The Blind Side

Watched @ The Cathay

This is one of my favourite movies of recent times. The movie is based on the true story of NFL star Mike Oher. Although I know very little about NFL, I know that sports is one of the channels in USA that black people there can excel in and have more often than not be the catalyst to bring them out of poverty.

The story starts off with a clip of a play in NFL, depicting the importance of the blindside, the quarterback's blindside. That was a real footage and even though we do not see the extend of the damage in the tackle, the player's reaction says it all! And this is the story of NFL's recent greatest protector of the blindside, Mike Oher.

But this is not just about the player becoming a star. It's about the family that he met and learned to love. Sandra bullock, plays the mother, Leigh Anne, of this family, the Touhys. It was a Thanksgiving eve that started the threadings of Mike and the Touhys.

The story of Mike and the Touhys was told in a very touching fashion. Even though I believe much of the facts have be dramatise and idealised, it's still an amazing story to believe in. Watch it to experience it.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 9 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 8 out of 10


Favourite Lines:
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In Mike's new room,
Michael Oher: This is mine?
Leigh Anne Touhy: Yes sir.
Michael Oher: I never had one before.
Leigh Anne Touhy: What, a room to yourself?
Michael Oher: ...A bed.
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Leigh Anne Touhy: If you so much as set foot downtown you will be sorry. I'm in a prayer group with the D.A., I'm a member of the NRA and I'm always packing.
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Michael Oher: [after pushing an opponent all the way off the field] Sorry coach, I stopped when I heard the whistle.
Coach Cotton: Where were you taking him?
Michael Oher: The bus, it was time for him to go home.
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Leigh Anne Touhy: Michael, I want you to have a good time but if you get a girl pregnant out of wedlock, I will crawl into the car, drive up to Oxford and cut off your penis.
S.J. Tuohy: She's not kidding.
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Sean Tuohy: Who would've thought we'd have a black son before we met a Democrat?
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Sean Tuohy: We were wondering if you would like to become a part of this family.
Michael Oher: I kinda thought I already was.
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Leigh Anne Touhy: You're right.
Sean Tuohy: Wow. How'd those words taste coming out of your mouth?
Leigh Anne Touhy: Like vinegar.

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Official Website


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Legion

Watched @ Cineleisure lvl 9

I was actually looking forward to watch this movie, most of the movies which have involved paul bettany so far have been not bad. sadly, this time it's not encouraging, his acting was not the issue, is the loose plot. Angels fighting angels, god losing faith in men, doesnt sound all that bad. But the way everything was put together was quite disappointing. There's too much reference that can be seen from history. worst of all was...

It's a waitress who is the target of saving cos she bears the child who would be the saviour. Think terminator. Oh the gun fights remind me of terminator too. The ending also reminds me of terminator, I wonder if they are going to have legion 2.

Notice there's no devils or demons in this movie, why? cos the minions in this movie are angels. So where did all the demons go? on holiday, since now angels are doing their job of possessing and killing. :P

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 5 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 6 out of 10

Favourite Lines:
Gabriel: I would not have shown you such mercy.
Micheal: Which is why you have failed him.

Official Website

Pictures

First Aid @ SJAB

for the past 3 days I've been attending a day course at the St John's ambulance HQ at beach road. Why? cos i'm trying to get my first aid certification so that I could register myself as a coach at SSC. It took me quite a few years since my coaching cetification to come for this course, inertia I guess. But now since i'm quite free, it's time.

total cost was around S$115 inclusive of 3 days parking at the HQ. the course runs thru 3 days from 8.30am to 4.30pm. I think we were lucky to have a pretty experienced teacher. He's a volunteer at SJAB, long time volunteer. He's 83 on wednesday and he was involved in the hotel new world collapse rescue operation. That was like ancient already. But yah, along with experience also comes lots of war stories which he likes to narrate every now and then, that's when I start falling asleep.

Over the course of 3 days, I'm confident i've equipped myself with sufficient knowledge to administer at least some first aid which situation happens. But the real question here is, given the the knowledge of giving first aid, would you do so? That's a question that the teacher has subtlely ask many times (oh yah, he has a knack of give "subtle" hints.) When a situation happens, would you react immediately to help or would you rather be a "stamford raffles" to just stand there and watch instead of lending a helping hand. seriously I think in singapore, people love stamford raffles ALOT!!!

The Spy Next Door

Watched @ Cineleisure lvl 9

Just catched the show late last night, and surprisingly the cinema is a full house on a monday midnite session. Even though the cinema has nothing more than 10-12 rows, a full cinemas once again prove that there are LOADs of Jackie Chan fans in singapore. WOAH!!

The plot of the story is quite solid, cause it's simple and logical. Although I'm not sure about CIA ever loaning agents from China, especially in this currently political climate. Well, let's says it's plausible. hahaa.

