FoOie’s Haven

Greetings from Singapore! Yup.. I have officially relocated to the tiny island country down south since last Saturday.

Haven’t gotten my own Internet line up yet, haven’t gotten my iphone either. Will be starting work next Monday though. Am using Jacq’s mobile broadband access right now to upload this way overdue post cause she’s out and I’m home alone wee..

I got an invite from Soo Lee to attend the Canon Goes Green tree-planting event the weekend just before I left. Waking up for it was NOT easy - it was supposed to start at 730am and I slept at 4am the night before. But it was a good thing I did, because it was a heckuva lot of fun!

An environmental marketing campaign by Canon (a pretty good effort too), the project kick started with a Katamari inspired website (with a cute catchy song) asking for the public to upload photos of anything related to nature or their love for it. For every photo uploaded, Canon will purchase a tree to be planted at the set date and time. Their target - 2,500 photos / trees, which was easily met - and was the amount of trees everyone planted that morning at the Kota Damansara field green lung.

See all those small leaves on each of the trees on that poster? They are all thumbprints from the attendees that day.

Soo Lee brought most of her homemade softies that day (in part cause she knew I appreciated them hehe). That’s me with Boo Bear and Bunny. Do check out the rest of her awfully cute toys at her blog.

I love playing with dirt..

Jason doesn’t apparently.. haha

Li Yi doing her part..

Forever Happee Soo Lee

EnvironMENTALS wannabes

After the planting, all 4 of us thought of taking part in one of their many activities there, so we joined this Eco Drum Circle thingie.. we were the 4 oldest people - signs that we are truly young at heart no? Hitting, shaking and thumping away at homemade percussions.. it was all strangely detachedly entertaining..

I had to sync my shaking with this dude. A can filled with seeds mind you..

L-R: Jason, Soo Lee, Li Yi & FoOie

A great event to close off my final weekend in Malaysia. It feels like I’ve left behind somewhat of a positive mark - in the form of around 5-6 young saplings, which I hope will grow tall and strong in the years ahead while I’m away..

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

A very very BIG THANK YOU to NicT for bringing the guys together for a farewell dinner. Although the ’surprise’ didn’t exactly work out (I could see a reservation for 12 when I walk into the restaurant you know.. ), I still really appreciate all the trouble you went through dude..

What’s also great was that I managed to try Bubba Gump’s shrimps! I’ve always been wondering if it was any good - just never had the chance to eat there until that night. And you guys were right, the food there was pretty tasty.. although I’m sure I’d get cholesterol poisoning if I kept going back there for their yummy cajun shrimps..

Me and Tanya (who had to leave early)

Me and ultra BZ Nic Fong who also had to leave early due to unexpected ‘commitments’

Group shot! L-R : Ziet, Roy, Steph, NicT, FoOie, Andrea, Sue Ann, Faz, Li Tsing & Chin Li

And another group shot! This is Momma’s house by the way.. and my camera sucks

A bunch of us then made a spontaneous decision to catch the midnight screening of Max Payne over at Cineleisure…

*click* - Review mode turned on…

Max Payne

• Based on the famous 2001 first person shooter game (and one of my all time favorites) about a guy who loses everything when his wife and kid was murdered in front of him by a bunch of druggies. His relentless pursuit and vigilante justice to find those responsible becomes the main point of the story.
• What made the game stand out above all other shooters was the incredibly intense and dark narration. It was also the first use of the ‘bullet time’ - the ability to slow time down, so you gain an advantage over your opponents (you can see bullets whizzing pass you ala Matrix). At the end of the game, through sheer determination, skill, reflexes and righteous vengeance, Max Payne eventually mows down 600 over thugs, mafias and criminals responsible.
• The movie had ABSOLUTELY NONE of the awesome narration in the game, had AWFUL LOUSY use of bullet time, and ALMOST ZERO action. Max Payne became a wuss, and the movie became an overblown rhetoric on Norse mythology with irrelevant special effects of flying demons/angels/valkyries… I really don’t get it - so much potential, all gone to waste. BIGGG SIGHHH…
• I guess if you did not play the game, you MIGHT find things to like in it. The movie IS getting some above average ratings somewhat on IMDB.. so it can’t be that bad right? Rotten Tomatoes butchered the film though with lots of negative criticisms. I don’t know.. it was payneful to watch for me.. pun intended.

