Swinging Sixties & Seventies

Austin Powers would have said "GroooooVy Baby!!!" Last night, the entire school attended the Teachers' Appreciation Dinner at Aberdeen Marina, and the theme for this year was all hippies, flower power and loud colours.

Well, I am not so garang or wayang a person, although I did keep my eyes opened for any cheap tops or pants that would "belong" to that era. I guess dress-up isn't my idea of fun.

Still, it was really fun to see people who actually dressed up for the occasion - tight shirts and flared pants, aviator or round-rimmed shades, headbands of various colours, peace signs... anything that screams 60's or 70's. With the "Fei Zai" Florence the Lady In Red Check out those psychedelic headband... Hippy Mayling & "Fei Zai" (aka Gangster) Arthur Yvan & Lisebeth Yvan as "Jimi Hendrix" Hippies - Olivier & Emma The sweet 60's look

Couple of days earlier, I managed to find a black top which has nice embroidery - some rock & roll emblems and the year 1968 on the right. Well, this is as close to the 60's that I am going to get, besides it was cheap enough (HK$190) for one night and it was something that I don't mind wearing again. I thought of buying a pair of bell-bottoms, but in the end, I decided to just wear the most scruffy-looking and torn Levis that belongs to D.

A band played some good 60's and 70's rock & roll and funk. The dance floor was opened around 10pm and we had fun dancing away. But it was such a bummer when the band promptly ended playing 30 minutes later, and the karaoke session began. It would have been good if the music continued since karaoke wasn't something that most of us would do.

Functions like this, well, I attend it mainly 'cos I have to. There isn't much choice, is there? And it doesn't help that the seating arrangement has already been planned by somebody. It can't be helped that people like to be in their usual circle, it's like a support group of sorts during events such as this. Afterall, the company is important and it is good to know that the evening was well spent. I am thankful that I am seated with the hippiest this year. It was great fun and we shared a few bottles of Oz Riesling. Here's keeping my fingers crossed that it will be just as good, if not better, next year.

One Year Older...

29 years have passed and after a while, birthday celebrations don't really matter much. Although I did ask D a couple of times what he planned to do to celebrate my b'day, not that I really wanted some kind of celebration, but it was nice to look forward to something. But alas, nothing was planned actually. Sigh, so much for 3 years of marriage.

So on this day, we basically woke up and got ready for our climbing session at a nearby indoor wall from 11pm to 4pm. This was the long overdue session we were supposed to have last month, the one which would give us the SCAHK (Sports Climbing Association Hong Kong) certification besides the YMCA one that we already have. The reason for this certification is that we felt it was more recognised (since it is affiliated to the International Mountaineering Body). Anyway the wall is about 9m high (slightly higher than the one in YMCA) but had a no. of routes which are challenging, particularly when the climber slips or wants to be let down, the climber will swing outwards like a big pendulum... it is quite daunting to have the wall on both sides coming straight at you while you are about 7-9 m above ground. I hate that swinging feeling especially the first few climbs, but I reckon this is something which I have to get used to.

I had brought my new toy, the Sony Handycam DCR-PC350E, to take some clips while D and I climbed. But I broke the no. 1 rule in filming: Forget To Insert Tape... so silly, I can't believe I had forgotten about the silly tape. So much for being one year wiser.

As for my b'day dinner, we had it at our usual food court at the shopping mall near our place... not very romantic, but it's ok. I don't really put much emphasis on things like this, since the more important thing is who I am spending the time with.

Batman Returns & Comic Heros

D and I went to watch the latest instalment of the Batman movies this afternoon after booking our hols at the Club Med office in Central.

Pretty good movie on the whole; the initial part of the movie was very much devoted to developing Bruce Wayne into Batman... conquering his fears, pains and putting his money into good use, ie saving Gotham from its decadence and corruption.

I liked the very 1st Batman (Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfieffer); Val Kilmer's pouty lips were ok in the 3rd one and George Clooney was forgettable in the 4th. This latest one has done some justice to the falling Batman movie standards.

