A New Dawn

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We Bought A Zoo

It's a 2011 movie, but er, I've been wanting to catch this movie. Finally gotten down to it today and I'm so glad I did. This movie is CRAZY! I mean, the emotional impact is so strong and the message is so inspiring!

I especially liked the part where Father and Son finally stopped fighting, got down to talking honestly and openly and finally made up for past mistakes. Then there's also the part where Son went after the girl. The best and most inspiring concept I learned from this movie is 20 seconds of insane bravery.

How 20 seconds of insane courage can change your life. Forever. All is takes is 20 seconds.
To ask your crush out.
To say you're sorry.
To be completely honest with yourself.

And to say the least, I took this lesson to heart. :)

Watch it, if you haven't already. 7/10 stars.

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Generasi Gua

And so, I made a video for JinnyBoyTV's contest! Read the description :) Like it and Share it. Thanks!

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Draw Something

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Titanic.

Well, well. This topic needs no introduction, so I'll jump right in. Today is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the largest ship ever built in that time - the one and only Titanic. Titanic has somehow always been a part of me, not just because of the dates, but also the memories and emotions it brings to mind.

I had the pleasure of rewatching and reliving the entire movie yesterday. Now in 3D. Let's make one thing clear, I dislike 3D. A lot. But all for the sake of watching Titanic on the big screen, I went ahead and spent the 17 bucks anyway.

It's been a long time since I last watched this movie, but some scenes stay on. Forever. And the movie doesn't disappoint. I don't think it ever will. I realised now that there's much much more in the movie than just a ship sinking, "You jump, I jump", and "Jack..come back...". That was pretty much my impression of Titanic from my younger days.

Yesterday, I saw a whole new side of it. All the subtle hints and clues, the wordplay and the actions of different people. The Titanic sinking is epic by itself, but James Cameron made it legendary by focusing it on two people - Jack Dawson and Rose.

As we follow these two people from two very different world, two very different class, we see how each reacts differently and how they fell for each other and in a matter of days love each other so deeply to have that kind of commitment and belonging that made them go back to each other every time and stick around till the very end.

All the scenes were great - how the movie started with an old picture, then the discovery, the retelling of the story, the rebellious Rose, the rough Jack, how they met, how Jack persuaded Rose to not commit suicide (very clever speech here), how Jack tries to fit in at dinner, how Rose's Mother and fiancee tries to downplay Jack and how he bounces back, how Jack shows Rose his drawings, how Jack slips Rose the note then partied below deck tap dancing, how Mother and fiancee convinces Rose to forget Jack, how Jack comes back for Rose even after being denied entry, how Rose came back to Jack and decides to put her foot down, how Jack shsshed her and performed the iconic close eye stand on the rail scene, how Jack drew Rose like his French girls,

how they ran away from the bodyguard, how they made love in the car, how they saw the ship hit the iceberg, how Jack resourcefully looks for solutions at every dead end, how Jack got framed for stealing the Heart of the Ocean, how Rose didn't get on the boat, how she went back for Jack, how she cut the chains with an axe, how they slammed their way through the door with a chair, how the fiancee tries to bribe his way in, how he went after Jack and Rose, how they went from being almost saved to being hunted and trapped again, how the guy dropped his keys, how they came back, how Jack bluffed Rose to get on the boat, how Rose jumps back in, how the fiancee gets the crying child to get onboard, how Jack and Rose gets to the hull of the Titanic, how Jack asks Rose to keep swimming, how he let her rest on the door while he's freezing in the water, how the fat lady stood up for the survivor and how she was played down by the officer and first class ladies, how one boat came back, how Rose cried out to Jack, how she had to keep her promise to survive, the haunting whistle blow, how the gallant officer came back and did what's right, how Rose survived and changed her last name to Dawson, effectively marrying a dead man she loves, how the old Rose retold the story, how she threw the diamond back into the ocean, and how the scene ended (a bit abstract, but at least happy). Credits also to the supporting casts, all the music that was played by the band, how it changes, the priest also, Mr. Andrews, the builder of the ship, how he kept looking at the clock, how the captain sank with the ship and the scores (the many versions of My Heart Will Go On). Credits also



Coupled with the old English setting, their principles and stupid customs, this movie is at the very top of my most favourite list. And I would watch it again and again.

Now, let's thrash talk the 3D experience a bit. For one, it's amazing how they transform a 2D movie to 3D. But let's just face it. Who cares if I get to see the table a bit further from the screen? The glasses themselves are weighing me down, not to mention not fitting for everyone (I have quite a big head, you know). And the worst part is, you can't take them off! Especially if your glasses come with scratches like mine. Cleaning it only makes it worse, so don't. All in all, 3D is BS. You pay more to wear something unnecessary just to realign what was originally perfect. I will always prefer 2D till the day 3D technology catches up.

After all is said and done, I would watch Titanic again and again. Probably for years to come. The story never gets old, and there's always something new to discover! Can't imagine James Cameron made this 25 years ago. Simple amazing. Legendary. *insert every word to describe epic here*


Rating : 10/10

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Rosemary Lemon Chicken Baked with Cheese

So, this is what happened. Last Sunday, my cousin ordered BBQ chicken from the Western shop in a hawker centre. And I said, that's so not worth it! Approximately RM10, and I said that I can do this myself at home! Then, you guessed it! My Uncle gave a challenge. Challenge accepted!

Today, I prepared, as the title clearly states - Rosemary Lemon Chicken Baked with Cheese. I used this recipe as a rough guideline. Some tweaking included adding thames and lemon zest on top of the rosemary, topped everything off with olive oil and added cheese on top of the chicken.