*click* - Review mode turned off..

I went for a drink with Li Tsing after that, to do some much needed catching up with her..

And then headed home to catch a veryy short shuteye, before I had to wake up early the next day for some tree planting (coming soon!)..

It was a great night (sucky movie included) - and thanks thanks thanks! to everyone who came even though you may have seen me earlier in the week.. I just have to say this again lar.. I’m really going to miss you guys..

The past week has been filled with outings every night after work, as I struggle to meet as many of my friends and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of KL before I trade it all away for Singapore.

Putrajaya with Sandie

Went for a dinner/supper at Bangsar Delicious, and both of us being reluctant to go home - decided to take a drive down to Putrajaya. We arrived at 2am, and the place was utterly deserted - not a soul in sight (probably cause its still Raya). The whole humongous driveway belonged to us. We walked a bit, took some photos, before heading home.

Thanks for an unforgettable night Sandie.. Those regular gym workouts look like they definitely paid off!

Giant Timeline & Elvira - Bangkok Jazz

When I found out that Lik Chen was very likely not going to be able to meet up wth me at a planned ‘Gilagathering’ at No Black Tie next Wed, we made a spontaneous decision to head down to Bangkok Jazz instead to catch another of Faz’s performance there. I haven’t met Lik Chen in yearrrsss - I’ve really missed her and it was great catching up once more..

One of their instrumental intros minus Elvira..

And we finally meet again!

This is also probably the last time I will ever hear Elvira and Giant Timeline perform. They surprisingly sounded pretty good that night compared to the other times I heard them play…

Look Out Point with Immi

Second time to Look Out Point this month - much easier to find now cause I’ve been there earlier, and this time used a different way to get there via GPS. After admiring the view for a bit, we then went over to Gasoline Cafe for supper and some heart to heart chit chat.

After our late night supper…

Immi wrote a particularly touching blog post about me on her private blog recently. To protect her blog’s privacy, I’ve just included a screenshot of that post here. It’s the most touching thing anyone has ever written for me.. *sobz*.. Thanks a lot Immi. And don’t worry - I’ll still be around, if not in person.. at least online.

Dinner at Nando’s Jaya One

This was an impromptu meet-up, with Immi’s group of wonderful friends that I’ve gotten to know over the last year.

L:R - Mee Theng, Emily, FoOie, Immi, Su Wei, Barry, and Cheesie (sitting down)

Sorry I couldn’t stay longer guys!

No Black Tie with Pui Ling

FoOie : Hey, Mei Chern is performing at No Black Tie tonight..
Rachel : Really ar? Take me, Take me!
FoOie : Okay..
Rachel : Hey I bring my cousin along okay? Introduce you to leng lui..
FoOie : Sure!

And that’s how we ended up there, 1 night before the original NBT plan. Me with 2 beautiful girls in tow..

2 cousins, both single.. anyone?

The gig kick started with a performance by The Glance. Lead singer Amy belted our some pretty amazing jazz vocals and ballads. Felt that her Malay songs were way better than her English renditions, but she was amazing nonetheless. Her partner in crime was ‘Mad’ (not literally), I think was playing the guitar on the left. They both play other instruments as well.. not bad really..

Second up was the fairly new Mili’z - lead singer Michelle and keyboardist Ling doing an acoustic set of their alternative emo pop (that sounds borderline upbeat with the quick piano, yet tilting towards depressive with dark lyrics..). They did play one cover track though that I quite enjoyed - Coldplay’s Yellow.

