Random Post Is Indeed Random

Finally, after such a long while, I am back for a short bit. I guess one can say it's a temporary respite from the daily challenges I face every day.

Anyway,...

A couple of things had happened these last few weeks that left me very dissappointed. But it is through these mistakes that we learn, and we grow to become stronger and better. I shall not bore you with the entire story of these events, because there is no point crying over spilt milk.

Life has to go on, and lessons have to be learnt.

I like helping people. Or rather, I find it a joy to share my knowledge and experience and help people in need. More importantly, I really believe a lot in karma. As a result, I think I am sometimes not very sensitive to how much help people wants. This may sound confusing, but simply put, each person has their own comfort zone. Once you go beyond a certain level which may infringe his/her privacy, the person might not take it that well and think you may have some ulterior motive in helping him/her too much. And that was exactly what happened to me. As much as I believe that my intent is made clear, but because of this, it has caused the whole chain of unfortunate events.

Then comes the next question: when would you know what the person's comfort level is? I think this is a bit abstract to describe, because it really takes some trial and error to discover each and every person's comfort level. Nevertheless, some people do indeed display through physical behaviour and facial expression if they are really very uncomfortable with the way things are going. Therefore, it really isn't very difficult sometimes. I am afraid I had not reached that level yet, but it's a learning experience.

Speaking of which, yes, I took a step back upon what happened. There had been signs prior to all this mess, and I had tried to pull myself away, but it was obviously in vain (I and I did not do a good job of it.). For a few days, I regretted what I had done, and it did make me question the need to be so nice and helpful to people. I did get some advice from a couple of close friends and family members, and I thought it really helped me a lot and learnt a lot from them. Which was why I wrote this entire thing in the first place.

So yup...

I still treasured whatever friendship that existed during that short duartion. I do not want to make any excuses for what I had done, because it is history. But you will always be a friend.

Lasciate riposare in pace.

Coffee Break: Part 1 -Hour of Power FTW!!!!! :)

Basically, for this new short segment that I am introducing, I will take some of those unreleased pics from before, do a bit of touch up here and there before putting it up here. So these drawings actually ended up in the depths of papers piling up on my desk, or they were left forsaken and forgotten in my folders in my laptop. I think it probably won't last long (I would give this a lifespan of 2-3 parts...)Anyway, I've got one here to start the ball rolling...

When: Sometime in June...I don't really remember. If it is buried in knee-deep full of paper, how in world would I remember? -.-

Story: My language skills are not that brilliant, but I will try to bring my point across.

Sometimes, it really fascinates me to see how love can make people do the most illogical and irrational of things. You see someone put in his/her heart and soul to pursue the person he/she likes, doing stuff you will never expect him/her to do. I think love is like some sort of energy pushing you past all boundaries and limits to achieve the unexpected.

Unfortunately, when the crush/target does not recipocrate and eventually reject his/her feelings, the pain and anguish is indeed heartrending. It may come to the point where your heart is just broken and bleeding away. You feel sad, but somehow, no tears seem to flow out from your eyes.

I think this feeling applies to not just a failed relationship (or attempt at having one). Even between a couple, sometimes when one party hurts you so bad, you will experience the same feeling. Of course, this feeling does not apply to only romance. I think there are times when you are really very sad that you really feel your heart is breaking apart.

I admit I never had a proper relationship, but having seen too much of it, I kind of empathise with them. That was why I sat down to draw this. Anyway, I was undergoing some transition in drawing style, which explains how this picture seems a bit incomplete. I was testing out how to draw the eyes in another way (one which I would eventually and currently adopt), to mixed success. :/ On another note, this was done very swiftly within one hour. Not because I remembered it till now, but because I actually stupidly wrote on my sketch:

"DONE IN ONE HOUR WOOT!!!"

Why is it not released: Even till now, I still had second thoughts about putting this up. One reason is that I am actually worried that people will think I have a personal problem, relationship issue or whatsoever. And I find the end-product a bit...flawed (being a quick paint job, I wasn't expecting to be awesome, oh well... -.-)

I Am Back...! And This IS Why I Am Away For So Long

Aside from studies and stuff, I have been trying out a couple of stuff on PAINT.net.

And I thought that changing the blog design will be a good idea as well.

Enjoy the new cover!

Meanwhile, I need to catch some sleep...the overall effort is too tiring for me...ZZZ

15 June 2012 -- A Dark Twist To The Tale -- Snow White & The Huntsman

Fairy tales have always fascinated and entertained us when we were young, hence remakes of these classics would undoubtedly lead to many comparisons. We have already known for quite some time that there would be two remakes of the classic fairy tale Snow White in 2012, Mirror Mirror (which was released on March and was supposed a light-hearted take of the story by the Brothers Grimm) and Snow White & The Huntsman (which was released this month).

I missed out on watching Mirror Mirror, partly because I am not a frequent movie-goer. However, my friend recommended watching Snow White & The Huntsmen during a get-together session, so I proceeded to watch only my 2nd movie within the last one year.

In all honesty, I was skeptical of how the movie will turn out, particularly when Kristen Stewart was cast as the female lead Snow White. I am not picking on the casting of the Twilight starlet, because I think she is a pretty good actress but she needs to work on her facial & emotional expressions. (Fanboys don't bash me, please. :3)The movie also features Charlize Theron, who portrays the evil stepmother/queen, as well as Chris Hemsworth, who decided to leave Mjölnir in Asgard and is here as the huntsman. 

