|
November 30, 2005
HELP WITH THE SIMS 2
Permanent link ▫ ▫
 
I wonder anyone has this problem. I tried to open the cheat window by CTRL-SHIFT-C and this worked before. But recently I tried again and this window refuse to open. Instead everytime I click C I got image capture. I reinstalled it again the same problem. Do you have the same problem and if yes, how did you fix it? The Sims 2 is unplayable without the cheat window because my Sims like my real self will be really broke! HELP!!! ANYONE!!
November 29, 2005
He's COMING TO MALAYSIA!!
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Oh My GOD! He's coming! He's coming to Malaysia!! I'll take a day off, hopefully he is coming to Kuala Lumpur.
He's coming to Malaysia!!! We are not pariahs. We are not snubbed. He's coming to Malaysiaaaaa! Yeahhh!!!!
JDG who acts as the legendary slave ‘Kunlun’ in worldwide master director Chen Kaige’s major movie ‘The Promise’ would participate in Asia promotion at 8 cities in 5 countries from 10 to 23 December, together with director Chen Kaige and costars Cecilia Cheung and Hiroyuki Sanada. He would participate in Asia press conference and release event from10 to 11 December in Tiananmen and Great Wall of China, and would go for promotion tour that starts with Beijing premiere on 12 December, followed by Hong Kong on 13 December, Singapore on 14 December and Shanghai on 15 December. He’s scheduled to visit one country for each day, with no time for rest. Then after returns to Korea for ‘Typhoon’ stage greetings on 17 and 18 December, he would leave for Malaysia on 19 December, Thailand on 20 December, Beijing on 22 December, and Taiwan on 23 December. He would end Asian tour in Japan in January 2006 ahead of Japan release of ‘The Promise’ in February 2006.
Mr. Hong, CEO of JDG’s management agency, revealed, “Because of the filming schedule, JDG did not have a chance to meet Asian fans including fans from China. He feels regretful about it. He is making preparation for the promotion of ‘The Promise’ excitedly because he gets the chance to greet his fans even though it’s in a very tight schedule.”
12 Dec - Beijing
13 Dec - Hong Kong
14 Dec - Singapore
15 Dec - Shanghai
17-18 Dec - Korea (to promote Typhoon)
19 Dec (MONDAY) - Malaysia
20 Dec - Thailand
22 Dec - Beijing
23 Dec - Taiwan
Source : Just Jang Dong Gun Forum
November 27, 2005
Reviews of Harry Potter 4
Permanent link ▫ ▫
This is one good review which I very much agree on almost all points except on the Harry Potter 3 film and Hermione. For me the worst was Harry Potter 3. I watched it again the other day, visually stunning but technically all wrong and the story all butchered. And the director, Alfonso Cuoron had no idea about the English school system. I am still very annoyed with the messy school uniform. In Harry Potter 4, acting is much better, visuals ok but story as butchered. Like the reviewer said I pity the 5th director because he will have to magically conjure up some connections for some plot to connect to movie 4 and 5 when movie 4 revealed nothing and movie 3 screwed it all up. It's not going to be easy. The mistake of movie 4 is making the tournament the central them when it should be the characters as the central theme. I still can't believe Dumbledore would shake Harry as he did (I think the actor said he never read the books, well maybe it's time he should. I kinda miss Richard Harris, although I remember criticising him but after this actor who doesn't even look wise more so caring, wise and powerful, I do feel Richard Harris was the best) and I can't believe so much scenes given to Hermione, and the actress Emma Watson was awful. Worse still, how Ron was butchered again and so many essential plots all gone. And Mad Eye Moody was wrongly cast but everybody seems to think he's great when he's not. In retrospect I am disappointed with movie 4 and one viewing is enough for me. Movie 3 I can't even concentrate when it was shown again. The only reason I was so excited before because I was cheated by the trailers. Believe me Movie 4 is not that bad from acting point of view but story wise, movie 1 is still the best and most accurate. You may say scene per scene but at least the most salient points are there.
As for movie 5 who will play that nasty Delores Umbridge? Judy Dench perhaps? I propose Catherine Zeta Jones for that evil witch, what's her name, that one that I think killed Sirius Black? Can I also propose Zhang Yimou to direct maybe the 6th or 7th film and Ang Lee either 6th or 7th film? Maybe for once they can get the direction right? I am pretty sure Zhang Yimou will give excellent cinematography.
November 26, 2005
Survivor's Law
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I just checked and our local TV is showing this hit series. If anyone is interested, I wrote episodic thoughts on it (like all episodes) and also a review. Don't read the thoughts if you don't want me to spoil your viewing pleasure. There was a hot debate as to the goodness of Vincent, if I remember correctly. And by the way I fixed the last episode link. This can mean only one thing; so many people never seen this episodic thoughts page because if not someone would have told me.
And in the same light, do check out my The Best On Screen Guy of 2004 in My Point Is ...which was inspired by the many good male characters I have seen in the year 2004, which includes Survivor's Law. I am coming up with a new list but not best guys because can't fill in even 5 unless I include all the k-dramas I saw.
November 24, 2005
IVR Cheat Sheet to Find a Human
Permanent link ▫ ▫
A very interesting list. This list is basically tips to ge the operator to take your call instead of the voice answering machine or robots. This is called a cheat sheet! I wonder, what about Streamyx eh?
An even more interesting article here entitled In The Public Interest - Call Waiting. My favourite quote; "In Search of the Operator -- Firms spent Billions this year to make it hard to find one; how to reach a real person."
Whatever happened to customer service? I remember reading Adrian Mole in one of the books where Adrian also encountered such frustrating problems where he called these automated replies "the robot answering the calls". That was some years ago so I guess some things never change.
A letter to Jang Dong-gun
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Mr Jang Dong-gun
Somewhere in South Korea
Dear Sir,
RE : WHAT ABOUT MALAYSIA?
I humbly refer to the above matter and to your planned Asian tour to promote your up coming movie, The Promise.
I am sure I speak for on behalf of your legions of fans in Malaysia that we are so very disappointed to know Malaysia although rumoured to be one of your stops is ultimately is not in the list of the 6 privileged countries in Asia. I was hoping the news was wrongly translated but the difference between Malaysia and Indonesia I am sure is by a margin of well, lots of strokes in the Korean language.
There was a time I read you have planned to stop by on 19.12.2005 or 20.12.2005 and again I believe I speak for your legions of fans who are not only mostly female but working adults, we have actually planned to take a day off on the said date just to catch a glimsp of you. That is very uncharacteristic of me because I usually take a day off from work to sleep or not do anything so for me to want to take a day off to rush to some shopping complex and get sandwiched by screaming young girls is definitely potentially a momentous occasion for me. I am ready to be ridiculed by young fans who may say "Aiyah Aunty, what you doing here?" and to explain to my boss who may say "taking a day off to see who?" to which I may just reply "ermm a friend". Alas, my plans all thwarted, my anticipation dissipated thanks to that article I read at Just Jang Dong Gun Forum. I was mostly disappointed not because I won't be able to see you but because Malaysia is not one of your stops in your Asian tour. It hurts to know that we are again snubbed. My friend once told me you did planned to drop by to promote 2009 : Lost Memories but you didn't, and I am sure because of security reasons. Now the only security reason you may have is stampede by fans because Malaysia is a safe country devoid of bombings, terrorrist threats and dangerous armed individuals bent on killing everybody in sight. We are a peaceful nation who loves Korean dramas and I can proudly say each Chinese family who watches Korean dramas would have at least purchased your smash TV hit series, All About Eve. I have the DVD myself.
Mr Jang, I know you may never read this. I think I should rephrase that.