The introduction into the movie was a short clip of Jackie Chan's poast movies, that was pretty cool. He has really done many movies with similar themes. Comedy is always present in his movies. In this one, the action is still quite amazing given his age.

Therefore, simple watch and enjoy.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 7 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Favourite Lines:
Bob Ho: Family is not about blood relations, but about the people you love and the people who loves you.
Official Website

Pictures

Treasure Hunter (刺陵）

Watched @ GV Marina

Treasure hunter is a movie you really shouldnt watch if you are looking for a plot in the story. The plot is really weak, when you compare with the western movies like mummy and indiana jones, treasure hunter is really weak, pointless and broken.

As for the acting, jay chou and lin chiling are not exactly the best actors around. looks and style are their main selling point, the movie is bordering on comedy. the desert scenes offer not much value to the whole story, it's just dusty & more dust flying around.. WEAK!!

There's much hype on the visual effects, but seriously, good effects need  to be there for a purpose that supports the plot. With the weak plot, the effects are just there trying to bulk up the movie on it's substance. simply saying, the effects are not bad but falls flatly in the movie plot.. conclusion... WEAK!!!

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 4 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 5 out of 10
Overall: 4.5 out of 10

Favourite Lines:
蓝婷：我们是两个世界的人。
乔飞：虽然我们属于不同的世界，但是现在你在我的世界，我会保护你。


Official Website

Pictures

Life after NUS

Life after NUS have been good so far. Small events happen every now and then. So it's time to recollect and lay them out.

• RT have been manageable so far,
• I learnt how to arrange for Make-up training
• I have MIO Tv at home, but there's nothing interesting to watch. It's for the soccer which will start next season anyway.
• I've arranged for my first aid course and it will be start next tues to thurs, 3 full days of course. After which I'll make myself available on GeBiz as a volleyball coach.
• I went to Body Worlds to look at plastinated human bodies!! I missed it the last time it was here. They really looked cool. Some how the more I look that those bodies, the more i'm reminded of "bak gua"!! BUT I personally find the exhibit not as "WOAH" as it was promoted to be. Interesting, yes. Cool, yes. Woah?? NOPE...
• Haven been to any movies in more than a week!! Kindda sad abt that, cos my dear is so busy last week. Hopefully it will be better from now on.
• Went to Xiaowen's place for gathering, Potluck. I made Cheese Baked Rice. It was well received. I think I can replicated what I did if needed, but the flavours might change though. Anyway, her house was HUGE, it was the old type of mansionette. They got it for a very very good deal! Good for them.
• Tenghui & Fuliang are getting married too, looks like my cchs gang is getting tied down pretty fast. It all started with jimmy. hahaa..
• Planning to make a short trip to BKK before CNY to buy clothes for work and CNY.  
• Spent a night at Down Town East chalet after dear's event there. I was totally reminded why we have not gone to a chalet for so so so long!! It's small, dark, dirty & noisy....

RT aka Remedial Training

Remedial Training is sort of like a punishment implemented to make NSmen like myself, who failed ippt, to get some physical training. Going for RT made me feel like returning to BMT once again. The anxiety, the fear, the pain and the aches all returning to me at once.

I find that I am now much less fit than the time I was first enlisted. Physical training is straining my every muscle group. After the warm-ups, i'm already drained!!

RT is a good thing for me, I'm using this chance to lose some weigh and get some momentum going for exercise. I'm taking it slow though, physically my body cant take extreme, i've enrolled myself with the obese gang and go for a less strenuous training regime. But i'll up the ante as soon as I can, cycling to Bedok camp for future trainings and extra day of self training is in the pipeline.

Bye 2009 & Hello 2010!!

2009 has bee a pretty good school year for me. At times I really struggled, but somehow I survived. I did not do exceptionally well, but enough for me to scrape trhu with a passable degree. That's simply my biggest and ultimate goal for 2009, I guess have achieved it to some extent.

physically, it's still a pretty bad year for me. injuries and physical inertia are frequently popping up on my schedule to do anything. maybe it's just in my mind, mind of matter people say, easier said than done I say.

With this new year, I simply do not know if i'll love it or hate it. Love it cos it's a new beginning and options are wide open for me to do almost anything. yet anything doesnt really seem possible. while living in singapore gives me a planned out and lazy life if I chose it, which I have been choosing all my life. It now ends, and I have to choose a path.

look for work? a somewhat permanent one to get my income steady.

or spent the years I have left in this "energetic" body for some adventure?

volleyball is something i've been shunning in the past year. not committed to it at all in the past year. perhaps it's also time to pick it back up again.

so many choices, so many possibilities, so little in my head moving to make a decision.

So i'm going to do things the way I always do. Take things in my stride, when they fall in front of me, then it's time to do them.