Eragon

I have friends who already watched the show, and were most disappointed with it. I didn't think I would share their sentiment, because, well, I have a peculiar taste when it comes to movies, and thought would watch and judge it for myself. I was ready to go into the cinema and identify all the good features of the show, and then use it as evidence to convince them that it is a good film. I was really excited about the movie, as others of its genre, namely LOTR and Dragonheart, has each in its prowess awed me into succumbing to the world of fantasy. This show, Eragon, it seems, is a LOTR meets Dragonheart. What a dream come true. What a fantasy geek I am...

So I stepped into JE theater 6 with fac mate and friend WH...

Yea...after the excitement comes disappointment and then frustration. Disappointment that a chance for a good show to impress the world has lost its chance; frustration because I think I can make better out of the film, why am I not given a chance to do so...that sux.

Ok here comes the complaints one by one.

First the lead actor is kinda green. Not physically of course. His acting needs much to be improved upon. Well I don't entirely blame him for not playing the character well enough, because it was the casting directors who gave him the part. I read that although him being totally new to film acting, the directors thought that his face looked the part of Eragon, and hence he got it. If you ask me, I would think that acting ability is an equally crucial factor as with appearance where casting is concerned.

One will have to agree that a big part of the show lies in the dialogue. The conversation between the characters not only moves the story along, but also creates a personality for each of them. In this show, I would so much blame the scriptwriters for penning such abominations. It was trying to liken the speeches to those found in LOTR, but trying too hard to sound all so serious at the same time, causing it to fall flat on its face and just sound lame. It really was very excruciating listening to their conversations which almost would have been intelligent, only if you do not listen carefully to what's being said.

The editing of the video requires much improvement as well. Otherwise, the storyboard was poorly done prior to filming. Or did the director really just followed what was drawn out in the storyboards? Hmmm... The flow of the story was really choppy and rushed. The whole film lasted only 1hr 40min, which is rather short for a film of its nature. If it may be hypothesized that the production crew wishes to shorten the length of the film (for fear of lulling the audience into thinking they are watching another Peter Jackson production), employing the use of a narrator would help explain things and link the different transitions more smoothly. Just think Cate Blanchett in LOTR. I thought that worked to the advantage of the movie. Of course, the script for the narrator must be cleverly written as well, otherwise it would again slap itself on the face.

I love the dragon. Really I do. But it sounding so tame and demure...well, I'm not so sure about that. (Enlighten me on this though, for my perception on this issue can be changed ) When the dragon suddenly grew up by flying through clouds (another shocker) and spoke to Eragon after landing, I was quite unpleasantly surprised to learn that the dragon is female. I wasn't alone in thinking that as WH turned to me and had exactly the same query. Well, we would have known better if we had paid more attention to the opening credits when it read 'and Rachel Weisz as the voice of Saphira'. Clue number one, and a really big one, is Rachel Weisz as the voice over. Second clue, the name Saphira, sounds feminine. But forgive us, really, on not thinking the name might be for a female dragon as the naming of dragons is something we are totally unfamiliar with. Had we better acquainted ourselves with dragons this ignorant outbreak might have been prevented.

Alright, to justify why I think that way, I suppose it's because the dragon is a huge and fearsome creature that growls and snarls and spits fire. It sounding genial at one time and then snarling at the other instance just doesn't sit well with me. On the part about it being female: I was thinking of Draco from Dragonheart when I was watching this film. The voice of Sean Connery worked out well for the part of Draco, and I was kind of hoping the same formula be applied to this show. Apparently it wasn't and I was, as a result, surprised...unpleasantly.

What scares most is knowing Eragon is a trilogy. I seriously doubt it will gather enough supporters for part 2 and 3. I know I won't be watching the rest of the instalments after such a disappointing start. I will just let the others watch it first, and tell me if there are any improvements, if any of my friends are even going to watch it that is...

