To Wars or To Trek...that is the question

“You may start your landing...”

                LOL. I don’t know why. That line will conjured up in my mind whenever someone mentioned my all-time favourite sci-fi movie saga. I think my siblings might have already guessed from which movie that line came from...keke. As for the rest of you non sci-fi movie geeks, it’s from the original trilogy saga of Star Wars. Specifically, from The Empire Strikes Back during the snow battle :)

                Yup! I’m officially a Star Wars geek. And I’m proud to admit it too. Imagine that. But le gasp! I was sitting in front of the TV recently, and managed to watch...Star Trek!

                I thought I would hate it, what’s with being a bona fide fan of Star Wars for well, decades of my life. But, surprisingly, no. I enjoyed it! Then, I remembered something. I think I bought the DVD version of that movie uhm, last year? And after some rummaging through my movies collection, yes! I did buy the DVD. But, I never did watch it. It’s still in its pristine condition...huhu.

                So, I watched the copy that I bought and all, and guess what I figured out? No wonder I like the movie. It was directed by J.J. Abrams who created my all-time favourite female spy series, Alias! And J.J. managed to somehow incorporate some of the excitement from a particular movie that got him inspired. The name of that movie which inspired him? Star Wars. 

                J.J. You’re ‘da man! I regret for not taking notice of this movie earlier. Hehe...sorry J.J. dude.

                What’s more...Kirk. OMG! Totally cool persona & real cute too. Hello there, Chris Pine! I liked him in Princess Diaries 2, I laughed along when I watched him in Just My Luck, but whoa! He somehow graduated and became one of my fave actors because of Star Trek! Plus, the gorgeous Zoe Saldana's in this movie. She's awesome. Actually, she needs to get a movie of her own. Eh? She's the lead in Colombiana? I need to watch that, I think.

                And ooo, more good news. J.J. is producing/directing the sequel. It’s in pre-production stage and scheduled to be out next year. Okay, I need to watch out for that. After all, we are talking about J.J. Abrams here, sci-fi genius! Come to think of it, hmm, I need to watch Super 8 too. 

                Well, anyway, as Spock mentioned over and over again... “Live long & prosper!”

READ, READ & AWAY!

So, the weekend came, as usual. What did you all do? I went to KK for some much-due book hunting. Reading my sister’s blog entries made me realised something. I’m itching to get my hands on some new books. And whatdaya know, voila! Book hunting I did!

                My mom and youngest bro were such wonderful sports and patient enough to allow me to ogle at all those wonderful books at Times and later at Harris, 1Borneo. And, yes indeed! Ogling was the right operative word...keke. After much hesitations and quick calculations on the cost of the books (well, I am on a tight budget these days...sigh), I managed to buy a few books. 

                I got so giddy just thinking of reading all those books. Can’t wait! For those of you who don’t read much, well, you wouldn’t know the feeling...huhu. I think only geeky bookworms like my sis and I would understand the ‘giddiness’ of fresh, new, unread books. So, enough of that. What did I buy?

                Ta da! ‘Dark Peril’ by Christine Feehan, one of my favourite authors. I have ALL her Dark series collection. Well, except for the latest. I couldn’t find it in bookstores here...yet.  

                Next, ‘Goddess of Troy’ by P.C. Cast, another one of my favourite authors. I should really stop saying that...favourite authors.

 

                Really, I have so many favourite authors, it’s kinda embarrassing. Shows how much my loyalty lies, eh? I don’t know why, I just couldn’t narrow down that favourite author list to only one or two names. It’s too hard, well for me, somehow. I wonder how other people can do that. Hmm...who’s your favourite author?

                Then, a book that I have been anticipating to read for quite a while, and finally managed to get my hands on. ‘A Doctor In The House’ by my favourite Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. I don’t know why, but sometimes Mahathir’s smile reminds me of my dad. Love you, Yah :)

                What else? ‘Suri Wanita Teladan Zaman Rasulullah’ by Dr. Talaat Muhammad Afifi. I like this book, it’s pretty flowery...keke. And it’s thin, very suitable for some light, inspirational reading.

                And not forgetting, ‘Akukah Snow White Itu?’ by Lily Haslina Nasir. I love her writing style. And the book cover is simple yet I somehow find it to be quite attractive. Yep! I’m judging a book by its cover. Guilty!

                Ooo...can’t wait to read all the books I’ve just bought. But then, the weekend is almost over. OH NO!! Back to work. Hold on books. By hook or by crook, I’m gonna read all of you before the month ends (err..hopefully). Let’s hope there’ll be very few workloads next week...which I doubt. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but then, those new books...sigh.

                I wonder if I should review them too? Well, I might as well do that if I have nothing else to do...keke. READ, READ & AWAY!

Breaking Dawn with the Dragon Tattoo

Coming soon to theatres near you. OMG! Really? I wonder whether I can watch them somehow.

                Two movies based on books. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” and...drum roll... “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”! I’ve read both books & I’m excited! I wonder whether the movies are going to be at least 80% as good as the books. 

