Where do i begin?

I've only got one thing to say about my new place: Having my own room is too good to be true! I've got so much freedom that i don't even know what i should be doing or how i should spend my time.

But...I still need a 'Do Not Knock' sign to be placed on my door when i sleep. 2 different people actually knocked and woke me up this morning asking if i was awake.

Please feel free to pop by and visit though if you have nothing to do. I'm ~80% done with unpacking (the last 20% will be put up for long-term procastination, most likely) Morning visitations are strictly out of the question though.
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Sad news:

"Microsoft's coporate VP Peter Moore confirmed that Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will not be coming to Xbox 360, the game remains as a PS3 exclusive title."

Was hoping that i wouldn't have to get a PS3 but now it looks likes it will be a matter of time (release date for MGS4~ early 2008) before i move on, hopefully the price of the PS3 will continue to fall (the 60GB model dropped $100USD because the 80GB(potentially 120GB) model is coming out and Sony's clearing 60GB model stock)

The CNY post that has almost nothing to do with CNY

As previously posted i went to rent 3 movies 'starring' Ichikawa Yui. I added ' ' because after watching the first of the 3, Ju-On: The Grudge, i have to say that she's more of an extra than a star of the show (a very hot extra if i might add). Not to be acting brave or anything, but i didn't find Ju-on scary at all. I like how my heart would jump when i got scared while playing the Fatal Frame (my favourite being FF 2) games but i didn't have any of that feeling throughout the show. As for the plot..well, what plot? To sum it in an equation, CURSE => DEATH. The movie just tells how everyone eventually kicks the bucket after being involved with the curse and being spooked by Kayako (woman with long dry hair, presumably drier than mine) and that irritating powdery kid. I was scratching my head at the end sequence wondering whether i missed some important twist or plot point somwhere but then i read online that that's all there it is to it. There's no point cracking my brain trying to find a deeper meaning into the show. The intention is just to entertain (good looking female cast) and frighten (failed miserably) the viewer. So plot wise and scares wise this movie was really disappointing. The only thing that made it interesting was how each character's mini-story intertwined with each other, with the chronological sequence of their meetings also jumbled up (a la Pulp Fiction). Interesting to follow the links between each chapter but ultimately pointless. Read that Ichikawa Yui has a bigger role in Ju-On 2 so i 'm hoping that will keep me entertained tomorrow night.

More like a 5 minute cameo than a real role.

Saw this picture (see below) of Zhang Ziyi from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (which i'm going to rent after i return this batch of movies) and the first thing that came to mind was that she looks perfect to play the part of Ling Xiaoyu if ever a Tekken Liveaction movie is to be filmed. Granted that she's 28 years old while Xiaoyu is supposed to be an 18 years old schoolgirl, but Ziyi probably has the martial art background to pull the role off as well. All this is SUPPOSING a Tekken movie is to be shot. Just thought i'd offer my 5 cents on casting so that a Tekken Liveaction movie doesn't end up like the DOA movie. Movies like Fearless had fighters of different nationalities (speaking in their own language) coming together so why can't a fighting game to movie do the same?

Zhang Ziyi prepares to go into the Rain Dance Stance.

Since we're on the subject of movies, just want to highlight this article here, stating that Kojima will be producing a Metal Gear Solid movie! Can't help but be excited about this cause MGS is my all-time favourite video game series. Just hope that the essense of MGS won't be lost in the leap to the big screen, but with Kojima involved i doubt fans will be disappointed with the outcome. And to quote another source, "Sony Pictures' vice chairman Yair Landau announced the company is working on a movie version of Konami's Metal Gear Solid. In addition, Sony Pictures is also looking into a possible movie version of EverQuest." Glad to see that there will be more MGS even after this year's MGS4 which will conclude the series.

Went through the formality of house visiting today and i have to say i feel bad taking Hong Baos from people i don't know or remember. What can you expect if i only see some people once a year? I doubt most of them know who i am as well. The comment going around was that Brandon looks like Takeshi Kaneshiro (as you can see i have alot of blind relatives) with his long hair and i look very si wen (a polite way of saying i look bland or just bleah). Whatever. Anyway i'm already thinking which of the items on my wishlist i will be getting with my CNY money. Probably the Wii since i already pre-ordered it from Funz Centre. (~$400+). Oh, and Happy Chinese New Year to all! May the money we collect this CNY be more than our NSF monthly allowance!

Crying in The Rain

Watched finished "Be With You" yesterday morning at 3AM. Very beautiful heartwarming show. I cried alot during the last few scenes till my nose got blocked again (still not 100% recovery from the flu). The pacing of the movie (1HR58MINS long) is steadily slow but i think it's appropriate for a drama. But if it were that similiar pace for an Action movie then i would just fall asleep. The ending song is "Hana" by Orange Range(whose only other song i know is "Asterisk" from "Bleach"). Maybe it was the momentum of the movie but i also shed a few tears when i read the lyrics (translated of course) of the song during the ending credits. It really captures the feelings of the movie's main characters. I went to find the song immediately after the show ended and it's been been repeating on my PSP ever since.


Hana Single Cover - Orange Range. Nice orange peels petal.

Also went to learn more Jay Chou songs by finding 2 of his albums Still Fantasy and November's Chopin. I dislike all his R&B songs in which he raps, he has a lazy way of slurring his words that just irritates me. His ballads however are very catchy and the lyrics are pretty good as well, but i'm probably a poor judge cause i hear only a little Mandarin songs.

I was looking for this movie "Sky High (2003)" but this morning when i checked my download it was actually this "Sky High (2005)". I'm trying to find "Sky High (2003)" because i like the director Ryuhei Kitamura. He directed "Azumi" (not "Azumi 2" which sucked) starring Aya Ueto and also "Versus" which i am trying to find so i can bring to office to screen during VA. He was also involved in directing the cutscenes of the remake "Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes" for the Gamecube. To me his trademark is making low budget action flicks look good and gory. Too bad i don't see many of his DVDs for sale in Singapore. I wouldn't mind collecting his shows. For the time being i don't know what to do with "Sky High (2005)" that's on my HDD. Should i take a risk and waste one and half hour of my life to watch an American High School Comedy or just delete it? Hmm...