The highlight of the night for us! I’ve loved her singing since I first heard “Feels Like Falling” (which also happens to be Pui Ling’s favorite) many years ago, and have heard her perform a number of times in various spots. She sang all of the songs on her new album EXCEPT for Feels Like Falling, but it was okay because those songs were great! Introspective melodies that will connect with you and tug you along gently. I just HAD to buy her album that night..

The last to come on, was the entertaining, and equally good Zalila Lee - an underrated singer songwriter who’s been around for quite awhile. I found her ability to lose herself in her music and inject expressions into her singing, extremely riveting (both to watch and hear). She sang a few thought provoking numbers - very intelligently written songs, and to the final cries of ‘encore’ and ‘one more’, invited Reza to sing and beatbox on stage with her.

No Black Tie - Thing One’s Debut

The supposed ‘Gilagather’ didn’t take place - call it bad timing. It rained heavily, and everyone who was invited / confirmed was either not feeling up for it or was caught up in work. I went anyway, and my original table reservation for 5 turned out pretty useful because the place was PACKED!

First to perform was Tony Leo Selvaraj - a young popular chap who’s been getting a lot of exposure lately with his contributions to the local music scene. Great opener with a mix of electro-acoustic pop, although admittedly I didn’t pay much attention since I arrived midway..

Faz, Fook and Jonathan (minus Nish hidden on the far left on keyboards)

Second up was none other than Thing One! Faz’s brand new band, playing a full set of their original fusion instrumental jazz compositions. Haha, first time I heard Faz speak so much on stage and they were pretty awesome for a first show - I wonder when I can see them play again. Keep it up guys!

Fourletterstory (sorry no photo) came on after them, and truth be told - I didn’t find them very entertaining. They played a mixture of cover and original rock songs, which was really out of place in No Black Tie especially after two technical instrumental / jazzy performances. The singsongscreaming didn’t help much either.. Ashamedly, I spent the rest of this time chit chatting and taking photos

Last band was Adil Johan Trio. First time I’ve heard Adil perform, and honestly - I was completely BLOWN away. Was told by a friend that he teaches music at Sedaya College - he alternates between singing and playing the sax. Invited a great number of guests artists to perform with him as well - Otam, Melissa and another amazing saxophonist amongst others. Blended jazz with blues and hip hop. Kow Tow Bro.

Happy Birthday once again Christina!

That’s the keyboardist / pianist right there!

Ms. Reptile, Predator, Rastafarian, Cosplayer giving me a death hug…

Clockwise from lower left : Christina, FoOie!, Christine (hand only), Nish, Tanya, Laura, Michelle, Sue Ann (not looking), Fira, Uma, Fook and Faz on camera.

I’ll miss you guys, werewolves and all..

No Black Tie with Sophia

3rd night of No Black Tie in a row! Spontaneous decision to head here for dinner with Sophia to celebrate both her birthday and my farewell. Sorry ar, she’s very shy and has forbidden me to upload any photos of her here.

So instead, I’ll just talk about the first 2 performances there - we couldn’t stay on for the rest cause she had to be home early..

Rendra Zawawi with his solo acoustic original pop songs. Also fairly new to the scene, but has quickly established a fan base for himself with his entertaining songs. He’s also released an EP too.. which I failed to get that night..

Reza Salleh - I’ve heard him perform quite a number of times now, but this one had an unexpected twist. He invited Shahrider (another guitarist slotted to perform later) to join him on stage for an impromptu jam.. Basically Shah just contributed to Reza’s standard songs with his own complement of guitar solos - and he was AMAZING. Shah’s ad-hoc improvisations added an entire new dimension to Reza’s tracks - and he did it all by ear and instinct, like a local version of Santana. Damnit, regret not being able to stay for his performance later.

Phew, that was a long one. That’s it for now.. more on my final week in Malaysia in the upcoming posts!

It happened out of the blue. About 4 weeks ago, I got a call from a recruitment firm asking if I was interested in a position in Singapore. That weekend itself, I took a bus down for an interview. They expressed interest on the spot.. another week of deliberation and negotiation, and *snap* just like that, I made a life changing decision to start a career down south.