                First up, “Breaking Dawn Part 1”. Cheesy though the novel series are, I kinda hope the movie people do not butcher the Renesmee’s birth scene. And please make it worth watching...keke. I don’t really care about Taylor Lautner’s buff bod, or even Rob Pattinson’s ‘dazzling’ skinny bod.

                Just PLEASE PLEASE make this movie at the very least...less cringe-worthy than the saga's previous movie adaptations. You can watch the trailer here. 

                Ooo...clearly rated. Don’t ‘ya think so? This is not for those teens reading the books, I think. Definitely not...huhu.

                Next, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. I’ve read the book. I’ve watched the original Swedish movie version. It was so full of twists & turns, until you don’t even know which is which & who is who anymore. Brilliant! WARNING: Definitely NOT for those under aged & innocent types. For MATURE ADULTS ONLY. And WARNING: Better make sure you watch the movie in your own PRIVATE SANCTUARY. ‘Cos it’s really NOT, I repeat NOT SUITABLE AT ALL to be watched with others.

                  Too much graphic, mind-blowing stuff. Some people might think you have some kind of twisted mind or something...if you happened to watch this 'unusual' movie with them around. O_O

                I hope the US movie version is as kick-ass as the Swedish one. But, by the look of the trailer here, I have a feeling that the heroine in this version (Rooney Mara) is not as rough & edgy as the original  Noomi Rapace. But...what’s this? DANIEL CRAIG? OMG! I’m speechless! I’m going to watch the movie just ‘cos I idolise that man...keke.

                Anyway, which movie poster of TGWTDT is better? The original Swedish version or the new US version?

                Well, that’s it for now...two upcoming movies in my ‘need-to-watch’ list. What say you? Yay or nay?

Meow ^_^

A home for cats? Any takers? Anyone?

                Well, as long as I can remember, my family always have cats around our houses (yes, houses, ‘cos we moved a lot...keke). I think we have Belang, Hitam, Tiger, Chaplin, Comot, Cenge, Busybody, Gotok, and well, you get the idea...LOL. The main point is, we have so many cats throughout the years that I’ve lost count! The cats come & goes...some just moved on to other houses after they have their own ‘family’, some died, some got lost & never came back...bla, bla, bla. 

                And today, since I'm quite free (as if), I feel like blogging about a home for cats! I’ve just read this one article about how Japan has this new market for pet-friendly homes. That’s so cool! I’ve always dreamed that if I have my very own house one day, I’m gonna build a small hut next to it especially for all my pets. Hmm, maybe I should start with the cats that we have right now...I need to repair the pet house that we have at the moment.

                My mother has this one rule. No pets allowed in our current house. ‘Cos somehow, the furs kinda mess up the furniture...hehe. And well, plus...my youngest bro has a sensitive nose, a bit allergic. My mother treats our cats like small children. Sometimes, I wondered, “Who was mom talking to?” Then, yup, true enough, you can see her scolding our cats for blocking her path when she’s trying to feed them. ROFL! Mom and the cats...

                Ok, getting a bit side-tracked there. What are we talking about? Oh yea...home for cats. You can refer to the articles here and here. Lemme just re-post the pics of the awesome cat-friendly house for eye candy...huhu.

                And of course, my entry wouldn’t be complete without some showing off before I end it. So, here are some of our cats (pictures courtesy of my youngest bro). I know our cats are not as pretty or handsome as other people’s cats. We raised local born cats only...kucing kampung. But, we are proud of Malaysian made products...I mean, Malaysian cats...keke.       

  

       
  Last but never least, if you are able & willing, do check out the SPCA site & help them out. I salute them for trying to lend a hand to those ‘without voices’. 

                Remember humans! We are not the only creatures living on this Earth. They are others too. We should never forget that we need to tolerate and learn how to co-exist. Right, Gotok my cat? Shall I write a poem in honour of my cats? Ooo... "Belang, oh Belang, where art thou?" Meow!!

Family matters :)

Two cuties; Haikal & Zayd..."heartthrobs-in-the-making".

I just love this picture! My two adorable, cute nephews. Each with his own unique character. Wish I could hug them both right now.

Just you wait, dears, Mak Long will come visit you two during the holidays. Then we can sing & dance together...keke.

Lemme see, what song shall we dance along to...Beyoncé, Bieber or maybe K-Pop? Hmm...I need to ask Dibo, right Haikal? Di.di. bo ding di bo di bo ding!!

EDIT: Here's another picture which I love featuring the two young heartthrobs. Haikal putting his game face on, while Zayd never going to let that milk bottle go...LOL

Kudos to my dearest sis for the pics.

Well, since I'm having sorta this sudden urge to indulge myself in some kind of warm family vibe, ta da! A recent snapshot of my cool dad, my gorgeous mom, my demanding youngest bro & ehem...yours truly.

Huhu...enterframe sekejap :)

p.s. I'm itching for a road trip à la 'Amazing Race' with my family members & relatives. Hmm, where should we go, eh?

We can sing "We Are Family" on our trip...keke. Should be fun, right?

The grass isn’t always greener...

Once upon a time...a young man got a scholarship to further his studies in a ‘so-called’ developed country. 

Then, one unfortunate day, while he was cycling to break his fast during Ramadhan, an unexpected thing happened. 