Mr Jang, I know you will never read this. Which is pointless for me to write all these but Mr Jang, fate works in mysterious ways and who knows, you may "stumble" into here one day and may read this. Whatever the outcome may be, Mr Jang, whether you stop by Malaysia or you don't stop by Malaysia, you're still my most favourite actor and I will line up at the cinema to catch your movies. No pirated copies for me.
Best wishes to your future endeavours and please do stop by Malaysia one of these days. I am sure you will love our acar-acar.
Regards,
Funn Lim
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
November 23, 2005
Anywhere but here?
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Ladies and gentlemen, my good people from Malaysia especially Kuala Lumpur-ians, we have been snubbed...
"Asian star JDG will begin his march to Asia. As the hero of the blockbuster movie “The Promise” which involved investment costs of 30 billion won, JDG will depart on 9 December to visit 6 countries in Asia . JDG will depart from Incheon Airport on 9 December and attend the world premiere of The Promise in Beijing on 11 December, followed by visits to Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. These countries which promise to provide JDG with VIP treatment greatly anticipate this promotional tour. "
[Full story here]
Indonesia? Singapore? But not MALAYSIA? Could it be inaccurate translation? Could it be Malaysia is not Asia so technically we are not one of 6 Asian countries he is visiting? Why? Why snub us? Isn't it safer to come here than say Indonesia if his company is worried about security? I mean we can give him not just VIP treatment but ROYAL treatment right? I am so disappointed I have decided to draft an appeal letter to Mr Jang Dong Gun. No I won't sent it to him since he can't read English anyway so I'll just post here and voice my deepest most profound sadness he is not coming our way and what he will be missing apart from the obvious that is me...let me collect my thoughts first...
Singapore, you're so lucky! SO LUCKY!
November 22, 2005
New reviews
Permanent link ▫ ▫
All written by me. Hey if you have reviews, well why not send them in to me? Send them to point2e AT myjaring.net and cc to point2e@gmail.com (replace AT with @ and no space)...
Medical Brothers [MBC][Kr]
A Handful of Love [TVB]
To Get Unstuck In Time [TVB]
Princess Mononoke [Mov]
Flight Plan [Mov]
That's it. I apologise first if you see blanks because I kinda uploaded the reviews in a haste. Do tag them to the Shout Box so that I can add in the blanks. You can find the links in their respective pages.
November 21, 2005
I've been BANNED
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Oh yeah from New TVB Series Discussion Forum where I got the following message;
"Access Denied!
You don't have permission to access to the New TVB Series Discussion Forum, as unfortunately, your IP address has been banned. If you're the hapless victim of someone else's misbehavior, please contact the site administrator to see if it's possible to revise the ban. If you have any questions, please send a note to hkpopmaster@yahoo.com. "
I've been BANNED. BANNED! BANNNNNNEEEDDD!!!
November 20, 2005
WHAT NOT TO WEAR at the TVB b-day bash
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Frankly one wonders who dresses them because make up very nice but dress ranges from ok to "please burn it!" reaction. I haven't seen all nor have I seen the whole dress but some I can just imagine the rest of it. Some brought 2 gowns! I do understand though that some artistes may lack the sponsorship and the funding for better or branded gowns, after all this is not Oscars where someone gets sponsored (and even there some actresses just look plain and frumpy) but at the end of the day even one requires good taste to choose even the cheapest gowns to maximise one's looks to become more expensive looking so to speak.
Therefore, below are my Please Wear It Again Outfit, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and The Please Burn It Outfit for some of the actresses.
Please Wear It Again Outfit
I didn't see the bottom half but from what I could observe on top, this is a good one. I will admit the lace doesn't quite make this dress into a classic good looking one per se and slap on a veil on the head and it could be a wedding gown. BUT why I chose this because it is fitting for a very grand award ceremony and let's assume this was a grand ceremony. Her hair is nice, the colour is nice, the jewels and all is nice and she comes with a good looking date as well. Maybe her husband should dress more appropriately but I feel this is really essentially a very grand looking dress, even if without the head gear and it compliments Kenix's looks. By the way apart from her nose did she do something to her ermmmm top body? Or is that A-class push up bra?
The Good
Can't see the bottom half but the top looks graceful, elegant and Nancy Sit is always a good dresser for such occassion.
She has the honour of wearing both the good and the ugly for the same night. I couldn't see the bottom half but the top is classic looking. I like this one. It would be better though if the head is chopped off because that's the part that doesn't suit the dress, sadly.
A very simple design but looks good on Yoyo. I like the belt thing.
The Bad
She looks like she's wearing a table cloth that someone forgot to iron it. The fake fur also so out of season. But hair is ok.
Too silver-ish. Bad design and does not compliment her healthy body.
Too simple and what's with fake furs?
Both ladies look like they're going for some afternoon tea at some event held at a garden because the dresses look too casual but not that casual for ordinary days. Not suitable for the event. But one in blue is a nice colour. Between the two Sonija's one is more like picnic dress if not for that expensive thing hanging around her neck.
Colour is hideous, make up is bad and design not good but one thing that makes this not The Ugly is the neck part. I believe only Anne Heung has the swan-like neck to carry off this one. She should have worn any one of the qipaos she wore in Riches And Stitches.
Horribly old looking design making her look not classic nor vintage but simply old. And what's with that fur again?!
With the exception of Yoyo Mung, the rest ranges from "Bad" to "Wah lau eh! So bad!". For one, Jess. Her gown is simple and it could've been nice but for one, her posture is very bad and second her top is not enough to carry the dress. So it ultimately looks bad on her and does not compliment her. Charmaine's dress is like dug from from some early 90's cupboard and the design looks not just old, but dated. She tried to spruce things up with her fake pink fur but why fur? Why? Her hair is original but she looks more like a bridesmaid attending a wedding than a sophisticated Big Sister at an awards ceremony of celebration. She really don't know how to dress for big time occassions and in something that compliments her figure instead of this, like folded type dress. Why? Gigi Lai's one is so old looking, it does not make her look young but make her look haggard. It is such a bad looking dress. Melissa Ng's dress in design is nice but the pattern is like again picnic type of pattern. So in the end not nice. In the end the one with the boldest colour is Charmaine's but everybody except for Yoyo falls flat in looking like a lady. They just look badly dressed.
The Ugly
The art of wearing such gown is first and foremost ensure one is ermm well endowed on top or rather wear something to make it look well endowed. She's young but this dress makes her look old and flat. The head gear is nice though. A pity.
Why young pretty girls all dress so frumpily? This is one of the worst!
Scary looking dress and an even more scary looking hair.
Someone thinks she is Barbie I guess. More suitable for school play (as in playing Rapunzel or Sleeping Beuty). Colour is nice but the design is hideous.
She looked like she just came from the beach with a silk batik design wrap around her body. But for someone her age, she still looks amazingly pretty.
This by Dodo Cheng could have been the worst of the lot (and it is self explanatory why it is so bad) if not for this one below...
The Please Burn It Outfit
Acting already very bad, reputation also quite bad now it is confirmed she is an all rounder; her fashion sense is worse than her acting skills, and I guess in terms of acting skill, Shirley Yeung must be quite pleased with this statement. I think this is her way to outstage herself; concentrate on my hideous gown, forget about my performance. Hair also bad.
And that concludes my WHAT NOT TO WEAR at the TVB B-day bash. The men didn't do too well either.
Spoof : Chin Ka Lok spoofing Rain & TVB Awards
Permanent link ▫ ▫
SPOOF
Is that Rain's trademark song? The one with lots of beats? Because in a previous clip I posted with him in a game show the same song. And now Chin Ka Lok is doing the same, spoofing Rain. Quite a good dancer this Chin Ka Lok. Those beats song also was spoofed by another HK actor in I think Leon Lai's concert! Anyway thanks to Sehseh for bringing this to my attention. Was laughing myself silly. I wonder what show was this and who was that lady next to "Rain"?