Unlike the original tale, this incarnation takes on a darker theme but basically follows the same story arc. Snow White's mother died when she was young, leaving her under the care of her father, who is the King. When Ravella (Theron) married the king and murdered him in cold blood on their wedding night, everything changed. Snow White was held captive in the North Tower for years but managed to escape when the evil Queen, in her pursuit of beauty and power, decided to kill her. She made her way into the Dark Forest but was tracked by the huntsman. The huntsman however decides to join forces with Snow White to overthrow the evil Queen's reign, a la Joan of Arc's style.

On the whole, the movie was not too bad, but was not exactly an entertaining 2 hours as I would have hoped. Charlize Theron's powerful performance as the evil queen Ravella was, in my opinion, one thing that stole the show. One can really feel the hatred and embitterment in Ravella as her pursuit for beauty and power (which includes sucking the lifeforce out of virgins and flowers) drove her to insanity and eventually became her undoing.

Chris Hemsworth also did a good job as the huntsman with a traumatic past, providing scant reminder of the hammer-wielding demigod he is now famous for in the Marvel franchise. On the contrary, Stewart's potrayal as the title character somehow pales in comparison, but nevertheless still a convincing one. Unfortunately, as we all know (and should have figured)...

When Snow White is scared, =.=

When Snow White is angry, =.=

When Snow White is happy, =.=

When Snow White is in a coma, ... =.=

While Snow White & The Huntsman may be the most entertaining flick I have watched, it does offer a welcome alternative to movie-goers. Don't give it a miss! :)

FIFA 13: Finally, no Rooney on the cover photo! :P

After the considerable success of FIFA 12, which introduces many new features that enhance gameplay, it is now time to put our focus on the next instalment of the FIFA series, FIFA 13. FIFA 13 seeks to capture all the details of real-life soccer, and has announced a couple of innovations that serves to further improve on the already impressive features of FIFA 12. This includes Tactical Free Kicks and 1st touch control. As to how these features really influences the gameplay, we would have to wait until further details have been released.

And yes, for the first time, Rooney did not feature on the cover photo (although this requires confirmation) and Messi takes over as the poster boy! Not that I dislike Rooney, but he has been on the game covers since FIFA 06. Surely a change would be welcome, wouldn't it? :)

EA Sports has thus far released a trailer of the highly anticipated game, and here's a tongue-in-cheek review of the trailer by KSIOlajidebt. Don't take the jokes too seriously though. :P

Replay! -- Games Worth Re-Visiting! :)

I admit I am bored to death.

Yes, I remembering writing about me giving a review of "The Avengers", but in the end I decided not to. Sorry. :3

Anyway, I thought of revisiting some of the games I have played before. Man, they brought back so much fun memories. Among all, two games really stood out for me. So...here we go!

1. Robot Unicorn Attack

I played this game back in 2010, and it was indeed great fun. Unfortunately, it got monotonous after a while and therefore I stopped. Robot Unicorn Attack was released as a online video game in February 2010 by Spiritonin Media Games. Basically, the user controls the movement of a unicorn and the objective of this game is to last as long as possible without crashing into any obstacles (something linke Nyancat or Techno Kitten Adventure). The game gets increasingly difficult as the its pace gets faster, making it more challenging to get past the obstacles. The players has three lives (or "wishes", as it was referred to in the game) and the total score is tallied from all three turns.

Fast forward 2 years, and I am playing its remake of the original - Robot Unicorn Attack Evolution. While gameplay is identical to the original, the fun aspect of the remake is that the Robot Unicorn evolves into other robotic animals after a certain number of stars broken in a row.

Other than the excitement of finding out the subsequent evolutions of the robotic unicorn, as well as the fun of dashing past obstacles as the game picks up in pace, this game is attractive due to its looping soundtrack. As you play, the soundtrack "Always" by the British band Erasure keeps playing until you crash and burn. You know the one that goes:

"Always, I wanna be with you

And make believe with you

And live in harmony harmony oh love~"

Yup that's the one. In case this does not ring a bell, allow me to present you the video of this song! :P

In addition, there are also two other remakes of the game, namely "Robot Unicorn Attack: Heavy Metal" (featuring the song "Battlefield" from German metal band Blind Guardian) and "Robot Unicorn Attack: Christmas Edition". Try them at your own leisure. :)


2. Facade



Not something you
should say during a visit to your
 friend's house...

Unlike Robot Unicorn Attack, Facade is an artificial-intelligence based game created in 2006 by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern. In this game, the player will reprise the role of  a close friend of Grace and Trip, a couple who recently invited the player to their home for cocktails. This pleasant gathering, however, is somewhat damaged by the clear domestic confrontation between Grace and Trip upon the player's entry. Hence, the objective is to interact and "speak" with the characters, and thereby solve their conflicts, or driving them mad (and risked getting chased out of the house).

The huge selling point of this game, is definitely its natural language processing features and other advanced AI routines involved to provide and enhance a real-life experience for gamers. This also meant the scenario will play out randomly & differently every time users play the game.

However, being a naughty little brat 6 years ago, I would exploit the system and do/"say" wierd things to get them irritated. Nearly every time, I would get chased out of the house beacuse I was deemed "rude and vulgar". However, I did succeed in completing the story once, but I shall not spoil the good ending - it's up to you to find out. :)

2 Weeks, 2 Gatherings! :)

It's been a pretty busy two weeks! Despite such a packed schedule, I was glad to find time to get together with my friends!

5 May - The Ultimate Sports Session!

We had the first of our gathering within 6 days at HomeTeamNS @ Bukit Batok. Honestly, after a long hiatus from gym work, I felt inflexible & was severly lacking fitness. My thoughts of whether I can still survive a badminton match without getting floored were quelled when I seemed to have regained A BIT of my touch. Unfortunately with the awfully hot temperature and poor fitness, I was exhausted after a while. T.T Nevertheless, it was fun as we get to talk and play at the same time.

