A day to remember~

Today marks the ROM anniversary of my parents.
I joked they only married for a few years.
As usual, the couple does not celebrate (and that's for their wedding anniversary as well). Haha!
I wish I can go back home early later, but I got testing at night. Haiz~

China vs Japan: Hunting for Vegetarian Food

Spent my afternoon looking for Vegan restaurants in Japan.
Turns out that it's easier to find one in Japan than in China. Lolz!
I am glad that I have found food for E.W., though the food is not really cheap.
Now I gotta worry about her food when she goes China in June. Haha!

TV Drama Review #332 - Color of Woman 女人的色彩

No.of Eps: 20
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/Channel A
Cast:
Yoon So Yi ~ Byun So Ra
Lee Soo Kyung ~ Hwang Jin Joo
Jae Hee ~ Yoon Joon Soo
Shim Ji Ho ~ Kang Chan Jin
Synopsis: (edited from AsianWiki)
So Ra comes from an ordinary background, but she works very hard. She is then betrayed by her boyfriend and her dreams of becoming a professor fails. So Ra then joins a cosmetics company.  So Ra despises women who focuses only on their looks. She came out on top academically from elementary school all the way up to graduate school, but she hasn't had much luck with personal relationships. So Ra tries to do everything for her boyfriend, but she catches him cheating on her with her friend Jin Joo!  So-Ra meets her friend Chan Jin , who works at a cosmetics company. In the past, So Ra helped Chan Jin get a promotion by writing a report for him. So Ra takes an interview from the company and is able to pass by the information she gleaned from writing Chan Jin's report.
While carrying a box at work she spots Joon Soo, who graduated from same university as her. So Ra feeling uncomfortable tries to get away, but Joon Soo blocks her and talks to her. Finally the two of them sat down to have a talk, but So Ra recalls her unhappy memories...
Why should you watch?
Jae Hee's comeback drama after serving his nation. Lee Soo Kyung also returns to the small screen too, despite being the 2nd female lead. 
Why you should not watch?
I was disappointed. The drama started well, though the plot was pretty standard. Drama pace dragged, story development was stagnant, characters became foolish and the vibe of this cable drama just went missing. This drama shld have stopped at 16.
I felt sad for Jae Hee, coz' his character did him injustice. Joon Soo is so ordinary! I hardly watch Yoon So Yi's dramas, but I believed she could do better in other roles. Lee Soo Kyung is versatile, she can be great in all sorts of roles. I did not really like Jin Joo as she's kinda bitchy, but LSK did a good job. Shim Ji Ho is new to me, but his performance was great too, even better than Jae Hee.

Finding a place to stay

--Shanghai-Nanjing Trip--
I am back to find better hotels for my upcoming trip.
I am a fickle-minded person when accommodation comes to concern. Lolz!
After looking at forums, now I pay attention to ang moh hotel booking sites.

When can I find the "perfect" hotel? Haha!

Sunsets

--17/02/2012--

at 7.13pm

at 7.27pm

at 7.33pm
--19/02/2012--

at 7.25pm

Plan Plan Plan!

Have been working hard on my Japan's trip itinerary with KH.
Japan is indeed challenging, and I have to be prepared for the language barrier. (Ooops..)

As for my Shanghai-Nanjing trip, the itinerary is done.
However I need to get down to the details like costs etc.

Looking forward to the 2nd half of the year now :)

A day at Kallang Leisure Park

--Kallang Leisure Park--
Spent my entire afternoon at the mall.
Went to Kallang Bowl with Tuan. I still did not hit 100 points :(
Later we went to KBox. Haven't sing in KBox for a long time.
The price is $26 nett for 5 hours!
I don't think I can sing 5 hours if I am in town area.
So next time if you wanna sing K, pls come to KBox KLP!