Anyway IE users, right click the title and choose Save Target As, Firefox users left click and choose to save the file. Or use the URL for your download manager. If the links via the title fail, please use the one listed under URL as that is the accurate one.
DOWNLOAD NOW [4.41 mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/rain.variety_chinkalok.wmv
I'll add this into Media > Others >Rain later
By the way I just missed Rain's interview at Talkasia! Aiyahhhh...
TVB AWARDS
Just saw the TVB8 announcement of award winners for TVB awards. I must note a few things.
1. this year like Emmy awards but nominees all sat at the back on the stage
2. got clips some more! Got presenters, like Vivian Chow, Ji Jin Hee and loads more!
3. got hosts doing comments and everybody was dressing for award ceremony
4. got one big award, golden coloured with TVB logo on top, also in gold. One hideous looking award if you ask me.
Interesting change of concept eh? But credibility is like our University Malaya admission of students. Just take the winners like a pinch of salt.
Like I predicted, Angela Tong was Best Supporting Actress and she cried buckets. Best series was Sassy Mom in law. Roger Kwok is now Tom Hanks of TVB, he won twice for playing what I see as the same character. He even thanked his teary eyed girlfriend. Har Yu won for Best Supporting Actor but really he's not that good an actor lar. But veteran enough. Liza Wang, as predicted won Best actress and I must say her speech was the best. She was very gracious as she said "I would also like to thank Myolie Wu because it was because of her everybody could act so well. Thank you!". Ahhh Liza Wang humbled by this phenomenal young talent. Predicted also, Bosco on Most Improved. He couldn't say much so he said thanks to fans and all. BUT Nikki Chow won Most Improved Female Actress and I wonder whyyyyyyyy...... One Minute To Fame was Most Original Variety programme and one funny moment was the presenter asking Joey Leung "Who do you love the most?" meaning the recent scandal when it could also be about being voted for best variety show. The rest I didn't watch.
I am very surprised by a few things. For one how many times can one be most improved? Poor Tavia Yeung, she is an example of twice being most improved. Joe Ma was nominated for Best actor, that is enough to tell us he won't win. Charmaine Sheh didn't make it to the top 5 nomination list. Myolie Wu was in the same category as Liza Wang as Best Actress but that is so wrong. There can only be ONE LEAD actress and the others are SUPPORTING. I am happy for Angela Tong though.
Fashion wise, worst is Miss Wind Tunnel Look, Dodo Cheng. Best head gear had to be Myolie Wu's who looked rather classic. Charmaine I glimpsed a bit and she looked ok, can't remember much. Worst for guys had to be Bosco. Can't remember any bests though.
Is this also TVB's b-day bash? Why not hold a separate awards night event? Anyway interesting change of concept but credibility still in question. It is still who is most popular who will win. I am a bit surprised Angela Tong wasn't nominated in Most Improved. Why not change it to Best New Talent? Scrap the most improved because even in the preview, some looked horribly inadequate.
November 19, 2005
OPINION : Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire [Mov]
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Released In : 2005
I saw Harry Potter 4 tonight and I will say visually, Mike Newell is not a cinematographer. Either it is my cinema or the movie is too dark in almost all scenes. Movie 3 remains as the most visually beautiful, movie 1 remains as the characters' most accurate depiction as per the books but movie 4 has the honours of some really very good acting. For once I see the tension and the fear in Harry's eyes. Voldermort's appearance in here, thanks to the brilliant performance of Ralph Feinnes showed to me how cruel, in a rather manic way and evil and scary and dangerous Voldermort is. When I read the book I thought the tasks were dangerous but this movie shows to you exactly how dangerous they are. Daniel Radcliffe gave what I would say is his best performance thus far, sometimes fearful, tense but most of all I see a bit of the real Harry Potter that the movies have never quite been able to show, his sarcastic side. The actor who plays Cedric Diggory is surprisingly very good and I ended up liking his Cedric. Matthew Lewis I think who plays Longbottom did very well too, and so did many of the older extras whose job here is to fill in spaces. The older actors had to give way to Michael Gambon who has a lot of scenes but I thought his Dumbledore did not have an ounce of grandfatherly concern for Potter. In fact when Harry's name was read out during the selection process, the first thing old man Dumbledore in here do was to rush at Harry and shook him very hard, demanding to know if Harry did indeed put his name into the goblet. That to me was so out of character. I dislike his performance which I believe is because the screenplay is badly adapted, again.
Ronald Weasley again has been sidestepped, making him into nothing but a jealous bumbling fool instead of the rather witty, sarcastic Ron we all know from the books. Rupert Grint didn't do too well, in part the character sucks but mostly he had very little to do.
Hermione again became the almost central figure which was annoying because she took the many scenes which should have been Ron's. Because SPEW was taken out, Hermione in here seems more than tense; she seems too serious that I miss the rather bookish, sometimes thoughtful and many times increasingly lenient Hermione. I failed to see the practical side of Hermione in all adaptations and it didn't help when the adapter sees fit to change certain key scenes like Moody's class where Hermione was rather emotional when being such a bookish type she wasn't. The hug of Harry came much too soon and the over emphasis of her appearance in the Yule Ball scene all made me detest how Hermione's character became rather melodramatic. And it should have been Ron who was in awe of Hermione's new image, NOT Harry. Is this movie suggesting a romance between Harry and Hermione? Because it looks like it and Ron in here simply didn't look like he carries a torch for Hermione. Performance wise, Emma Watson had a good character which is made bad because I kept thinking how junkasised her character was as compared to the book. I dislike her quite also because Ron's time was taken away to showcase her when this movie should showcase the rip in the solid friendship between Ron and Harry. That was dealt with like much too fast with no emotional attachment involved though it was funny. Emma Watson is a horribly inadequate actress. She cries much too much, seems much too upset and doesn't seem like the bookish Hermione I learn to love through the many books. I find her character changed too much and the actress who played her much too annoying.
Mad Eye Moody in here is quite neurotic but not good enough. Many liked Lupin because in the end he's the good guy. But for a teacher I thought Moody before we discover the real truth about him was a better and greater teacher. He showed the students great many knowledge that I thought such a pity he had to end up the way he was. Many praised Brendan Gleeson's performance. Quite frankly I hated it. First the way the character was adapted and secondly the performance itself. Doesn't get Moody right. You know who would be just perfect? Anthony Hopkins. Maybe he said no when offered.
Everybody else I shall not comment. Since the book is very thick, it is inevitable many scenes are cut and edited, as many would like to console hard core fans of this fact when their favourite scenes are gone. That I can understand. But many minute changes have been made to the movies that to me is rather drastic departure that somehow the essence of the book is gone. In every movie, a little essence is taken out, the worst was Movie 3 which bears very little resemblence to the essence of Book 3. Book 1 has the honours of being scene by scene but at least I sense the essence of the book there. As the adapter went deeper into the Potter series, he seems to kill off the important elements and leave us with the unnecessary ones and changing many.
This movie is also the same. SPEW is gone, so Hermione is not some rights fighting courageous lady who dares to stand up for others, although to great comic effect. There's no Ludo Bagman, which means the story of the Weasley Twins is taken out. Even the mention of the prize money for the winner of the tournament was curiously deleted and so we won't get to see how much more giving Harry was when he gave his money to the Weasley twins and insists that they use some of the money to buy Ron some new dress robes. It is a crucial scene. Some scenes are out of order. Some scenes are plain ridiculous like how the dragon escaped the iron cuffs holding it and chasing after Harry out of the stadium. How illogical that can be for Dumbledore to allow a student to go through such danger? I mean danger yes but the whole dragon flew away after Harry and I was thinking Dumbledore didn't seem concerned at all. The whole dragon vs Harry scene could have been shortened or at least made intelligently so that some precious minutes could be given to Ron or everybody else. Dobby is also missing in here, and so the one who gave the gillyweed to Harry is Neville but I quite like that change because it gives substance to Neville's character. And I dislike how Hermione is smiling after Krum when really she didn't quite care for him as finds the attention towards him by other girls silly. There are many more gripes about the characters changes.
