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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Trekking The Star (spoilers ahead!)


Last year, when I learned that a new Star Trek movie was due to be released in 2009, my heart was compounded with both eagerness...and doubt. Eager, because upon seeing the name J.J. Abrams at the helm, I knew he was going to make it great. But at the same time, I had doubt if I ever going to like the movie at all. I mean, look at Star Wars! Although I did watch the three Star Wars movies when I was a kid, I never did become an avid fan. Thanx to George Lucas for coming up with those crappy prequels (ok, so Sith was slightly better than the first two), now I kinda' hate Star Wars.

Likewise, I was never a Trekkie. Well, I may recognise some of the characters from the TV show and know what the story revolved around, but only vaguely. If The Simpsons hadn't used Leonard Nimoy as a guest voice in some of its episodes, I might not even know there was a character named Spock Prime. True, the Star Trek movies starring Patrick Stewart (who also played Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise) as Captain Jean-Luc Picard were quite recent, but they failed to attract me to become a fan.

But when I saw Trailer 2 of the new Star Trek movie some months back, I knew that Abrams will be taking us for a thrill ride. My doubt was immediately replaced with uncontrollable anticipation. (You can view the trailers here. I think trailers 2 and 3 were made brilliantly, without giving too much away, with nice music scores. I especially love Trailer 3 more - more touching).

Gladly, my anticipation was met with satisfaction. Heck, I dragged my wife along just to watch it again, and she too, had enjoyed it and both of us are non-Trek followers.

For most movies, they usually left me awed only when the end credits started rolling in or after I left the cinema. But for Star Trek, it made my jaw dropped even at the beginning of the movie, and my jaw continued to drop (literally) at most times throughout the movie. Yes, it is THAT good!!!

What made Star Trek such an unforgettable movie? Well, for a start - it is a fun movie and full of action right from the start - from the attack on USS Kelvin, to when younger Kirk destroys the classic car (for no apparent reason), and the fight scene between Kirk and Sulu with some bad Romulans on the drill machine, right up to the climax battle sequences. With the characters running (usually to save themselves or others) for most of the time, indicates that the pacing is not going to slow down and moviegoers should stay glued to the screen and in their seats - like when the 800 souls are 'flying away' for their lives, or when Kirk rushes (with McCoy and Uhura entails behind him) to prevent the USS Entreprise from falling into the trap, or when Spock and the Vulcan elders are running out of the cave, or when Kirk is trying to save himself from being eaten by the (cool) space monsters on Delta Vega, or how about when Earth's core is being drilled from space and the Earthlings are running towards it, wondering what it is (the drill machine is a reminiscence of the Alien space craft from the Independence Day movie - with hot, fiery beam fired from the centre of the craft and the beam is protected by circular side walls. In Star Trek, it is the side wall that Sulu uses to bounce himself back up to safety).

Despite its fast pace, all the main characters (the good guys and the 'bad' ones) are properly introduced and developed - we either love them or hate them. The movie also invokes our tear 'glands'. Both Kirk and Spock lose a parent in tragic turn of events! Our hero James T. Kirk is both beaten (his dad dies, and so, he settles for a less-than-ordinary life) and got beaten up rather badly, I mean...literally. First, the bar fight, then by Spock and towards the end of the movie, by some Romulans thugs. The Romulans are headed by Nero, played by Eric Bana (Bana is clean shaven and tattoed - making him almost unrecognisable). We also feel for Spock, with personality crisis (half human/half Vulcan) and trying hard not to be emotionally compromised after witnessing the tragedy that befalls his mother (an older and taller Winona Ryder) and home planet.

In one memorable scene, Abrams brilliantly puts all the (good) characters on the bridge. Totally priceless, especially for the fans!

The movie provides good comic relief when Kirk is trying hard to get Uhura's first name, or seeing Kirk's reaction to those numerous vaccine shots, or Chekov's first scene with his accent, or Scotty and his false calculation when transporting Kirk and Spock right in the middle of the enemies.

