Humming

Fighting wasn't flat, at least. I even want to watch it a second time!
The best thing? Channing Tatum was in just about every scene. Ahahaha. Just kidding. I think the actor who played his agent was pretty convincing as a man walking the line between self-dignity and the contempt of others. I read his humiliation behind the rigid smoothness of his face.
Now I can sit back 'til Tatum's next flick comes out. =)





And last night I watched Dance, Subaru! GSC rottenly let the film run one fifth away from the top of the screen. Which meant I couldn't see the ballerinas' feet in motion, but that's not all... they started speaking Japanese. - -'

Subtitles, dei?!

The audience (it wasn't just me, really!) fumed in silence and went through the first 10? 15? minutes of the show without comprehension. Good thing they rectified it soon enough and now I can proceed to the review:

This dance movie is different. And not just because it was filmed in Japanese.
What we've gotten so far is street fare;
always bringing street to the stage or vice versa (Step Up, You Got Served, Stomp The Yard).
Otherwise it's nightclub action (Honey, Flashdance, Make It Happen)
or ballroom elegance (Shall We Dance?).

Dance, Subaru! focuses on the world of ballet (as did Save The Last Dance and Centre Stage: Turn It Up) but the main character is pushed from a nightclub onto the more sophisticated stage of an international championship. Burning with fever on the night of the finals, she stands to one side of the stage for her last performance; the contemporary genre.


She lifts one foot back and totters, back back back.
I nearly believe she's fainting.

She stops.

And so begins her haunting improvisation, a beautiful show of strength and grace. She spins a full circle and glides, presses herself against air. This is the first time contemporary has specifically been given recognition.


As for the beginning, the main child actress was convincing as a twin battling love and jealousy and neglect. She moved me to tears; a child's voice determinedly melodious but cracked with emotion. Humming at her twin brother's funeral.

Penitence

Staring at the mole on my calf.

Just one of many.

Gauging the distance to the next one.

Feeble attempt at collecting myself.

Trying to stem a trickle of self-reproach and despair.

Clutching at straws; I'm not always like that.

Why had I lost it, when things were going so well?

After all these months.

Resolve

Sober.






*Hangs head in downheartedness.*

Oh wait, before that, I have an announcement to make.

The Decision Of The Month has been finalised.



Thanks to the subject combinations at Subang not being to my taste, I am definitely about to enrol at

Taylor's Sri Hartamas.

That means no active dance club, and no slammin' dodgeball team. It's all student initiative at the moment, so I hope to meet like-minded students there. Together we could bring change to the campus.



Sounds ambitious. Unfoundedly expectant, even.

But right now in the expanse of unborn reality, a man can hold any vision up before his eyes.
If only for this moment.

Alright, back to the sobering thought.

As of next month, I shall be a college student and will study.
Not spend.

I will study, not spend.

... will study, not spend.

I will! study, and not spend.

P.s. If possible, please remind me of this resolve whenever you meet me.

Overdue

Last Thursday, I took Juliana and Li May to the Curve for a long-anticipated hangout. Truth be told, I hadn't been out with Ju since the day SPM ended. Nearly 6 months. We were always busy with work. Is this how it's going to be after graduation?

Likely.

We were hard pressed for time; eager to sprout claws at the Esprit warehouse sale before settling down for Terminator: Salvation. And so dinner at Vivo was as hurried an affair as we could make it. All Ju's threats and chidings couldn't save us, though, for being too late. After running like lighthearted fools to the entrance of the Esprit sale, we found the shutters closed and it was too late. Silly us, forgetting to check the closing time.
Well, I'm proud to say that I didn't buy anything, then.


Missed the sale and the starting of the movie. Op. > < Terminator: Salvation was quite confusing; they should've cast more distinct-looking main actors. Bryce Dallas was really pretty, but the plot lacked clarity to a non-follower such as I. Explosions and relentless gunshots galore, and I do agree that the antagonist machines had some resemblence to Transformers'. Ah well, we only went for it 'cause it was the only one all of us hadn't seen.