Some outdated photos from my interview trip to Singapore..

Night celebration at China One in Clarke Quay, Jesse (far right) also happened to be in Singapore for an interview as well.

The performing band at China One - Tabula. Jacq claims the lead singer very yong sui wor. Regardless, they brought the house down with awesome renditions of great rock songs.. the eager to party crowd contributed too, as the dance floor turned into a semi mosh pit.

Saw this when exciting Suntec City. What a way to keep your kids occupied right? I wonder what happens when they run out of air…

Between then and now, I’ve gone down another 2 times to settle my lodgings there. I’ll be staying with Jacqueline, who was JUST going to rent a HDB unit there and so coincidentally, was looking for a housemate to take up one of the two rooms.

The entire unit came completely unfurnished, so the both of us had tonnes of shopping, cleaning, assembling and decorating to do. Although we got most of the cheapest stuff from Ikea, we still easily overspent our budget. The end result however was pretty pleasing - a place I’m more than happy to call home for the coming years ahead (despite the TINYYY kitchen and toilet)..

Here are some of the before and after shots of the place.

Please don’t mind the ladder and poles in the ‘before’ images - they were left there by the landlady. Room isn’t 100% personalized yet, but most of the furnitures are there now. Managed to fit in a queen bed, drawer set, spacious desk, and a 3 door wardrobe (after doing up the floor, lighting and air-conditioning). Temporarily missing - curtains, my PC , desk chair, tower fan and a bookshelf..

Living room! Limited space, so it includes dining area as well. Moved the fridge in, dining set, couch, TV bench (not visible) - and will be bringing in some other stuff later.

Moving to Singapore may be one of the biggest decisions I have ever taken. I’ve never left home before (having completed my degree locally), and this will be my first time experiencing independent life abroad. Although I’ve been reminded countless of times that its just 5 hours drive away from home - I have to remind them in return that it simply isn’t the same.

I’ll only be able to head back to Malaysia once a month for 1 night at most due to my hectic work schedule. On top of that, I’ll be bonded in Singapore for at least 1 year, and I plan to continue on there after that. I won’t have extended holidays (like when you studied overseas), and I have NO IDEA when I’ll permanently return to Malaysia.

I’ll be leaving behind more than I can list here.. my family, my friends (ALL OF YOU!), the comfort of home, the freedom of traveling ANYWHERE at ANYTIME with my car, etc.. Of course I’ll be gaining much as well - character building (I need to unspoil myself), better career prospects, earning foreign currency and more. As excited as I am on this upcoming adventure, I’m bracing myself to endure the inevitably approaching loneliness and homesickness.

I will really miss you guys……

Dr. No (1962)

• The 1st James Bond film that started the legendary franchise - it also set the theme and many of the precedents for all future Bond movies to follow - the theme song, the stylized intros, the girls..

Villain - Dr. Julius No

• Introduces the master criminal organization known as SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion)
• Mastermind behind the project to use radio beams to topple American rockets. Was going to topple American’s rocket launch to orbit the moon. Has a deep underground research facility on Crab Key island off Jamaica.
• Lost both his hands due to radioactive experiments. Replaced them with super strong mechanical prosthesis.
• Died by boiling / drowning in radioactive coolant when his mechanical hands didn’t have the traction and grip to pull himself out.

Villain / Bond Girl - Miss Taro (Zena Marshall)

• Spy for professor Dent (one of Dr. No’s kulis), tasked to lure Bond to his death - but in the end gets outwitted by Bond himself, who nicely gives her a good fuck before sending her off to the authorities. Way to go Bond!
• Loved how her bath towel is nicely sculpted to the shape of her boobs.. Hotness level - 3.5/5 stars -

Bond Girl - Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress)