Actually, I don't really like these superheroes movies - Superman, Batman, Incredible Hulk etc... especially those with long-flowing capes and wear their briefs on the outside. Comic characters becoming 3D are quite a difficult thing to do, especially since everyone expect them to be, in all aspects, exactly like their comic-book twins. Talking about capes... I loved that little exchange Mr Incredible and Edna Mode had concerning capes when Mr Incredible went to Edna to mend his old outfit, but ended up discussing the design for a new one: Edna: It will be bold! Dramatic! Bob: Yeah! Edna: Heroic! Bob: Yeah. Something classic - like Dynaguy. Oh, he had a great look! Oh, the cape and the boots... Edna: [throws a wadded ball of paper at Bob's head] No capes! Bob: Isn't that my decision? Edna: Do you remember Thunderhead? Tall, storm powers? Nice man, good with kids. Bob: Listen, E... Edna: November 15th of '58! All was well, another day saved, when? his cape snagged on a missile fin! Bob: Thunderhead was not the brightest bulb... Edna: Stratogale! April 23rd, '57! Cape caught in a jet turbine! Bob: E, you can't generalize about these things... Edna: Metaman, express elevator! Dynaguy, snag on takeoff! Splashdown, sucked into a vortex! [shouts] Edna: No capes! Darn farny... that was like the best part in the show. I bought the extended edition DVD with the additional clip which showed what happened during that time when Jack Jack was left alone with the teenage babysitter, while his entire family was fighting for their lives on Syndrome's island... this part shows or hints the amazing powers that Jack Jack could have. Another hilarious bit.

Live Adrenaline ... Hols With An Edge

I have been doing research on our coming hols and came across this really cool site with incredible activities... Just a lil' background: Our holiday plans for this coming summer are (1) 6 days 4 nights Club Med Lindeman Island (Australia) (2) Possibly 3 days 2 nights stay in Blue Mountains, outside Sydney for a Rock Climbing course (3) Couple of days in Sydney itself We had been waiting for D's boss to approve his leave and come this Saturday, we will drop by at Club Med to check out the details and hopefully everything will go as planned. But I digress... back to this site Adrenalin . I was finding out Rock Climbing courses in Oz and whether such courses will be held in the Blue Mountains especially during their winter season. And here's my Top 5 list of even more "solid", "Wah Piang" activities (money-no-problem one...): No. 5 - Air Combat USA (AUD 2 995) "You'll be fitted for a flight suit, helmet and parachute. Next, it's off to ground school to learn the tactical maneuvers you'll need in combat. Then you slide into the cockpit of either the SIAI Marchetti SF260, an italian-built light attack fighter, capable of sustaining up to +6 to -3 G's of force or the Extra 300L, a world-class aerobatic champion capable of +10 to -10 G's of force. You'll be seated at dual controls next to your instructor pilot. Although your instructor will perform the take-off and the landing, during the mission you will fly the aircraft 90% of the time. You will engage in six dogfights during your mission." No. 4 - Learn To Kiteboard (AUD140) "Combining traction kiting with windsurfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding and surfing gives you an adventure sport that is easy to learn, allows total freedom, and pushes the boundaries as to what really is possible on water." No. 3 -Explore Antarctica (US$3 990) "The spectacular Antarctic Peninsula is the most accessible part of the continent. The rugged Transatlantic Mountains, flanked by huge glaciers, form the Peninsula's spine and a backdrop to a glorious maze of sheltered channels and inlets for us to explore." No. 2 - 100% Adrenalin NZ Heli Trip - Heli Skiing and Heli Ice Climbing