TV Drama Review #331 - Wax and Wane 团圆

No.of Eps: 30
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Roger Kwok ~ Weng Yi Jin Eugene
Sunny Chan ~ Wan Jia Feng
Ron Ng ~ Weng Yi Xing Gary
Kate Tsui ~ Wan Jia Fu Peace
Toby Leung ~ Wan Jia Man
Him Law ~ Li Bo Xi Roy
Derek Kwok ~ Wang Hong
Elaine Yiu ~ Wang Xiu Ping
Synopsis: (edited from Wikipedia)
Weng Sheng Fen and his cousin Wan Yong Chang have been at odds for years, over the trade name rights of their family's noodle shop. Eugene, Fen's eldest son engages in a property development project in order to solve the problem. Unwillingly, he offers to buy out the location of Chang's noodle shop with his company's shares. He also invites Chang's son & niece, Feng & Man, to join the company's management. Eugene actually has ulterior motives for doing this, as he hates Feng to the core for marrying his girlfriend Hui Ting (Florence Kwok). On top of this, Eugene's younger brother, Gary, is going out with Chang's second daughter, Peace, regardless of his family's opposition. Now, Eugene is at his wits' end as he has to handle his family issues single-handedly. He never understood what family ties really meant, nor had he the courage to try to find it out, until now.
Why watch?
If you like family drama with lots of misunderstandings, revenge and scheming plots. "Wax and Wane" is for you.
It's also good to see Roger and Sunny trying out roles that are not clear-cut good or bad guys. Both their characters have flaws and their acting were excellent.
Surprisingly, Kate & Toby's performances were better than I thought. Kate is the female lead, though I don't think she's a good A-lister. Peace is the nice girl in the drama, and Kate performed well. The role is not challenging actually. (I believe Kate is better with somewhat evil roles. Lolz!)
Toby has been acting supporting roles for years, luckily she got chance to show her acting with the tom-boyish Da Man Guan (Jia Man's nick name).
The baddies are good to core. Derek and Elaine really drove us mad with their scheming plots. Haha!
Why skip?
The plot is pretty cliche and typical TVB styled. The twists were expected, so nothing is surprising.
Ron Ng is still stuck with his usual character - rich boy who does not want to work, only know how to play, and being used by baddies etc. His acting has not improved, hence I felt disappointed.

Eat, Hunt, Shop

--Domani @ NAC--

After n months, I finally returned to Domani for my favourite spaghetti.

Ice Cafe Mocha.

Sambal Seafood Marinara!! Not spicy today~

Disappointed that they are not selling tiramisu now. Tried their mango cake, and it's not too bad.
--PrettyFit @ City Link Mall--
Aiya! Got sale and I bought shoes again!!! Oops...the shoes are comfortable though :p
--Suntec--
Met up with E.W at Suntec and checked out the pre-NATAS fair by several agencies. Europe is a hot favourite this year...hehe!
--Dinner--

What a sinful day ya? Dinner was black pepper beef steak at a coffee shop. Their black pepper sauce is at their usual standard. Not bad!

TV Drama Review #330 - A Thousand Kisses 千次的吻

No.of Eps: 50
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/MBC
Cast:
Seo Young Hee ~ Woo Joo Young
Ji Hyun Woo ~ Jang Woo Bin
Ryu Jin ~ Jang Woo Jin
Kim So Eun ~ Woo Joo Mi
Synopsis:
Joo Young and Joo Mi are two sisters. Joo Young happens to meet Woo Bin after an incident and he later learns that Joo Young's husband has cheated on her. Joo Young got a divorce and Woo Bin starts to come close to her. On the other hand, Joo Mi falls for Woo Jin, a cold-hearted resort CEO. Unknown to the sisters, Woo Jin and Woo Bin are cousins, and Joo Young only realises this during Joo Mi's wedding.
Joo Young and Woo Bin's relationship starts to face problems as their families are closely related, and Woo Jin's mother is actually the sisters' birth mother! Things got worse when Woo Bin's ex girlfriend wants to reconcile with him, and makes things difficult for Joo Young at work.
Why watch?
If you like Ryu Jin or Ji Hyun Woo, you would probably wanna support them by watching it. Ryu Jin's character and storyline was much better than Ji Hyun Woo though.
Seo Young Hee's performance was good, but towards the end of the drama, I hardly get to see her. Joo Young-Woo Bin pair has got one of the lousiest storyline I've ever seen. Sorry Ji Hyun Woo, but I really disliked Woo Bin. How can he accept that dumb ex-gf again?!
Kim So Eun pairs up with Ryu Jin and I liked this couple a lot. Even though Ms Kim is much younger than Ryu Jin, she did not look like a kiddo beside him. Kim So Eun's acting has improved a lot too.
Why skip?
The storyline is quite crappy. I felt like scolding the scriptwriter for making Woo Bin such a lousy guy. He had worked so hard to be with Joo Young. How can he accept someone he does not loved at all? He's really foolish! Haiz....I think too much time was spent between Woo Bin and his failed romance with his ex gf. I rather see Joo Young again.
Ji Hyun Woo received an acting award for this drama, but I thought Seo Young Hee deserved the award more. (Not sure if she's nominated though). I thought it's really a waste for JHW to act such a character.

Family Dinner

--Mouth Restaurant @ China Square Mall--
Had an impromptu family dinner with relatives.
My previous experience with Mouth restaurant's set meal was not too good. So I am glad that today's set meal was delicious, portion was just nice and we were not rushed to finish our food.
Their new restaurant at China Square has better ambience too.

鲍鱼佛跳墙. Delicious soup!

Steamed egg with Crab meat & fish roe.

Fried rice with black pork meat & wild mushroom. The meat was very tender.

Super yummy fried filo wrapped prawn with mango sauce.

Pan fried Cod fish with salad. Nice fushion.