• She was just collecting sea shells on a forbidden island - completely caught in the wrong place at the wrong time! What a premise to throw a hot chiq into the equation..
• She set the standards for ALL Bond girls to follow, and was one of the hottest sex icons for the decade. That bikini you see, was auctioned off for 35,000 pounds! This scene was ranked #1 in “the 100 Greatest Sexy Moments” on BBC in 2003. In 2007, Australian series 20 to 1 ranked her entrance in Dr. No as the #2 Sexiest Movie Moment.
• Hotness level - 4/5 stars

From Russia With Love (1963)

• A much better film compared to Dr. No - probably due to the higher budget, and continuity in the storyline. There’s a lot more humor here, with better one liners.
• Also, the first true bond gadget is introduced here - a special briefcase kit with an exploding teargas canister for those who don’t know how to open it, concealed dagger, 20 gold sovereigns, hidden bullets and a modular rifle.
• Interesting due to all the double crossing involved compared to the straight forward approach of the first film.

Villains - SPECTRE #5 Kronsteen and #3 Rosa Klebb

• Kronsteen, Chess Grandmaster devises the plan to pit the Russians and British against each other by staging a trap where the British is given an opportunity to steal the Russian Lektor decoding machine.
• Rosa Klebb is appointed to source for the girl to lure Bond into the trap, and the assassin to kill him.
• They both eventually die pathetic deaths - none of which from Bond’s hands.

Villains - Red Grant

• The master assassin tasked to kill James Bond. Trademark use is of a wire garrote built into his watch.
• Dies in a brutal fight with Bond on a train, in a reversal by Bond, who uses the same wire garrote to kill him.

Bond Girl - Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi)

• The unwitting pawn of Rosa Klebb, tasked with meeting Bond and handing over the Lektor Decoding machine.
• Of course, she eventually falls for Bond..
• Hotness level 3/5 stars.

Goldfinger (1964)

• The first true Bond blockbuster - this film was a tremendous success, won multiple awards and ensured that the Bond franchise will forever continue..
• Gold smuggling, homing devices, the very first Bond car - with a passenger ejection seat, front firing machine guns, rear oil slicks, smoke dispenser and bullet screen, cheating at cards & golf, the very first appearance of a laser beam in a movie, compacting a car into scrap, nerve gas dispensing planes, a nuclear bomb, and a high altitude plane decompression.. Goldfinger has them all!

Villain - Auric Goldfinger

• Hatches an insane plan to rob.. no irradiate Fort Knox that holds the entire American gold reserves to raise the value of his own gold stockpile.
• Besides being filthy rich, and overweight, there’s nothing particularly menacing about this dude. He isn’t even part of SPECTRE.
• Dies by getting his fat body sucked out of the window of a plane…

Villain - Oddjob

• One of the most memorable screen villains of all time. The personal aide to Goldfinger.
• Don’t let his stout frame mislead you. This badass can throw his steel edged bowler hat and decapitate stone statues, or crush golf balls with his bare hands.
• Just too bad the electricity conducting element of his steel hat will prove to be his downfall..

Villain / Bond Girl - Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman)

• I’m not kidding, her screen name REALLY IS Pussy Galore. Who writes these scripts!
• Head of a flying circus, and the key for Goldfinger’s plans to distribute nerve gas around Fort Knox. Too bad Bond successfully seduces her with what must have been a goddamn good fuck, because she switch sides at the very end and betrays Goldfinger.
• This auntie is SO NOT hot. Hotness Level 1/5.

Bond Girl - Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton)

• Just a girl who helps Goldfinger cheats at cards, but once her cover is blown, she decides to join Bond instead.
• Goldfinger apparently didn’t think this was funny, cause he kills her by painting her entirely in gold paint (death by skin suffocation). Yeah right, like that can happen in real life…
• She looked mighty fine in her black lacy underwear, but her face leaves much to be desired. Hotness Level 2.5/5

Bond Girl - Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet)

• Jill Masterson’s sister who crosses path with Bond while trying to take revenge for her sister’s death by assassinating Goldfinger.
• Bond doesn’t really get to sleep with Tilly, and Tilly dies quite prematurely in the film too but she was definitely hot enough to be included here since the MAIN Bond Girl (Pussy Galore) was so unsatisfying..
• Hotness Level 3/5

