Just when I thought nothing spectacular was going to happen this holidays and I won't have anything to blog about, this comes along... Grrr...
My laptop died on me. Well it didn't actually, more like it was my fault, but I'm putting all the blame on it. You see, what happened was Vista was doing it's 'Installing Updates during Shut Down' thing and on the screen is the damn message 'Installing Updates. Please do not Turn Off the Power or Remove the Battery' and I so conveniently unplug the laptop to bring upstairs, forgetting that I've disconnected the battery to conserve its lifespan.
Look at where it got me.
My laptop won't boot. Probably in the middle of the updating process Vista erased some boot files. I CAN'T GET INTO THE 'PLEASE ENTER YOUR PASSWORD' SCREEN!!!! Which is very annoying.... Instead it's now trapped in a disastrous loop of restarting itself in an attempt to boot. ISHHHH.... And to add insult to injury, I don't have my Dell Windows CD with me. Lent it to Ka Liang in school and he was suppose to pass it back to me when I went back to KTJ for results... Arrrgggghhhh so annnnooooyyyyeeeddddd..... Seriously this is probably as annoyed as I can get. I've never been so annoyed in my life. Grrr.... Going to try to get Dell to send me a replacement copy of the CD and hopefully that works out. If not, no laptop until August the 14th, which will be hell considering I need to make use of my laggy home desktop to keep myself occupied, which I get annoyed at every time it lags on me (As you can see I get very annoyed easily these days). Probably I'd just go read a book or something instead of waiting on the desktop to work. Ishhh....
This also means no games, no movies and no music until I can get my laptop up and running again, which is DOUBLY annoying... Luckily I'm off to KL tomorrow and Wednesday for the Warwick Pre-Departure Reception at PJ Hilton (anybody else going or wants to meet up?) so that should keep me pre-occupied. Hopefully Dell would agree to send me the disc AND courier it to me by then. Am also working in my dad's office now for the time being but I hate the idea of not having my laptop waiting for me back home. Gahhhhh...... Haven't realise how attached I got to it until now, especially when I'm bored at home... Not going to send it to any computer shops or Dell as I don't trust anybody with the data on my hard disks nowadays... Am just going to have to sort this out myself... VERY VERY ANNOYEDDD....~Zhongy~
P/S This should mean that I won't be online for a while, until Thursday at least. Anybody who wants to contact me should just text me on my phone (at least THAT'S working!!!) instead of leaving me offline messages or something... GRRR....
Oh, and on a side note, you must have been really jobless to read through this mindless rant by me. Don't worry I don't do it often :P Normal service will resume once I get my laptop back on the flow. Am having weird ideas about naming it. Any takers? =)
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Sunday, 20 July 2008
And everybody on this planet should make time to watch this movie in theatres before it comes down. Yes Christopher Nolan would earn a ton of money, but I wouldn't begrudge him the cash if he continues producing movies like 'The Dark Knight'. It easily outclassed 'Iron Man' (and God knows how much I loved that movie) and ranks alongside 'V For Vendetta' and 'Remember the Titans' as my favourite movies of all time. This is not your average comic book adaptation or a hero-triumphs-at-the-end-of-the-day story for kids (in fact, I would advise against bringing kids for this movie, despite the U rating), but a no holds barred, as grim as it gets study of anarchy and societal values. What makes a hero? Is it a pin-up face on television, or a watchful protector in the shadows? 'The Dark Knight' answers these questions, and more.
It's fairly safe to say that the late Heath Ledger (may he rest in peace) stole the show from Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart. His portrayal of the Joker, much hyped upon after his untimely death, exceeded all my pre-movie expectations. He was the agent of chaos, the embodiment of anarchy and the direct opposite of Batman. Ledger's performance was mesmerising and more than once, sent chills down my spine as he hunched around, licked his lips and scaring the living daylights out of everybody. The rest of the stellar cast which includes Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman also gave solid performances, but the show belongs to Ledger. Every time he came on screen, he took centre stage. A minor gripe with the casting is Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes, which I found quite weird. Despite her acting prowess she clearly did not fit the role of playboy Bruce Wayne's love interest and frequently looked out of place amongst the more 'shapely' and youthful looking bit-part female characters. Katie Holmes didn't do as well as Gyllenhaal in this role but at least looked more the part.