As for some good scenes, I thought the bottom of the lake was pretty eerie as Hermione, Ron, Cho and Fleur's sister hanging in the water was really scary. Looked like dolls to me.
The one character that I quite like was surprisingly Cho Chang. I may complain about how not to pretty Katie Leung is but I must admit, her big eyes, sweet smile and cute Scottish accent made me quite like her. Performance wise, she had little to do but she was ok.
The World Cup scene was beautiful, exciting but unfortunately cut just when I thought it could begin. Much too soon. The two major complains I have is the missing muggle at the World Cup camping tent. That muggle is crucial because the Death Eaters did torture him in a way and because of so many things cut, the elf, I can't remember her name was also cut which I feel is crucial to the story. The second element is how Harry is so very concerned of telling Sirius of his scar that hurts. He didn't want Sirius to risk his life coming back for him and to take out that scene is taking out the close bond between Harry and Sirius and how he at first perceived himself a bit useless for complaining about the pain of his scar. Dumbledore seems to have changed totally, to a Dumbledore I don't quite recognise because I can't see a regal, respectable and a very concerned Dumbledore. For me Peter O'Toole could be Dumbledore but of course how I wish Ian McKellan would have said yes. The entire emphasis the adapter and director seems to favour is the tournament when I would wish for once they favour the characters themselves. JK Rowling doesn't insert a character for no particular reason and to take away some characters would inevitably create plot holes in the next Harry Potter movie.
One major weird scene was McGonagall teaching the students about dancing. Rather out of character don't you think? She seems more motherly than Dumbledore himself! And the Yule Ball scene itself reminds me of prom night. No complaints, very funny scene.
However, all in all despite the many missing crucial scenes and characters and some really horrible interpretation of certain characters (top of my list is Dumbledore, next is Hermione, then Ron), this movie remains the best of the 4 quite simply because first, it is the least worst in many sense and it boasts some very fine performances. Believe me, Ralph Fiennes alone is worth the ticket price though he appeared for max 8 min. And Daniel Radcliffe is another reason to watch this movie. To see him getting a bit better in each film culminating into this good performance to me is like watching my own son growing up though I am much too young to be his mom. Secondly because it is more realistically grounded. This is due to the lack of magical cinematography, the entire feel of it which made it more like any exclusive schools that you have been to before. But this is also dangerous because what is great about Hogwarts is the fact that it is magical. I don't quite see that in here. The emphasise is not on the set.
All in all, a must watch but if you've read the book and loved it, be prepared for some major disappointment. To me it is not the scenes but the characters that disappointed me. If you haven't read the book, do consider reading it. It is not the best in the series (Book 6 is the worst followed by Book 5, Book 2, Book 4, Book 1, Book 3-plot wise) but it is a million times better than what's on screen. I finally understood why JK Rowling allowed such liberty in changing her stories because it ultimately makes her books look really good.
I am excited that Book 5 is being adapted by someone else. I hope this someone else truly understands the book and adapt it in such a way that won't kill its essence.
By the way the triwizard cup looks very beautiful and the posters amazing.
OPINION : Il Mare [Kr][mov]
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Released In : 2000
AKA : Siworae
Is this French or what? Anyway a weird film with an equally weird title. Don't know if should write a review for this really literally time warped type of movie. Keanu Reeves will be in the US remake and I hope it will have a more solid base and plot. Not that's it's bad and I like the ending. To those who may be confused over the ending, it was like what if this and what if that and in the end he read the letter. So happy ending! But still weird. And the actress was quite bad. Classic was when she saw a man being knocked down by a car. Feeling shocked for the first 1 min I understand but when she looked positively non happening, I was like thinking "Hey people don't all rush at once to help an accident victim eh!"
Weird.
Anyway recommended because I am a would be Lee Jung Jae fan.
November 18, 2005
Funny clip of Rain being pranked
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I got a clip from net friend of Rain being pranked. Jann said that the show is something like MTV's Punked. It was an innocent one but it was so funny the way one article can cause so much discussion. Your fave stars do read gossip columns! The victims are Rain and was told the older actres was Kim Sun-ah from My Name Is Kim Sam Soon. Anyway, thanks to Jann emailing me this very funny and revealing clip, like Rain going to tanning parlour and I am not familiar with the actress, anyway no woman would see Rain as a little young brother! My favourite part was someone saying to Rain that when she was in high school he was still in elementary school and believe me his expression was priceless. The clip ended abruptly though and the sound is very muted, but you can read the subtitles which I believe must have been inserted by the person who extracted this clip. A must download.
Anyway IE users, right click the title and choose Save Target As, Firefox users left click and choose to save the file. Or use the URL for your download manager. If the links via the title fail, please use the one listed under URL as that is the accurate one.
Download here [25.02mb] [clip] 
URL : http://media.point2e.com/rain.variety_pranked.wmv
I'll add the link later into Downloads > Media > Others > Rain
November 16, 2005
TVB Awards - Looking into my crystal ball whilst avoiding "Vomit Blood and Bursting of Blood Vessels" signs
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I hope to find the full list somewhere so that I can make my predictions, so do tag the links to the Shout Box as I add to this post. Thanks!
Ok maybe more like TVB own perception of popularity award but most improved award, TVB usually got it right like maybe 3 out of 4 times? Except for that Shirley Yeung time. Like I said at that time, yes she improved, from worst to worse. Anyway she is still the worst to me. Below are my predictions in italic
TVB Best Supporting Actor Awards Top 10
02. Andrew Lian - The Last Breakthough
03. Bosco Wong - The Last Breakthough
06. Power Chan - Wong Fei Hung - Master Of Kung Fu
09. Ha Yu - My Family
12. Paul Chun - Love Bond
16. Wayne Lai - Scanvenger Paradise's
24. Wayne Lai - The Gentle Crackdown
42. John Chiang - Revolving Doors Of Vengeance
52. Kenneth Ma - Into Thin Air
58. Hiu Siu Hung - Life Made Simple
There is a best supporting award finally! And my god! How to choose? Most of them are acting powerhouse and I haven't see any of the series! Based entirely on reputation and I think Paul Chun con something before, I would say Wayne Lai, Power Chan or Hui Siu Hung. My heart and wish is with Wayne Lai, for any of the roles he is nominated with. This man is acting genius. Luckily it is not JTTW year if not I don't know who to choose! Definitely not Kenneth Ma. Bad actor. Who is Andrew Lian??
TVB Best Supporting Actress Awards Top 10
01. Kiki Sheung - The Last Breakthough
09. Rebecca Chan - My Family
14. Joyce Tang - The Prince's Shadow
10. Michelle Yim - The Academy
22. Michelle Yim - The Gentle Crackdown
29. Christine Ng - War Of In-Laws
36. Mary Hon - Revolving Doors of Vengeance
37. Elaine Yiu - Revolving Doors Of Vengeance
44. Kiki Sheung - The Charm Beneath
48. Angela Tong - Life Made Simple
Never seen any of these series so my prediction is based on reputation and news. Less powerhouse than the best supporting actor but still few good ones in here. Probably Kiki Sheung or Michelle Yim BUT I have a feeling it could be Angela Tong because this is considered her breakout role and she garnered a lot of fans and accolades for going ugly and being very cute at it. So I would say Angela Tong because fans' voting and TVB's opinion must count. Acting skills solely, of course Rebecca Chan, Michelle Yim, Kiki Sheung, Mary Hon and reluctantly Christine Ng
Top 10 TVB Most Improved Actor Awards
01. Bosco Wong - The Last Breakthough
03. Bosco Wong - Wong Fei Hung - Master Of Kung Fu
05. Hawrick Lau - My Family
11. Kenneth Ma - Scanvenger's Paradise
12. Sammul Chan - The Academy
15. Johnson Lee - The Gentle Crackdown
19. Bosco Wong - War Of In-Laws
20. Raymond Cho - Healing Hands III
24. Ellesmore Choi - Revolving Doors Of Vengeance
26. Raymond Cho - Hidden Treasures
Sad but true. Haven't see any of the above series but based on past records and popularity, I feel it could be Bosco Wong. He's not that bad actually. Surprisingly Ellesmere Choi and Raymond Cho got nominated as well. These 2 are practically veterans so I feel this award is like a slap to their face. Does TVB have Most Popular Supporting Actor? They should.
