Guess what's it about?
ANOTHER HOLIDAY!
Yeah this time it's to Italy with the boys. I don't like the idea of free and easy for 2 whole weeks. Not so much of the security and all that, but you do miss out on a lot of shit, like the history behind the things you see.
Afterall, Italy is a place rich in culture and goes wayyyy back.
And yeah, security is still a concern. A tour leader would be able to watch your back and stuff. I'm still undecided.
I mean it could end up being a cockfest, just that I paid 3k for it and it's in Italy instead of Parkway. Not what I'd like.
Anyway I caught the Avatar movie. Usually I don't like people telling me, or asking me things mid-movie, but the stuff Tim said were freaking hilarious. Avatar ripped WoW off so blatantly!
I mean, the People are basically a cross between a Night Elf and Draenei ROFL. They're blue and have tails like the Draenei, and are freaking tree humpers, ala Night Elves.
Right so it's an enjoyable movie with pretty simple messages. Don't give up hope, be nice, remember the simple things in life. Yeah, you know, like simply just running through and feeling the wind in your face, albeit you don't have a giant mutated Pterodactyl to ride on, nor a horse in which you can connect your nerve endings in your hair to.
But yeah, message is there. Enjoy life simply because you are alive.
What I didn't like was the ending. Fine it is Hollywood and stuff, but still, c'mon! The plot device was just so blase and cliche.
As I've said before. This is Avatar summed up:
Do not mess with the corporates, or only a plot device will save you.
Profit > Tree humping. If the big boys want something done, it's only a matter of time.
So the story might not be that great, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. In the entire 160 minutes of the film, I never felt bored or had time to think about other stuff. It's actually able to enrapture its audience, and few films in recent history can do that for that duration.
The last film that did that, was what, so many years back. Yeah, Tolkien's epic tale. No prizes for guessing.
The 3D stuff though, was nothing short of amazing. A big step up from previous 3D films IMO. I did have gripes with the fact that it was a lot darker with the specs on, which was distracting at first and detracts from the experience at times (Eg. during pan out scenes with huge mountains and waterfalls.) But otherwise it was fantastic. The CGI is top-notch as well. The people and CGI characters fit together on-screen flawlessly.
I nicked my sister's contacts, put up with some light headedness (her power's greater than mine, and she only has astig in 1 eye) and the initial discomfort was damn well worth the trade. If you have contacts, use them because two bulky vision aids just don't work well for your nose bridge, not for 2 hrs and 40 minutes. Tim learned that the hard way and had to wear his 3D specs upside down.
Anyways, here's to a successful holiday to Italy, with or without me.
Got up late and grabbed a quick note at.. you guessed it. Coincidentally, there she was! I still think his playing it cool is masking cowardice.
Time to psyche up for the trip back.
Day 4: Road trip
Road trip.
Day 4: Intermezzo
Pee break.
Day 4: Road trip
Road trip.
Day 4: Road trip
Road trip.
Day 4: Home
Home. That's why you're able to read this.
Actually, I got back at about 9ish, but had to unload and all. Anyways, the posts have had minimal editing at most, and I would go through them one more time but someone was impatient. (keeping tabs on her boyfriend I expect.)
Had oodles of fun, but as they say, it's good to be back. Cheers.
No, not withdrawal. Sinus.
You see there are two sides to a bed. Getting up with morning sinus automates that to the bad, and wrong side.
Yeah didn't get good sleep as per normal, and we had to change rooms today, so that meant getting up a wee bit earlier to pack. No biggie.
The kicker, a rather huge one mind you, was that the kid was tagging along. Now don't get me wrong, I love kids, really I do. Just not when I have their attention, become their focus and have the responsibility of keeping them safe.
Especially little boys. I don't know how the cliche catholic priests x little boys can about, because I sure as hell don't see anything likable about the little boys, pedophilia or not.
Anyways we dropped by the cafe, and she wasn't there. We really like the concept. Quasi-fastfood with nice bar seats. A relaxing place to grab a quick bite.