Of course, 'The Dark Knight' wouldn't be a summer blockbuster without it's action sequences, and in this department it doesn't disappoint either. Expect to see lots of fireworks, blazing guns and a brilliantly done car chase sequence in the middle of the movie. Batman though, was surprisingly given little time (and proper lighting) to strut his martial arts, relying instead on his wits and technology to dispose foes. Maybe because the movie lacked a villain who could go toe-to-toe with the caped crusader, who otherwise looked pretty at ease against mobs of bit-time crooks. The heart of the movie though, was how director Nolan built up the tension within the movie while Batman struggled with his identity and his role in Gotham City as the Joker trampled on everything he stood for. It all builds up to an impressive climax and nicely wrap things up for the movie while setting the scene for the next edition in the Batman film series.
A day before the premier of 'The Dark Knight' I re-watched 'Batman Begins' and I have to say, the sequel blew away all of my expectations. Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the Joker and this movie is as good as it gets for the swansong to his bright but sadly, short lived career. Christopher Nolan also deserves praise for bringing the Batman back to its grittier and edgier roots, and his courage for tackling matured issues in a comic book adaptation. In doing so he shifted the target audience to an older group set, but came out tops in the end. 'The Dark Knight' is everything you would expect it to be, and more. If you haven't seen it, go book your tickets now. This is definitely one movie you don't want to miss.~Zhongy~
Random thoughts:
- There shouldn't be another Joker in the series. Heath Ledger owns this role now. Nobody else would be able to do justice to the character after his performance.
- I'm glad Robin hasn't made an appearance yet in the series, as I'm not sure that he would fit into Nolan's darker and edgier tone. Batman has all the sidekicks he need now in Lucius Fox and Alfred, and they both do the job fine.
- I've always thought Batman deserved a more exotic love interest than an old flame from back home like Rachel Dawes. Maybe they'll introduce one in the next movie?
- Crashing the Lambo' was SUCH a waste!!
- The Batpod kicks ass, but Batman should have a slicker set of wheels than the tumbler as the Batmobile. Next movie perhaps?
- The detective side of Batman is still under-developed in the series. In here he uses his technology to collect evidence but doesn't really display his deductive skills. Maybe a more 'thinking' villain would bring this side out?
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Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Tonight I Wanna Cry
Keith Urban
Be Here
Alone in this house again tonight
I got the TV on, the sound turned down and a bottle of wine
Theres pictures of you and I on the walls around me the way that it was and should have been surrounds me
I'll never get over you walkin' away
Well I've never been the kind to ever let my feelings show
And I thought that bein' strong meant never losin' your self-control
But I'm just drunk enough to let go of my pain
To hell with my pride
Let it fall like rain, from my eyes
Tonight I wanna cry.
Would it help if i turned a sad song on
"All by Myself" would sure hit me hard, now that you're gone
Or maybe unfold some old yellow lost love letters
It's gonna hurt bad before it gets better
But I'll never get over you by hidin' this way
Cause I've never been the kind to ever let my feelings show
And I thought that bein' strong meant never losin' your self-control
But I'm just drunk enough to let go of my pain
To hell with my pride
Let it fall like rain, from my eyes
Tonight I wanna cry.
Well I've never been the kind to ever let my feelings show
And I thought that bein' strong meant never losin' your self-control
But I'm just drunk enough to let go of my pain
To hell with this pride
Let it fall like rain, from my eyes
Tonight I wanna cry.
Credit to Joanne for putting up this touching song on her blog first and getting me hooked on Keith Urban again =) Another song worth checking out is 'Making Memories Of Us'.~Zhongy~
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Sunday, 13 July 2008
This piece is written partly by request by some of the readers here and partly in tribute to probably the greatest tennis player in history. 
Let's face it. A guy who can wear a milk-white blazer and a cardigan on to Wimbledon Centre Court deserves some respect. If you want to have the look, you've got to have the game to back it up; and boy, do Roger Federer have the game. His on-court versatility is one of the factors which make him so dominant on all surfaces (he's not that bad on clay, just that there's a certain Rafael Nadal around). Federer doesn't have a Plan A or Plan B or Plan C, he adapts on court, improvises and tweaks his game to beat his opponent, which most of the time, leaves his opponent scrambling around the court. Part of the excitement of watching Federer do what he does is watching him improvise until he totally dominates rallies and exchanges. However the greatest joy I find watching him is when he weaves his way out of a rut. His phenomenal groundstrokes and precision with angles, along with some deft volleys and drop-shots makes him dangerous, even on the defensive. His ball-control is second-to-none, and the scary thing is that Federer seems to get better when he's on the move rather than stationary. Most importantly, Federer is an entertainer. He's not a prankster like Djokovic (remember his Sharapova imitation?) but instead has an eye for the spectacular on court. Be it an outrageous chip lob, running down-the-line passing shot or a deft volley on the fly, Federer has done it all.
