Bummer...

My laptop screen unceremoniously cracked a few weeks ago, so have been sans internet access for the past few weeks. I was given a monitor screen in the office so thankfully could still continue my work, but I've not been able to check personal email or do non-work stuff for the past few weeks, until today when a colleague kindly offered to let me use her laptop to mop up some matters.

The IT Department just slapped me with a hefty $600+ quotation for a new screen, which is a crying shame, really. But that ain't gonna douse my spirits for the thoroughly excellent fare at the KL roadside food stalls or for more shoes and bags (can't help it; I'm situated right next to KLCC and every evening is fraught with retail perils as I brave the multifarious shops with pretty apparel, shoes and stuff gleaming and beckoning in the glass windoes as I worm my way past the crowds to Cold Storage to pick up my groceries - one is bound to get hit with a few misses, and is probably entitled to).

Right now, I'm just enjoying living like an island... life is quite liberating without internet access, I must say. =)

The Pursuit Of Happyness - Review

I don’t usually take well to feel-good movies, cos they grate my nerves no end with their cornball uplifting vibes and self-aggrandisement. The Pursuit Of Happyness seems exactly like the kind of film which would make yours truly roll back my eyeballs until they hit the back wall of my sockets – you know the deal – laying it on thick with the sentimentality to shamelessly milk the audience’s sympathy whilst jabbering on and on about overcoming the odds and the beauty of the human spirit, the sort of beleaguered tripe that Hollywood likes to dish out once so often, of the A Beautiful Mind and Forrest Gump ilk.

But that’s my pre-movie bias. This is an immensely likeable movie, underpinned by a refreshing engaging performance by the real life father-and-son pair (I keep searching for words to articulate just how adorable Jaden Smith is, but I’m at a loss for vocabulary). The essence of the story is encapsulated in Thomas Jefferson’s preamble to the Declaration of Independence – we are entitled to certain inalienable rights like liberty and life, but happiness requires pursuit, and often the whole caboodle of grit, tenacity and fortitude that goes with it.

Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a downtrodden salesman whose wife (played by Thandie Newton, who shockingly resembles a wiry coked-out addict with pallid skin and eyes of death) has walked out on the family. Saddled with a young son and fast-dwindling finances, Chris manages to land an internship with investment firm Dean Witter through acing a Rubik’s cube and impressing a bunch of stuffy old executives with his quick wit and on-the-feet humour. Unfortunately, the stint offers no pay, and no guarantee of employment.



It is not a traditional uplifting movie, in that the sense of uplift is far and few between. Instead, Chris’ descent into the rungs of poverty is very uncomfortable to watch. We see him and his son being evicted from crummy apartments and being yelled at by apoplectic landlords. We see Chris – whose lungs must be prodigious – running up and down hilly San Francisco battling the drudgery of lugging around an unwieldy medical contraption which he tries to peddle to hospitals, often without success. We see him schmoozing with his stockbroking interns and wealthy clients appearing brisk and confident whilst desperately trying to conceal the fact that he is scraping the bottom of the barrel. We see father and son jostling with unruly crowds at homeless shelters and spending the night in a decrepit train station toilet, cuddled up on a makeshift bed of toilet paper whilst Chris restrains his despair and chokes on tears so as not to wake his blissfully sleeping son.

Sure, director Gabriele Muccino doesn’t scrimp on moments of pathos, but the film remains believable and not overwrought with melodrama. It nonetheless has its flaws, including the tiresome "This part of my life is called taking the bus / being stupid / internship" narrations and the conspicuous absence of racial undertones, which unfortunately makes the film a bit dishonest with its material (in reality, the government granted lucrative tax incentives to corporations which employed a large minority workforce, and Chris Gardner was given special consideration because he was black). Then there is the blatant plug for capitalism and the wads of cash that Chris lusts after, most notably in the scene when Chris pauses to admire a sports car, sees chirpy executives pouring out of Dean Witter and muses that “They all looked so happy.”



But thankfully, these do not derail the story from its core, which is heartfelt portrait of fatherhood. At its heart is a bread-and-butter story of a single dad striving for a better life for himself and his son, and in that the story ultimately delivers, thanks in large part to the natural chemistry between the Smiths. The Pursuit of Happyness may have its materialistic slants, being intertwined with Chris’ pursuit of wealth, but it is his protective love as a parent and the affectionate rapport with his child that is most celebrated, and inspiring.

Tags: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Thandie Newton, The Pursuit Of Happyness, San Francisco, Dean Witter

Gloating At Those Still In The Office

Am winding down after a day’s work in Kuala Lumpur... and it is only 6.00pm. Shocking… would have never imagined knocking off this early if I were back in Singapore. I’ll be in Malaysia for the next month so it looks like there are good days ahead. =P

I’ll keep this short cos I have to dash off pretty soon… haven’t really explored the city much, save for evening trips to Cold Storage in the Petronas Towers KLCC. Speaking of which, I kinda adore the towers, especially when they are lit in the evening – there’s this glamourous, polished, futuristic vibe about it and I prefer it to the Taipei 101, which resembles an awry stacked sandwich.