After two hours of badminton, 4 of us proceeded to play bowling while the remaining two went for swimming instead. I wasn't able to play bowling, but it was still fun to see the rest pit their skills against each other. (In truth, only one of us really knew how to play, but that mattered little as we all were so exhausted from 2 hours of badminton that we can barely focus.)

The three macho men who are bowling (includes diva pose).

Our final scoreline, not surprising since everyone is beat -.-

So 6 days later...

11 May - The Ultimate Makan Session

So after spending so much energy 6 days ago, there is no doubt we should gain back what we have lost! :D

So the 4 of us (me, Zhi Hui, Huay Peng and Eunice) gathered at J-Cube (which is fast becoming a popular among youngsters) to have dinner. Dian Feng came slightly later as he was working overtime. We had dinner at Nando's before going to watch the highly anticipated "The Avengers"! :)

Spot the difference(s) between the signs above and below!

Sitting at a table near the skating rink...and seeing them spin circles (and fall) in front of me. @.@

Shopping spree before the movies! YEEEEAAAAARRRGH!

That's it for now. I guess I'll write about my thoughts on "The Avengers" in my next post. In the meantime, remember to watch this space! :)

So, I Heard You Guys Talk About Salt Lamps...

Recently I have been hearing a lot about salt lamps, particularly from some of my friends. Hence, I decided to check out what it is.

So, what is a salt lamp?

A Himalayan salt lamp is basically a lamp carved from a large colored salt crystal, with an incandescent bulb or a candle inside. These lamps emit an attractive glow and are often used as nightlights or to as ambient mood lighting. Largest producers of the salt lamp are located in places like Poland, Pakistan and Iran.

Prior to understanding more about salt lamp, all I know about Himalayan salt, or Halite to be more precise, was that it is used as a food seasoning, for example the Bolivian Rose salt. Compared to using normal salt, Himalayan salt can better enhance the flaour of the food and brings out a more natural taste. Therefore, using Himalayan salt as a light source is a pretty new concept to me (you may find me a bit ignorant, but then and again, there may be others who still do not know about this. :P).

Note: Some things, for instance the salt lamp, may not work for you but may work for others. Everyone is entitled to their views and opinions. In short, to each his own.

How does the salt lamp work? All we know is that it leads to negative ions in the surroundings, but how? A quick search does provide some information, although not all are entirely true.

There were a couple of websites that the heating of the salt would lead to the release of ions. This is not true, or at least my chemistry knowledge tells me so. Sodium chloride, or NaCl is a ionic compund in which the Na⁺ and Cl^- ions are held together by strong ionic bonds in a ionic lattice. To recall, the size of both  Na⁺ and Cl^- ions are relatively small, thus the ions are closer together and the ionic bonds are stronger. Hence, large amount of energy is required to overcome the strong electrostatic attraction. Thus, the idea of heating of the crystal salt to release ions is not possible.

I am more inclined to think that this has nothing to do with the breaking of ionic lattice of sodium chloride. Rather, it's due to the ability of the salt crystal's ability to absorb moisture in the air (the polar water moleculars get attracted to the ions due to ion-dipole reaction, as the O end of H₂O) Due to the heat of the lamp, the absorbed moisture retained in the crystal will evaporate, and the evaporation of water may have led to the production of negative ions.

The main attraction of the Himalayan salt lamp is perhaps its therapeutic properties. Firstly, it acts as a natural air purifier as the anions released will help remove dust particles in the air. Research has shown the flow of negative ions collide with the dust particles, hence giving the suspended particles a charge as well. The charged particles then bind together, and eventually these clumps precipitate out of the air. The cleaner air also leads reduced susceptibility to sinus, migraine headaches allergies and hay fever and asthma attacks. Henceforth, this also explains the basis behind the invention of air ionisers. While electronic ionisers cost around the same as their natural counterparts, it has been linked to the release of ozone which has detrimental effects on the human body. The Environmental Protection Agency's report on the the effects of ozone determined that a marked level of cellular damage was observed after only four to five days of exposure. According to reports published by Spiritual Endeavors, an online health advocacy and information resource, ozone has been shown to stimulate the body's production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), which can cause cancerous tumors to develop from seemingly healthy body tissue.This could possibly be one reason why many would opt for the natural salt lamp instead.

Secondly, the Himalayan salt lamp has been linked to improvement to mental & physical health, allowing users to feel more alert and relaxed. Scientific studies conducted have supported this claim. Our living environment today has far more sources of positive ions than in the past, causing an imbalance in the atmosphere. Most notably, electrical appliances such as television sets, radios and computers are the greatest sources of positive ions, which is responsible for the deteoriation of our physical and mental well-being. The biological impact of cations was revealed in a research done in 1976, when researchers measured the metabolic changes in mice in response to changes to ion charges. When exposed to cations, the rats showed increased aggression and shorter lifespan.

Another experiment was further conducted in Germany by researchers at Goldstein and Lewin Dept of Medical Research to substantiate the claim. Similar to the experiment in 1976, rats exposed to cations showed a spike in their norepinephrine level after a while, but as time passed, a state of exhaustion can be observed in the form of a lowered norepinephrine level. (Norepinephrine is a hormone that triggers the fight-or-flight response, which in turns causes vasodilation and increased heart rate.)

As such, the negative ions released by the Himalayan salt lamp would help balance out the positive ions in the surrounding air, allowing users to have greater sleep quality and greater vitality. It works the same way as taking a refreshing breath of the sea breeze during a walk along the beach!