He was knocked down from his bicycle, got his jaw broken, and get this...while he was bloodied and in utter shock of ‘what-the-heck-just-happened’ stage, some ‘so-called’ good Samaritans mugged him & not only stole his bike but rummaged into his bag pack & even stole his PSP!

 

I mean...IS THERE NO SUCH THING AS GOODNESS IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE?

Well, fortunately there is still some. From who, you would say? From the same young man who got hurt in that daylight robbery himself! May Allah the Almighty bless him always. After he received the surgery for that broken jaw, he said in a press conference that he felt sorry for those evil-doers. Gosh...can I just hug him? He’s ‘da man! You’ll be my Malaysian boy, Malaysian boy...

As for those evil-doers... (okay, sorry guys, I just had to vent this out) MAY YOU ALL ROT IN HELL! Oops, rather emotional there.  Astaghfirullah hal azim.

 

Well, Allah is Great. The guy who took his PSP was caught and convicted. As for those other thugs, just you wait, guys. Karma...

This is a classic story of good versus evil. Lesson learnt ---> crime never pays.

Apart from that, what I can say is...the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. “Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri”. Lebih baik kali-kali ganda di negeri sendiri, betul tak?

Bigger is better?

O_O

LOL. I know some of you guys were curious when you saw that tagline, ‘aite? Well, whatever you guys were thinking, keep it to yourself...keke. We are going to talk about singers today, yup, those wonderful people with nightingale-like voices...something like that.

I’m gonna talk about a few talented singers with super great voices...and yes, they happened to be beautiful in size too. There are 2 parts of this entry...I've decided to post them as one part for the international singers & another one especially for the local (Malaysian) singers.

First up, Aretha Louise Franklin a.k.a. The Queen of Soul.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Find out what it means to me

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Take care ... TCB

Heck, she’s so great that even Rolling Stone magazine ranked her as the numero uno on its list of The Greatest Singers of All Time. She’s THE DIVA with many hit songs, but two of my all-time favourites are “Respect” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”. 

 

 

And ahem, I’ve watched the gossip channel E! Entertainment & also found out that she demands the best wherever she goes; as in the best hotel room, best trailer, best clothes, etc. etc. etc. Whoa! That’s the symbol of a true diva through and through. I mean, why not, right? If your name is Aretha Franklin, you can afford to become choosy. She's larger than life! Who cares what everybody else's has to say...heck, if I'm Aretha, I'll say, "I want the best & I want it now!" Hehe =)

p.s. Ooo...this picture is kinda sexy, eh? LOL...I like the macro caption, though.

Next up, a divo (male diva...hihi). The one & only the late Luciano Pavarotti. 

What the...? Some of you might say... Well, I wouldn’t have considered opera as a 'worth-listening-to' branch of music if it wasn’t for the likes of Maestro Pavarotti. He made me realised that opera is cool! 

I love pronouncing his name too. LU-CI-A-NO PA-VA-ROT-TI. Gosh...sounds like something edible. Don’t ‘ya feel like you are about to eat some kind of magnificent, tasty Italian dish? Hehe...anyway, Maestro came from an underprivileged family background but had risen to become one of the most prominent figures in opera. This is where one of my favourite saying comes to mind; “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. Yeah, Maestro proved it that nothing’s impossible if you dare reach for that distant dream of yours. 

And what’s cooler is that...I’ve found out that Maestro once thought about becoming a football goalkeeper. Ooo...fascinating. What would that have been, though. Hmmm...

The thing I love most is Maestro reminded me of a cute penguin whenever he sang, what’s with that tailcoat he always wore. Cute...keke. And yes, he had so many interesting collaborations with some of my favourite singers, as the list below shows.

 

So, who’s next? Oh, yes! I adore this girl’s voice...Miss Adele Laurie Blue Adkins.

One of the reasons Adele is one of my favourite is simply because we both love Spice Girls! Hehe... "Great minds think alike". Adele even said the Spice Girls is a major influence to her love and passion for music, and lemme quote what she stated about the Spice Girls; "they made me what I am today”. According to what I’ve read, Adele even impersonated the Spice Girls at dinner parties when she was young. That’s awesome. Girl power, sistah!

So, I’m sure most of you have heard “Rolling in the Deep”, right? If you haven’t yet, I have only one question to ask you... “Where have you been, mister?” Keke. That song of hers made that one particular scene in ‘I Am Number Four’ memorable to me. Have you watched the movie? I’m talking about this scene...

However, my favourite Adele's song gotta be "Someone Like You". I love that song! Here's the vid of Adele performing that awesome song. Brilliant!

Hmmm...what other interesting titbits about Adele that I know of? Well, Adele was classmates with Leona Lewis and Jessie J. I wonder what kind of a class that was? Must have been fun. I love those two. I think I should write about Leona Lewis & Jessie J. sometime later. Love them!

Another interesting thing, Beyoncé said that our Adele is one of the influences for her recent album. Isn’t Adele great?

Okay, guys, my next next entry...Bigger is better (the Malaysian way) featuring Sharifah Aini, Adibah Noor & Najwa Mahiaddin :)

Yup. Big girls you are beautiful.