In many ways it feels like a return to student life again – shorter hours, and frequent trips to the supermarket for groceries. I’m packing sandwiches for lunch – would you believe it?!! Can’t believe I’m this frugal but I’m trying to avoid the hassle of cooking – although, gloriously, the housekeeping staff does the dishwashing.

My day begins at 7.30am (thankfully the alarm clock has managed to prise me outta bed thus far) and we hit the office at 8.30am. Lunch, as mentioned, is a rather niggardly affair of packed sandwiches, and after work at 5+pm we brave the evening zephyrs of carbon monoxide and dust to flag a cab back to the hotel. Traffic during peak hours is really pretty bad, but we often find our taxi drivers immensely resourceful (or simply impatient) for they seem to have mastered all manner of lane-cutting and tail-gating and execute these with fastidious skill.

My apartment is great cos it’s only a stone’s throw away from KLCC and comes complete with cable TV, hi-fi and all other such snooty amenities. Thus far I’ve kept the apartment spankingly neat, though I reckon that this meticulous streak probably won’t last long. Unfortunately the movie selection on the cable channels have been abysmal thus far, so I’ve been put through deplorable fare such as Ladder 49 and Disney’s Hercules (don’t know the exact name, but it’s the one for which Michael Bolton sang the theme song, which makes it doubly frightful). Ladder 49 was thoroughly insipid and platitudinous, I mean you know a movie really sucks when not even Joaquin Phoenix in jump gear could save it.

John O'Shea Is The Best Player Of All Time: Liverpool 0 - 1 United

Of course, that’s not true. But goodness, what a victory.

United created some intricate moves in the first half, though only Ronaldo looked capable of providing that spark to galvanise the team into action. Ronnie was everywhere, from dribbling down the flanks to getting the tackles in and proving defensive cover. Larsson – though I like the guy – was anonymous. Vidic was shockingly bad; I’ve lost count of the number of times Bellamy ran circles around him.

The second half was when United seemed to have flagged down a bus and hitched a collective ride to Crap-ville. Van der Sar was undoubtedly our best player during the match. Larsson, Scholes, Giggs and Carrick were largely pedestrian, and it was frustrating to see United adopt such a cagey approach (although it paid dividends eventually). Rooney somewhat redeemed himself with a delightful back flick to shake off Reina, but unfortunately the referee ruled the goal offside.

I suppose a shot of Sir Alex during the game said it all about United’s performance. The fiery Scotsman, more renowned for his fervid, choleric outbursts – pacing menacingly on the touchlines, hands gesticulating wildly and burgeoning veins popping up like boils on his neck as he screamed instructions to his players – was uncharacteristically seated, with an arm draped lifelessly across the chair and blah expression on his face. When even Fergie is bored with United, you know that they are playing really, really badly.

There were some great moments though. Scholesy threw a hissy "handbags" fit as he threw a punch at Alonso whilst still airborne… missing Alonso’s face by a mile. It was like a burlesque of Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, which is quite a sublime touch of parody. Good work, Scholesy. Jermaine Pennant, who looks increasingly like a bearded broccoli of sorts, added his own moment of farce as he took an extravagant tumble in United’s penalty area when United's defenders barely touched him. And Rooney just managed to keep the tears at bay as he put on a stoic front after receiving a nasty cut on his leg, though I must say that he is still some way behind his esteemed England predecessor Terry Butcher when it comes to grisly injuries. Behold:

Terry Butcher: the bloodiest footballer ever.



I suppose it's not the blood that makes this pic stomach-churning, but the glazed eyes and psychotic smile?



For all the taunts about LiverPoo lacking creativity and not going forward, today they did bucketloads more in attack than United. Benitez was mad to take Bellamy off for Pennant, Gerrard and Sissoko both had off days and ultimately LiverPoo only had themselves to blame for not being clinical enough to put away their chances, but I kinda felt sorry for them conceding a goal during stoppage time when they’ve clearly been the better team for much of the game (omigod, did I just say that?).

O'Shea scores for United to nick a last-gasp victory.



Oh, and this match marked the 700th game United game for a certain Mr Giggs:

My favourite footballer.



I guess words are pretty redundant here since they'd never do justice to just how fond I am of this player. From wiry teenager with the trademark curls and blistering pace to the established player who has undoubtedly sealed his legendary status among the United faithful, it's been a pleasure - a privilege even - to watch his scintillating runs down the left flank over the years.

Check out this awesome video of the man (the music is a pain, but the clip is amzing):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6K--T2LfPM

Nice shorts, Giggsy.



Yes, it's THAT goal.



Thanks for all the memories.



"Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, running down the wing
Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, can do anything
Feared by the Blues, loved by the Reds
Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs..."

RYAN GIGGS - LEGEND.

Tags: Football, Soccer, English Premier League, Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Henrik Larsson, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, John O'Shea, Alex Ferguson, Old Trafford, Liverpool, Rafael Benitez, Jermaine Pennant, John Arne Riise, Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt, Steven Gerrard, Craig Bellamy, Jermaine Pennant, Anfield