Where There Are Rodents

Sometimes I would see small furry things scurrying around in the park vicinity or at the places we walk in around town. I get kinda irritated because I'm used to seeing such things as rats. But over here, things are greatly different. Those critters are not annoying rats, but squrriels or even cuter, chipmunks. Never did I once see a rat or mouse snoop for food. Us Singaporeans, especially the girls, well, many times only the girls, gush when a squrriel or chipmunk is seen.

I remember one chipmunk got trapped in a pipe hole behind Rugrats Toonpike (a road safety kinda ride for the kids). We tried to get it out by using wood or sticks and getting it to climb onto it, but it always slipped on the wood (cause it was too smooth) and it would let go when we tried to lift the stick. Then it started to rain. Cynthia, Dawn and I decided to just throw in a few sticks to make a ladder for the little critter, and left the rest to him. Thank goodness it was gone when we returned a few hours later. By then the rain had stopped.

Trash TV

Oh I simply love the cable here! So much trash tv going on and so much selection! There are the usual fare that we are familiar with, like Desperate Housewives, Lost, and American Idol, just to name a few, and a lot more other tv series that are re-runs, like Friends, and those that never reach Singapore. There are also countless talkshows! Even Tyra Banks has a talkshow, goodness, I didn't even know that. Tony Denza has a talkshow too...but that was kinda lame; boxer-turned-comic actor-turned-talkshow host. Wasn't nice at all. The one that I will always love is the Jerry Springer show. That show is the epitome of trash tv! People just get on the show to talk about their personal lives, get pissed off with each other, and then just start fighting or slang each other off. Audiences also get to ask stupid questions. So much language was filtered that I couldn't make out what had transpired.

Having no tv here is definitely devastating. We felt the effect when we moved into the dorms. There is NO tv in the rooms, and it just sucks big time!! Good thing this American friend of ours, Austin, brought a tv from home. A 29 inch for heaven's sake!!! Good thing too, so now I may watch my usual fare of Family Guy, King of the Hill and American Dad when I am bored. Of course, that would mean I have to go to his room. He brought his electric guitar and classical guitar as well, and sometimes we would look up guitar tabs and play and sing along.

Noticed that McDonalds does not advertise as often as the other fastfood restaurants. Think it might be the less popular choice here. There are a whole range of other fastfood restaurants here, like Arby's, Wendy's, BurgerKing, Denny's, Friendly's, Hardee's (we suspect this may be Carl's Jr since the star logo resembles that of Carl's Jr in Singapore very much), Subway, etc...too many to name. Also, McDonalds have a 1 dollar menu, which means you can either get a sundae, or a Mcchicken, or cheeseburger, or 2 apple pies, and a few other choices, for only a dollar! How great is that???

Oh, they also advertise their pharmaceutical products on tv here too. But they also include a disclaimer for the customers to check with their physicians before using their products. So so different. Late night tv, meaning after 12am, is when the cuss words become uncensored, and the dirty tv unleashed. I didn't personally see one, but KJ had the luck to. Wahaha trash tv!!

A Blessing In Disguise???

Got really pissed off this one rainy Sunday when a few of us internationals from Nick Central were laid off for the day. Some of my colleagues started at 9.55am, while I started at 11.00am. After working about 2hrs each, we were told to go home because the number of guests in the park was less than 4000, and the number of kids coming to Nick Central were really few. We were told that a bus will be coming to pick us up at 1.00pm, but none came. We asked Human Resource, and they didn't know anything about it. We found out later that they have cancelled the bus because, at first they had wanted to lay off all the internationals, but if they had done that, some rides would be really understaffed, hence the number of internationals laid off would be only about 6 for the day. The next bus to come pick us up would be at 9.15pm. That means we have a long long long way to go!

Ok, so we were pissed at this treatment, but guess what? It's a Sunday (the crowd is usually less than on a Saturday), and it's cold and raining, and the number of guests in the park is less than 4000. That means we get to go on the rides, and not have to queue too long for it! So, Hypersonic and Volcano, here we come! I'm also happy because I get to go on the rides with my good friend MY, and fac mate WH too. This was going to be a sweet deal.

