Boxing Day 2009

Here is my wish list...

Batman Arkham Asylum
Best Buy - $39.99

Router
D-Link Wireless N 150 Router (DIR-601) @ Best Buy/Futureshop - $29.99
Belkin N150 Enhanced Wireless N Router (F5D8236-4) @ Best Buy - $29.99
Belkin Wireless N Router [300 Mbps] (F5D8236tt4) @ Futureshop - $34.99

HDMI Cable
1.8m (6') @ Superstore - $6.99

SLR Camera
Nikon D3000 SLR w/ 18-55mm lens and 55-200mm lens both non-VR and Bag @ London Drugs - $549.98
Nikon D3000 SLR w/ 18-55mm lens non-VR @ Best Buy - $449.99
Nikon 55-200mm lens non-VR @ Best Buy - $119.99
Nikon D3000 SLR w/ 18-55mm lens non-VR @ Futureshop - $449.99

Drill
Jobmate 18 V cordless Ni-Cad @ Canadian Tire - $34.99

Hopefully the snowfall amounts are reasonable...I plan on heading out to BB/FS first to pick up the game and router, both stores open at 6 AM. Then I'll head to Superstore on Grant which opens at 7 to get the HDMI cable. Next I'll head down to London Drugs at St. Vital which opens at 9 AM to pick up the SLR camera.

Beyond the Realm of Conscience - 宮心計

With school and everything, it has been a while since I've written a review but here goes...

The Cast - 5/5

Tavia Yeung as Yiu Kam-ling (姚金鈴)
Chamaine Sheh as Lau Sam-ho (劉三好)
Moses Chan as Lee Yi (李怡)
Kevin Cheng as Ko Hin-yeung (高顯揚)
Susanna Kwan as Yuen Chui-wan (阮翠雲)
Michelle Yim as Chung Suet-ha (鍾雪霞)

This series featured a very strong cast and I enjoy them all (they're on my list). There isn't anything in particular that stood out as bad, so I'm giving it the full five. Everyone's acting skills have been recognized at the annual TVB awards. After Tavia's outbreaking performing in Moonlight Resonance, she handled her villainous role very well. Moses had some of the LONGEST lines that were quite difficult for me at times to comprehend, I just got the just of it. Kevin and Charmaine played the honest diligent romantic couple and were really likable. Susanna and Michelle were good childhood friends analogous to Charmaine and Tavia.

The Characters - 4.25/5

The series featured multiple levels of goodness and evilness on a spectrum. Of course the selfless and honest Charmaine and Kevin were at the far too good end of the spectrum, they came back after being free! Kind of too good to be true but it balances the evilness of Tavia and the Eunuch. Moses was a good responsible king who was constricted by the people around him. I think Selena, Susanna and Michelle fall around the center of the spectrum. They aren't truly evil because they still have sincerity in their hearts (and they became better people eventually). However, they aren't afraid to say what they think is right and put everything on their faces, making them easy targets for (evil) people to use.

The Story - 4/5

Despite the negative evilness of Tavia and the Eunuch, it is only speaking the truth of history. The entire series revolved around the good versus the evil. I felt good to see the plans of the good foil the bad. Though I'm usually not a huge fan of the scheming evil plots because of all the deaths, this time, I think it fits within the context (architectural term) of the ancient world. I tend to shy away from ancient series because of the old ways and their thinkings are usually inapplicable to modern society, but the addition of some modern elements, in particular the good guys, into the story that makes it fits into the context of the 21st century.

The story has been criticized for its lack of originality and I do agree that the resembles too much of the Korean series Jewel in the Palace (Da Cheung Kum). I didn't watch very much of that Korean series because it felt like it had a super slow pace, so the resemblance doesn't bug me as much. In BTOC, the pace was very well maintained. I'm glad that it wasn't stretched to an even 40 episodes.

The Ending - 4.75/5 - WARNING SPOILERS

The story began with a foreshadow like Heart of Greed with scenes from the last two episodes. We learn that both Charmaine and Tavia become concubines of Moses and that Tavia has sided with the evil Eunuch/General who has the ambition to overthrow Moses. Unlike the HOG, this foreshadow misleads us in many ways and often threw my predictions out the window

Because of this foreshadow, throughout the entire series I was skeptical about Kevin and Charmaine's relationship. Initially, I didn't even see them as a couple with the childhood memories of Charmaine and Moses. When Kevin was introduced, I didn't know where he would fit into the 'bigger' picture. Soon it was obvious that he liked Charmaine but I thought Charmaine loved Moses more because of their childhood. Of course Kevin and Charmaine's love was not 'legal' and I thought Moses was going to ask to marry Charmaine when he asked his mother if she would accept a maid as a daughter in law, instead, Charmaine convinced him to marry Tavia. When both guys realized they were both in love with Charmaine, I thought Moses was going to use his "king" powers to wed Charmaine with the cost of their brotherhood, but Moses realized that Charmaine loved Kevin more and promised to grant them departure from the kingdom as soon as the evil was exterminated. All was going well until a prince from a neighboring country visits and falls upon Charmaine. I thought Selena's suggestion to Moses to marry Charmaine to keep her in China was going to follow through, instead, Moses helped Kevin and Charmaine escape (at this time both fathers of the two were poisoned to death and they were technicaly married). Surprisingly, they successfully escaped but they voluntarily returned showing their loyalty and selflessness. After jumping off a cliff during mission, all hope seemed to be lost, and Kevin appeared to have died but Charmaine was pregnant. After being discovered pregnant, the only way to save her was to marry Moses. I'd never guessed that was the reason why she became a concubine and Moses' willingness to accept a child that he did not bear was unheard of in history and shows his respect to his fallen friend. That is absolutely on of the best triangle relationship story ever told on screen.

Of course like most TVB endings, the good wins! Charmaine takes the king's seal and rules the kingdom. Moses was assisted and put on an act to fake his death which gave him time to organize his military troops and attack the Eunuch. Surprisingly, the Eunuch was killed by Tavia which would be highly improbable because he is a skilled martial artist. It just allowed us to see her go crazy in the end, thinking she is "Lau Sam-Ho" that is all, lol. The ending of Charmaine was the peak of the ending in terms of viewership. She was finally granted her wish by Moses to return to her hometown which is where she and Kevin once vowed to raise their family. She made and sold jewelry for a living at a local store and raised her daughter until she was about 5 or 6 until one afternoon she bumped into 'him' again...At first he didn't recognize her, I thought it may have been another hallucination. Then she started reciting some lines to trigger his memory, and he smiled back. THE END. Like my dad said, couldn't it end end with them hugging or holding hands? The ending of New Breath of Love was strong because of their final embrace!

Overall - 4.5/5

新不了情 - Endless Love

It's ending this Saturday...my review will follow shortly...in the mean time here is someone else's :)

Review written by Fiona @ www.shirley-yeung.com

Chinese Title
新不了情 (Sun But Liu Ching)

English Title
Endless Love/C'est La Vie, Mon Chéri

Cast
Fiona Sit
Chen Kun
Candice Yu
Alex Fong
Benz Hui
Amy Lu
Elena Kong
Ken Wong
Zhao Rong
Xiao Yi Chen
Kao Da Wei

Comments

電影版《新不了情》已成經典
但是我說, 電視劇版《新不了情》也已成經典

No series has ever, and I mean ever made me cry that much. Director Yee did an absolutely brilliant job! Perfect cast. Perfect storyline. Perfect series.