Go watch this one! So what if you don't understand those sci-fi technical stuffs like 'external inertial damper' or you worry if you can't fully appreciate the characters. The movie calls for repeat viewing, for fans (of the Star Trek franchise) and non-fans alike. After all, the Rolling Stone calls it as a 'Pure Filmmaking Exhilaration' and 'An Irresistable Invitation For Fun', and Access Hollywood "The First 'Star Trek' For Everyone" (true indeed), and Newsweek with its simple yet accurate two-word review to sum it up - "Way Cool".

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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Pick and Choose 1 - A Toothpaste Ad

A branded toothpaste company has decided to use this photo for their latest ad campaign. However, they are torn in what tagline to use. Help them choose from the followings:

1. Regardless of age - you need to beam your teeth!
2. Your teeth can help you express your emotions.
3. With teeth this good, it's hard not to have another candid camera moment.
4. You need to grin - even when you're mad!
5. Brand X toothpaste - you'll have no reasons not to show your teeth again.
6. When your child is all angry, wanting to get hold of your camera, you know it's time for another picture perfect!
7. Aren't you glad you brushed your child's teeth with Brand X toothpaste this morning?

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Saturday, May 02, 2009

Planes and Ballons

Recently, I mentioned about having my two weeks off. The two-week off also meant two weeks without salary. I didn't mind being salary-less for a short period of time, and the 'new' company had allowed me to postpone my starting date with them. I really needed the break. After all, I still wasn't ready, physically, spiritually AND mentally for the transition of my career journey to take place right after I left the 'old' office.

Wife was working as usual during my break of course. But, since I had some time away from work, we thought of planning a trip together - and so we did, just the three of us for the first time. So, off we went to... LANGKAWI!!! (from 22 to 24 February, the day before my birthday)

We took the AirAsia. Initially, we were worried on how Ikhwan would react when looking at the sheer size of the plane, hearing the loud noise of the plane's engine and being on the plane itself (we gave him sweets to help reduce the effects of 'blocked' ears on him, especially during take off and landing times).

Surprise, surprise... he was as active and talkative as usual. Even when on the plane, he was friendly to strangers.

He did look rather perplexed sometimes, like when he felt the inclination as the plane took off, or when we took him up the cable car ride to Gunung Mat Chincang (Chopped-off Mountain) and when he saw the beach, the rolling waves and the vast ocean (from the beach) for the first time in his life.

A little bit about Langkawi - It is a cluster of 99 islands, but the main island is the major attraction and accessible by ferry and by air. When you are there, I'd say renting a car and exploring the island on your own is more recommended than depending on taxis or tour guides. The roads are so easy to navigate and no traffic congestion at all! (unless during peak periods I guess).

When you are at Langkawi, a trip to Mount Mat Chincang by cable cars is a must for all nature lovers (I prefer sight seeing from up a mountain without the hassle of climbing up the mountain myself, so this fits me well). The total journey up the mountain is 2.2km. As you feel the incline of 42°, enjoy the surrounding views - the green forests, the choppy peaks (thus the name of the mountain), the rock formation that took 450 million years to form, the Telaga Tujuh waterfalls, the sea and some of the 99 islands. When going up and down in the cable car, we could see that Ikwan might have felt a bit 'gayat' (afraid of heights) but not knowing how to express his feelings. 'Cian dia...'

When at the Middle Station, you can choose whether to alight from the cable car, enjoy the sceneries at the viewing platform there or just stay inside the cable car, which will take you further up the Top Station.

The Top Station is at 709m above sea level and has two viewing platforms. Up there, if the weather is clear, you can see the mainland Kedah and South Thailand. Talk about the weather - the cable car only opens at 10 and closes at 6 (if not mistaken). So, if you only leave your hotel after 10, most likely by the time you are on top of the mountain, it's close to noon already. You know how noon is like in this tropical country. So, imagine standing on the viewing platform during mid-day. Most likely, you'll be drenched in sweat and your eyes cringed due to the sunlight. So, you may want to go there later in the evening instead, like after 3, where the weather is a little milder and not so hot.