So this cafe where Ami works and I'm writing this, oddly called the 'Gogo cafe' is driving me nuts with their looping music that has a loop duration of perhaps 6 seconds. Sinus, a lack of sleep and a general feeling of dread of the looming journey ahead does not make for an optimistic day.
Oh and the fact that I'm going to be stuck with the kid for the next 10 or so hours.
FML.
Anyway it's time for brunch.
Day 3: Kids kids kids
And more kids.
Yeah we took him to the arcade.
Descriptions past that are wholly unnecessary.
But yes we did ride the cable car prior to that and it was as expected. Very bumpy and rocky though. Ian, meet giddiness and nausea. I believe you two have met.
Then, as I mentioned earlier, a herculean effort to take the kid to the arcade.
Dinner was at a crowded place where you needed to take a quick ride down. There were people literally swarming the van, wrestling their way in. Very reminiscent of Zombieland. You mean it's that hard to wait? Jesus.
Food was decent and cheap and we went back to the hotel plaza, did some shopping where I got a very nice shirt at a discount.
I swear Mc's mum is second to none at getting stuff cheaper and better. I don't know nor understand the full story (the exchange happened lightning quick and in Chinese) but it's safe to say I got a good deal and everyone was happy.
We left Mc's mum and grabbed a drink a Kenny Roger's. The food there was horrid. Dined there two days back and the food came cold. And late. The drinks were good though. Had a milkshake and Mc wondered the odds of our English-confused Ami(Amy?) working the late shift.
Now she wasn't there earlier, but Mc made the detour anyways, since it was the shorter way back to the hotel room.
Lo and behold. There she was. Maybe she really was at the toilet earlier. We went back to our room anyways. What a pussy Mc.
Miscommunication, real or imagined, deliberate or accidental, remains the number one cause of conflict.
What do waking up at 9 and meeting at 9 have in common? Why, they both contain 9! Yes, 'tis but a minor miscommunication but we got an earful nonetheless. Anyway I got up at 930 which would have made me late either way.
After a non-eventful, mini-sized brunch designed to milk your every cent while keeping everyone of theirs, we hit the famed outdoor theme park.
Honestly speaking, Mc wasn't entirely wrong when he said that once you've been to Disneyland, the park in Genting will fail to elicit a wow factor.
He wasn't, to be fair, entirely right either.
They've got this awesome ride where you lie on your stomach and, to sum up, fly all over the damn place with Mc at your side bellowing lovely swear words in three different languages. Whoops and maniacal laughter suited me fine though. Fun.
Then we went on the so called corkscrew roller coaster, which was supposedly their thrill ride highlight. I'd put it at a mini version of California Adventure's California Screamin'.
Looks like I'm an adrenaline junkie!
One who was no match for the harsh rituals of rides with circular motions, commonly enjoyed by little kids.
Needless to say it was the last ride I had. No, wait. Second last would be more appropriate. The last one was the walk back to the hotel. By far the most thrilling.
Day 2: Of lost childhoods and Ami(Amy?)
The godlike arms of the abyssal 'dad of small brat' saved us, and I managed a solid hour's worth of sleep. We hit the arcades later. Typical (outdated) fare, but really, the credits were better spent on machines which gave tickets.
Common sense stopped us from bagging the top prizes. 25SGD for three face towels and a small bag was enough. I just cannot understand how people can continue that stuff for hours and come up with something like what, 5000 odd tickets? Wow.
I have to admit the machine where you catch falling stones was hella fun, though. See, we were actually GOOD at those games and got more tickets than the average person. Imagine the number of tries (and money spent) it took the person with 5000?
Next up was dropping by the cafe and saying hi to Mc's lovely pretty face of the trip.
I ordered a drink. I spoke in English 3 times. My ears heard naught but Chinese. She addressed me as sir. I walked away feeling like a disabled person.
Mc asked and told me her name was Ami. Surely it was Amy? Or did she say Annie? Or not know how to spell Annie and actually meant Annie but spelled A-M-I?
Or maybe.. Screw it.