I believe this series "captured" the Hong Kong feel very nicely. The place where Fiona lives and where Aloys moved into - that "old building" is very realistic. Seeing that the movie version and the series version is directed by the same person, the series version has that movie feel to it as well. The emotions of this series aren't really stated but are immediately felt by the viewers. I think this is the reason why people who watch it, love this series so much. I really think that if the viewer actually feels that emotion from inside, rather than being told what to feel, the audience will be more involved in the series. It's like they were put into the shoes of the actors/actresses and they also "feel" the problems they encounter.

I'm amazed at how much Fiona has improved so much! It's all so natural - the crying skills, the happy-go-lucky personality and just her view on life. She "remembers all the happy times but laughs away the sad times". You will hear the quote: "珍惜眼前人" [treasure the people infront of your eyes] a lot in TVB series, but no one manages to really "live up" to that until something bad happens. Before she the cancer had come back, Fiona knew that she was fully healed but still continues to live life to the fullest. I just really admire the how she views everything on life and what is infront of her eyes.

Fiona and Candice's relationship is very believeable as well. You can tell how much Fiona and Candice love each other. They are both each other "treasures". The two have gone through alot in their lives (especially Candice: she sacrificed her career, the fame and fortune, for her daughter). I also really liked the acting of the little girl who played Fiona's younger version. Such a young girl - who can act so well! The real emotions in her eyes are unbelievable!

Looking back to the past -> When Fiona was diagnosed with leukemia at the very young age of 5, her stepmum, Xiao Yi Chen had no choice but to give Fiona back to her birth mother, which was Candice. When Xiao Yi left, Candice looked after her own daughter although Fiona only saw her as an auntie. Candice bought presents and wrote letters claiming that they were from Xiao Yi. Then one day, Fiona overhead Candice and Benz saying that Xiao Yi had left and that Candice was her real mum. My favourite scene of the little girl was when she suddenly said to Candice: "You're my mum! Everyone left me but you stayed." So emotional.

Aloys Chen Kun. I love him!! I also love his role as Cheung Siu Kit. It's Fiona and Aloy's first time working together and their chemistry is amazing! The moment when he read Fiona's "goodbye" letter, the pain he felt inside him and the tears rolling down his eyes was WOW. I'm also fasinated at how Ah Kit manages to change, not for Ah Mun, but he changed just by being with her. The couple has been influenced by each other and they didn't even know it unless someone asked or said. A sign of true love. I would've liked to see what was Aloy's reaction to Fiona's death in the end, but seeing that it wasn't shown, it wasn't really neccessary.

Just so you know, this is series had just finished airing on HD channel. I'm upset that TVB didn't give it the chance to air on the Jade channel although they "bought the rights to air it". Like I heard, not everyone in HK has the HD channel so not many of them get to watch the series. It truly beats many of the series TVB has recently aired! I was watching A Journey Called Life at the same time as this series - I started Journey earlier but I finished them both at the same time! Journey has 20 episodes and Endless has 29 episodes!

Here are some comments made in the Endless Love/C'est La Vie, Mon ChériAsianfanatics. I truly agree with them!

Quotes by themissingpeice:

"Seriously all the actors are fantastic in their roles. And the best part is that the script fleshes out all the characters and gives all the characters a chance to show their acting."

"It is adapted and expanded from the award winning movie by the original director, Derek Yee and writers, Fong Ping and Jessica Fong. Derek Yee is a Best Director winner. Which is why there is really a big "movie" feel to the series and doesn't give off the usual series feel. A lot of is not said but left up to the viewer to feel the emotions. That's always been the main difference between movie and series. Everything is explicitly stated in series. But here, everything doesn't need to said...because the audience gets it and it makes those emotions felt even more. I really do feel all the emotions that the characters have with them."

"I want to add another thing, how about the attention to detail and characters? Derek Yee & the writers manage to write for each character (not just the main characters). We see the development of every character even supporting ones (Fun Yee, Ada). Derek Yee manages to even include minor details and make them relevant, i.e. who knew that the student of Ah Kit (the middle aged woman) who was learning to play the piano for her daughter would pop up again in the hospital and have a daughter in a coma."

Quotes by crazydude:

"I have to say that this is the best series I have seen from TVB for a very very long time. From the subtleness of the actors' expressions to the amazing cinematography - the entire series is a refreshing change from the humdrum pace and predictablity that TVB churns out on a regular basis these days."

"Can't say enough about his directing - he sure knows how to amplify an emotion and mood and employ symbolism in the most artful and tactful manner. Just like in episode 23, he permits the audience to embody Ah Kit's emotions for 15 seconds by focusing the camera on Ah Geet slightly moving (with hestitation at first) Fiona's toothbrush. For just those few seconds you could feel the full gamat of emptions Ah Geet was experiencing (surprise, hestitation, hapiness, elation, then realization). Wow!!!"

"I will always remember this story, the characters, the fleeting glances and deliberate moments that made it truly a one-of-a-kind, most endearing and heart felt series I've seen in a very long time!!!! Once again, bravo to the superlative performances by the actors, the personal and moving story telling and above all thank you Derek Yee for sharing with us a story that will live in the hearts of many for a very very long time."

Is this series worth watching? This is series is highly recommended. Watch it even if you're not that interested in the cast - and after watching a few episodes, I'll guarantee that you'll love it Haha if anyone noticed the "rating", it's eleven out of ten - it was seriously that good!

Awards
Just for this series, I'll be changing the "award titles".

Best Actor: Chen Kun
Love his role, love his acting. He really suits the role as Ah Kit. He played the role as stubborn and persistent personality of his as a musician but changes to a kind-hearted caring guy extremely well. He truly deserves the award!

Best Actress: Fiona Sit
What can I say? Amazing effort by Fiona!

Most Improved Actor: --

Most Improved Actress: Fiona Sit
Her previous acting wasn't as "real" as she was in this series. Not only is her chemistry great with Candice and Aloys - she is in good terms with everyone in Temple Street!

Best Couple: Chen Kun & Fiona Sit

Best Supporting Actress: Candace Yu
As a mum, she is brilliant. As an actress, she is also brilliant.

Best Supporting Actor: Benz Hui
So funny! Benz has always been a great actor but never acknowlegded for it. His scenes with Ling Jie are a classic.

'Role(s) I Disliked At First But Gradually Liked': Zhao Rong as Tracy Pang & Elena Kong as Ada Ma
Tracy was a selfish controlling singer who not only wanted everything but wanted everything to go her way. It wasn't until she met Fiona and with Aloys leaving her, did she learn to let go. Ada, seemed very bossy and unreasonable at first but as the series progresses, you see that she is very kind-hearted and doesn't want everyone to "die".