One more attraction not to be missed when at Top Station is the The Langkawi Sky Bridge. The curved pedestrian bridge provides different perspectives over the land (including Thailand’s Tarutao Island) and sea, perches precariously over a spectacular chasm, 700m above sea level. Incredibly, the cable-stayed bridge curves 125m around a single support.

When at the bridge, it somehow reminisced me to the time when I went to the Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen, Germany (read here and view here). A bridge nearby the castle, was just almost as high. From the bridge, I could see the castle, a waterfall, a deep gorge and the nearby mountain and forests. The weather may be cooler and breezy, but it was a straight bridge. So, I'd say the Langkawi bridge is more unique in its special ways.

Other places that we went to and things that we did were strolling down the beach (Ikhwan was quite intimidated by the waves and the sand, the latter due to him probably thinking the sand is swallowing him), visiting the Underwater World (don't miss the penguins!!) and Dataran Lang (Eagle Square - Langkawi was derived from the Malay word 'helang') and did some shopping. A funny thing happened at Underwater. Ikwan was so exhausted when we arrived there, we couldn't wake him up. Since we didn't want him to miss the chance looking at all those fishes, we went for lunch at this one restaurant. Even being in that rather noisy and stuffy restaurant couldn't wake him, until we reached the Underwater entrance door back again, one hour later. All in all, we were satisfied and enjoyed ourselves. Ikhwan was also such a sport! We know that it is very likely Ikhwan won't be able to remember most of these experiences, if not all. So, every now and then, I would tell him stories about being on the plane or our cable car rides, in my efforts that hopefully, some memories could be etched in his memory somehow, Wallahua'lam...

But we plan to go there again someday and stay there longer. Next time around, we want to take the excursion to that Lake of Pregnant Maiden where the excursion includes eagle watching/feeding, visit one of those waterfalls/caves and perhaps the Crocodile Park, the Mardi Agrotechnology Park and those historical places like Makam Mahsuri and Burnt Rice (I visited the historical ones when I was in school). Wife also wants to do more shopping (and I wish we did drop by at that particular store selling Italian-made products. The store is among the many stores at the foot of Gunung Mat Chinchang. I want to look for Versace jeans).

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1st April was Ikhwan's 2nd Birthday. We had it all planned, even from last year to have Ikhwan's 2nd Birthday celebration a grand one! So, the condo hall was already booked, and some invitations had already been sent out! But due to a mixed up at the workplace, the size of the guests had been to be shrunken (luckily, I haven't sent out the invitations to everyone that I wished to invite yet).

Initially, I was told that I had to go outstation to an overseas country, on that same day we planned for Ikhwan's birthday party (it was the 4th, Saturday). So, the invitations had to be cancelled (imagine having to do that to those who already said 'yes') and we thought of having a very small one instead, just a 'kenduri doa selamat' (a gathering to thank God for all His blessings) among close family members only, so that it could end early.

But at the last minute, the outstation trip got cancelled. Due to lack of time (and lack of spirit to have it so big anymore), the size of the guests was increased just a little bit, by inviting some close friends, and we did have it in the hall. So, if you read this, and you did get invited the first time round (and then said 'yes') but the invitation to you was cancelled, I do apologise if you weren't re-invited. It was still a small party anyway, and not as grandeur as initially planned. No hard feelings yeah?? :-(

Anyway, Ikhwan showed his intimacy, caring and gentleman side during the party. He gave his heart (or rather, a heart-shaped ballon) to a beautiful young lady, but somehow got rejected. Aaaahhhh, poor him .... (see below photos) I am sooo proud of him. So cute, huh? Hehe ...

Anyway, you can view more photos of the Langkawi trip and Ikhwan's Birthday here:
1) Langkawi
2)
Birthday party for Ikhwan

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