The dessert is creative too. Ice cream with purple sweet potato.

变化

生老病死是人生不变的规律，但是世间万物却不会永恒不变。

人们不喜欢变化。因为变化会带来不安、麻烦、烦恼等。

当人或事改变的时候，我们能来得及反应吗？有时间去适应吗？

我们现在是站在旁边的局外者。

无论变化如何，希望我们不会受到影响。

TV Drama Review #329 - The Other Truth 真相

No.of Eps: 25
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/TVB
Cast:
Ruco Chan ~ Keith Liu Si Jie
Tavia Yeung ~ Mavis Kang Zhi Xin
Raymond Wong ~ Wallace Zhuo Shao Qian
Louis Yuen ~ James Wei Wen Han
Natalie Tong ~ Cecilia Pan Qiao Ru
Lai Lok Yi ~ Danny Mao Jing Ye
Special Guest: 
Kenneth Ma ~ Alex Jiang Luo Wen
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Barrister Keith Liu's ambition knows no limits. He will do everything he can in order to win a case, even if it means putting himself at risk. His good friend Wallace Zhuo runs a law firm. Although Wallace is a qualified barrister, he has no court experience, until he gets to know Mavia Kang, who's another barrister working in Keith's Chamber. Thereafter, Wallace's debut meets with loud acclaim. Their good friend, James Wei, is a down-on-his-luck lawyer who is financially dependent on his mother: but when a thorny case comes his way, it looks as if his luck has finally changed.
Why watch?
This drama is Ruco Chan's representative work from TVB. Actually it is surprisingly to know that Raymond, who is already an A-lister, is the 2nd lead guy in this drama. As per Ruco's previous works in TVB, he is not meant to be a male lead. So after Michael Tse and Wayne Lai, Ruco should be the 3rd guy who is from the "forever B lister but suddenly rose to A lister" category. I agreed that Ruco's performance here is really great. I like his acting, and he got the charisma.
I love Tavia's professional image. She looked confident! Like her scenes with Ruco, but she did not end up with any guys in the end! (We shall anticipate the sequel ya?)
Natalie is impressive as well, though her character's fate was sad.
Last but not least, it's not common to get A lister Kenneth Ma to be a guest . Alex is an interesting fella. On one hand he is cunning, but on the other hand, he's so true to Cecilia (even though he killed her). Kenneth's face changed swiftly, from devilish to a deeply in love man. Impressive.
Why skip?
If you don't like courtroom shows, then this drama might not be for you. However, I think this drama is worth your time.

CC Gang Gathering: CH & KH Belated Birthday Celebration

--Kallang Leisure Park--
Had lunch at Thai Express and went to Kallang Bowl for our long awaited bowling match.
As usual, not long after we started the game, my arm started to ache. Really lousy sia!

Our first match results. SC was named "Turkey girl" as she nearly got 3 strikes in a row.

I fared better in the 2nd match, but it's a pity that I cld not break the 100 mark! Damn~~!!!

Shall have another game someday with Tuan. Hehe!

TV Drama Review #328 - Tree with Deep Roots 树大根深

No.of Eps: 24
Yr/TV Stn: 2011/SBS
Cast:
Jang Hyuk ~ Kang Chae Yoon
Han Suk Kyu ~ King Sejong
Shin Se Kyung ~ So Yi
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Based on Lee Jeong-myeong’s novel “Deep-rooted Tree” which highlights the serial killings during the 7 days before the announcement of the Korean script. A series of murder occurred during the reign of King Sejong. As Kang Chae Yoon who is investigating these cases gets closer to the root of the truth, he finds himself embroiled in a massive conspiracy behind the serial killings which involves a group of genius who are willing to risked their lives towards their goals and secret powers who will interfere with the course of his investigations.
Why watch?
Jang Hyuk returns to the small screen at such a short time! Plus long time no see Han Suk Kyu. These two great actors really made the drama moving. This drama's plot is straightforward, but the character development that made the drama more interesting. I also get to understand a little more on how hangul (Korean characters) are created.
Congrats to Han Suk Kyu for winning the SBS daesang with his King Sejong role. Actually this drama belongs to him, as Sejong is the centre person of the whole drama. Han Suk Kyu executed his emotional scenes very well. A king with his pains and sorrows...excellent performance!
Nice to see Shin Se Kyung, and her acting was great. So Yi could not speak initially and Shin Se Kyung has to rely on her expressions to convey her thoughts to viewers. At least, So Yi is not some flower vase.
Why skip?
First, the plot might be boring to many people as this is quite a serious drama. Romance b/w Chae Yoon and So Yi was not the main focus, though the ending for them was somewhat perfect.
Second, Jang Hyuk's character and performance reminded me too much of his role in "Chuno". Mr Jang need to challenge new roles.