Favourite Scene(s) [in a broad sense]: All Chen Kun & Fiona scenes, where Fiona was wearing the wedding ring under her covers, when younger Fiona realised that Candice was her real mother, whole of episode 29 & many more!

Rating: 10/10 forum of

Las Vegas Itinerary

Las Vegas 2009 - Concert

VENUE - MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
DATE - Saturday October 24, 2009
PURPOSE - Charity
PERFORMERS
Leo Ku
Linda Chung
Bosco Wong
Gillian Chung
Joey Yung

Las Vegas 2009

10 Days Till Vegas!

The countdown is on, only ten days until Vegas. Leaving on Wednesday evening (October 21, 2009) and returning on the 27th (Tuesday). We're staying at the Flamingo on the Strip. It'll be nice to experience summer again especially after the snow storm that we got in Winnipeg on Friday. Here is my list of what I want to do...

• Hoover Dam
• Cirque de Soleil show
• Magic Show
• Chinatown Plaza
• Outlet Malls
• Fashion Show Mall / Cesar's Palace mall
• more to come...

Enrique Iglesias - Greatest Hits (2008)

After hearing Hero on the on Clear FM, I youtubed many of his other MVs and I liked many of songs so I decided I would like to support this artist. I find his music easy to listen to, light rock/pop, and I like the content. This was the first album I bought off iTunes. For $9.99 (no tax), it was the best price on the market and from the comfort of my own computer. Here are my favourites from his album.

***** Hero
***** Takin' Back My Love (Duet with Ciara)
***** Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)
***** Love to See You Cry
***** Somebody's Me
***** Maybe ***Relates to New Moon***
**** Bailamos (Wild Wild West Soundtrack Version)
**** Tired of Being Sorry
**** Be With You
**** Rhythm Divine

September Playlist...Songs from 102.3 Clear FM and MORE

Twilight OST
***** Leave Out All the Rest - Linkin Park
*** Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine
*** Full Moon - The Black Ghosts

102.3 Clear FM (The Office Radio Station) and Spin-offs
***** Hero - Enrique Iglesias
***** What About Now - Daughtry
***** The Reason - Hoobastank
***** Apologize - Timbaland & One Republic
**** Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
**** Kissing Rain - Roch Voisine
**** I'll Always Be There - Roch Voisine
**** Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx
**** I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
**** If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback
*** Come On get Higher - Matt Nathanson
*** Out of Control - Hoobastank
*** No Surprise - Daugthry
*** I'm With You - Avril Lavigne
*** My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne
*** When You're Gone - Avril Lavigne
*** I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor ***Relates to New Moon***
*** Home - Daughtry
** The Climb - Miley Cyrus
** Hot N' Cold - Katy Perry
** You're Beautiful - James Blunt
** You Got It - Roy Orbison
** Over you - Daughtry
** Her Diamonds - Rob Thomas
** Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

Plasma Television

LG 50" Plasma HDTV** (50PQ12) @ Futureshop $1099.99 (sold to us for $999.99)We bought a new plasma TV on Sunday. This model was on sale last week for $999.99 but my dad got them to honour the sale price even though it was selling for $1099.99 this week. The TV this plasma replaces is an old 52" rear projection by Sony that was bought 8 years ago back in 2001 so even though it is only 720p, the display is much better than what we are used to. The colour and contrast of the old Sony was wearing out. We don't have HD programming but DVDs play very well on this LG model. The shift from 4:3 to 16:9 did take some time getting used to, it fattened everyone. If all new TV's on the market are 16:9, why do they still broadcast in 4:3?

LG 50" PQ30 Series Plasma HDTV: 50PQ30 @ Visions $985.00
On Monday, I went onto RedFlagDeals.com, and found out that Visions was selling this model for $985.00. I did a comparison between the model we bought and this one at Visions. The one @ Visions is a higher end model as it has PC inputs, USB inputs, and one HDMI input on the side. The model we bought, has nothing, just two HDMI inputs and everything is behind. Two is cutting it kind of close, it is like the bare minimum. The display is essentially the same, 720p at 600Hz.

LG 50" Plasma HDTV** with XD Engine (50PQ60) @ Future Shop Exclusive $1149.99 (Sold to us for $985.00)
The model on sale at Visions is not sold at Futureshop, they only have this exclusive model. Because we had already bought our first TV from them, we went back and told them about the situation, just to give them a second chance. "Visions has this model, the PQ30 for $985, we bought the PQ12 for $999, which is a lower end model. I know you don't carry the PQ30 and only carry the PQ60, what can you do for us?" They sold us the highest end 720p model for $985.00 which has 4 HDMI ports in total and the single glass pane design. In early August, FS did sell the PQ60 for $999 but never at $985. The sales associates were very friendly and thanked us for coming back first. We felt it was only polite to do so. We still have to return our first TV to them tomorrow, but we're enjoying the new addition to our living room.

I'm really interested in getting a PS3. They've recently released a newer slimmer model at a slimmer price of $299, which puts it on par with the Wii and Xbox. However, what you also get is a Blu-Ray player which still sell for at least $250, a 120 GB hard drive for videos, photos and music, and internet on the TV. Since school is just around the corner, I'll have no time to enjoy it, but it would be worth looking into as a Christmas present, hopefully prices would go done even further or include a game or two.

Love Exchange

The Cast/Characters - 4/5

Michael Miu as Yiu Lap Tin 饒立天 (Mike)
Anita Yuen as Sit Tze Yiu 薛子瑤 (Zita)
Crystal Tin as Ching Ngo Yee 程傲兒 (Jackie)
Power Chan as Tsui Yuet Yu 徐若愚 (Anson)
Tracy Yip as Tung Sze Ting 董詩婷 (Sophie)
Mandy Cho as Yu Siu Long 佘小龍 (Nikita)
Wilson Tsui as Kam Sum 金森

Even though the members of the cast are not high profile and I am not too familiar with them, I think they were well chosen. The chemistry between Mike and Zita built quickly and though it wasn't romantic or anything, it was quite funny to see them. The comedy between all the characters helped to relieve the seriousness and the intensity of the subject. Perhaps the acting skills of the newer actors/actresses could have been better.

The Story - 4/5

The theme of this series is 'love affairs' and this theme affects much of the story, even the small side ones. I usually don't like it when affairs happen in series, but this series adds an interesting twist to it. The story was fairly confusing at first, I think I had to re-watch the first episode to be sure of what was going on. The audience is immediately thrown into this mysterious death of Dick and Bonnie which appears to be suicide. Clues lead Mike and Zita closer and closer to the truth. Some clues lead to false conclusions and when we as the audience and the characters begin to accept that as the truth, another piece of evidence comes up and pushes everything back to square one. The series was really a game and it kept me guessing what the truth is. Of course this type of story is extremely hypothetical, but it was none the less entertaining.