Another trademark of Federer's would be his icy cool demeanour on court. He is a throwback to Bjorn Borg, the model professional whose face rarely betrays emotion and whenever you see him, is always poised for perfection. Whenever I see him play I always picture him as an ancient aristocrat, with his debonair class and graceful airs. A real psychological advantage for Federer is that he makes everything he does look so effortless on court. It is as if everything he does, incredible or not, is exactly as expected of himself. His seemingly unflappable self-confidence gives him a huge edge over his opponents as they attempt to decipher his poker face. 'Imperious' is an appropriate and most often word used to describe Federer, for on court he is king, and he has the game, looks and aura to back it up.
This year's been uninspiring for Federer so far, considering his lofty standards. He hasn't won a grand slam title until now, suffered his biggest title draught since 2002 and worst of all, lost to Nadal on grass. My own take is that the glandular fever at the start of the year pretty much left his pre-calendar training in tatters, and that greatly affected his performances and fitness this year. Some have said (somewhat prematurely) that this is the beginning of the end of Federer's dominance on court, slowly being dethroned by Nadal, though I beg to differ. At 26, he's still pretty much at his peak (tennis pros peak at around 24-27) and he's proven to us at Wimbledon, despite losing, that he still has what it takes to win. Nadal is on the rise no doubt, being only at 22, but Federer has a vastly wider arsenal to call upon and is more consistent with his form. He also chooses his tournaments carefully so as to not run out of steam, but just enough to maintain his World No. 1 ranking which he has held since February 2004 (this is a record 232 consecutive weeks!). Nadal may yet be the favourite at the Olympics and US Open this year after dethroning Federer at Wimbledon, but don't expect the Swiss maestro to take it lying down. Underneath his poker face lies a tremendous fighting spirit and will to win and dominate like he did for the last couple of years. If he keeps up the hunger and passion, one wouldn't bet against him on beating Sampras' record of 14 grand slam titles. I personally would like him to win all four in the same calendar year (making him the first men's player to do so) that would guarantee his place as the greatest player ever. However considering the uprising of Nadal and Djokovic (and let's not forget Tipsarevic, Tsonga, Gasquet, Monfils, Murray and the rest), next year will probably be his last chance at having a realistic shot at that feat.
As a player, Federer has certainly reached the pinnacle of tennis. His dominance on the tour from 2004-2007 will probably be remembered as his best years as he seeks to cement his place as the best ever. Whether he will ever surpass Bjorn Borg is yet to be seen, but the legend himself has already conceded that "He has achieved so many great things in tennis and if he stays clear of injuries, stays motivated and continues at the same pace as he is doing, he will definitely be the greatest player of all time." And that, coming from Borg, is high praise indeed.~Zhongy~
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Tuesday, 8 July 2008
And it just doesn't get any better than that. Seriously.
The 2008 Wimbledon Men's Final will go down in history as arguably the best (and already certified longest) final and tennis match played in history. It was nerve-wrecking, mind-boggling, and sometimes even felt surreal as there was some unbelievable tennis played on the court. It kept me up from 11 p.m. until 4.30 in the morning, but if you watched it, you wouldn't go to sleep for the world. The match-up could hardly be more of a contrast -- In one corner was the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer with all his silky skills, grace and class; On the other side of the net was the Spanish matador, Rafael Nadal and his brute force, run-down-all-the-balls, uncompromising approach. Coming into the match Federer was five times CONSECUTIVE defending Wimbledon Champion, but Nadal had just thrashed him 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 last month at Roland Garros. Last year at Wimbledon Nadal stretched Federer to five sets before losing, and this year promised to be a much more explosive affair.