(AUD 4 795) ' "From 25-30 August 2005 join other snow seekers for 5 days of pure adrenaline in New Zealand on the 100% Adrenalin NZ Heli Trip: Heli Skiing/Boarding and Heli Ice Climbing! Feel your legs burn as you carve through untracked powder then feel your heart pump as you scale a frozen waterfall. This trip's all about the wild back country and the helicopter - chartered exclusively for Adrenalin! You just think about the adrenaline rush - we'll take care of the rest." No. 1(a) - Sub Orbital Space Flight (US$105k) "With the same anticipation and excitement that astronauts and cosmonauts experience before their orbital space launch, our flight specialists will help you don your flight suit and guide you through the final launch checklist. The launch will begin under the watchful eye of the pilot and precise control of system equipment. In an unprecedented sensory experience, rocket motors will boost the RLV (Reusuable Launch Vehicle) beyond the normal limits of flight to regions above 62 miles (100 kilometers). As the RLV nears maximum altitude, the rocket engines will be shut down and you will experience up to five minutes of continuous weightlessness and see the vast blackness of space set against the blue limits of Earth below." No. 1 (b) The Ultimate "Wah Piang" Activity - Trip To The International Space Station (US$20 million) " Now, in conjunction with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos) and Rocket Space Corporation Energia (RSC Energia) Space Adventures has organised a new joint effort to conduct private spaceflights to the International Space Station (ISS)... Your launch vehicle will be the Soyuz-FG, the latest in a line of vehicles that have flown over 1600 times, far more than any other human-rated launch vehicle." But for now... rock climbing in Blue Mountains is more realistic... and affordable.

Rainbow Warriors Dragonboat Team @ Discovery Bay

Tuen Ng Festival, 11th June 2005 Saturday

After only 5 gruelling training sessions at Ap Lei Chau, it was Race Day. Our first heat was at 8am, which meant the whole lot of us had to meet at the "unearthly" time of 6.30am at the DB pier in Central.

Weather was good, sunny but breezy... although it was blistering hot as the day went on. The dip in the waters was a great respite after each Heat (we took part in three).

Of course we didn't win but the important thing is we make it look good. The other teams were strong, physically... even the girls... we couldn't quite see the difference. ;P

Ours was the only team which had the largest no. of girls and only 6 guys whereas the other "expert" teams were made up of brawny men with the minimum no. of girls (eight by the way).

Our best time was 2 min 27 seconds, distance travelled was about 400 m ... not bad for only 5 training sessions

Thanks to Florence for her photos...

Rainbow Warriors

Rainbow Warriors - In Order Offerings & Dragons Getting Ready Onboard Moving Off More Shots

Mr and Mrs Smith

D and I caught Mr and Mrs Smith on Fri night to round up our list of must-watch movies for this month.

On the whole, the movie was a satire of marriage and the what-ifs combined with lots of good-old Hollywood action and helmed by 2 good-looking and sexy actors. What if the husband/wife isn't who he/she really is? What if the things we choose to hide from our partners are the things which will somewhat help them? I enjoyed the movie, especially since Brad and Angelina are in it... The one part I liked in the show is when while Brad was pursuing Angelina after both found out one another's true identity and had to kill the other, Brad asked Angelina how she felt the first time she met him. Angelina didn't answer at first and asked Brad the same question. His answer (which made me sigh) was "It felt like Christmas morning." Double sigh... Angelina, on the other hand, answered "You were the most beautiful mark I had ever seen." Right after that, she hit her head against her car seat a couple of times, regretting that she couldn't say the truth, ie she loved him... There were some scenes in the movie which hinted on their love for one another, but they had to put up this strong front and act as if their only goal was to eliminate the other. Incidentally, I liked the house they lived in (decor and the walk-in wardrobe) and especially the superbly equipped kitchen... I think I am becoming too domesticated for my own good.

3 Years Of Marriage, 10 Years Together

8th June 2002 ... D and I took our first major leap of faith into the unknown at 4 pm when we took our vows before God, families and friends.

It's been 3 years now, and we are still enjoying this thing called marriage. It takes lots of work, patience and some humour to keep this thing going. The one thing I learnt so far is although we spent lots of time together, we also need some time-out from one another so that we do not lose our original identities.

What did we do today? Nothing, actually... In fact, D had his regular Lead Climbing lesson while I was out with 2 friends from S'pore. Most unexciting... even now while I am typing my thoughts for this blog entry, D is using the other notebook and surfing the Net with the TV on between the both of us.

Actually it's quiet time like these that I enjoy... nothing fancy, just the 2 of us.

Frank Miller's SIN CITY

D and I went to catch Sin City yesterday in the evening. I just had to find something to look forward to, cos it was such a slow Monday and marking 60-70 compositions (exams now) in the afternoon isn't my idea of fun.