So we went on the usual level 4 and below rides. Then it came time to go on the Volcano.....WOW! The grandeur of the ride already intimidates; being ON the ride would certainly kill. But I guess it wouldn't be that bad, it's a roller coaster afterall. I guess...

Volcano: Canyon Blaster. At the load-up station, we were strapped in by our friend MS, who happened to be on shift at that period of time. When the 'all clear' sign was given, the brakes were released and the hanging coaster started out slowly and made a turn. Somewhere along the turn, it shot up to 72mph in 3 seconds unexpectedly, and I was holding on and screaming at the same time. The coaster just kept on going. It made a big round turn and suddenly we went into a tunnel, and after that, the coaster shot vertically upwards, taking us with it. Before I know it, we were shot from the top of the Volcano, with the park in full view. The screams continued, and the spiralling kept on going, with our legs dangling in the air. After a few revolutions around the 'volcano', the ride came to a stop, leaving everyone of us breathless. I simply loved it! The only complaint that I have is that the structure of the coaster does not look appealing. It could have been made much more attractive. But the ride itself was fantastic! The funny thing was I met C and WY when we left the ride, and they told me my sister was looking for me. When my sister finally arrived, I told them we have to go on Volcano again, this time with my sister, C and WY. A second helping was a totally new experience for me, and I must say, no matter how many times I have been on the ride, I would never get bored of it.

After this ride I told them that they would not be thrilled by the other rides, simply because Volcano is already the ultimate ride, on par with Hypersonic. However, top let them experience the other rides, we went on Avalanche and Anaconda, but of course they said that these were definitely not as thrilling. I would've asked them to go for Avalanche first, but the ride was down at that time, so we headed straight for the mean machine.

Then it came time for Hypersonic XLC, my dream ride for the summer. I have seen people go on the ride, and it seemed so damn scary. I wonder if I will make it out alive...WY and C sat out on this one. WY said she needed time to contemplate if she would want to take it. Ling, MY, Les, WH, my sister and I went on it instead. At this point in time, there were already no queue because it was late and raining.

Hypersonic XLC. I had my sister switch places with MY because we promised each other a scream-off. So, when the Hypersonic moved slowly into position, I was telling MY how good a friend she had been, and that might be the last time we would be speaking to each other. MY said that she'll see me on the other side, and I replied that I hope we would end up on the same side...

then the countdown started...

the anticipation was hell...

I knew that I am a person with slow reaction, so I've decided that before we were shot off, I would first start screaming, so that the scream would continue till the coaster is shot off. I kept shouting things like 'I'm scared!' or 'somebody save me!'

Finally...it shot us off.

Other than the white track ahead of me, every other thing was blurred, kinda like we were travelling at light speed. We went up 90 deg vertically and then made a U-turn to go 90 deg downwards. After that everything ended. It was all so sudden. I didn't even remember what the ride upwards was like since my mind was already messed up by the launch. 0 to 80mph in 3 sec...wow...

Maymount Park: Beautiful Serenity

Maymount Park is like a bontanic garden in the middle of the city. It is such a wonder that such a park can exist in the heart of the city. Other than the flora, there are the fauna. It is like a children's petting zoo where we got to see goats, cows, horses, bull (there was only 1) and other wildlife like foxes and bobcats. The great about it is that it is free! It's so amazing that the good things around here are free, but a donation is suggested. Had quite some fun in the park. There is even a Victorian house on the top of the hill and it looks wonderful.

Paramount King's Dominion: The Park

Ok, so our training starts only on Sunday (US time). The system here works like this: orientation are conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Trainings are held every Tuesdays, Thursday and Sundays. I didn't know that, otherwise I would've chosen a better date to arrive. So, given this situation, we have our Saturday free. And since we already got our security cards made, we are allowed to enjoy the facilities of the park. The rest of this entry is going to be me going on and on about how fun the rides are...wahahaha!

It's a Saturday, yes, and that means the park will be crowded. And it was crowded! Another reason for the crowd was the weather. The weather was exceptionally good, meaning it was sunny. I got quite a tan while queuing for the rides, but it was an ugly one since I was wearing a t-shirt. Tan line you know. On most other days, it would be raining. And when it rained, our breath would fog and the wind merciless...