The Ending - 4/5

I see this series on very close terms with The Brink of Law where the mystery isn't revealed until the very end and I mean the very end. Near the end of the series, when it was determined that Dick and Bonnie were definitely murdered, I had guessed it was Jackie because I had guessed that she had an affair with Dick (and from their dialogue, Anson wasn't aware of it) and when Dick tried to leave her, she killed him so that nobody could have him if she couldn't. I didn't think it was Anson because I thought he was all about the money and power and wouldn't risk himself when he would eventually get the big corporation anyways. Then the evidence of 'black money' was found on the SD card and Anson became the most suspicious. It was obvious that Jackie was injured by Anson when the news broke out. Anson was the first to admit that he was the one who murdered Dick and Bonnie, kind of like Michelle Yim in Brink of Law. At first I wasn't sure if Anson died, but I guess he did cut his own throat and committed suicide. When we thought the mystery was completely solved, we then find out that it was Jackie who committed the final act. She failed to save them and shut the car door on them and let suffocate. She was arrested but like Mike, I really don't know what to feel about it. She went through a lot and she knows what she did was very wrong, but she should still receive penalty and lose her best friend Zita. As for Mike and Zita's relationship, they were right, no one is able to differentiate whether it is a love relationship or a companion. Giving each other some time, 2 years in Vietnam, was a good idea so that they could have time to forget about Dick and Bonnie. I just wished that they could spare a couple of minutes and do a '2 years later scene'.

Overall - 4/5

Mac PhotoBooth

Images taken with PhotoBooth effects...(from top to bottom) Pop Art, Coloured Pencil, Comic, and Glow.

The Four

Well, summer is quickly coming to an end and I still didn't have the time to watch the Four, so I decided to convert it into an audiobook and play it on my iPod during work. I finished listening to the series in about 2.5 days and it is time to rate it.

The Cast/Characters - 4/5

The Constables ---- Raymond Lam, Kenneth Ma, Ron Ng, Sammul Chan
Other notable cast members ----- Selena Li, Kate Tsui, Dominic Lam

Of course I knew which actors played the four constables but I was surprised that I was able to make out even the voices of the supporting and small roles as well. The only two voices I didn't recognize was Kenneth's Sister and the daughter of the 'evil' martial artist who was killed by his own son. I can't comment too much on the acting, as almost everything was based on just vocals.

Each constable had his own unique character and I thought they pretty well played/casted and complemented each other way. The four made up for each others short comings. They went from being strangers to buddies, although the focus of the transition was written into Raymond's Character. That didn't bother me too much because I'm a fan of him. After Raymond, I would say Kenneth's character was the next biggest, in terms of character development. Sammul and Ron's roles were somewhat boring in comparison. I adored Selena's character and Kate had played a bitter-sweet character. It was definitely better than her character in Moonlight Resonance. I don't hate her but compared to Selena, I prefer Selena. I watched some parts in video format and the ladies outfits were good looking and made even Kate (who hasn't always been the prettiest Miss HK) beautiful. As a side note, there were no TRIANGLE relationships in this series!

The Story - 3.75/5

The series is an ancient series which I'm not that big of a fan of, however, this series was better written than I expected. The pace was just right, though the story did sort of see-saw back and forth near the end. The tone was neither too serious to the point of boredom and it wasn't too goofy or superstitious. The comedy came out of the character and not out of the dialogue. It was nothing too outstanding but it kept me entertained at work. On the other hand, there were really no surprises. I wasn't shocked when Kate was the spy, it was leaked and I knew it was coming. The storyline was fairly predictable.

The Ending - 2.5/5

First of all, the fight scene was fairly short lived and ended without too much excitement. It also lacked the grandeur of say War and Beauty. The antagonist was dead not even half way into the last episode. The remaining time was spent tying in the loose ends of the relationships which could've been a good thing. It would've just meant that they wanted to emphasize romance over slaughtering. However, I was very displeased with the way everything ended, NO BODY ended up with the one they loved. Selena finally regained her vision but decided to return to head the martial arts academy rather than marrying Kenneth. Kenneth's sister left to go somewhere to learn a craft or something and left Sammul who never liked to marry and be bound but I think he was just 'saying that'. Ron's admirer became a nun when it was clear that Ron had developed feelings for her but was reluctant to say something to stop her. Raymond finally found Kate, and she was still alive but just let her leave him without anything else. If they wanted to emphasize the importance of relationships and romance, I think the constables should have given up their jobs and live as ordinary citizens for the rest of their lives with their loved ones. The very last scene implies that the four constables die in the fight against the Mongols in attempt to protect Southern Sung. This ending makes the series feel like it was all for nothing, nobody gets a happily ever after and the constables die, the only thing they did right somewhat was to stay true to history...

Overall - 3.4/5

Under the Canopy of Love

I finished Under the Canopy of Love today at work, 10 episodes a day. When I watched it a couple of years ago, I didn't rate series as carefully as I do now. I have somewhat of a rubric, Cast (includes acting), Characters, Story, and Ending, to say the least. Sometimes there will be additional areas that are specific to the series.

Cast/Characters - 4/5

Kevin Cheng --- Alan

Niki Chow ------ Si

Bosco Wong ---- Nick

The cast is very very similar to The Seventh Day. Kevin, Niki, Bosco, and even Natalie are on my preferred list of actors and actresses. Much like the Seventh Day, Bosco and Kevin have opposite characteristics and their roles are somewhat reversed. Initially, Kevin (like Bosco initially in the Seventh Day) valued fortune and power as important as Si. He believed in connections and wanted to become wealthy. Bosco is an ambition-less, loyal friend and lover who is happy with whatever he has. Niki in UTCOL is pretty close to The Seventh Day. She is innocent and unlike her older sister doesn't value wealth when choosing her boyfriend. After seeing the perfect chemistry between Kevin and Niki in the Seventh Day, the chemistry here is still strong but inferior to the Seventh Day. The way the actors/actresses behave around one another is stiffer and more restricted.

Story - 4/5

The story is romantic but rather simple and lacks an on going development between the characters. The story is less focused than the Seventh Day because there is a quartet relationship between Karen, Alan, Nick, and Si. In addition, there are the relationships of Si's sisters with Martin and that rich photographer. It really depends what you are after, UTCOL provides a variety of love stories while The Seventh Day explores two extreme relationships in depth from beginning, middle to end. We are able to see the changes that occur within for each other in the Seventh Day. I prefer depth a little more, but that is just a personal preference. Having said that, New Breath of Love was more successful than UTCOL, satisfying both worlds because the story includes four relationships but still emphasizes Tsui Hoi (Raymond) and Jing Wei (Tammy)'s relationship.

Ending - 4/5

The ending was a happy one, and like New Breath of Love, it was suspenseful up until the last minute. When it ended, it left me wanting more, a feeling that isn't always good because it feels like the story hasn't ended yet though the movie has, or the movie has ended in a rush. The ending of the Seventh Day was predictable and inevitable but still the script writers threw in a couple nice finishing touches and brought the story to a COMPLETE end. Another pet-peeve that I have is Si's decision to accept Nick's adoration even though she knew that she did not love him. Sure at first she thought that Alan chose Karen and she felt sorry for rejecting him but after realizing that she did not have that same feeling as she did with Alan, she should have told him that it be best they remain as friends. Si was really using Nick to try to forget Alan, as a lifeboat. Over time, Nick's affection towards Si increased until he could not live without her which led to the events leading up to the ending.