Top 10 TVB Most Improved Actress Awards
01. Leila Tong - The Last Breakthough
04. Halina Tam - Shades Of Truth
07. Bernice Liu - Love Bond
09. Tavia Yeung - The Prince's Shadow
16. Niki Chow - The Gentle Crackdown
23. Bernice Liu - Healing Hands III
27. Winnie Yeung - Revolving Doors Of Vengeance
28. Elaine Yiu - Revolving Doors Of Vengeance
34. Leila Tong - Life Made Simple
36. Selina Li - Real Kung Fu
Also haven't seen any of the series above AND don't even know some of the names. Based on experience and the fact that perhaps it may be the right time, either Tavia Yeung or Leila Tong. I suspect Tavia Yeung. If Winnie Yeung wins, you can safely say I am both shocked and apalled. You know who should be in this list? Charmaine Sheh. I think she can win this but not the other more highly congested and over publicised popularity award, Most Favourite Actress. If anything this is one award (this most improved) has some substance to it. Charmaine should first be in here and then move elsewhere.
Doctor! Doctor! Give me the news!
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I just wanna say...
I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign. Life is demanding without understanding. I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign. No one’s gonna drag you up, to get into the light where you belong ... because you will get up on your own and drag yourself to the nearest cinema ...
The hot summer night fell like a net. I’ve got to find my baby yet. I need you to soothe my head. Turn my blue heart to red. Doctor, doctor, give me the news. I’ve got a bad case of the Potter blues. No pill’s gonna cure my ill. Coz it's gotta be that Potter's due!
Doctor! Doctor! I am seriously having the
 FEVER !
Cure me!
I know, no SPEW, no Dursleys, no Weasleys, no Moaning Myrtle, no full session of Ron and Harry bickering, nothing more on Sirius Black ...
BUT DOCTOR! DOCTOR! After it's over, I will have
BLUES!
Ahhhhhhhh HARRRRYYYYYYYYYYYY...HARRRYYYYYYYYYY!!!
Footnote : No worries. The webmaster is very very sane, and this is a once a year illness that has plagued her for the past 4 years and will continue to do so for the next 3 years if Warner Bros sticks to THE PLAN. She will get better as this illness will go away after at least 2 viewings of the Harry Potter movie, depending on whether it's good or not and from the positive reviews and trailers, it may only go away after 6 repeated viewings. Or she may vomit blood due to the amount of information cut from the book since the screenplay adapter is still the same old boring guy. So no worries, because come December, there will be Jang Dong Gun fever, next year will be World Cup fever and many more fevers. So this won't kill her but I am sure it might bore you to death. So please bear with her, she is still screaming Harry Potter's name at the sight of his pictures, book, poster, trailers, or a mere mention of the name Harry Potter and that is like everywhere, everyday, every second and every part of Kuala Lumpur. Thank you for reading this.
November 15, 2005
Perhaps, Love
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Or maybe Perhaps Love, totally different meaning from Perhaps, Love.
Everyday on ASTRO I get bombarded with the trailer, first the full one, then the shorten one. I admit, better trailer than The Promise and it is a musical but I am not interested in this movie, even if Ji Jin Hee is in it because I don't the actress, I don't like the gyrating (or however you spell it) scene of very tightly dressed qipao clad chinese girls, I don't like the attitude of the dancers and basically the trailer was shown during the time of War & Beauty and since I am so into War & Beauty I didn't appreciate being interrupted by such a long trailer.
How come this was submitted by HK and not China into Oscars? How come not Taiwan? Will it get a nomination?
I don't think so.
So basically, The Promise for China, OUT. Perhaps Love for HK, OUT. Typhoon for South Korea (assuming this is the one they submit), also OUT because terrorism, very sensitive issue. Malaysia is which one? Sepet? Probably can win since foreigners like this kinda of movie. Puteri Gunung Ledang? A horribly badly inadequately made movie which gives new definition to snail pace. What is slower than snail? OUT lar.
Anyway the themesong for Perhaps Love is like, literal translation..
"Love...don't have"
(Ai...mei you)
"Hatred...don't have"
(hen ... mei you)
My version is...
"Money ... don't have"
(Qian...mei you)
"Car.. don't have"
(Che...mei you"
Doctor doctor! I am sick!
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I am having fever...
HARRY POTTER FEVER!
Ahhhhhhhhh HARRYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 14, 2005
A walk down memory lane
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Sometimes I am myself amazed at the effort I put into my reviews. For one, Legend Of Lady Yang which I have completely forgotten about and wow, I am impressed with myself. I remember A Step Into The Past was also very indepth about historical stuff, including chopsticks and Gods of Honour where I went into overdrive about the characters in the series. I have yet to check if the links are still there in my TVB page, so I'll check later.
I also remember being quite obsessed with Cheng Pan Kiu's painting which you can see in Doomed To Oblivion review and what else? Ahhh, Legendary Four Aces...and frankly I can't remember the rest.
I can't imagine myself doing all these again. Look at my War & Beauty episodic thoughts, I had so many wrong historical and cultural facts. Or maybe because I was driven to write so much previously because I was fascinated with the subject in the series.
Glad to know some even linked to my reviews for historical facts.
And not that I am trying to brag about anything but I notice the format I favoured when I first started writing reviews have now become a very common format that I could see in most TVB reviews website. I feel kinda proud because although I am not the first to use headings and subheadings but I think I was one of the first, in fact could be the pioneer of dividing sub headings to sub sub headings about favourites and non-favourites because when I was writing my exam papers in University, I made it a habit to do that. These days I don't quite do that anymore ...I wonder why...
A nice walk...
Notice
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I apologise first if my website looks weird. The renovation should be done by the end of this week. Meanwhile, post away!!
By the way, allow me a moment of hysterical girly screams like those of an adoring fan...
HARRRRRYYYYYYY!!!!!! HAAAARRRRRYYYYYYYYY!!!!! HARRRRRRYYYYYYYY!!!!!
Spirited Away OST
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I know I am cheap but I just want ONE song from the OST. Does anyone know where I can download the end theme of Spirited Away? The one where it was played during the credits rolling time?
Please...
November 13, 2005
Updates
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Updated the Full House-Cute Song (Gom Se Ma Ri) with the translation taken from the clip sent in by Jann. A big difference in the translation. One says papa bear is strong, one says papa bear is fat. After watching the clip, I think SHG made a fat look for the papa bear segment so I decided to go with the fat version. Also one says baby bear is cute, one says baby bear is active. One says mama bear is beautiful, one says mama bear is slender. See! See! Translation also can be so different. I think I'll go with the fat/slender/cute version, looks more like it.
And added my review of The Exorcism Of Emily Rose. I so look forward to Harry Potter next week. Take my advice, watch Exorcism of Emily Rose, then watch Chicken Little. At least something uplifting after such a depressing movie.
I'll add the link later in Movies section.