We started with a mild ride: the Nickelodeon Space Surfer. It was those rides that just spins round and round, ascends and descends. We were able to control the height to which it would rise, only to a bit. Mind you, this is a kids ride, but KJ and I were scared to death because it rose to quite a height, and it was spinning at quite a fast speed. It got me rather dizzy when the whole thing ended. But, it's all good.

Then we went on to Rebel Yell, a wooden roller coaster. From what we could see, the Rebel Yell seemed like a fast (in terms of the duration that we would spend on the ride) ride and it seemed pretty harmless. I went on the first carriage and when it went over the top of the lift and revealed the rest of the track, I was like "Oh my God!!!" because the track is very long and scary. The initial dip is almost vertical, and I could hardly see the track when we were going down (this should tell you how steep it was). Following that was a series of ups and downs bent on flinging me out of the coaster. I tried to raise my hand up but it wasn't a good idea; wooden roller coasters, as I discover, are very jerky. If you don't hold on tight, you are going to lose your place, literally. So, as much as I wanted to raise my hand in the air and scream, I could only hold on tight and scream.

Rebel Yell was our first wooden coaster. Subsequently came Hurler and Grizzly. Hurler did not make that much of an impression on me, but the Grizzly did. It is the first wooden coaster of King's Dominion, and trust me, it was the most violent. My glasses almost fell off when it bumped me from side to side. The thing that separates the Grizzly from Rebel Yell were the violent twist and turns of the Grizzly, and you definitely have to hold on tight for this one. Definitely. Up till this day, I have been on the Grizzly 3 times and still loving it. Oh, I forgot to add that the unique thing about Rebel Yell is that 2 coasters simultaneously run together; one forward and one backwards. I've only been on the backwards coaster once because I didn't really like it, since I wasn't able to see where I was going. I am not the type to close my eyes during a ride so I'd prefer to see where I'm going. It adds to the fun of it all.

Right now, I am just reviewing the rides that we went on, in no chronological order, because at this time I have already forgotten the sequence in which we rode.

Ricochet, a mild steel roller coaster that has multiple twists and turns, but the twist and turns are sudden and it seems to throw you off the coaster ala Panasonic of Downtown East, except this is an outdoor ride. I suspect that's how the little girls were flung out of their seats, oops! It took a few screams from me so I would recommend it.

Tomd Raider: Firefall. This ride is kinda like the Cadbury Inverter of Downtown East. It spins the people like nobody's business and I tell you, if the restraints are not working well, I dunno how far one will be flung off to. The cool thing about this ride is the fire and the spurts of water that accompanies the ride. I dunno how to descride to you guys lah but I will just show you the video when I get back. It is a very exciting ride, KJ had a headache when he got off. "Hahaha!" says he when he saw my entry.

Shockwave. This is a standing coaster. Yes, we are standing on the coaster. And, there is a 360 deg loop. Wow! But, the truth is, it didn't really feel any different from the other coasters since there was support, and it just felt like I was seated. But the thing was, when we (my sis, her fren and me; KJ and WL at this point in time has gotten too tired of the rides) went on this ride, it was evening time and the temperature dips at this time of day. When the lift brought us up to the peak, the winds were freezing, and I was wearing only a t-shirt and a 3/4. But when we went down that drop and go up the 360 deg, all that just cold just went right out the window. It was a great experience, but not that thrilling.

Anaconda. This should be the longest coaster in the park. It is built over the lake, and one part of the ride brings the passengers through the underwater tunnel and then back up again. Oh wow, for this ride, I couldn't scream long enough because the drop was so lengthy! There is a corkscrew at the ending part of the ride. Overall, I am impressed with this ride, that is, until I rode on the Volcano and Hypersonic XLC. I will review these rides next time since I rode them on a later date. Basically, we all agreed that after being on Volcano and Hypersonic, all the others pale in comparison. That is why these 2 have a rating of 5. All the others have a rating of 4 and below.