Overall - 4/5

The Seventh Day VS Under the Canopy of Love

I got tired of listening to music at work so I've been listening to series' recently on my iPod. Of course, they were meant to be viewed and not solely listened to, but because I have seen the series before, I can picture exactly what is happening. Last week, I've listened from start to end, New Breath of Love and The Seventh Day. This week I'm starting Under the Canopy of Love. It's been a couple of years since I saw it. It was produced in 2006 (my friend was watching it in Chinese School in Grade 12) but I probably saw it on TV in spring 2007. I remember the storyline but I don't remember many of the details. As I'm listening to Under the Canopy of Love, I've noticed interesting things between it and The Seventh Day.

• UTCOL is narrated by Kevin while 7th Day is narrated by Niki - both tell the story from their point of view and their views of life.
  
• Kevin loses his PDA in UTCOL and Jack takes his cell phone in 7th Day. Niki finds Kevin's lost possession in both series and returns it to him.
• Niki initially avoids Kevin in both series. In UTCOL, the tarot card tells Niki that she will put Kevin in danger. In 7th Day, Niki mistakes Kevin as a gang member/pimp.

Kevin and Niki date earlier and earlier in the series. In their first collaboration, Hard Fate, I remember Kevin falling for Flora Chan :S initially and dates Niki in the latter part of the series. In UTCOL, Kevin and Niki begin when Vivian finally let's go of Kevin after being rejected by him. In episode 8, they begin by chatting on the phone and by playing the violin in the park. In episode 9, he asks her out. Finally, in the 7th Day, there is no guessing, virtually no time is wasted and they immediately fall deeply in love for one another by episode 5. The reason why I like The Seventh Day the best is because a lot of time was devoted to Kevin and Niki specifically after they fall for each other. At first everyone saw them as people from two different worlds encountering many problems but it was love that brought them stronger together. They trusted each other, changed for one another and overcame obstacles. This never happened in UTCOL, which was a VERY TYPICAL TVB triangle relationship.

In some ways I can see The 7th Day as a prequel to UTCOL. I can see Hai Yu in UTCOL as Kevin in 7th Day because they are single fathers. Niki in UTCOL plays the baby daughter of herself in 7th Day. Plus, Niki in 7th Day hoped that her daughter would find someone as good as her dad as her boyfriend/husband. Then in UTCOL, Ha Yu made the comment of how much Niki acted like her mother when she was playing the violin. Of course NOT all the details work out, especially the siblings, but the two series are related nonetheless.

Passport and Credit Card Came

Today's mail was all for me! I got an Xpresspost envelope and I couldn't even think of what it could possibly be, well 'passport' certainly didn't come to mind. It arrived earlier than I expected. It could have taken up to 10 business days, which would be this Thursday but it arrived 3 days early! Also my Sears Mastercard arrived. I applied last weekend in order to save $10 off our purchase. I don't know what the credit limit is but it'll say on the statement when it comes.

61 x 57

This is the book 61 x 57 by Wang Wen Hua 王文華 that New Breath of Love 愛情新呼吸 (AKA Love Multiplication) was based on. Too bad it is only available in simplified Chinese or else it would be cool to compare the book to the series remake. It is selling on Amazon.cn (China's Amazon Store) for only ¥17.20 which works out to be $2.72 CDN. That is super cheap, but I wonder how much is shipping and handling to get it across the Pacific Ocean? Even translated American novels such as the Twilight Series is extremely cheap, the books sell for less than $5 CDN.

Burning Flame 3 - Post-Ending Thoughts

The Cast and Characters - 4/5
Kevin Cheng --- Rex
Wong Hei ------ Sing
Bosco Wong ---- Encore
Myolie Wu ------ Ying
Aimee Chan ---- Easy

Well there are five main characters and so each character/cast is worth 1 point. I really have no complaints on the characters Rex and Ying. I thought they were well written and played well...so 1/1 for each! Easy and Encore's pairing was really interesting and entertaining until they got married and I found their arguments revolving the baby a bit draggy. It was just a pacing problem...it just seemed like the script writer just ran out of ideas and their story would have better fit a 25 episode series. Therefore, I give them each 0.75/1. Finally, Sing's character is the character that I'm on the fence about. Generally he is a loyal, faithful, strong and positive one because of his persistence, but his persistence also brings harm upon himself and others around him and it got annoying after a while, so I'm going leave it at 0.5/1....1+1+0.75+0.75+0.5=4

The Story - 3.75/5
I don't really remember the story or characters of part one (1998) at all besides the presence of Wong Hei because he's in all three. After doing research, Esther Kwan and Louis Koo were also in it. I remember a bit more in the second one (2002), I remember Wong Hei, Maggie Cheung and Kevin Cheng. Though it was Kevin's debut/comeback series and he had a very small role, he was sort of the villain and the older brother of Wong Hei. Wong Hei's girlfriend was Maggie and he also had a daughter. I remember that in the end, Wong Hei dies in the fire and Maggie takes care of his daughter for him...

I don't remember very much about the other two installments so I'm not going to compare BF3 to them. I'm glad they kept the series at this length of 32 episodes, it was long enough to cover the prologue, build up, climax, and follow through. It is the shortest of the Burning Flame series (though none really relate), the others were 43(I) and 35(II) episodes, but it was a bit draggy at times. A lot of the screen time was spent on the complex (triangle) relationships between the characters giving it a proper development and follow through. However, I wished they could have emphasized something else in addition to just the love/romance, I would have liked it more if they kept the romance part simpler and gave the screen time to the fire fighting. I don't mind strictly romance series if there's a lot of chemistry, but I don't think anything can top Kevin/Niki and that is what made The Seventh Day work for me.

The Ending - 4.5/5
Well it turned out to be another classic TVB ending! I'm really glad they got the messed up relationships figured out earlier on in the 31st episode because I was pretty annoyed by the 30th episode at how things developed. It was nice to see Sing finally see through and repair relationships. I was quite surprised that Rex, Ying and Sing found each other so easily at the airport. The fact that Rex left his phone at home sort of foreshadowed that he wasn't going to be able to catch up with Ying. I thought she was going to fly away to China and maybe come back after or during the final blaze. Usually, there is at least a chase inside the airport, but I'm glad they quickly jumped to the main course without the appetizer(s).

Easy and Encore were able to get back together with the help of Sing. He staged an event to allow Encore to see inside Easy's heart. He used 8 restrictions to remind Easy of what Encore has given her, in particular, family. Aside from resolving the misunderstanding, Sing made them both realize their own wrongs. Being able to find 'Ka-poon' (the dog that Easy caused Encore to lose) again was sweet and nicely finished their story. The other pair, Mun (Rex's sister) and Lam (Ying's brother) was entertaining and funny too. I've noticed that they've collaborated several time already, either as couples or siblings in A Journey Called Life and Speech of Silence, the pair does have some chemistry.

