. Loved this photo too~
If you're gg to Tibet, you can't miss this place. Potala Palace.
I'm glad to see Haeinsa as one of the 7 monuments. A pity that I cld not visit it when I was in Korea.
Yungang Grottoes. I will definitely go there someday!
Bought a set of 小沙弥 bookmarks at Evergreen stall. I have not bought the bookmarks for a long time! Decided to take my collection out and realised I got so many sets of bookmarks. Haha!
--Kinokuniya @ NAC--
Went there for a simple reason, to search for a Japanese textbook. However, I did not buy one in the end, simply because the books are too expensive. Lolz~ I bought another book which drills for JLPT though. I guess I can learn a lot from the book. Wanted to buy another book which focus on sentence patterns. However, it costed 60 over bucks! Thought can ask Tuan to buy for me in Shanghai, but she said Shanghai bookstores don't sell books from Japan. Online bookstore also don't have ah. Looks like I gotta find myself liao~
--Uniqlo @ Ion--
Bought a tank top for myself, while Mr Chean bought a tee. Haha! It has been a long time since he bought a nice tee.

Last but not least, Happy Mother's Day~~~!!!!

Lunch

--R Burger @ Chevron House--
Just found out that R Burger got another outlet at Chevron! Met up with GC & SC for lunch. Has not seen them for awhile.
SC's Tofu Chicken Burger & Potato Wedges.
My Salmon Burger & Chicken Nuggets. The nuggets did not looked nice, but it was really soft & delicious. Very different from the typical nuggets we eat. The burger was nice, though I found it small. The wasabi sauce was not too bad. The super combo was a little ex, $8.80 & comes with a drink. I think price is similar to Mos Burger la, but lesser varieties.
GC ordered the same burger and Chicken Karaage. Her meal pic was blurred, so I did not upload here. The Chicken Karaage was yummy~!
Overall, my 1st experience @ R Burger was great, but I wld not visit it often, coz' it's not very cheap la~ Haha!

最近

最近开始想下一份工作要做些什么。
最近想去买日文参考书。
最近体会到什么叫“诸事不顺”。
最近想出门走走。
最近觉得时间过得太快。
最近想跟朋友们聚一聚。

TV Drama Review #238- The Slave Hunters 推奴

No.of Epis: 24
Year/TV Stn: 2010/KBS
Cast:
Jang Hyuk ~ Lee Dae Gil
Oh Ji Ho ~ Song Tae Ha
Lee Da Hae ~ Un Nyun / Kim Hye Won
Lee Jong Hyuk ~ Hwang Chul Woong
Han Jung Soo ~ General Choi
Kim Ji Suk ~ Wang Son
Kim Ha Eun ~ Sul Hwa
Synopsis: (from Dramawiki)
Chuno follows the story of Lee Dae Gil, a man of high birth whose family was ruined when Won Ki Yoon, a slave, burnt down his house and escaped with his sister, Un Nyun, who was in love with Dae Gil. Driven by his desire for revenge, Dae Gil survived his harsh years on the streets and made his name as a slave hunter, dedicated in his pursuit to find Un Nyun, his first and only love. Song Tae Ha is a General of the Army who became a slave after being falsely accused of a crime he did not commit, and finds himself on the run from Dae Gil's relentless pursuit. Both men become entangled in a love triangle with Un Nyun, who is no longer a runaway slave, but Kim Hye Won, a nobleman's daughter.
Slacker's review:
To be honest, I was a little bored with Chuno's plot. After all, the reason for watching was solely the cast. Chuno's plot was filled with emotions, bitter romance & bitterness in life during that time. I was bored because I did not like the scenes of people hunting & killing each other. I was more interested in the characters' development. Thus, I skipped quite a bit when the drama was showing all the pursuing and fighting scenes. Luckily, Chuno is not a drama which just focused on the hunting of slaves. A major part of the story was about the sad romance b/w Dae Gil, Hye Won & Tae Ha. I thought the drama was well-balanced in various aspects, which also includes friendship b/w the characters (e.g. Dae Gil-General Choi-Wang Son, Tae Ha & his men etc). The director also filmed the action scenes with different angles & directions.
I am a fan of Jang Hyuk, and his performance was great as usual. Dae Gil's last scene with Hwang Chul Woong & Sul Hwa was damn sad. Especially when Sul Hwa sang him a song while holding him tightly. Oh Ji Ho's acting was quite impressive as well. Perhaps it's because his acting was so much better than his previous ones. Lee Da Hae was great as well, though Hye Won became a support character towards the end. I thought Hye Won's role was underused. I bet many ppl hoped that Hye Won ends up with Dae Gil. I am fine with Hye Won ending up with either man, as both really loved & cared for her. However, I thought it wld be harder for Hye Won to be with Dae Gil. Time has passed & I felt that Hye Won's love for Dae Gil was filled with more guilt than love. On the other hand, Tae Ha was the guy who protected and stayed by her side when she's on the run with the little crown prince.
Lee Jong Hyuk was great too. His character Hwang was a bad guy and a cruel killer, but in fact, he was a pathetic fella who was sort of controlled by others as well. Hwang did not die in the end, but his ending scene was really touching. Btw, the actress who acted as Hwang's wife was terrific!
The support cast was great as well. When I thought General Choi & Wang Son were killed by Hwang, I felt so disappointed! Thank goodness, they did not die in the end~
OST was nice. Loved "달에 지다" by Beige, ending theme "Stigma" by Im Jae Bom, "바꿔" by Gloomy 30's & instrumental track "비익련리(比翼連里)" by Ccotbyel.