November 12, 2005
Rain's dance moves & Full House
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Note : Updated the Full House- Cute Song (Gom Se Ma Ri) post with a new clip.
I do think the big file space I have are being loaded with VODs and clips! But many are a must to share with you guys and girls (by the way more guys or more girls I wonder).
Thanks to Stephy for a whole list of videos for my downloading pleasure. Really appreciate the gesture and bringing the following to my attention. I picked a few to share with you all, in case you don't have them. More to be added as I am still downloading the NG scenes. By the way still waiting for the 3 bears clip SHG version....
Own note : 14, 18 no, cont 30.
Anyway IE users, right click the title and choose Save Target As, Firefox users left click and choose to save the file. Or use the URL for your download manager. If the links via the title fail, please use the one listed under URL as that is the accurate one. Not that this is ever going to happen but do take note my host do have bandwidth limitation. If you are the owner of these clips and want me to remove it, just email me which clip and I'll do so a.s.a.p.
Rain's Dance Moves
Clip 1
I chose the video entitled Dance for download because I wanted to see Rain's famous dance moves. I mean I always saw how his dancing was being spoof and it was always like someone with epileptic seizures type of dancing. This clip is a must download. Maybe fans of Rain would have seen it but I am a bit slow on that. His dance moves are very unique, loads of beats and I must say like the woman in the background who looked impressed and in love, I was too. Very impressive moves. I wonder who that lady is? Very familiar. Anyway then his moves was spoof. I think this must be some variety show. I never laughed so much in the matter of minutes.I wonder that guy in blue, did he really sprained his neck?? I am still laughing. I think I can do a Rain dance too, mine would be War & Beauty type, slapping and punching myself silly to the beat!
Have a look if you haven't seen this one. What a clip!
Download here [3.17mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/rain.variety_dance.wmv
Clip 2
The link said rehearsal for some Hollywood Bowl concert? He was in a Hollywood Bowl concert in USA? Anyway very nifty dance moves. This guy can really dance but singing..ermmm I thought he was doing a Michael Jackson impersonation. Anyway, great download.
Download here [5.92mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/rain.variety_hollywoodbowlconcert_rehearsal_itsraining.wmv
Clip 3
Finally, a clip that is in English and has English subtitles. It is the highlight of his 1st concert, quite a long and large clip but well worth the downloading time because I just saw it and a fan actually made a statue of him. What a fan if you ask me. Anyway, worth the download simply because it is in English!
Download here [9.37mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/rain.variety_1stconcert.wmv
I'll add the link into Media > Others > Rain.
Full House NG Scenes
Don't know what they're saying but quite funny and SHG is very pretty by the way. Still look like Rain's big sister though. By the way I have never watched Full House before so I can't describe to you the scenes in these NG clips.
Clip 1
This is the bedroom scene where I guess they were fighting for bed space but NG was when Rain tried to kiss SHG. Dangerous scene if you ask me.
Download here [1.40mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse_ng09.asf
Clip 2
Nice throw Rain! He threw the bag and that bag stopped right in front of the camera on the floor obscuring the entire scene next. Very funny.
Download here [432.19kb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse_ng13.asf
Clip 3
I think one was where SHG walked into the room whilst Rain was trying to wear his pants. Poor guy, NG scene and he had to do it again and he had to pretend to fall again and again and he couldn't really wear the pants fast enough. Did SHG stole a look? Very funny.
Download here [1.44mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse_ng15.asf
Clip 4
I think this was Rain exercising very hard and then a cute girl walked by and he tried to put on a macho display. A very funny clip because the real Rain looked like he had just about enough of exercise, since he looked like he was trying very hard to stay in that macho pose.
Download here [1mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse_ng22.asf
Clip 5
Ahh the famous Gom Se Ma Ri (3 Bears) children's song. But this is the NG clip, where I guess SHG didn't screw up her song and dance routine but it was Rain who couldn't help but laugh at her attempt. Cute.
Download here [1.33mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse_ng24.asf
Clip 6
Similar to Clip 3 but this time SHG walked into the bedroom as Rain was putting his shirt and the 2nd time he couldn't put it on fast enough and that was the NG scene. Very funny.
Download here [1.42mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse_ng27.asf
I'll add the link into Media > TV Series > Full House.
November 11, 2005
Time Magazine Nov 14 issue
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Answer this question please;
What is the use of printing in BIG BOLD WORDS and publicising in every single news network there is in Korea that your biggest star is about to be the most recognised face in the world because he was on the cover of Time Magazine when this cover is only meant for the Korean Time Magazine? What then is so special about this edition when everywhere in Korea his face is already on every single cover of big time Magazines in Korea? And what is the use of publicising big big that he was interviewed and how he looked when the Malaysian edition, which is the same edition in everywhere else (cover different, content the same) indeed has an article about the Korean wave and popularity but what you can find is...
1. not one single picture of him although reportedly he took some nice pictures which you can see in the Time Magazine website but not in the magazine itself;
2. one line mention of how popular he is, maybe half a paragraph about Taegukgi and The Promise (something you already know and can read everywhere) and then nothing else;
3. no interviews. I thought at least an article by Richard Corliss about the boom of South Korea's movie/TV market and an analysis of the effect of Jang Dong Gun and his movies, something like Time did many years ago on of all people, Shu Qi but nothing;
4. got one picture of Rain and a quote about him "has ladies swooning from Kowloon to Kanagawa", one picture of Dae Jang Geum and how popular it is and Winter Sonata starting the boom in Korea...
and then nothing else? They have 4 or 5 pages of Yao Ming which really no offense to him but do I care? Nope. THe cover is Apple's Steve Jobs. Right. All the techno junkies will now run to the store and get this version because their idol is on the cover. As if...
I am very disappointed. Luckily didn't buy this mag, standing there running through was more than enough. If you can a decent mag on Jang Dong Gun which has nicer pictures, you can
a. order from Korea any Korean mag
b. get a lookout for Chinese mag featuring him OR better yet I bet when The Promose debuts, you can find articles about him in Entertainment and female type of magazine
c. go to Time Magazine website. It's all there. Don't waste your money.
Tell me the logic please; why publicise the fact that he's on the cover of world renowned Time Magazine when the world would never see that edition?
What a shame, such a waste and very wicked of Time Magazine.
Two words my friends; don't bother.
Updated
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I updated this post about Full House's Children's song with a clip thanks to Stephy. Can someone give me the romanized korean words to the lyrics please?
Stephy, thanks! Cute clip! I wonder did this happened after she made a fool of herself in front of his parents and he was trying to cheer her up or before?
November 10, 2005
The Korean culture & the Chinese culture
Permanent link ▫ ▫
The following is a follow up to my POST about learning Korean language.
Excellent link here at Understanding Korean Dramas. Now I understand the following where I have highlighted the key words only copied from the said website. The ones that is not in italic are my own observation. Quite a learning experience.
NAMES
Koreans write their surname (family name) first, followed by their given name. No comma is used to separate the surname from the given name.
Most Korean surnames consist of just one syllable, but a few contain two syllables (for example, Sun Woo). The top ten Korean surnames are: Kim, Lee (Yi/Rhee), Park (Pak), Choi (Choe), Jung (Jeong/Chung), Kang (Gang), Jo (Cho), Yoon (Yun), Jang (Chang) and Im (Yim/Lim). Other popular Korean surnames include: Ahn (An), Han, Go (Ko), Goo (Ku), Oh, Noh, Shin, and Yoo (Yu).
Korean given names usually consist of two syllables, which may be hyphenated when romanized. The given names for male members usually have one syllable which is the same syllable used by all male members of that generation in that family. For example, in the Korean drama "More than Words Can Say," the names of the three sons were Jang-su, Tae-su and Min-su.