And here's the end results:

No potatoes! Yeap, kinda regretted as the meal wasn't quite as filling, but the chicken turned out to be really, really, I repeat really good! Never thought baking could be so easy and awesome! I usually worry about undercooked chicken, but this turned out perfect.

The insides were juicy and succulent, the outside a bit brownish, topped with the flavourful cheese, it's heavenly! I wish I prepared more, as blogging about this just makes me hungrier!

However, the salad is always a let down. I have no idea how to make a salad awesome without throwing too much mayonnaise and thousand island sauce into the mix.

Overall, chicken was perfect! Potatoes would make it godlike! But the salad just needs more improvement! Will definitely try this again!

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The Road Not Taken

As mentioned in Project 365 Grateful, I was browsing through some old blogs of mine and of high school friends. Most were abandoned, some were surprisingly revived! Needless to say, it brought back a flood of memories.

It started with stumbling across a blog made by the Form 6 crew which I was once a part of for a short little time. And looking through post by post, there's this tinge of regret/wonder of what if... What if I have chosen this route instead? Would I have been part of this family so tightly knitted together? Would I have achieved the same, lower or higher mentality/personal growth that I have today? Would I be me today?

But soon, I realised I was drowning myself in self-wallow, thinking of what-ifs. That route never ends, and the journey is never smooth. Then, I realised that I am very happy for them! I am also very happy to have known some of them, to have joined them for a short period of time and to still keep in touch with some of them!

Not only that, I realised how grateful I should be. Today. Now. For what I lost in Form Six, I gained in Monash! I gained a new bunch of friends. The very fact that I walked in to class not knowing a single soul just scares the shit out of me. But just look at me now! I'm not too bad after all. In fact, I'm happy where I am, of what I did, and of how I responded to the situations at hand.

Fast forward a bit more, and here I am. With a bunch of goofy, whacky, crazy bunch of friends that I would have otherwise not known! But now, they have becomed a bunch that I would not forget! Ever! I always had this mentality that, hey! you know what? Uni is just a quick transition phase to your goal. Your true friends are your high school friends and your colleagues have yet to be decided. So who's uni friends in that picture?

But I know realise that the journey is the goal.

And this moment is all I have! And the friends I make at any point in time also have their own high school friends, their own colleagues, but who's to say that that should stop us from becoming the best of friends? Who's to say that they're not true? And who's to say that they're not worth it? Only I, me and myself and create that kind of limitations. And once I understood that, I quickly realised how much I'm missing out! And I should give everyone a chance to be my friend regardless of how long we have known each other!

Absolutely ridiculously, once you realised what you have been doing! And absolutely ridiculous to think of it any other way! I don't know what that Eureka moment was for me, but I suppose it started in my second year. I started actively making the effort to be a better friend and not just stick to whom I'm comfortable with. And just by shifting that perspective, I realised that most people feel the same insecurities, the same vulnerability and are just waiting for someone to make that first move. So why not me?

And today, I am happy where I am. Happy that I have realised this truth. Happy to know that no matter what happens, no matter what situations I'm thrown into, I would be able to survive. Because once you have been thrown into the deep side of the pool, you learn to swim very quickly.

I would also like to thank all my friends, best friends, close friends, not so close friends, acquaintances, smiling faces on the streets and everyone who crossed my path for crossing my path. I want to thank all those who stood by me while a was lost, stood by me while I figured my mess out, stood by me while I metamorphed into me. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. I am truly grateful for every little deed.

P.S. This is quite a personal post and is something that has been a speck at the back of my mind that I always knew I had to write it down somewhere, so, here it is. I would agree that it's quite emotional and I hope it has not been a bore to you, dear reader. Cheers!

Nevertheless, I leave you with a poem I really like, back in high school by Robert Frost.

Robert Frost (1874–1963).  Mountain Interval.  1920.

1. The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;         5 Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,         10 And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.         15 I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.         20

Picture from here

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The Weird Guy Strikes Back!

The weird guy from Pizza Barbera is back again! Check out my previous post during their last offer! Looks like they've upped the price from RM15 to RM20, BUT now it comes with one free drink! So, all in all, it's still a pretty good deal, I would say! Any first hand experience, do let me know, kay?

Here's the details: Great news, peeps!

Coffee Time, Pizza Time are back starting today, 3rd April 2012 ONLY @ Cafe Barbera Sunway Pyramid!

Coffee Time - Drink All You Can!
9am - 12pm or 3pm - 6pm

And that's not all, every Coffee Time purchase now comes with One (1) Chocolate Fondant, our BEST DESSERT!

Pizza Time - Eat All You Can!
12noon - 3pm or 6pm - 9pm

Pizza Time now serves with a choice of:
Mango Juice, Pineapple Juice, Lychee Green Tea, Apple Tea!

So hurry! Let's go!

* T&C applies.
* Promotion period: 3rd April - 1st May 2012.
* Valid @ Cafe Barbera Sunway Pyramid ONLY.
* Valid for DINE-IN ONLY.
* No wastage of food & drink are allowed.
* Subject to 10% service charge.
* No refill for Mango Juice, Pineapple Juice, Lychee Green Tea or
Apple Tea during Pizza Time period.
* Minimum serving period 15 - 20 minutes.

Cafe Barbera Sunway Pyramid,
OB2.G.U2, Oasis Boulevard Two (Parkson exterior entrance).
Tel: 603-5622 1861.

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