Super 8

I spent a good 3 hours deciding between watching Pirates of Caribbean 4 and Super 8.

I asked for opinions from my 16 year old cousin since he already watched both the shows.

Apparently he rated Pirates higher but not one to trust 1 source, I google for reviews.

One of the reviews mentioned that Super 8 will be more "fun" for those born before 1980 as they would have grown up, influenced by Steven Spielberg's movies namely ET, Goonies and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Since Super 8 is meant to be a tribute by JJ Abrams to Spielberg's works, he purposedly choose to project certain scenes with blur effect which the older generation can identify with since there's no BluRay or HD then. So maybe it is for this reason my cousin didnt really enjoy the movie.

As for me, being the target group of this movie, I thoroughly enjoy it! It warms my heart as the young actors and actress in Super 8 were brilliant and believable.

It's been a long time since a movie actually had a story that thugs the heart strings and Super 8 is definitely one of them..

However do note that the final revelation of the "alien" might put some off, this should not be the reason to write it off or dislike it.

BTW do stay for the credits as the movie within the movie continues rolling during credit.

This is definitely a must watch movie about adolescent and their coming of age.

The original Super 8

Bad hair day...

Hair salon / stylist... If only there is a way to check their ratings..

I recently had this bad experience of getting a hair cut from a hair salon in Mines Shopping Centre KL. Before I elaborate I paid RM30 for just hair cut (no wash, no blow).

I find it very funny that this stylist cut my hair without parting my hair into any sections and he basically comb, take the whole bunch, cut it as a bunch!!

To achieve the layer look he just took a thinning scissors, take a bunch of hair and start clipping my hair.

This is the first time in my life I experience this kind of service.

Later when I reach home only I realised that he over-cut my hair, meaning the top hair is really short, the bottom section is long and in between there are no other layered hair. So it look like I have 2 levels of hair.

So the moral of the story is if the salon is empty... or near empty chances are the stylists are not good. Do yourself a favour and leave the shop.

Look for one which are full. Wait or make an appointment if you have to. Just be patient otherwise you will suffer and bear with a bad haircut for a least 2 months depending on how fast your hair grows out.

Weight Loss is No laughing matter

I think everyone struggles with weight loss at one point or another.. most maybe more time.

Being one born with bigger body frame, I was actually quite happy that I finally regained the same weight I had during college.

However my joy was rather shortlived when my sister bought a digital weighing machine.

Turn out the scale which I have been relying on have been lying to me all these years... Dang! So means I have not reach it... YET!!

So to those really serious about losing weight do yourself a favour and get a digital weighing machine. Besides being more accurate, there are simple joys in life, like losing 0.1kg after 20 minutes of exercise... yes the digital can give you that.

Can you appeal DBKL assessment rate?

Having moved house recently it was no surprise that the local authority's assessment came shortly afterwards.

After reading the fine print, I realised there was a time frame to object to it (14 days) and without delay wrote a letter to appeal.

Within about a month time, I received a notification to attend a Hearing. Since I was inexperienced I tried to call and ask what are the possible factors which DBKL will take into consideration but alas no hints were given.

So there I was at the DBKL office at 10am only to find out that the venue is at Menara TH Perdana (Tabung Haji) beside Maju Junction. On the way there, I found out I was not the only one who made the mistake. I mean it's only common sense that the hearing would be held in DBKL premise right?

Anyway having reached there I was given a queue number and waited outside. When the door to the conference room opened I note a lot of people coming out and after asking around found out that it was a group complain with DBKL cos they have yet to receive their CF (certificate of fitness) for their properties.

So there I was a bit petrified that my case was too petty for the hearing... so when my turn came, I was ushered into this long conference room with 7-9 pairs of eyes looking at me... There were representatives from the Legal Department, Valuation Department as well as others which titles were too long for me to remember but there were this big shot "PENGERUSI" (chairman) sitting at the centre of this longgggg table.

To cut the story short, I just received another notification from DBKL stating that after the hearing, they have decided to "MENGEKALKAN" (maintain) the assessment.

Sigh! So much for the effort of writing the letter and attending the hearing... well on the bright side at least it gave me something to blog about ;p

Hot hot summer is here to stay!!

With the current hot weather with temperatures rising - it's really hard to stay cool even in one's house.

I dont know about you but I have this habit of keeping water containers in the room, about 3 of them. It could be just a cup or glass jar cos I have this notion that the presence of water could cool the room.

Just like a display case in a watch shop with spotlights on, staffs will keep small cups filled with water in them which works in the same theory.

Another benefit, which may not be so apparent can be seen in M. Night Shyamalan movie SIGNS (2002) as apparently the aliens in that movie are terrified of water. So it was good fortune that Mel Gibson's daughter like to keep cups filled with water scattered throughout the house.

Jokes aside, I do notice that on really hot weather, I have to top up the water more often as they tend to dry up faster so who's to argue that my method does not work ;D

Dont take me for granted!

As I grabbed a tissue in the car and I noticed my sister had kept an air sickness bag there as well. It was taken from MAS from her recent flight to Kota Bahru.

Was pleasantly surprised to find it there as most of us do not give much thought to such product. I mean when was the last time you or anyone you know uses such bag.

But she reasoned that you'll never know when someone in the car might have the "urge" to vomit. This is especially true for people who hardly travel in a car... err.. I am glad to say no one in Malaysia or Kuala Lumpur I hope.

Anyway I recalled a story related by a friend on how he had to send someone (from Myanmar or Cambodia) from KL to Port Dickson. Throughout the journey he could not turn on the air-con and hence drove with windows opened.

Not only that he had to occasionally pull over to let the passenger recompose himself. So he said that day he broke all speed records as his only aim was to reach Port Dickson in the shortest time possible.

But with the rise in modern living, the only place still supplying these bags is in airplanes. Not sure about cruise ships but the other time I took boat ride from Phuket to Phi Phi Island they only supply plastic bags and "minyak angin" dabbed on a piece of tissue. Such a drag..

So the next time you see an air sickness bag, take a moment to appreciate it. You'll never know when you'll need it but when you do, you'll need it like NOW!

Happy Mother's Day!

It's mother's day 2011... If you are a lazy procrastinating person like me then you would not have made any dinner reservation for this special day.

So to my utter embarrassment we had to celebrate the special occasion in KFC as most of the restaurants have long waiting queues.

Thankfully my mother was ok with it (most probably cos we were all a bit hungry having walked around the shopping centre looking for a respectable place to eat) but not without a stern reminder that we have to make it up to her THIS year.

So to all mothers, Happy Mother's Day but seriously we dont need a special day to celebrate and thank you cos everyday to us is mother's day!