Yup yup, so that is about all for the day. We also went on a few (maybe only about 2?) other kiddy rides, but the main thrill rides were about it.

Orientation: Getting Assimilated to the Paramount Culture

Ok, so the third day of our stay here was our orientation. Erin, the woman who has been liaising with us, turned out to be only 21 years of age, and she is attractive! At least that's what I think...but the rest agreed with me. If she goes for a diet, she could be a supermodel, and this is only my opinion.

So she told all about the rules and regulations of the park, then there comes the introduction to the city of Richmond, which she was very enthusiastic, because she lives in Richmond and she does a lot of hanging out. It made us very excited about the Downtown area, but that wasn't the case when we went there the day before. Maybe it was just that we got to the wrong places.

She told us that she will be taking us on a tour of the park. That got me very excited, but it turns out she only wanted to show us the important parts of the park which is only near the entrance. I was so so so disappointed! I saw the mega coaster structures in the distance and was so hyped up with the possibility of taking a closer look. I guess it will have to wait till next time then.

Other than the "tour" of the park, the rest of the time was spent in the training room, where we just listened to Erin talk. It was so so so tiring and boring. If I had the chance I would run out of the room.

And it was so sucky because they told us the next training would be held only on Sunday, so taht means we got the next day (Saturday) off. And since we would already have our security passes, we would be able to play in the park for free. That made me happy.

A First Look At A Real River

Yes, it was like 'wow!' when I saw the James River. It was vast, and had some rapids along the way. Wild ducks were flying here and there. Thought we could spear one and have it for dinner...

We went to the James River on the second day after our arrival. We had to take a bus down to the central of the city of Richmond in order to get to the James River. One thing about the bus system here is that no one knows anything about it. We had such a hard time trying to figure out which direction to go and what time the bus will come and have we already missed the bus. Really makes me appreciate the transportation infrastructure in Singapore. But the weather here is DAMN GOOD! I love it absolutely! I don't break a sweat even on hot days (ok, it's not the hot season yet but there were some warm days). When we asked for directions some of the people were really friendly, but some of them are just damn anal about talking to us.

So after seeing the James River, we crossed it to go over to Belle Isle. It used to be this area where the military would store their ammo and things there. Apprently many died there too due to dysentry and some other diseases. It was a depressing place but we did have fun taking pictures along the way, but it is strictly for the history and nature lovers. All others would find it far from civilisation and boring.

Walking around sure works up and appetite. We then went around looking for food, and came to this outlet called Quiznos Sub or something like that. There was an African-American guy and a white lady smoking at the outside. Apperently they work there as they were wearing the uniform. The guy saw us and wanted to get us to eat at their outlet, and came out with menus (those give away kind) and said, "Come eat, come eat". Hmmm...I'm thinking he doesn't know that we speak English. But after we asked them a few questions and after seeing that we can speak English, he spoke normally again.

The food portions here are really big as I soon come to realise and believe. The burgers are about 1.5 times bigger than their Singapore counter parts. Even the pizza slices are huge. They certainly astound me.

After "lunch" (we had lunch at about 3.00pm that day), we went around Downtown Richmond. We were just walking around aimlessly. There wasn't much to see there as it was mostly restaurants and residentials and abandoned buildings. Took a few pictures but it was just normal stuff, nothing too exciting.

Leavin' Touchdown and Livin'

Whewwwww!!!! Yah we reached Richmond like 2 days ago, but it's only today that we got to see the park, and it's also not much of the park, only the front park of it, the "more important part" of the park since we are having our orientation today. Was a little bit disappointed because I did not get to see the roller coasters that I so love...

Okies, will break this entry into a few parts because it's been quite a few days and many things have happened.

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Leavin' On A Jet Plane

Met KJ and WL in Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 6am in the morning. We were very very tired because we had slept only a little the previous night. I slept only about 4hrs and it is NOT enough. So we checked-in and hung around for a bit and then it was time to board the plane. The first thing KJ said to me when we got on the plane was that there were screens on the back of the seats, and immediately we got very excited since it means that there will be in-flight entertainment. Not too shabby...and the whole plane (interior) is purplish...hmmm...