Brief Getaway : Part Two

To continue where I left off...




A bed of flowers.




To our surprise, we wound up at the edge of Jonker Street!
Awesome.




All we wanted was some ice-cold 'cendol' to counter the rivers of sweat we'd produced.




During our quest, we beheld this attention-grabbing display.
Actually it was me who slipped in to "just see how much it was worth".




Then we all impulsively bought one each, just like the mindless consumers that vendors love.




A non-alcoholic fruit drink.




They come in delicious combinations :
Apple + Peach
Apple + Lemon
Apple + Guava
Apple + Passionfruit




Best served chilled.




Spot the fake.




Having been on our feet the whole afternoon.




The 'cendol' they'd been looking for.
They kindly ordered one for me without knowing that...
I don't eat 'cendol'. Ahah.




I have a problem with the red beans and santan flavour.




'Gula melaka' no enough.




And that concludes Part One (the Malacca bit) of my getaway.




The very night after my return, I stayed 2 nights at my father's. It felt like a mini-vacation, 'cause I didn't have to wash dishes or do the laundry or... anything that a maid could do!





(My TTDI dressing table)
Part of the telephone wire hairtie collection I've amassed.




Some very furry creature on the garden wall.




A Persian cat! =)




Now I remember, I've often seen it dozing atop the neighbour's retro car.




Cat eyes.




Looking into the dining room.




The view.
Uhm. I wanna thank God that I'm not thaaat short as to make it my view.




My father tends to the garden himself.
Over here, he is seen gazing at his grape vines.




Healthy and on the way to be right for picking!



Baby grapes look rather like nostril hairs.




Thus, it's really encouraging to see them turn out like something usually seen in a supermarket!




Papa at the main entrance.




Couldn't resist buying that ballerina bottle.
Its' figures are pretty, and the scribblings upon it are legible and sensible!
But that's the last bottle I'm buying, really.

Brief Getaway : Part One

Back from a double vacation!

Or so it seemed. My room's finally cleared up from the tumult after instantaneously unpacking and then packing. In that order.



Church camp was - besides a time of drawing closer to the Almighty - one continuous shopping spree. Not my fault!! Blame the hotel for being so near a huge mall. And a smaller one across the road. And the sirens' call of the night bazaar on famed Jonker Street. What was a girl to do?



Meet Jessica, my roommate for the camp and an old friend.


She and I followed an organiser down to Malacca, arriving in time for lunch. Both of us were itching for a movie, so we got dropped off at the aforesaid huge mall - Dataran Pahlawan.



This mall combines nature with modernity in a way never seen in congested ol' KL.
Shoppers are welcome to stomp all over the grass in their frenzy to get to the other wing of the complex. Talk about taking a breather.



I haven't mentioned this but...
While we were still miles away from the cinema, we'd decided to go for 17 Again.

Actually, no. I'm not that much of a sucker for Zac Efron.
Channing Tatum's way more my type of hunk.
So I was keen on Fighting (18PL).

But my roomie got confused with getting the student price...

Ticket seller : Just to check, are you eighteen?
Jess : Err no, I'm seventeen. *Which is true, but still!*
=S


Therefore...



Zac Efron, here we come~!!



17 Again is the type of movie worth watching only once.
(Unless you're fast forwarding to the closeups of Zac Efron hoping to catch his ice blue piercing gaze. Which is ridiculous. I'd never think of that.) =P

There was nothing really outstanding, or particularly memorable about it, sorry to say.
In fact, certain parts of the movie didn't really click or make sense; that spoilt the enjoyment for viewers.
It had its comic moments and little twists; aside from that, no other draw...
but for those blue eyes.



1901's in the theatre weren't enough for lunch.
We discovered Pinkberrys!
That luscious name lured us, alright.