There were a lot of false foreshadows in the last two episodes. First Rex's phone, but then after everything seemed to be settled, Sing's actions (will, bank account, getting up a night, and buying a home for his father) and things he said (a firefighter should die in a fire) sort of implied that he was still suicidal. This gave me second thoughts about him, but I'm glad he wasn't and it was just a misunderstanding. I really thought Sing was going to drown or die in the blaze just like in BF2, but I was so happy and emotionally touched when he regained his conscience, I was right there with the rest of them during that scene. I'm so glad that he finally accepted June after seeing flashbacks of her before becoming unconscious, which officially made it clear that he has moved on.

Overall - 4.1/5

Burning Flames 3 - Pre-Ending Thoughts

Okay so after watching BF3 for more than a month...everything has been okay...I find Encore (Bosco Wong) and Easy (Aimee Chan) kind of enjoyable and funny to watch. Easy is not your average girl, she's an orphan and grew up alone so she is tough and violent. Encore grew up in a sheltered and protected environment so it took him some time to find his lifelong goal. I liked Dexter the dog, too bad he's seemed to have disappeared. A lot of time was spent on character development in this series, and I appreciate that because it shows the why and how a person came to be. The problem between Ah Sing (Wong He) and Ah Ying (Myolie Wu) was evident from the beginning and I liked how Rex (Kevin Cheng) and Ying got together after Sing fell into a coma. Their 'love song' was just a bit too heavily promoted in this series, lol. I appreciate Rex's 'ye hay' to cover up for Sing's mistake and how he stood up for his sister against Pang Sir. Everything was going really well UNTIL...Sing woke up...

I did want him to wake up of course, I didn't want him to just die. However, before the accident, I thought he had already 'accepted' the fact that Ying had left him...I understand the amnesia part of his recovery but the car chase which lead to the amputation of his right leg was a little over board. YET, EVEN AFTER that he still HAS NOT given up on the girl. I know that he's supposed to be the persistent and stubborn one, but sorry it is getting to point where I find his character down right ANNOYING! Willing to try to change himself initially for Ying before they officially broke was what anyone would do, but trying to take your own life because of this girl who doesn't like you anymore is kind of mental and retarded. Give up Ying and go for June already and quit being such a baby sore loser! (I wasn't this pissed at Sing until I started writing this)...At this point, he has caused Rex and Ying to break up and cancel their marriage but he thinks it is Rex's fault and his irresponsibility. I think that Rex and Ying are 'over-reacting' to the situation. Ying is over-reacting to Sing's depression by post-poning their marriage and Rex is over-reacting to her request by breaking up with her....I don't see the point...

Back to Encore and Easy, their baby-sitting situation has gone too far...perhaps their story should have ended a few episodes ago. It been a few episodes and their problem has still not yet been resolved...it is getting annoying. Encore's 'big-man' character really came out of nowhere and has me scratching my head. I think he should show more understanding towards Easy's determination in becoming a CID because he was once asked to quit being a firefighter by his own mother but he persisted. At this point, they've both signed the separation agreement...

I know that tomorrow is the 2 hour finale and all, but TVB is setting themselves up for the finale while wiping out what it had built over the first 29 episodes. It better be good because what is happening now is ruining the series in my opinion...

Burning Flames 3

Well I'm watching episode 25 and now I'm finally caught up with the series airing in Hong Kong. The series is picking up and will end next Saturday with a 2 episode finale. I've noticed some similarities between the casting of BF3 and the Seventh Day. It could be because both series were produced by the same producer, Amy Wong. She also produced the first two Burning Flame series. Since BF2 was Kevin's first series, she clearly 'discovered' him and gave him his first major role in Hard Fate. With the exception of My Family 甜孫爺爺, all her series produced after Hard Fate included Kevin. Aside from casting Kevin and Bosco, others such as Elaine Yiu (Niki's cousin in 7th Day is now Kevin's sister in BF3), Bosco's 2 buddies in 7th day are firemen, and Kevin's buddy in the 7th Day is another fireman.

Passport Application Submitted

I finally got around to submitting the damn forms this afternoon after work! It was not as bad as I thought it would be. There was virtually no line-up, parking was fairly easy (for my mom). I've re-directed many to 433 Main Street, the Civic credit union building, but this time I was going there. I saw the same Public Works calendar I have and I probably would've said something IF I was still @ CBSA. I should get it in 10 business days (hopefully).

New Car

After spending the weekend looking at some new Honda Civics over the weekend we sat down with a sales associate yesterday for the entire evening. We went for a few test drives, an auto and a manual. I test drove the exact car (graphite w/ sunroof) that we were interested in on Sunday, and we were the first, technically the sales associate was the first driver. Then, he showed me the basics of driving 'stick' and off we went. LOL that was a JOKE, I stalled the car half a dozen times...yea, it is a little more work than I expected. I couldn't get the clutch to release slowly, it seemed stiff and I had to train my left foot, it was like learning how to drive again. After our test drives...we tried to sit down to talk about pricing...but they increased the price rather than reducing it and they were pretty far from the MSRP and were quite firm. Nine o'clock came around and it was time shut the place down...

Today my dad went to another dealership and talked them into a deal that is less than the MSRP! Compared to the other dealership, we're saving $20 per month and compared to the MSRP, we are saving almost $10 per month. He did the paperwork right away and we can expect the car in about 4 days...wow this happened really fast. The decision really only came Saturday...I mean we've been thinking and debated, new versus old, for a while but the decision to buy new only came a few days ago. If I was still unemployed, I would not be so comfortable buying a car just in case I needed more money for school...but I should be fine now.

August Already?

It feels like July 3rd still and not August 3rd...July came and gone without too much excitement...I had the trip to be excited for in May and June. To say the least, the worst part of July was the weather! The best parts were Twilight and my employment! Good thing that both those things kept me inside for much of the day.

It's the end of the long weekend...once again it wasn't long enough...I spent some time catching up on Burning Flames 3 and my dad seems to serious about getting a car this time. We've looked @ some new Civic's over the weekend. The deal is that I'll make the remaining payments when I graduate, but while I'm in school for the next year, my parents will run it. I've warned them that I may continue schooling onto masters (I still don't know yet). It all depends on what is out there and how this next school year goes. I think the plan is still to make the effort to buy it tomorrow. This is all happening really fast. The model I'm interested in is the SPORT model with sunroof and alloy wheels. The DX-G model is more economical but the black door handles and alloy wheels aren't appealing. As for transmission, I'm tempted to buy a manual...but considering that there may be problems with other drivers in the house since no one has experience with the stick except my dad (but it's been years). manual does save gas and $1200 up front, but one wrong move could get you to the repair shop and it may be difficult to install a remote starter.

I watched Twilight over again on Saturday. I saw it once with the commentary and then again in full. The commentary and extended scenes did help me to alleviate the disappointments I had earlier but not all of them. I still can't get over the first few scenes when they first met. After they got together, I thought the movie was very good. I imagined the school to be made up of several separate units that were like trailers, one for each class and students had to walk outside between classes. I thought of it to be very shanty looking. I dunno, I guess there was so much more room for creativity when reading and when something in the movie didn't turn out to be how I imagined it to be, I got disappointed. I'm beginning to appreciate reading more than I used to, that is why I want to read more this summer.