Interestingly, the match turned out to be pretty much what I expected. Nadal was dominating at the baseline with his heavy groundstrokes, working Federer around the court and forcing him further back. Federer served magnificently with 25 aces and attacked the net with good approach shots and daft volleys. It was always going to be a question of whether Federer could get to the net first before Nadal pinned him down behind the baseline. Yet despite that, there was still plenty going for the match. Both were looking to give their best and you could see the determination in their eyes, though the match was pretty devoid of Nadal's trademark fist-pumping and 'Vamos!' battle cry (Federer was cool and composed through out the match as usual). At the end, brute force triumphed over smooth skills, but it was a match full of twist and turns for the crowd to savour. 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 was the final score, and Nadal was champion, but the real winners were tennis and the audience.
People have told me that Federer played terribly in the match and wasn't at his best, but after reviewing the match in my head I still think that he actually played a great match. Maybe his forehand approach shot and single-handed backhand wasn't as consistent or as sharp as it could have been, but that is probably more down to the blustering wind and Nadal's heavy top-spin than Federer's own fault. Under Nadal's barrage he couldn't really impose his game upon the exchange of points, and Nadal's amazing placement of shot on that day was really working him around the court. Yet Federer was equal to the task, also pushing Nadal around and taking whatever chances (and half chances) he had to finish off the point quickly at the net. One gripe about Federer I think was that he seemed to have lost that incomparable shot making of his which last time used to evoke gasps and acclaim from the audience. Yea there were a few nicely worked shots through out the match, but you get the feeling that he sacrificed the spectacular for a more efficient approach. It was still brilliant tennis mind you, but lacked the wizardry that has been a staple of his arsenal through out his career.
And then there is the model of efficiency, Nadal. Frankly I have never liked Nadal that much. To me, he always lacked the finesse and touche to entice me. He is the beast, the clockwork machine who overcomes his opponents with pure strength, speed and fitness. His game plan is unvaried, monotonous and boring, yet his sheer physical presence on the court is enough to frighten opponents away. And on that day he went toe-to-toe, even over-powering Federer. It was obvious that Nadal was at his physical pinnacle, chasing down everything that Federer was throwing at him, making him hit just that extra shot to win a point, while at the same time hitting all the lines and making some spectacular passing shots and cross-court ground strokes to throw Federer off his rhythm. It was just simply his day. The serve into Federer's body was working extremely well and Nadal just needed to pick off the returns with ease. At the end his immense physical advantage showed, as Federer slowly lost momentum and steam in the closing moments of the match.
At the end of the day, it really could have gone any other way. Federer's come back from two sets down contributed much to the epic scale, but he really could just easily have been two sets up if he had converted more break points. Nadal won, but only by a whisker, and yet both served up a tennis fest to remember for ages to come. I still haven't lost hope on Federer though. If he can keep his game at this level, he can crush anybody easily 99% of the time unless somebody starts to play incredible tennis like Nadal did. There's still the Olympics and US Open to come, and I'm not willing to back the Spanish matador over the Swiss maestro yet...~Zhongy~
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Saturday, 5 July 2008
It is exactly one week since my days at KTJ have drawn to a close. Much have been left unsaid for this one week, but I felt that I needed a break to get through the emotional exhaustion, especially after Speech Day.
So how do I feel? Relieved, mixed with a tinge of sadness (well maybe more than a tinge...) and a feeling of hope and fond remembrance for this place I have come to make my home for one and a half years. It's true that in this period of time I have spent more time in KTJ than at any other place, studying, living and having fun at the same time. At the end, I have been in school for 1 1/2 months straight because of exams and the stress just took its toll on me (I've been told, and noticed that I looked horrible over the last two weeks). This would have contributed much to the feelings of relieve but I know I'm going to miss this place after this.
It would be apt of course, to describe the last day of school. It was also Speech Day and the VIP (the MB of Negeri Sembilan) didn't turn up, which was quite annoying... He was represented by his wife, and there was this whole prize-giving ceremony and stuff. Tunku Naquiyuddin, the Chairman of the Board of Directors was not present as well, but Tunku Dara was (to represent the royalty). Mr. Jones made his customary speech and the replacement VIP gave out the prizes. As most of you already know (and as Pam a.k.a. randomperson announced on CBox) I received the Tunku Naquiyuddin All-Rounder Award this year along with Nurul (congratulations to lil' nunu!). It was quite a surprise as I suppose Ash was the hot favourite to win it but he got the Principal's Prize instead together with Pam (again, congratulations to both of them!). I knew I was nominated together with Ash but after he won the House All-Rounder, you kinda expect him to win the school's award too. I'm quite happy to have won but if it had went to Ash, I would have been equally glad as he has really given a lot to the school and is also an all-rounder, in addition to being a very good friend. Maybe they should consider giving joint-awards? Anyhow, I'm thankful that my efforts are recognised and there was also some feeling of redemption after being passed over for the all-rounder in SFI (for those of you who know the story, you know what I mean). It doesn't really matter on my CV anymore but yea, it felt nice to win, for a change...