Macro Shots

--Flowers @ Home--
Love the flower petals...the pink & red blended so nicely.
New addition to our Orchid family. This is our first pot of mini Orchid.
Another new addition to our Orchid family. I finally found the name of this orchid. It's called "Dancing Lady Orchid" (Oncidium altissimum).

Red Bomb Alert!

How come so many ppl getting married or engaged these days ah?

Finally, I've reached the stage of attending friends & colleagues wedding.

Time to save for angbao money liao~~~haha!

Marina Bay Sands + Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Rd Ensemble with SSO

--Marina Bay Sands 滨海湾金沙综合娱乐城--
Decided to take a look at SG's latest attraction yesterday with E.W before we walked over to Esplanade for our concert. Took the Circle Line and alighted at Promenade Station. Saw a new shopping mall "PARCO", which is like any other Japanese department stores. The restaurants are located at the 3rd level, while other stuffs are pretty standard ( a mix of mid-range to high-end goods).
After a 10 mins walk, Marina Bay Sands hotel wld appear before your eyes. The hotel section is separated from the casino & mall sections by "Bayfront Bridge" (海湾桥). Instead of walking for 10 mins, you can take buses 97, 106 & 133 and alight directly in front of the hotel.
Children paintings at the Youth Olympic Park.
From the park, you wld see the "The Float @ Marina Bay" (滨海湾浮动舞台). In the background is our CBD area (中央商业区).
What can you see next? Singapore Flyer (新加坡摩天观景轮) and Benjamin Sheares Bridge (薛尔思桥).
One of the highlights of the trip, "The Helix" (螺旋桥). It is a pedestrian bridge linking Marina Centre with Marina South in the Marina Bay area.
The Helix. This is the new hot spot for photography lovers. Saw so many people carrying their DSLRs...
The Float @ Marina Bay, with the hotels as the backdrop.
Construction is still going on though...
The hotel with Sands Sky Park right on top.
The entrance of the casino. Cld see lots of ppl gambling inside...but well, have to pay $100 bucks leh.
The shopping area, which is called "The Shoppes at MBS". Mid-range shops are at the ground floor, while the rest are high-end branded shops. Saw Chanel covering 3 floors, and there are others like Gucci, Coach, Ferragamo, Hermes etc...
The promenade area. You get to see nice views at the Bay...
Esplanade & Swissotel The Stamford.
CBD & the evening sky.
--Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Ensemble with SSO @ Esplanade Concert Hall--
I thought I was kinda disappointed with some of the pieces performed by The Silk Rd Ensemble (Yo-Yo Ma is one of the members). It's not that their performances were not good. In fact, they were casual yet professional in their playing. The problem lies with their music pieces, as some of them lacked a main melody or they were just simply playing some notes with difficult techniques. It was hard to connect with the music and to some extent, boring. SSO was not there as an orchestra, but rather as guests as some of them were involved in the last 2 pieces after the intermission. SSO's music director Lan Shui was the conductor for the 4th piece, "Night Music: Voice in the Leaves".
The concert opened with "Silk Road Suite", which included 4 pieces. The piece was "Mountains are Far Away", followed by "Phoenix Rising", "Summer in the high grassland" & "Ascending Bird". The suite was probably my favourite, as I liked the whole ensemble playing together.
The 2nd piece was "Wine Madness", and their Sheng player gave an introduction in Mandarin. The rhythm of the song was not too bad, and the Sheng player was very expressive.
E.W & I started to have "problems" with the 3rd piece, "Ritmos Anchinos". There were 3 movements in this piece, "Harawi para Colquipocro"; "Charangos de Chincha" & "Kachampa". The music piece is a hybrid between Chinese and Andean, but I did not like the fusion, as I cld not connect with it. 断断续续的音乐, 再加上乐手们都在玩高音,有点刺耳.
The 4th piece was equally hard to appreciate. 没有主旋律的乐章,听起来很辛苦.
Finally, the last piece brought some justice to the ensemble. "Air to Air" was cheerful & fun in general. You cld see that the musicians enjoyed themselves and they interacted with each other while playing their instruments.
The ensemble performed 2 more encore pieces for the audiences. The pieces were relatively short, but they were energetic & melodious.
I left the concert hall with mixed feelings...which was quite a pity.
I think I wld really want to see Yo-Yo Ma performing Western pieces someday, and I've yet to attend a real SSO concert!
--Happy Labour Day--
Finally can connect with this holiday. Hahaha!