Korean women retain their maiden surname after they get married. They do not use their husband's surname since family surnames are reserved only for people with blood ties.
People with the same surname who come from the same ancestral hometown are not allowed to marry each other. This is because they are considered family members, even if they are only distantly related. Consequently, when people are attracted to a person with the same surname, they typically will ask for that person's ancestral hometown right away.
Children usually use the surname of their father.
Many Koreans will insist that they be called by only their surname until they get to know you better. This can lead to confusion since more than 20% of the Korean population have Kim as their surname and 15% of the population uses the surname Lee. So if you call for a person named "Kim" in a crowd, many people will think you are calling them.
Chinese same here but mostly it's like Lim Ah A, Lim Ah B, Lim Ah C instead of the Korean's Kim A Ah, Kim B Ah, Kim C Ah. And we too have taboo of marrying persons with same surname but these days such taboo is less common since already so few marriage proposals what! As long as not family can lar! But first cousins is still not allowed (as in father's sibling's children as they're considered like own siblings).
SONS
As highlighted in "Mothers and Sisters," sons are more desirable than daughters in a traditional Korean family. If the family has more than one son, the oldest son is expected to take care of his parents when they age. Sons are also expected to produce grandsons to carry on the family name to the next generation. Daughters, on the other hand, are valued less since they become part of their husband's family and are required to serve their husband's parents once they get married.
Same here. For Chinese sons are important as the first born son will one day carry the lantern or whatever you call it at the parent's funeral. If no son, they will get relatives, and absolutely nobody then a son will be adopted or maybe borrowed. Yes sons will carry on the family name, same here for chinese.
PROPER ETIQUETTE
Respect must be shown to elders. Younger people do not address older people by their given names. For example, a girl addresses her older brother as "oppa" and older sister as "onni," but may address her younger brother or sister by their given names. A boy addresses his older brother as "hyong" and his older sister as "nuna." In an episode of "Mothers and Sisters," Kyong-bin (the #4 child in the family) was scolded by his mother for calling his older sister (the #3 child) by her given name.
Direct eye-to-eye contact when talking is considered rude and impolite. Notice that when Joon-hwi talked with his father in episode #2 of "Pretty Lady," he avoided looking his father in the eye even though he disagreed with what his father was saying.
Since age is important in determining hierarchy, it is not uncommon to ask someone their age when they are about the same age as you.
Quite the same cultural practice for Chinese with slight difference. In Chinese culture, rank and not just age is more important. So you will find an older person calling a much younger person his uncle and must show respect for that younger uncle even if he was 1 and a total brat. But nowadays we may not be that respectful anymore compared to the Koreans. We don't bow, never a practise and nowadays young people act like they own the world and old people a burden. Respectful behaviour is not a norm anymore and frankly I can't respect someone who could not demand respect simply because they're older or higher ranked. Respect must be earned.
So now I know there is a difference of how to address someone between a man and a woman. I was told hyong is what Hokkien people call their brothers too. In Chinese world it is so very not common at all for a younger sibling to call an older sibling by name. Totally shocking would be a child calling their parents by name, like some Westerners do which is total disrespect unless of course you have never met this parent of yours but still you call them aunty or uncle. In Malaysia, we call everybody older as aunty, uncle, pakcik, makcik or je-je (sister) or gor gor (brother). No differences like oppa or hyung though.
FOOD
All Korean meals--breakfast, lunch and dinner--include rice, kimchi and a variety of other side dishes, which are all served and eaten at the same time. You can eat the foods in any order and in any combination. The spread is quite elaborate compared to American standards since variety is very important.
The rice, either steamed white rice or rice cooked with grains such as barley and millet, is served in individual bowls for each person. The side dishes, on the other hand, are served family style with everyone eating directly from a common dish using their own spoon or chopsticks. Several varieties of kimchi (pickled vegetable spiced with chili pepper and garlic) are provided. Soup is also served at most meals.
One thing to remember when eating Korean food is never blow your nose at the dining table. Doing so is considered very rude. If the spiciness of Korean food makes your nose run, excuse yourself from the table to go to the bathroom to blow your nose.
Korean meals are eaten with a spoon and chopsticks which are frequently made of stainless steel. Unlike other Asians such as the Chinese and Japanese, Koreans use the spoon rather than chopsticks to eat rice. Koreans also do not usually lift the rice bowl off of the table when they eat.
Slight difference. Whilst I noticed Koreans eat with spoon more than chopsticks and they don't nibble their food, they eat the whole piece if they can, Chinese eat with chopsticks more and maybe we do nibble a bit. Now I realise I eat like a Korean! I always favour chopsticks because I can pick the food even if they're far awat and steel spoon like those Koreans even when drinking soup because I dislike plastic table spoon type.
Chinese meals consists of normally 3 dishes and 1 soup, soup a must. Rice also a must. But nowadays having not much time we eat like westerners, as in Americans, faster.
What is considered rude when sitting at the dinner table is eating with one hand on the table and the other hidden away. That I know is rude. For Malays, they eat with their right hand but never the left because well left is used to wash you know where. For Chinese also eating whilst placing your chin on your hand is very very rude.
UNLUCKY NUMBER
Number 4 is an unlucky number for Koreans since it sounds like the Korean word for death (sa). For this reason, some buildings do not have a fourth floor. If the building does have a fourth floor, the elevator may show the fourth floor as "F" instead of "4".
Same here. 4 in Cantonese is "Sei" sounding like die! Some buildings will pit 3A instead of 4 and 13A instead of 14. But since westerners also dislike 13, it kinda surprised me to find buildings with 14 but no 13. Very strange occurence.
IMPORTANT BIRTHDAYS
The first and 60th birthdays are the most important for Koreans. The first birthday is celebrated by placing the child, dressed in traditional Korean clothes, in front of a table with food and objects. The child is urged to pick up one of the objects. Depending on which object the child selects, one supposedly can foretell the child's future. For example, if the child picks up money, he will be rich. If he picks up a book, he will be a scholar. If he picks up food, he will be a government official.
The 60th birthday represents the completion of a zodiac cycle and is celebrated by family members offering the birthday person food, drink and best wishes for a long life.
Chinese also, I think 60 is the age for big birthday bash. I guess this can be traced back to the fact that in the past people die before 60 I guess. As for deaths, Chinese believes in "Siu Song" (Happy funeral) when the deceased is I think above 90 or 100. But since the standard is way too high, nowadays a person who died at the age of 80 also qualifies for Siu Song. In Siu Song, family members wear red and they're not supposed to cry. In other funerals, usually wear blue or white. Which is why to Chinese White signified death, so not Chinese will wear White qi-pao though nowadays nobody cares. It is also a practise to "Sit overnight" as in the day before the funeral friends and family will accompany the deceased's family and to pass time usually drink, eat peanuts, gamble...mostly sound like a party but depending on how old was the deceased. You won't joke and laugh when deceased is young. Some treat these kind of events as gatherings of family. Honest! I have never seen my relatives before except on funerals and weddings. Like one big family gatherings but of course I was never close to any of them. The casket is usually opened which is really eerie. It used to be the practice to place the coffin in the house of perhaps the oldest son but nowadays people rent like halls meant specifically for such rites. I remember when I was very young, the big huge olden days type of Chinese coffin (which you can see in those Chinese vampire series like Mr Vampire) which looked very very scary was placed in the house. Families slept around the coffin to pay vigilance to avoid any black cat or whatever black jumping over the coffin (or the dead will rise). I was really spooked. Not a good way to spend your night. I wonder do Korean culture practise that too? Death for Chinese is big business and also very eerie affair. For Malays the dead must be buried I think before dawn. Never cremated.
The above are my own observation. Thanks to Stephy for the link! What an insightful site. I hope to find a website which teaches the informal way of speech since everywhere teaches formal ways.