Fruit desserts, something like at Hong Kong Point.
Or whatever that place in Centrepoint is actually called.



A few of my favourite foods thrown together for a ssscrumptious dessert.
Except the milky santan part. Eck. Hate milk.



Superbly refreshing on a hot Malaccan day. =)



We then set out to explore the mall,
and came across a grand fountain in some courtyard.


Right then, it just hit me.




The fountain was frickin' lined with elderly women.
LOL lah.
'Cause on the other side were the men.




Yeayeah, one day we'll be one of them, aight?
But not today, babe.



A Physics gimmick to fool tourists into tossing in a coin in for charity.



See how domineering these people are?



But oh, we did so want to see what would happen.
*Race you there~!*



*Off to save some starving orphan.*



First items to be traded for hard, cold cash were a couple of tees. Didn't have enough; not keen on wearing my 'outside' clothes at home.

As for the hotel, it was total budget. Fling open the door and you have the whole room in your scope of view.
Windowless. But not stuffy, thank goodness.

Jess asked,
"What does the bathroom look like?"
Er. Where's the shower? All I see is the toilet bowl.
*That small. And the sink was outside the bathroom. Hooray, come spray your tasty toothpaste all over my pillow.*

Food was mostly Malay cuisine, which meant I loaded my plate with the only one or two unspicy dishes. And ended up vegetarian for a couple of days.


~~~~~~*~~~~~~


On Day 2, the Youths decided to take some proactive action, by storming into the hotel kitchen and telling the chefs to be a bit more imaginative - were chickens hatched only, and only, to be slathered in curry?

No, I'm kidding.

We left the kitchen staff alone and trekked instead to a nearby foodcourt.
Not bad at all.



Dribbling goodness.


And that very night...

We walked to Jonker Street. All of us, and it wasn't too far. =)
The buzz was getting to me; I chose to peruse the goods on the left side first. That's the way I do, even in malls. Although a study has shown that shoppers generally turn right after riding an escalator.

Anyway.

It was goood. I loved it! Though I ended up lagging behind; don't get how guys can just walk past stalls without a second glance.




That's when I saw her.





Miss Splendiferousmagicalsupersexygorgeous GirlOnCanvas.
She, I've loved ever since I first set eyes on her.
Two years ago.



My initial keychain from Dataran Pahlawan, to accompany MissSexyGorgeous.
I was momentarily put off by the fact that I'd laid aside the chunky, swirly version of the 'N' - only because I thought I needed some other colour than black.
But black would've suited MissSexyGorgeous after all! How was I to know I'd find her the very next day? =(



See the difference?
'twould have made more of a statement, the rejected keychain.
I found myself wishing my name were Stella, or Sophie; anything that started with 'S'...
But that was a souvenir. And my name is Nicole.
Oh well.



Next mall we hit, Mahkota Parade!
Which turned out to be a quiet, not-so-happening place.


Where I got swayed by a sweet wine-bottle umbrella.
Never thought I'd want to own one of those short, foldable umbrellas... but I decided, I'll put it in my locker! In Taylors, for rainy days. Or blazing hot days, walking to lunch.
*Hmm*
If I can get a locker, that is.



Fritz wielding the mighty brolly.



Ambling along.



To Menara Taming Sari for the tower ride.



I felt like a tour guide, coordinating the meeting between youths and adults - we were trying for a group discount.



Jessica and her new shades. =]



Joseph - senior drummer - in the background.



Brothers Bloom. *Hey, it looks like a decent show.* XD
Jeremy and Joel Soon.



*Eh, I caught a fly in my eye! Chun leh?*



The adults were busy hunting for tau foo fah somewhere, so we headed for a drink first.




Telephone wire hairties from Jonker Street the night before.
I now have a collection of 5 (counting the one I lost) and 1 mini one, kept in my handbag as an extra.
By the way, we coordinated the hairties with our outfits:
Michelle Too was wearing my purple one to match her purple shorts.
And to match the pink accents on my white blouse, I wore Jess' pink one.
Hehehe. Girls will be girls, eh.



Fritz playing church official photographer in Bryan's place,
and Benjamin. Big big smile, guys. =)



AwWw no big big smile, Reuel?



Tickets purchased, we queued up.



Touchdown for them, entry for us.



We were greeted by a blast of cool air-conditioning, much to our relief.



This has got to be better than the Eye on Malaysia.
*Which I did ride, so I should know.*



The ship that's always there.



Public pool?



I was there! I was there I was there. =X



A respectable, well-structured mall.
Except that the escalators are pressed to one side of the building, not central.



A pretty picture, like toy cars in a display window.



Eye on Malaysia in the distance.



Once it reaches the top, it stops. And revolves a few times for a 360° view of Malacca.



Some courtyard with palm trees.



The Michelles and Jessica, with Marilyn looking on.




Now plus me. =P



Pretty effect,
like waterfront chalets.



Holiday Inn.



And then it was back to earth.
Busy, crowded, congested earth.



This would've been nice without the retarded palang!



Gah, missed it.



If there were an entry fee, I wouldn't even consider going.
Reptiles are in no way cute, cuddly or adorable - as some people declare.



Left to our own devices, the youths decided to do Malacca town the tourist way - on foot.
Two went back to sleep, and five were left.
(The Michelles, Fritz, Benjamin and I.)


I think staying on was the best decision I made at camp. =D




Armed with an ice-cream, I stumbled upon this arrangement which made me whip out my camera. And I didn't put it back after that. Don't know why this happens sometimes.



Not famous for snatch-thieves, I hope.



I like the vibrancy of the colours.



Doing their rounds.



Always wondered what was inside.



This one, I know, houses stamps. XD



Olden trishaws now transformed into gaudy tourist gimmicks.



Passed Dataran Pahlawan.



And came across a fort!



Rocky road.
This arch reminds me of marshmallows and nougat and chocolate. Ooosh.



Support local tourism?
Yesyes, we should. Sorry for that moment of doubt. =P



During our ascent, we stopped for to see this kitten. > <
*Oh look, someone's coming.*



*^%&@ The Ambler. @#$&



This =is= Sho Cute.



Managed to capture this scene before the crowds trickled in from both sides.
I love that it looks silent towards the stairs - and away, peacefully colourful.



*Huff, pufff*
*Michelle taking it cool.*



Arches are simply charming.



Solo shot.
It appears to be rather portal-ish, no?



Waiting for a Romeo.



There he is!
Oh wait, I think the address was misprinted. XD



First thing I thought - caged prison for tortured souls.



In truth, a wishing well! Of sorts.
Uhm, I already made my wish at Dataran Pahlawan's Physics hole. Enough.



Roofless ruin.



If you caged me, I'd strain my wings to fly away.



Someone's memorial.



Lullabies to the dead.
Actually, it was a melodious version of Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours'.
Oh how I dislike him. Gay voice.



Glimpse of nature.



Forget stepping stones, sitting stones are in!



Optimism.



Oppurtunity.
*And then I wondered who that white dude was.*



Hmm, it's a partially vandalised pope-looking statue.
(Or was it made this way?)



Earthy stone steps.



A touch sombre.



What a colourful sight!



Far off : Taming Sari and the Eye must be rivals.



Feels like I've been walking with a bunch of M&M's.



We left St. Paul's Hill and continued our wanderings...




Darken light.



Word.



Clock tower.



We honestly, really, didn't see the "No Photos Allowed" sign!



Fritz naik bengang edi :
*What!? No pictures allowed?!*



Not far away was the golden fountain, gracing Christ Church's entrance.



A landmark for tourists.



And happy couples.



It was queer, knowing they were melting five times quicker than we were, under all those layers of rich fabric.



G-o-l-d-e-n.