Thunderball (1965)

• SPECTRE hijacks a bomber, lands it at the bottom of the ocean (the most unrealistic thing you’ll see), and steals two live atomic bombs on it. Threatens to blow up two cities unless the world government pays 100 million pound sterlings. *smirks at the amount after the recent American bailout debacle*..
• Bond nearly dies on a giant vibrating bed (spine stretcher). True, he almost dies in lots of other scenes, but this was easily the MOST ludicrous.
• Plastic surgery impersonation ala Face/Off makes a brief appearance here, with a cool detachable yacht (kinda like Enterprise D) but the highlight of the movie will be the long drawn out elaborate underwater battle between SPECTRE agents, MI6 Frogmen, and Bond himself - with scuba gear, harpoons, knifes, sharks and a lot of “I incapacitate you by knocking your goggles off” parts.

Villain - SPECTRE #2 Emilio Largo

• Menacing eye patch, and mastermind over the atomic bomb thefts. Nothing special about him, except that he has a pool filled with sharks that he enjoys throwing people in.
• He also happens to ‘have’ a lady that Bond covets (see below), and will die by getting harpooned in the back by her.. Likely payback for all the ‘harpooning’ she got from him over the years..

Villain / Bond Girl - Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi)

• Largo’s femme fatale henchwoman, who is eventually tasked to kill Bond.. AFTER making love to him first of course.
• Too bad she and her body guards are quite incompetent.. cause a bullet meant for Bond, ended up killing her instead. Tsk tsk.
• The scene where Bond catches her in the bathtub, and she asks for something to wear, and Bond calmly just passes her shoes was priceless.. Hotness Level - 3.5/5

Bond Girl - Dominique ‘Domino’ Derval (Claudine Auger)

• Her ‘guardian’ is Largo, who double crossed her brother during the bomb heist. When Bond reveals this to her, she willingly partakes in the attempt to stop Largo. However for the entire movie - she doesn’t really do much except provide some on screen eye candy.
• She was marvelous in her black white ‘domino’ bikini. Growll. Hotness Level - 4/5

You Only Live Twice (1967)

• This film takes things to new absurd levels where SPECTRE sends up their own spacecraft to capture both American and Russian space modules to cause the next World War.
• Get ready for some corny space scenes, oriental beauties, helicopter dogfight, and an epic ninja vs henchmen battle in a secret massive volcano base.
• Screenplay was written by Roald Dahl (YES - that same witty kid literature author).

Villain - SPECTRE #1 Ernst Stavro Blofeld

• After multiple teaser shots of showing just his hands stroking his white cat in the previous Bond films, this is the first appearance of SPECTRE’s #1.
• Gosh, no thanks to Austin Powers, all I see in him is just a Dr. Evil. A really short un-intimidating one.

Villain / Bond Girl - Helga Brandt (Karin Dor)

• OMG, the lamest villain part in history. What is this, she catches him, ties him up, seduces him, then lets him go, then gets on a plane with him (supposedly to escape) only to reveal its a trap and jumps out leaving him in it. MAKE UP YOUR MIND BITCH.
• Deserved to die via lame horrible execution by #1 in a pirahna pool…

Bond Girl - Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi)

• Japanese SIS Agent who saves Bond’s pathetic ass more than once.
• Poor girl dies from poison that was meant for Bond.
• Despite being a true femme fatale, she looked a bit weird to me. Hotness Level 3/5

Bond Girl - Kissy (Mie Hama)

• She was Bond’s undercover wife as he and the ninjas infiltrate the volcano island.
• Va va voom! Doesn’t do much cept run around with Bond in a bikini during the last 40 minutes of the movie. Hotness Level 4.5/5

Thats it, the first 5 Bond movies, watched over the span of 3 days. 16 more to go. Seriously doubt that I can finish them AND write blog reviews in time before the Quantum of Solace is released.. So did I help jog some of your memories? Although most these girls are in their 70’s now, they were quite an eyeful back then..