After the ceremony the Upper Sixers grouped together to say our goodbyes (some final, some not) to each other. I must say it was quite emotional cos there were people crying and taking photos and hugging and shaking hands (mostly hugging) and stuff... Even a rock like me felt damn emo (well that's kinda common) and my eyes were warm (but I DID NOT CRY!!). Anyhow, it was a parting of ways but somehow, there wasn't any foretaste of death. Maybe we just anticipate seeing each other again in UK or thereabouts. Still, it's hard not to feel attached to this group of people whom you've shared one and a half years of your life with. I don't know how many of them I'll still keep in contact with (definitely with those I was really close with) but I'm sure we'll all remember the times spent together here at KTJ.
The last few days running up to the end was spent packing, sitting for STEP and collecting signatures for my own copy of the Yearbook. It was a nice exercise as everybody said nice things (but then, who wouldn't? on a Yearbook?) and I'll certainly take good care of this. I didn't get everybody, so forgive me if you were not offered a place on my pages, but there was just too many and too little time. Still, a very big thank you for all those who signed! Surprisingly, we didn't really talk much about leaving KTJ in the last few days. Maybe everybody were just dreading the day to come and wanted to avoid the topic... Still, come it did, and the rest, as they say, is history. The teachers (amd Pam, so thankful for her) said very glowing things about me after the Speech Day ceremony to my parents, which was again, really nice =)
Having left KTJ, I wonder sometimes how would I be remembered there? In the press interview (yes there was such a goddamn thing because of the award. I haven't seen it in print though...) I said I hoped to set an example for the juniors, but I seriously doubt many of them would remember me as I am quite seclusive by nature. Perhaps what Mr. Jones said before I left was true, that in the end, I will be best remembered for two things, the Yearbook and the Award. One would be kept in the School Archives, the other, a name on one of those honour boards. Certainly my reputation as a rigid disciplinarian would live for some time yet, but I would like to be best remembered as a student who did things MY way, and who hopefully, left his mark in his short time spent there. Still, that impression is not for me to choose and for better or for worse, it is up to the members of the school to decide how they would best like to remember me...
The last day of school was also a farewell to Mr. Finch, still the best mathematics teacher EVER, and Mr. Kenneth Kulaisingam. Mr. Finch of course, I know very well from our Pure Math classes and stuff and I wish him a very happy and peaceful retirement. I salute you for all that you have done for me and for the school sir, and may age never wither your optimistic and cheery outlook on life. You will always be fondly remembered and I'm sure we'll be visiting you someday in Seremban! Mr. Kenneth, though he never taught me, was nonetheless a good teacher to talk to in school and during Forensics. I'll never for get his interesting anecdotes and ideas on life and also wish him all the best in his retirement. Another person who will be leaving is the bursar, Mr. Lim Siew Chiang, who is incidentally also from SFI, and will be taking up a teaching post in the UK. Thank you for all the help that you gave us in the production of the Yearbook (and the hardcover!) and I wish you all the best in the UK.
I would just like to end this very emotional post by saying a very big thank you to (in no particular order) Ash, Pam, Amira, Tony, Kevin, Ms. Cheah, Mr. Suresh, Mr. Sutherland, Ms. Carol, Mr. Finch, Mr. Dickman, Pn. Noorsham, Mr. Venga, Mr. Ang, Mr. & Mrs. Hitchman, Ms. Charlie, Mr. Kwok, Gerald, Aunty Anne, all the Upper Sixers (especially those who have worked with me), staff and students of KTJ. Thank you for all the memories and do keep in touch! May God bless all of you and your loved ones... Au revoir, I hope we meet again...~Zhongy~
P/S Can people not introduce me as the guy who won the KTJ All-Rounder thingy?? It's kinda weird and unsettling... Amira I really didn't know how to react when the whole table started clapping... The whole KTJ table suddenly looked lost... Thanx.
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