Another explanation as to why the salt lamp can improve our mental health could be due to the light emitted by the salt lamp. Its warm glow provides an ambient mood, allowing used to feel more relaxed and comforatable with their surroundings. (Although this is not scientifically proven, but this is most likely why salt lamps can also be found in message and therapy spas.)

21 Mar 2012 -- Like A Boss! Episode 04: Cubes and Chevrons

After our last gathering a month ago, we decided to have another one at JCube this time. Unfortunately, Kwang Yueh was unable to join us this time due to work commitments... T.T

Anyway, JCube is the latest shopping centre located at Jurong East. Most people will perhaps remember its predecessor, JEC (Jurong Entertainment Centre) as it featured the Fuji Ice Palace, one of the only two ice rinks in Singapore. However, it was demolished in 2008 and finally made way for JCube after 4 long years. JCube was officially open on 2 April, and he current shopping mall now consists of 5 floors , as well as a rooftop landscaped plaza.

Before, it was the Jurong Entertainment Centre...

Now it has evolved, into JCube!

In addition, the ice rink has been refurnished and expanded to a bigger size, making it Singapore's first Olympic-size skating rink. For moviegoers, JCube seeks to provide you with one of the best movie experiences as it is now home to the first IMAX theatre in the suburbs.

Anyway, we had lunch at Manhattan Fish Market before exploring the shopping centre. We were amazed by the size of the skating rink. It is really, really HUGE! Unlike the previous ice rink which was much smaller and occupies one floor of the building by itself, the new skating rink is now surrounded by two levels of shops and restaurants. As the skating rink was closed on the day we were there, we were unable to get into the rink to play. Hence, all I got were pictures from outside the rink...

After exploring the mall for around nearly two hours, we went off for our next part of our gathering -- Karaoke at The Chevrons! This was a bit unplanned though, so we got a bit lost trying to find our way to Chevrons by foot (although we had fun along the way, doing funny things like taking random pictures etc.). After walking for half an hour (which was much longer than expected as my GPS said we should have reached within 10 minutes) and 1.1km later, we reached The Chevrons.

Inside the Aviary KTV, we were in for a surprise as we were told that Joshua's and my dress code was improper -- no short pants allowed. We had to rent pants for $3 each. T.T

Still, we had fun singing for two hours. Due to a sore throat, I was able to sing a lot, and it didn't that they were picking a couple of Aerosmith songs. So I had to make it up by doing a horrible imitation of Abracadabra and Bubble Pop, to everyone's "approval" (no pictures though, sorry.).

Rare Talents in FIFA12 Part 2: Winter Roster Update

With the Winter Roster Update coming in, there have been changes to the ratings of many players in the database. For those who may not know, players can update their squads by going to "Customise FIFA -> Edit teams -> Change squads/rosters -> Download updates". Once it’s done you’ll have the latest squads! :)

Meanwhile, we shall focus on some brilliant young players that can be found in this new patch, and also revisit the players that have been previously recommended to see whether their stock has rose and fallen.

1. Gabriel (Juventus) 66 -> 88

Juventus was quick to sign 17 year old Gabriel Appelt Pires before many other big clubs could do so, and The Old Lady had reason to be. This talented central defensive midfielder, signed along with his older brother Guilherme, was described as a "champion" by top European transfer guru Ernesto Bronzetti.

In FIFA 12, the Brazilian has a good passing range, with both his Long Passing and Short Passing stats above 70. Furthermore, his Ball Control and Vision stats are a whopping 72, pretty promising for a young midfielder who can dictate play in the heart of midfield and switch from defense to offense with his incisive passes. He can also shut down opponents pretty quickly with his decent tackling and intercepting abilities, so he's a definite must-have for FIFA 12 career mode players.

Before I forget, check out how he pressured Ronaldinho off the ball in a match against Flamengo (at around 0:35)


2. Nicola Leali (Brescia) 67-> 88

Prior to the Winter Roster update, the 18 year old Italian goalkeeper has an overall rating of 61 and a potential of 79. After the patch, he has grown to an overall rating of 67. Why is there such a big change over just half a season?

With clubs such as Sporting CP and Juventus (again!)tracking his progress, the Under-19 Italian custodian possesses great agility, a great sense of positioning and catlike reflexes, reminiscent of a young Buffon. With the club initally struggling, Leali has brought great assuredness between the sticks, and has helped steer the club to 7th place with his strong performances in goal.

In FIFA 12, what stood out for him was his Jumping and Reflexes stats, which are at 73 and 72 respectively. Other essential goalkeeping stats such as Handling, are all above 65 (with the exception of Kicking, which is a poor 55). Not bad for a 18-year-old.

3.  Mattia Destro (Siena) 72-> 87

Need a goalscorer? This Siena striker is the answer for you. On loan from Genoa, the 20 year old started his career in Ascoli. He moved to Inter in 2010, where he flourished under their youth system. He then moved to Genoa as a make-weight for Andrea Ranocchia's transfer to the Nerazzurri. The Italian was also capped at every level from U-16 to U-21.

In the game, Destro is perhaps one of the most promising goalscorers in the game. With both Positioning and Finishing stats at 78, expect this hotshot to score many goals for your team. He is also pretty quick (his Acceleration and Sprint Speed are at 79) and has pretty good Heading Accuracy.  His lethal finishing, combined with his quick feet, definitely makes him one of the most exciting attacking talents in the game. His only weakness is his Long Shots, but expect that to improve.