I've also cleared out much of my hard drive, I now have about 108 GB of free space rather than the 50 GB I had earlier. I was hoping to speed up my mac, in particular the boot up speed. Though it is still pretty fast to start up, takes about a minute or two, it is much slower than when I first got it. It started up at under 30 sec, now the cog wheel seems to spin forever, lol. It looks like freeing up harddrive space isn't helping too much. I looked on Apple Support and I've tried a few things but nothing has really solved the problem. There are three more solutions that I haven't tried, two of them involve reinstalling the OSX. I think it may be something to do that because my system and apps folders amount to almost 30 GB. I think there is something wrong with them....because an OS should not take up 20 GB of space. Maybe I'll send a quick email to a friend and compare them. My apps folder is almost 10 GB...I really don't have that much installed...I think CS3 is the largest because it was several DVDs to install. If I reinstall my OS, one way would preserve my user files but I would still have to reinstall the programs and the other would clear everything and start again. The third solution is really a theory...that is that the 'non-apple' RAM isn't quite compatible or isn't functioning properly...I don't know what it is but I hope it isn't that. Besides the capacity, the specs between the old and new ram of my mac is virtually the same. On the Windows side, the VMWare files are quite big...I still can't figure out why the C drive is 14 GB big when I don't have much installed or docs. I think when I add all the folders in the drive, it only amounts to 9 GB. Of course the VMWare file is 18 GB. I've already removed the System Restore points and still nothing. I could try to create a new OS, I'm only afraid that AUTOCAD won't let me reinstall it...I shouldn't have downloaded it this early...I still haven't decided on whether or not to buy added warranty for this macbook pro...it's like $350...for two more years...I dunno...

I've finally completed my passport application forms...I kept on putting it off since April and now it's getting down to the wire. Well, August is here, only a month left. Here is what I still want to accomplish with my remaining summer time.

• Read Gulliver's Travels
• Read Madame Bovary
• Read/Buy Asterios Polyp
• Watch Burning Flames 3 (on episode 18)
  
• Watch It Started with a Kiss (on episode 7)

Knowing

Sadly, Knowing left me with a sense of disappointment...I had expected so much more from this movie after liking National Treasure 1 and 2 so much with Nicholas Cage. Even as I was watching the movie, I still liked it a lot and found the story very interesting. The creepy pale dudes reminded me of the vampires from Twilight, lol, but in the end they were aliens. It was the way the movie ended that was the deciding factor for my disappointment and giving it a 3/5. The ending was way too sad and 'serious', everything was predicted to have happened, did happen and the earth was DESTROYED. The religious reference to Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis of the Bible was a little too cheesy...I think the ending sent off a wrong message, everything in life has been pre-determined and there are many things we can't do anything about it...though it may be true, I don't think it is a healthy mindset to have...

It Started with a Kiss

Fairchild TV began airing this series today, Saturday afternoons...Of course that isn't frequent enough for me and the first two episodes were okay, I like them so I'll find the rest from the net.

Burning Flames 3

Burning Flame 3 has begun airing in HK, it started on July 6th. Of course it is too early tell how everything will turn out after watching the first few episodes. This is an indirect sequel to BF2 and BF1. The story doesn't relate at all to the others, they just used the same series name, same theme of Fire Fighting and Wong Hei is in all three of them. He doesn't even have the same name. They are just beginning to show the story behind Kevin and Wong Hei. Bosco has made becoming a fire fighter his ambition. I'll keep updating as the story unfolds.

First day of my new job!

I had a hard time sleeping early last night as I've been getting used to going to bed late and sleeping in :P Like starting any job, I didn't have any idea what I was doing, lol but after about an hour or so on training I learned the basics of the data entry system. So the first day of work went by kind of slowly I have to say. The computers at work are Windows and the keyboard for mac is lightly different so I'm having a hard time adjusting back and forth (even as I'm typing right now). My work is mostly verify and copy/paste if there is a discrepancy, not the most exciting job or diversified. I have to commend there databases and data keeping programs are far more sophisticated than the ones we used at CBSA. There is hardly any paper filing, it is all done electronically. I think this system is a system that was envisioned last year for CBSA when I was there, one that was supposed to be my main task for the summer, but that never happened when the launch date kept on getting pushed back and then the guy in HQ responsible quit after I left...so the project crashed and burned. The office is fairly small compared to CBSA, about 30 employees (I know like four or five by their names), and it has a pleasing appearance. The lunch room has everything! On top of a toaster oven, microwave, and fridge, it has a dishwasher, TV, and a coffee machine (yes, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are free) with really nice leather couches and modern dining tables. It could pass for a design firm! I no longer bus, I drive, because parking is free and busing would require one transfer and a fairly long walk and would double the duration of the trip. I hate bus connections in Winnipeg, they are never timed properly.

However! I like that there aren't those "cubicals" but there are partitions that are waist level and I like that and it SHOULD encourage interaction, but EVERYONE IS SO SERIOUS. NOBODY TALKS or "hangs-out", you know what I mean, you work at a government office too so it should be similar to CBSA, lol. Here, hardly anyone gets off their seat! Afternoons at CBSA were usually relaxed and mornings went by in a daze, lol, we're slackers. Despite the fully equipped lunch room, I had lunch at 12 (noon) and people just popped by to heat their lunch and go! I assume to eat back to their desks or something. And coffee breaks? Nobody really takes their full 15 minutes, people may grab a drink at the caf but go have it back to their stations. At CBSA, we went 'out' for coffee breaks and more often than not, we went over our time limit. Speaking of time limits, I have this tag that I'm supposed to use to keep me on time and use to time my breaks. AT CBSA, as long as the work was done, nobody really cared, plus the cubicals provided a sense of privacy though I don't like them, but sometimes you want to have some privacy right? Nothing is really personal here, we don't have 'personal email accounts', it is all generic so that everything can be accessed by everyone who needs it (sorry that is why I couldn't send you anything this morning). Here we work as a team to meet our DAILY deadlines, we have to get the job done each day no matter what because we never know what to expect the next day. Sounds kind of challenging but also everything is so STRICT and it's serious business. Our work load depends on what the banks are sending us, how many mortgages come through. I'm still not completely sure what exactly it is that we do, but it is somewhere along the lines of 'insuring the banks' when a homeowner gets a mortgage. Also cellphone calls and texting are discouraged at your work station and should be only used in emergency. I've snuck a few calls in the halls at CBSA and of course EMAILS! (Muahaha...) Also there isn't any internet surfing what so ever, not only is it connected to the programs so that it access specific info on the net. I can't even check the weather, lol. It was storming so hard today, three storms rolled through the city today (last night, morning at work, and in the evening), but we got sunny breaks in between.