I didn't know about Sin City the comic until this movie came along... D had told me that the movie is filmed somewhat in the style of the comic, I didn't know what that meant until I saw the show.

I must say, it is definitely different from the usual Hollywood action movie, all bang-bang, bullet spray, huge explosion and killings. It's quite arty-farty, very film noir, dark and disturbing storylines about crimes, passion, revenge (whether justified or not... the theme repeats throughout the movie) and sacrifice. One of the most disturbing character was Kevin (played by Elijah Wood, no lines in the movie but just looking menacing and evil) who was a cannibal and preyed on hookers. Together with his foster-father of sorts, an important Cardinal, both would feast on these hookers that no one would miss. And through the cannibalism, both weirdos would find intimacy with God... very disturbing. There were times when I had to cover my eyes when the killings become too gross; but because the movie is mainly in different shades of grey and white, even the "bloody" scenes were white. Catch the movie, it's really good. Waiting for the DVD to be out, one of those movies that I can buy and keep.

Ode To Pupils...

Lil' Sneakers & Trainers

I'm in trouble, big trouble. I'm captivated by these lil' sneakers and trainers each time I visit a sports store. And whenever I pick one up and shove it into D's face, gushing over how cute these lil' things look, D would have to "snatch" these things from me, and proclaim that I have been taken over by the Dark Side Of The Baby Kingdom.

In recent months, the thought of stepping into motherhood isn't as scary as I think it to be. D and I have been talking about it for awhile now, especially in these past couple of months. So far, we have kind of decided on a time frame (which is later in the yr); and I will have the kid back in S'pore ('cos it is cheaper and we both feel better to have my mum around during the initial months).

Looking at how things are now, D is happy with his job here in HK and I reckon we will be here for awhile. But there are a number of issues we still haven't quite ironed out yet, particularly who will be the primary caregiver when I return to work in HK.

D and I talked about this some days back, and I said that this will be the one time we will be totally independent and responsible for another person... Independent because we are on our own, away from our support group in S'pore. There will not be "Leave the kid with mum and dad when we go out", or "Ask mum and dad to look after the kid from Mondays to Fridays and we just take the kid back during the weekends". The easy way out.

Responsible because every decision we make will concern this new addition. This seems to be so much work.

Especially since I do think I should continue to work, as it is tough to live on one salary, but not impossible... just that we need to re-prioritise our needs and wants. But who is going to take care of the kid.

Now, life is really simple. Work, go out, watch a movie, late nights, rock climbing, sleep... it's just the 2 of us. I don't know if I want to complicate my life with another being... but at the end of the day, I do think something is missing. It's like a void, an emptiness at times, but I am not sure if having a kid will fill that.

During dinner today, I reminded D that we will be officially married for 3 years on 8th June and that also meant we have been together for 10 years, from the time we began the dating game till now. So I asked him what does he see us in the next 10 years, and he said, "Raising a kid".

In the meantime, I am looking at these cute lil' sneakers which I would buy for my kid, even if he/she outgrows them really quickly, but being the Nike fan that I am, how not to introduce Nike to them? Incidentally, I saw these cute Teva sandals for toddlers couple of days back, didn't know that Teva makes sandals for toddlers.

Hmmm

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

D and I went to watch this show on Friday night and being a British production, the humour is so typical of Brit comedies. That is, it's dry and excellent use of words. Absolutely no slapstick (think silly Jim Carey & Robin Williams).

I had originally booked tics for Sin City, but it wasn't successfully done (only knew it when I went to collect the tics). So the alternative is HGTG. Loved the show, best show I have watched so far, not that I have watched that many these few months. The only other show we had watched was Kingdom Of Heaven, which was quite a disappointment... Orlando Bloom just doesn't cut it as a hero, maybe if he has long blonde hair, pointy ears and armed with bow and arrows, it would be better.

In HGTG, the character that really got into me is the suicidally-depressed robot, Marvin. He is such a blast, especially since he is voiced by Alan Rickman, and I believe Marvin has the best lines in the show... totally hilarious.

Must remember to get the storybook when I return to S'pore.