After discussing about the footballing talents that emerged after the patch, let's take a look at my previous recommendations after the winter update:

Roderick Miranda (65 -> 78) (Overall =, Potential -11) By far the most disappointing change, but oh well...
Federik Sørensen (73 -> 83) (Overall -1, Potential -4)
Cristian Pasquato (73 -> 86) (Overall -1, Potential +2)
Fernando Lucas Marins (71 -> 83) (Overall +1, Potential -4)
Daniel Johnson ( 60 -> 77) (Overall & Potential =)

So Many Things, So Little Time!

With so many things happening these couple of weeks, there's simply no time to update my blog!

I was randomly searching for things to watch on Youtube, when an interesting title caught my attention.

The title read, "Nonsensical Saints Row The Third". Now, we know that 'Saints Row: The Third' is an action-adventure open world video game which focuses on the urban gang war between the Saints (i.e.players) and three other gangs (namely the Luchadores, Deckers and MorningStar). With such a dark and violent theme, one would wonder how nonsensical it can get. After watching the first video posted by gamer Nova, I couldn't stop laughing from start to end. The silly/ridiculous things that Nova and his friend Spoon did in the game, as well as their enthusiastic commentary, blended well with the game's knowingly crazy and juvenile sense of humor. This series consists of 68 episodes, and I guarantee that each episode is fun-packed.

To watch the videos, simply click on this link and have fun!

Meanwhile, I had also been waiting for the highly anticipated Angry Birds Space to be released, and it has finally hit the Apple App Store on 22 March! This time, the battle between the Angry Birds and the pigs takes place in a whole new galaxy. Prior to the game's release, Rovio has released a couple of trailers which introduced the new birds (including the Ice Bomb Bird and Lazer Bird, among many others), and also featured a demostration of microgravity by NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Check out this video to see the physics behind the latest installment from Rovio:


That's it for now! Meanwhile, back to episode 36 of "Nonsenscial Saints Row The Third" for me...

12 Mar 2012 -- Like A Boss! Episode 03: And We Thought Aaron Is Going To Study Overseas...

Well, turns out he is going to tour Central Europe first before studying. (-.-)|||

Anyway, before he set off for London two days later, we decided to go for a gathering. We met at ION Orchard this time, and Joshua couldn't join us because he has counter duty that night. Upon Kwang Yueh's recommendation, we decided to have Xiao Long Bao at Paradise Dynasty.

When we reached the entrance of the restaurant, we were surprised by the large crowd outside the restaurant. As such, we had to wait for about 30 minutes before it's our turn. In the meantime, we just sat outside the restaurant and chatted...

Since our aim is to eat Xiao Long Bao, there was no doubt that the first thing we had on our wishlist was the best selling  Xiao Long Bao Sampler set. It comes in 8 different flavours, ranging from the simple original flavour, to the more creative flavours such as Cheesy and Foie Gras. Priced at $13.80, this set of Xiao Long Bao never failed to surprise us with its unique tastes.

We also ordered 2 sets of the original flavour Xiao Long Bao. The skin texture and thickness was just right and the soup inside had a rich flavour which complemented well with the moist pork. Well worth the $9.80 we paid for 10 pieces. :)

I also ordered the La Mian in Signature Pork Bone Soup served with Pork & Vegetable Dumplings. The silky handmade noodles did not disappoint and has a firm texture. The pork bone soup was also awesome as it tasted just nice and not too salty for me.

I enjoyed my dining experience at Paradise Dynasty, and I thought it was well worth the wait and money. I definitely would make a return for it! :)

Draw Something: The Ultimate Craze In Office!!! o.O

It's been a while since I posted! I have been pretty busy these days, hence the blog was not updated for quite a while.

A craze has been sweeping over my office for these past week or so. Everyone has been drawing stuff on their phones. Soon, even I got swept into the craze. :)

Introducing "Draw Something", a Pictionary-like game which is available on iOS and Android! It is created by the company OMGPOP and has taken the world (or least my office) by storm. Nearly a month into its release, it has garnered up to 6 million downloads. Awesome stuff for a newly released game!

Why is this game so addictive? Well, it is simple and social. You don't have to be a brilliant artist to play this game (although having an artistic vein will be a bonus for friends to guess the object you are doodling.). Armed with only a simple colour palette with 4 colours (black, red, yellow and blue), you are ready to impress people with your artwork! Depending on your difficulty level, the person who manages to guess the drawing will get a certain number of coins as rewards. 1 coin is given for Easy level, while 3 coins will be given for the Hard level. These coins can in turn be used to buy stuffs such as Bombs (which allows you to re-shuffle the words allocated to you for drawing if you are stuck) or to expand your colour palette.


The viral factor of this game lies in the fact that it allows you to engage with your friends on social networks, allowing players to enjoy the game with a very large circle of friends. You can have many sessions with your friends at one time, so there is no need to worry about running out of slots.

Here's a short video on the game


Anyway, if you are addicted to the game, you can also try the Facebook version called Draw My Thing. It's slightly different from the original version, as the Facebook version allows you to compete against random users as well.

Meanwhile, back to the drawing board for me! :)

12 Feb 2012 -- Like A Boss! Episode 02: WHY YOU NO TREAT ME!!!

Spurred on by the considerable success of Like A Boss! Episode 01, the second outing came fast and furious! Anyway, I suggested the second outing to Kwang Yueh mainly because I was very apologetic for missing Kwang Yueh's 21st birthday party at Costa Sands Resort. Hence I promised him that I will give him a lunch treat.