Despite the difference in pay (higher at CBSA ;)), I would prefer CBSA more than this FIRST CANADIAN TITLE aka Level 4 Management company. I felt more accomplished there and there was a sense of fullfillment at the end of the term. But if I compared today to my first day CBSA, I guess this was better because I spent the first two weeks filing at CBSA...Here I sit bored staring at the computer screen...I do expect a little more variety in the coming days as they are trying to take it one step at a time :)

I'm FINALLY Employed :D

I just got a call and I'm employed! It was getting close to 3 and still nothing so my hopes weren't high. I went to shower and told Henry to answer my phone if anyone calls while I'm in the shower. After the shower, I asked if anyone called and sure enough I did get a phone call during those 15 minutes I was in the bathroom. I called Tracy back, the lady who interviewed me (good thing for call display) and she told me I got the job. She gave me the option to either start next Monday or tomorrow...I want to start tomorrow, I said. I've been home long enough and it is time for a change. I just got to try to go to bed earlier tonight because I have to get up 630 tomorrow morning....no more sleeping in for me :( but money for me :) It looks like the family road trip to Toronto has gone down under...I sort of miss it now, but I know that if we go on the trip (passing up this opportunity), I'll be really missing work in August after we get back...

Post Job Interview #2 for Summer '09

Well, the interview went better than the one with Agriculture Canada. The job task is fairly simple but kind of repetitive, it's data entry. One of the questions, was "how do you deal with repetitive tasks?" My dumb answer was "I would try to make something boring, exciting, perhaps finding games within, or I also put on some music in the background". That add on was said to make me sound less insane, lol. I think I was also fairly weak on the question "Why I am the ideal candidate?" My response was "I have full time office experience at CBSA and I've done data entry." I just think it was not 'exciting' enough. She told me that she will call the successful candidate on Wednesday.

Job Interview #2 for Summer '09

I just got a call for an interview for Monday afternoon, my second after Agriculture Canada and my first from the private sector in years. The company is called Level 4 Management, a financial insurance company. I faxed my resume and cover letter last friday, it was one of the places that I'd most recently applied to. I wasn't going to bother but I was like, "what the hey, I'll get off my lazy ass" and go to Office Depot to get it faxed over. There isn't much info online though so there isn't much research to be done. I'll just go open mindedly. The timing is a little off though...right when we were all gearing up to go to Toronto as a family...That is what Henry gets for calling me a homeless bum, he won't get to go anywhere this summer if I get this job :D

Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen + My First "Concert"

Image credit - http://www.animevice.com/profile/niko/blog/

Yesterday I went to see Transformers with my bros in the afternoon because we didn't want to repeat what happened last Tuesday with the Proposal. We also got there early to get good seats. Sure enough the theatre did eventually fill to almost the full capacity. There were more cinemas, three versus two for the Proposal so I don't think they sold out completely. Maybe the evening shows sold out though, who knows!

Transformers was pretty good...um...4/5 (same rating for I, Robot,l)...You know how some movies end so sudden and feel too short well Transformers was 'long enough'. It was 2.5 hrs long. I don't think it was excessively long but whenever I got the urge to speed it up, the movie went on. When it did end, I didn't get the feeling that I wanted "more". It took way too long for Sam to get that thingy-magigy into Optimus! There were a lot of explosions and special effects but nothing extremely exciting. I think it's missing that excitement or that feeling that of not wanting it to end...Does that makes sense? It's worth seeing but I think I would have found it kind of boring to watch this movie alone. I prefer something comical like the Proposal slightly better but once in a while, this was not so bad...still better than Wolverine.

The concert was a 'different experience', it was my first concert, I'll admit it :D I went with three friends from high school. It was part of a series of concerts part of the Winnipeg Jazz Festival even though they were rock bands playing and they were somewhat local bands. The venue was a decently sized pub and attendance was around 300 hundred but maybe the poor acoustics of the building made it difficult to understand what was being played/sung. All the sounds kind of mushed together and everything sounded similar, lol. We sat down at a table for the first band and we stood on the dance floor for the second. I bumped into a few people I knew from school so that was unexpected.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

The Proposal - Movie Review

YES, YES, YES it is worth your time to watch this comedy. After a sold out premiere in Ottawa on Saturday June 13th, we were planning to watch the 7 o'clock show but both screens were sold out when we got there at 645. We bought tickets to see the 10 o'clock show on the spot so there wouldn't be any more delays. The movie lived up to my expectations. It was hilarious! Even though I saw all the trailers and I knew many of the funny parts, they cleverly left bits out to make the funny, even funnier! The audience including me bursted out laughing and clapped at the funny parts. Ryan had more of a comical character in Wolverine as well and he's fit for this type of role. I haven't seen much of Ryan, as I'm aware, he's fairly new so I don't have much to go on. He's Canadian so that's cool :D It's been a while since I've seen a movie with Sandra who was of course very funny in her 'chant'. The last one I saw was probably Miss Congeniality and she was funny in the that one too. I only saw #1 but didn't see the sequel. Betty White is just the most adorable senior alive! She steals the scene each time she makes her appearance! I loved the "Easter Egg Hunt". Make sure you stay for the credits because they were amazing too! I would want to get the DVD release when it comes out. Perhaps the only critique I have towards this movie is the simplicity of the story on the romantic side since it was supposed to be a "romantic comedy". I thought Margaret's (Sandra's) confession was on the weaker side. I was expecting a little more from Andrew's (Ryan) ex-girlfriend. Perhaps she does something to try to win him over again and that made Margaret (Sandra) confess her feelings. Despite that criticism, I'm still giving this movie a solid 4.5/5. Of the movies that I've scene this summer, Wolverine, Terminator, and UP, this is the one that I seem to not get enough of! I plan on watching Transformers 2 next Tuesday so we'll see if it can top this movie!

The Proposal - Memorable Scenes

Here is a list of my memorable scenes from the movie "The Proposal"

• The announcement of their engagement
• The eagle versus the dog - Margaret (Sandra) begs the eagle to take the dog in exchange for her cell phone. The family thinks she is having a great time playing with the dog.
• The Nude scene (classic)
• The "Morning" - I think I know what Andrew (Ryan) was referring to when her said "I'm sorry, but it's the morning"
  
• The Easter Egg hunt - finding her boobs
• Gammy (Betty) faking the heart attack
  

The Proposal - Favourite Funniest Scene

I had a hard time understanding what exactly she was chanting about but I found out that they are part of the song Get Low.

First, Sandra calls Betty "crazy" and begins with "The Window" and "The Wall" which evolves into the song "Get Low"

Lyrics of the Chant...

To the window, to the wall, (to dat wall)
To the sweat drop down my balls (MY BALLS)
To all these bitches crawl (crawl)
To all skeet skeet motherfucker (motherfucker!) all skeet skeet got dam (Got dam)
To all skeet skeet motherfucker (motherfucker!) all skeet skeet got dam (Got dam)

Let me see you get low you scared you, scared you
Drop dat ass to the floor you scared you, scared you
Let me see you get low you scared you, scared you
Drop dat ass to the floor you scared you, scared you
Drop dat ass ya shake it fast ya
Pop dat ass to the left and the right ya
Drop dat ass ya shake it fast ya
Pop dat ass to the left and the right ya
Now back,back,back it up
a back,back,back it up
a back,back,back it up
a back,back,back it up
Now stop ( O) then wiggle wit it
Now stop ( O) then wiggle wit it
Now stop ( O) then wiggle wit it
Now stop ( O) then wiggle wit it

I think she skipped a few lines here and there (the unbolded words) to make it 'appropriate' for all audiences.