November 09, 2005
Oh My GODDDD!
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Ahhhhh finally but 19 or 20th Dec, that's weekday and gotta work! If confirmed, will take leave! Ahhhhhh
Director Chen Kaige’s new movie “The Promise “ will be released in Malaysia on 22 December .
According to the distributor of the movie Buena Vista Columbia Tristar Films, they have been trying very hard to arrange for the stars of the movie to come to Malaysia to meet the movie fans. The details about JDG’s visit to Malaysia has been confirmed now . If there is no last minute change, JDG will be coming to Malaysia for the first time on 19 – 20 December.
JDG will be accompanied by 7 people including his manager and assistant and take the earliest flight from Korea to Malaysia. It is expected that apart from meeting with the press media, he will also meet the local fans.
Apart from JDG, The Promise’s director Chen Kaige and his wife Chen Hong are also very likely to come to Malaysia but it is still not confirmed yet. Cecilia Cheung will not be participating in this promotional visit to Malaysia. Nicholas Tse is also not in the list .
(Source)
Aiyahhhhh must check diaryyyy...oh so excited. Ahhhhhh...ahhhhhh...ahhhhhhhh
Full House - Cute song (Gom Se Ma Ri)
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I was downloading the themesong of Full House when I downloaded a clip where Song Hae Gyo's character sang what sounded like a children's song. It sounded cute and I downloaded the real children's song. I thought you might like to hear them. The lyrics are as follows:-
THREE BEARS (Gom Se Ma Ri)
A bear family of three, lives in a house
Papa bear, Mama bear, baby bear
Papa bear is fat,
Mama bear is slender,
Baby bear is too cute
They all do well ...
Thanks to Sehseh for the lyrics and she said this was the scene where Song Hye Kyo sang (and danced) to a children's song - for her in-laws! Wish I could see the clip because she sounded cute. Anyway Sehseh wrote a recap of that episode at her website.
Anyway IE users, right click the title and choose Save Target As, Firefox users left click and choose to save the file. Or use the URL for your download manager. If the links via the title fail, please use the one listed under URL as that is the accurate one.
- Song Hae Gyo's version [316.45kb] [Audio]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse.childrensong_shk.mp3
- OST version [1.05mb] [Audio]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse.ost_childrensong.wma
- Rain's version [1.97mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse.childrensong_rain.wmv
Note : A big thanks to Stephy for this cute. Don't know what Rain was saying but I did recognise his attempt to do an American version of the children's song. Cute.
- Rain's new version [3.46mb] [Clip]
URL : http://media.point2e.com/fullhouse.3bears_rain.wmv
Note : A big thanks to Sehseh for this clip with Chinese and Malay subtitles. This is Rain's attempt at the same version with a twist; the one with the scary grandma. Slow, meant to lift the mood of SHG and it works. Sehseh wrote a recap of that episode at her website. The lyrics below..
A bear family of four, lives in a house
Grandma bear, Papa bear, Mama bear, baby bear
Grandma bear is scary
Papa bear is fat,
Mama bear is slender,
Baby bear is too cute
They all do well ...
Anyway very cute song. I'll add these links later in Media > TV Series > Full House.
Download the entire OST of Full House at Soompi Forums (Page 3)
Plastic Surgery amongst female Korean stars
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Thanks to Sehseh for forwarding me this shocking email. I do not know 90% of them so it would be great if you can help me to identify them but do quote their numbers so I know who you're talking about. Whilst some were already pretty back in younger days and did something to enhance their features like chin, nose or eyes, many others looked like they did extensive work, some even looked like they had a sex change! Very shocking. Click on the thumbnails for the bigger version.
The ones who did something to enhance their looks
Those who are quite pretty when younger but did something to enhance looks. Mostly a bit on the eyes, nose or chin or maybe all plus nice make up and great hairstyle.
 (1)  (2)
 (3)  (4)
 (5)  (6)
Choi Ji Woo of Winter Sonata
Those who did extensive work
They looked totally different from before. Extensive work! Hire their plastic surgeons because wow look at the transformation. Even Extreme Makeover didn't look this extreme. Ok maybe makeup helped a bit but some looked like loopsided face, some looked like man when they were younger! Shocking!
 
(A - looked like a man before!)
(B - loopsided eyes!)
 (C)  (D)
 (E)  (F)
Kim Nam Joo of Model - wow! super entensive work! A shocker!
Once the names are completed, I will repost this in Funn Stuff.
Still shocked! Who are their plastic surgeons? From Japan perhaps? At least they still look Asian, unlike their Japanese counterparts all looked like western features.
Now I am convinced; Kenix Kwok did her nose.
I wonder what about famous male Korean stars? Anyone got such comparisons?
Notice
Permanent link ▫ ▫
I've removed the comment moderation for all sections within this website. Post as you wish but word verification is still on.
I know I know...
Permanent link ▫ ▫
You're all much to polite to tell me my website looks exceedingly weird and ugly if you're not using resolution 1024 X 768. My website is going through renovation and I have finally come up with a colourful layout that I actually like. Coming soon.
Nothing in particular...
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Ahhhhhh ahhhhh ahhhhh Harryyyyyyyy Harryyyyyyyyy Harrrrrrrrr ryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ......................
Nonononononononono...cover not him one nononononono ..............
Harrrrrrrr rrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 08, 2005
OPINION: Shaun of the Dead [Mov]
Permanent link ▫ ▫
Released In : 2004
Anyone seen this movie before? Be sure to catch it on ASTRO because I kinda stumbled into the movie. Heard about it where people complained how come one very fussy reviewer named Harry chose Taegukgi as best movie of 2004 and not Shaun of the Dead. When I read it was about zombies running amok in London, I was like "ok, must be fun to watch". It was more than fun! It was hilarious and later parts very sad. I thought it was brilliant when the hero and his friend mistook a lady zombie as a drunk! The main actor who didn't look like a hero was very funny and did very well in emotional scenes. I love English movies where the mini market has Hindi songs playing and his friend saying I want a Cornetto. Never heard that in American films! I love the scene where the handphone went off at the wrong time. Don't miss this gem. What a movie!! This is that kind of movie I could watch again and again and again. Do check it out!
For more info check out rottentomatoes.com
Jang Dong Gun : Pictures of ages through series, Time Magazine & relaxed moments with children
Permanent link ▫ ▫
This is an excellent collage of the series JDG was in together with the year and the name of the characters created by a big fan of his named ILK. This is it! That's the series he was in. After 2000 he concentrated solely on movies although between 1994-2000 he did act in a movie every now and then. Quite an informative collage and see! See! Looks great right until All About Eve. I am very reluctant to post his Time Magazine picture, but I'm sure you have seen it. Anyway I'll post it anyway! Click on the thumbnail, the click again on the picture opened in the new browser window for the full sized picture.
Source : Just JDG Discussion Forum
Source : Time Asia
 
I am definitely hunting for this issue but I suspect the cover may be Yao Ming and his cover is only in Korea. Frankly I don't care much for basketball. Should have a chance to choose which cover I want. Anyway he needs a haircut and this is not his best picture which is why I am reluctant to post it just in case you might think "That's JDG?? Urghh". He actually is very good looking and clean looking. Blame it on the director of Typhoon. Like I said can't there be a fat pirate?
  
I love it when famous people are captured in relaxed playful moment. The above are some of my fave. He looked awful in the last 2 pics and in the last pic he looked like he was going to strangle that kid but nonetheless nice moments.
I will post up more later and you'll find the links in Selected Posts or Active Posts panel.
By the way I am very angry NTV7 stopped showing repeats for Always On My Mind. That's it folks. That's the end of my Shaun Chen viewing pleasure. And I was just starting to enjoy his performance. Eeeekkkkkk.................
|