After a bit of planning, we decided to have a second outing, starting with lunch at Ramen Keisuke. We went to the branch at Parco Marina Bay. Ramen Keisuke is the first overseas venture of Mr. Keisuke Takeda, who carries the title of "TV Tokyo's Ramen King". One interesting thing I liked about the restaurant's menu is that it allows customers to choose how strong they want the soup base to beand also the noodle texture, hence it seeks to cater to everyone's ltastes buds.

Kwang Yueh recommended me the hot favourite Watarikani Ramen (Crab stock ramen), but I can't really eat seafood, so I opted for the standard Tonkotsu Ramen.

The broth was flavorful and thick, but may not suit everyone's liking as it may be a bit too salty. Conscious of the sodium content, I opted for "light" when ordering my ramen. Then again, Japanese ramen tend to be saltier and have a richer flavour compared to the reinvented versions sold in Singapore, hence you should take this chance to experience the taste of Japan's ramen.

(OOT: I have always wondered how the chefs cook the eggs so well. It's definitely hard-boiled, but somehow the yolk is semi-cooked and has a luscious dark orange colour. A quick search on the internet revealed that all you need to do is put the egg into the water first before you start boiling the water on the stove. Once the water is boiling, let boil for another 5 mins and off the fire. Then put the eggs in cold water. I've never tried it before, but it looks pretty easy...)

I looked over to the rest of the people who ordered Watarikanu Ramen, and almost instantly I regretted not ordering the crab stock ramen. It is a very unique flavour, and Vincent and Kwang Yueh were singing praises about the rich flavour of the crab broth. If only I could eat seafood... T.T

Look, we could try Korean songs...

After lunch, Joshua left first due to other commitments while the rest of us head for our next activity: karaoke. We made our way to Cuppage Plaza to sing our hearts out! Here we go!!!!

Put your hands up!

Surprisingly, Vincent is pretty good at Chinese songs! And Kwang Yueh does what he does best, singing like a star! Meanwhile, Cheng Wai and I will just act as back-up vocals..hehe... :D

We belted out hits like Lady Gaga's Poker Face, Katy Perry's Hot'n'Cold, Cee Lo Green's F*** You, and even attempted the impossible by screaming out throats out singing Shin's songs (the likes of 千年之恋 and 如果还有明天 nearly killed all of us.). But we definitely had fun singing for 3 straight hours!




Here are the other pictures! Enjoy! ^.^

我问天，我问天。。。

Blame Vincent's shaky
hands for this! Anyway, the
one on the left is yours truly!

Rent-A-Movie: Nasi Lemak 2.0

I am back! Apologies for the long absence, but as usual, many things have happened during my disappearing act, one of which has contributing to my lack of posts.

I have been writing the last few blog posts using my Huawei MediaPad. As a result, I had been experiencing neck pains for the last week due to my incorrect sitting posture. Frankly speaking, if you hold your head forward in a flexed or bent position for long periods of time while looking at your tablet computer, it could result in serious neck problems. I have been hugging to my Mediapad for three weeks straight, and sitting in front of a computer during work from 9 to 5 did not help matters. Eventually, it was inevitable that it eventually became a "pain in the neck" and I have to stop using for a while. T.T

Devoid of my daily dose of entertainment, I turned to renting movies to watch at home. It turned to be a good idea, because I rented one particularly funny movie to watch.

Its title "Nasi Lemak 2.0" was the one that initally caught my attention as I scrolled through my mioTV menu for something to watch. With food used as a title for the movie, I thought this movie should be quite interesting, and I was not disappointed.

Nasi Lemak 2.0 is a low budget Malaysian film directed by Namewee and was released in September 2011. It also starred the director as the movie's protaganist Huang Da Xia, a young chef who struggles to keep his Chinese restaurant going but was a hero in the local neighbourhood as he helps the community. One day, he crosses paths with Xiao K, who asks for his help. Xiao K's father is athe owner of a big Chinese restaurant and is embroiled in a battle for ownership with her aunt. Chef Huang decides to help her out but lost the competition to see who can cook the best Chinese cuisine. Later, he receives help from a neighouring Nasi Lemak hawker stall lady, who summons him to embark on a myserious and enriching journey.

I like this movie mainly because of the style of acting as well as the creativity infused into the movie, which is unique to Malaysia itself and audiences can instantly relate to the characters and the script. I was laughing from start to end. However, this movie is not without controversy. At times, this movie seemed to nearly get into trouble with the censorship laws as it veers dangerously close to touching on sensitive issues (I shall not spoil the movie for everyone, so it's best you watch it yourselves.). However, this movie has taught everyone an important lesson. In every multiracial and multicultural society, social unity is important for the country. The movie draws similarities between racial harmony and the iconic food nasi lemak. Like the dish which is made up of as variety of side dishes along with rice, a society is made up of different communities of different cultures and races which integrate to become one big family.

So go catch this movie on DVD! Hope you will enjoy the movie as much as I do! :)

Xander VS PaperPokes

I have to admit I have poor hand-eye coordination, but still good enough to get a driving licence and drive a car around town. As such, tasks like origami actually pose quite a great challenge to me. Not that I cannot make folded paper cranes though, it's just that I take awfully long to complete them. T.T

Henceforth, papercraft is murder to me.

As usual, I was surfing the web for random stuff when I chanced upon a Youtube video. All the video showed a Pikachu papercraft model flying around the desk for the entire 7 seconds. Obviously, it drew a bit of flak because instead of teaching people how to make a similar paercraft model, what the guy did throughout that 7 precious seconds was to show Pikachu walking around his desk. Bothered.

Fortunately, he put up the link for the papercraft template.