ENGLISH MOTHERFUCKER.
DO
YOU
SPEAK
IT
Finally. Of course there was the customary wait to check in. I'd say something about the speed of the hotel personnel, but it wouldn't be surprising or new. Singapore has a hectic pace of life compared to most.
Did a bit of walking around while waiting, but nothing really caught our eyes. Enthusiasm was at best a poor substitute for energy, and once beds were in sight, the both of us pretty much saw nothing else for the next 3 hours.
Anyway the rest of the day was pretty much spent on foot instead of ass on seat (thank god). The plaza at the first two floors of the hotels were pretty much major retailers or clones of them. Nothing too interesting.
Incidentally, there was but one looker the ENTIRE day. She works at a cafe. Ming Cong is extremely observant. That is all.
I arrived late as usual.
2 hours of sleep is the only thing separating me and a 6 hour long car ride.
Day 0: Exodus II
My ass is sore and my eyes have seen better days. It's kinda like tying bags of lead to your eyelids then tasing you awake just as you doze off.
Still, nothing compared to the mind and ass numbing, 17 hour flight from Changi to LAX last December.
All good.
Day 0: Iconoclast
We're no strangers to my religious convictions (or lack thereof) but not everyone shares the same sentiments (regretably so!)
And so I had an experience at a huge, and I mean gigantanourmous temple with a 20 ft (perhaps even bigger) by 12 ft stone Buddha statue. There were multiple wings and floors offering a plethora of prayer services for the devout and/or curious tourist. I got myself a family blessing and two amulets.
Oh did I mention? Holy water for RM1 per 500 ml.
Of course at 3.8k it wasn't fantastic for wallets.
Then again, with a budget of a horizontal 8, all issues save moral ones, were eliminated.
Dined at Yoshinoya then pretty much called it a day. I point fingers to a lack of sleep and getting up somewhere like five times when I slept at Darren's. Bad sleep really murders the next day.
Anyways with the bunch of stuff happening recently, I can't help but feel my life's a little unfair - I've been given too goddamned much!
It was good seeing the guys again at the 4F chalet, though a few chaps didn't turn up it was all good.
The barbeque was a failure as always. Fires took an eon to even crackle, food that was carbonized on the outside, but pretty much intact inside - yes, in it's original form, raw and bloody.
But hell we ate the stuff anyway. A class barbeque with 4F is always an experience like no other - you willingly risk your stomach getting pumped. If you don't get that then you at least have to live through the trials of the toilet bowl for the next day.
Caught a movie at Far East, Zombieland. Good stuff. One of the few zombie films that actually managed to hit the mainstream audience without being an evil dead rip off, or taking itself too seriously. (Hello I am Legend!) Seems like humour, strong character writing (with the exception of the little girl) and zombies go pretty well together.
Mother nature has heralded a zombie apocalypse. What to do? Why, search for the last pack of Twinkies of course! They have a goddamn expiration date for crying out loud.
Emma Stone is pretty hot stuff, but honestly speaking she's not that good a looker nor does she have that nice a figure. I'm telling you, it's that voice of hers. Ima give it a rough estimate and say not even 1 in 30 would have a voice similar to hers, with a face to match. That deep voice is incredibly sexy.
Cameo by Bill Murray was pure genius. I'd watch the film just for that.
Anyways Darren didn't grab the suit in the end. It wasn't my intention to cause disillusionment with prom. I just stated that prom is just a glorified dinner. You go to prom, wear something nice, eat, and go home, or head to the post prom. Where you eat some more and (chances are) hang out with the same people you did during prom.
Which is probably your class.
Seriously? And 2 years wasn't enough? If I wanted to eat fancy food I'd just pay for myself and dine with who I choose to. Fuss-free and makes for much better dining.
Prom and 4F Chalet?
I don't know guys, tough choice!
*Snorts*
Like hell I'd miss a chance to catch up with people that belong to the best times of my life.
All I can say is, like one of the guys who left a comment on the video, I'd grab a beer with this guy, anytime.
Hilarious. These Japanese are crazy.