*Stares at link and click*

That was when curiosity killed the cat (read: yours truly)

Half-completed! Only head and body
done by the 3 hour mark

So for the next 6 hours or so, my life was thrown into despair, as I struggled to cut and glue the various parts together. My agony was furthered worsened when I realised all I was equipped is an old gluestick, a scissors, and loads of tape. But anyway, I got it done step by step.

Ta da! After 6 hours, this is what I got!
(Although loads of tape)

Anyway, for those who like to try making a papercraft model, here is the link to the templates required:
http://papercraftprintable.com/free-kawaii-pikachu-pokemon-paper-craft/

7 Jan 2011 -- It's Time To Party!!! :D

As much as this this post is long overdue, there is no way I will forget to post this on my blog.
Last week, we had booked a chalet at Costa Sands Resort to chill out. At around 6.30pm, the core group headed for the chalet first to set up everything and start the barbecue, having earlier went to swim and play soccer before that. As I had something on earlier, I decided to head for the party later with Aaron, not forgeting to chip in some soft drinks and snacks as well.

When Aaron and I arrived at the chalet about 20 minutes later from Pasir Ris Interchange, the party has already started and the smell of barbecued food was simply irresistable. However, our experience in barbecue was left severly wanting. One friend, let us call him 'V', decided to put in half a box of fire-starter into the barbecue pit in the hope of starting up the fire more quickly. Obviously this backfired, while it had achieved the desired outcome of starting the fire quickly, the flames were so big that our whole barbecue pit looked more like an inferno. Have you seen the Foxtrot comic strip where Roger Fox barbecue stuff for his family? Well, I guess we nearly did a 'Roger Fox'.

A bit is an understatement...zzz

Our solution (not a permanent one though) is to douse the flames from time to time, although the flames of fury still managed to break past our defences and threatened to burn our food. As a result, some of our chicken wings and sausages were a bit burnt. FDortunately, the food still tasted good, and edible. I like the satay and the sambal sting ray the most, not only because they were cooked very well, they tasted really delicious as well.


After nearly 2 hours of barbecue, we decided to head in for some fun and games. Lloyd had brought his Playstation 3 and some of the games along and we decided to play a bit of Modern Warfare 3 first. Shortly after, we had a mini FIFA 11 face-off.



Nomnomnom...

First-up, it was my Inter Milan against Vincent's Liverpool. Our match was perpetually disrupted by a bee, which refused to get out of our room despite our persistent 'pleas' (we actaully killed it, so it wasn't much of a plea.) That aside, I won 1-0 thanks to a lucky strike and the fact that Vincent's Liverpool accumulated so many fouls that there were a flurry of red and yellow cards flying around across the Reds camp.

After which, Round 2 features a show-down between my Blackburn and Joshua's Liverpool. Apparently, I had underestimated Joshua and more important, Liverpool's strength (Please don't kill me, Liverpool fans! >.<). My Blackburn had taken an early lead through a powerful strike, but Blackburn's defence gave way in the 2nd half and Torres scored twice to wrap up Liverpool's victory.

After a few more rounds of FIFA11, I had to head home first as I had to be up early the next morning. (From what I understand, the party continued late into the night with drinking games etc.) Despite my early departure, I enjoyed my time at the chalet! It was awesome being with a bunch of good friends and I hope we can have another chalet like this.

(Edit: We WILL have another chalet like this... very soon! ^^ So watch this space! Cheers.)

Rare Talents in FIFA12 :O

Having played FIFA 12 for 3 months, I am still enjoying my time as a manager of Chelsea. As the game progresses, it is imperative for any manager to add value to the squad by buying better players or getting them from youth academy.

As I was playing, I found some real hidden talents that could grow into world-class stars if nutured properly. We are not talking about the likes of Gotze and Messi who are already outstanding players at a very young age, mainly because most of us probably will not be able to offer the sky-high transfer fees or even afford their wages. Instead, we are focussing on obscure young players. Their stats are not exactly brilliant at the start, but if they are played regularly in matches, they tend to gain experience very quickly. These are 5 of the players that are really worth a look...

1.  Roderick (Servette FC) 65 -> 89

Only 20 years of age, this Portugese player is a central defender on loan from Benfica and has already earned himself 15 caps for the Portugal Under-20 squad. He is also able to play as a defensive midfielder in front of the back four.

In FIFA 12, he starts off with an overall rating of 65, with his Strength and Aggression stats being his specialties (at 78 and 70 respectively). He can grow to a potential overall rating of 89, which is a whooping increase of 24 from his inital rating. Best of all, he can be bought a low price at the start of the game.

2. Federik Sørensen (Juventus) 74 -> 88

Valued at 8.5 million in FIFA 12, Juventus is most likely going to let him go at a much higher price since he has great potential (I paid 11.5 million to prise him off the Turin club in my Chelsea save game). And here's why: this Danish centre-back already has an impressive overall rating of 74 at the age of 19. He becomes a monster of a defender if you play him regularly, with a potential overall rating of 88! That should put him in the same bracket as Pique and Thiago Silva. He has the right attributes for a defender, with his Aggression, Strength and Marking all above 80.

He probably won't grow as much if left at Juventus, with Chellini and Barzagli in the starting lineup, so grab him if you can.

3. Cristian Pasquato (Lecce) 74 -> 84

This versatile Italian forward can play in any attacking position (namely CF, CAM, LW and LM), and has played for Italy at every level except full international.

In the game, the 22 year old striker is a awesome speedster and possesses great balance & agility. He is also highly rated for his ball control and dribbling skills. In addition, he improves incredibly quickly and can develop into one of the most dangerous attackers in the game. The only issue I have is that he cannot be bought in the first season has he has just joined Leece, but his stats improve consistently due to him playing regularly.

4. Fernando Lucas Marins (Gremio) 70 -> 87

A natural central midfielder who can only deputise as a defensive midfielder, this 19 year old Brazilian from Grêmio is definitely worth your money. He possesses decent physical and mental stats, with his Interception stats being the highest at 80. He also has superb vision and passing ability for such a young player. Still can grow a lot, and has a potential overall rating of 87.



5. Daniel Johnson (Aston Villa) 60 -> 77

If you are managing lower tiers clubs with decent financial ability, this is one player you should get early in the game to help your club progress to the top leagues.

While he may not grow as much as the rest of the players mentioned in this post, he can make a difference to your team in the first few seasons. The England central midfielder, who can also play on the left, is pretty quick and has a decent passing range & finishing ability for a 19 year old, so it's still not too bad. Plus, he can be snapped up at a pretty low fee.

That's all for now!  I think by now if you have not realised, this topic just came off my mind randomly - I have nothing to write this week actually :D

Farewell 2011, Hello 2012! :D

Yay, the first post of 2012!

Believe it or not, 2011 has been an eventful year for everyone. As we take a big leap into 2012, let us take a look back at some of the events that happened in Singapore during 2011. Just like last year's edition, we will stick to 5 of my favourite incidents. Here we go!

5. "We f***ing did it!"

In order to uphold this blog's squeaky clean image (although in truth, it has been tarnished by a certain suggestive post in the past >.<), the inappropriate words have been well censored.

A 6-minute convocation speech about the highs and lows of university life in NTU became a hot topic of debate when Miss Trinetta Chong ended off the speech with an expletive.

To quote in her own words, "Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2011. We f***ing did it!"

The trouble came only when a clip of her speech surfaced on Youtube and went instantly viral. There were many who question the need to utter the expletive in a prestigious event like a convocation speech. Ms Chong has since apologized and her case for argument was that she was feeling "very emotional and it just came out", hence the expletive. Unsurprisingly, many were fine with it as well, especially in an environment where teenagers nowadays just cuss when they feel like it.

For me? Well, a word is only a word. It only has value, negative or otherwise, to what an individual assigns it based on context. No harm intended.  ;)

Still, a piece of advice for all: be conscious of your surroundings and be responsible & aware of each and every action you do.

4. Heartlanders @ Holland Village

Another classic example of "not thinking of the consequences before speaking", this one went on my list only because it had me laughing for quite a while.

On March 23, a woman, who identified herself only as Samantha, called in to 91.3FM's The Married Men Show. She said Singaporeans living in areas such as Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh are "very uncultured and have no manners."

Many people were upset by her remarks.

She has later apologized on air for her remarks.

3. Think before you drink. It's for your own good.

If something you are drinking right now tastes funny, think again.

You may be in for a shock of your life.

In May, a corpse of an Indonesian maid was found abandoned in a rooftop tank of a Woodlands HDB block, tainting the drinking water of 700 residents. Blood stains were found in the 2m-deep water tank. It was understood some of the residents may have unknowingly used the tainted water for household purposes.

As a result, the water supply was cut off and PUB officers were also on hand to hand out water bags. In addition, the town council had to flush and wash the tanks as well as the distribution pipes. Security measures for rooftop access had become stricter since.

Even then, some residents were still a bit edgy about consuming the water after that, to such an extent that Sembawang GRC MP Vikram Nair drank tap straight from the tap during a house visit to residents in order to appease the people.

Scary, isn't it?

2. Lions make highly anticipated comeback in M-League

For Singapore fans who had become disillusioned with our national soccer team, this might be something to cheer about.

In view of the declining standards of our local football scene (imminent signs include poor international performances and even poorer crowd attendances), FAS has collaborated with the Football Association of Malaysia, bringing greater cooperation between the two nations. This will see a selected Singaporean side competing in both the Malaysian Super League and Malaysian Cup, with a selected Malaysian side going the other way to the S-League.

For those who can still remember, it has been 18 long years since Singapore won the 1994 M-League and Malaysia Cup double. The current 28-man squad consists of  mostly the Young Lions, with a few experienced campaigners and capped internationals like Hariss Harun & Sharil Ishak brought in for experience.

No doubt, there is cause for concern, one of which is how the Singapore LIONSXII would fare in a much more competitive Malaysian Super League. Signs have been encouraging thus far in recent friendlies, with the newly-assembled side staging a gutsy comeback to draw 3-3 in a recent match against ATM FA.

There is also the other issue of constant travelling across 11 different states of Malaysia, which could lead to fatigue of the players. Well, look on the bright side. Perhaps through life on the road, the team could gel together better and players bond with each other. Furthermore, they can also expose themselves to different playing styles and standards, which would only serve to make them better.

So don't write them off. Yet.

1. SMRT takes a break(down)

Because this happened quite recently, and the fact that it was so hyped up, I guess I need not explain further.

It is true that there was great oversight by SMRT in the maintenance of our train system, and many were left upset by the way SMRT handled the situation with some even calling for SMRT chief Saw Phaik Hwa to resign. Shortly after the SMRT breakdowns, photos of her dressed up as 'queen' and carried on a chair by half-naked men during SMRT's annual D&D appeared online, and only sought to make matters worse.
 
All these has led to one question.


Did we overreact to MRT breakdowns?

It's up to you to decide.

Note: Coincidentally, if you had realised, once the train system went down, many seemed to have lost their sense of direction and were unable to figure out how to get to their destinations via alternative ways. I guess that very much reflects our over-dependency on the MRT.