Once we got settled we whipped out the "entertainment guide" and the system is called Dynasty ala SIA's KrisWorld. Movies that were available includes relatively new releases such as Brokeback Mountain, Chronicles of Narnia, Memoirs of a Geisha, Casanova, blah blah and some older ones such as Erin Brockevich (did I get her last name correct?). This is so good for me since I did not watch most of the shows that they were playing, and immediately we knew we weren't going to sleep for the long plane trip to the States.

So, when we were about 10000ft in the air, the entertainment system was activated, and KJ, WL and I jumped to Chronicles of Narnia. My sis watched Brokeback. I quite like Narnia, and I think I will write another entry to comment on that show.

But that was about it. After watching the show I got really really really tired and started exploring other options. The games were really lame, like those played by primary school kids. But there was this language game, and I chose Spanish out of German, French, Mandarin, and a few others that I cannot remember. I have now completely forgotten all the words I learnt from that game....=P

Started watching a little of Big Momma's House 2 but I was so tired that the jokes did not get to me, or maybe it wasn't even funny to begin with. You decide. It soon came time to descend to Taipei when I was only 1/3 into the show.

So we had to wait for about 3hrs over in Taipei. We took the skytrain from T2 to T1 since that is where we have to board the plane to the US. We were, at the same time, looking for places to have some food, and when we first got to T1, we couldn't find it, so we went back to T2 cause we thought the food outlets were in T2, at maybe some parts that we did not search. But oh my goodness...we asked this air stewardess (she was really unfriendly, used a very rude tone to talk to us, and she thinks she is wonderful because she can speak a little English. FYI, she's Taiwanese. We concluded we should have spoken English to her all the way and see how she funbles and laugh at her.) and this time, there were hundreds of people trying to get to T1. Such suayness on the first leg of our trip; getting to our intended destination comfortably, but no, we had to go back and then squeeze with a thousand people to get back to the same place.

The second suayness came when we boarded the plane to the plane to the US. Again, it was KJ who brought to my attention that there weren't any screens on the backs of the seats. ARGH!!!! All 4 of us got really really pissed with that plane. It would be a 10 odd hours ride of absolute boredom!!! Oh goodness...we were really pissed...Another thing was that on this flight, there were a lot of weird middle aged Taiwanese? Chinese? Vietnamese? Other Asian races? that don't seem to get the point of not unfastening their seat belts when the 'fasten seat belt' sign is on and not getting up and move when the plane is about to move/ the plane is still moving. At the time when we are already so pissed off all these people are still acting their antics and making things worse. But it was funny to see the crew scream at them, and gthe crew can really do some screaming.

We did a stopover at Anchorage, Alaska. It was unexpected for us because we did not know that was part of the itinerary. I was really excited because I saw glaciers and ice mountains. It was a pity that we did not get a lot of time to go around the small airport to take pictures; the ice mountains were really magnificent. My sister and I just took pictures from within the airport, and I hope it would turn out ok (I hadn't uploaded the pictures yet so I can't judge from the small LCD screen). We also went through the customs there, but it was really weird because we thought we would do that only in New York. But since Alaska is officially a part of the States now and we had entered the US, it kinda make sense to go through the customs there.

So we boarded the same plane but with a new batch of airline crew serving us. There was this air steward who was serving WL's aisle and he had an incredibly high voice and is quite gu niang. WL was absolutely buay tahan and I just kept laughing. But this air steward, despite all his gu niangness, had a rather fierce tone when he spoke. It was especially entertaining to see him shout at those miscreants who refuses to sit down. Then KJ and I would just give a pissed off look and say, "what is wrong with all thses people..." There were of course variations of expression and vulgarities were employed every now and then.

Oh I must mention the turbulence. There was such an unbelieveable amount of turbulence that the plane just tumbled up and down and left to right. There were approximately 4 waves of turbulence, each lasting about 20min. The funny thing was that the crew knew when to serve dinner; immediately after one wave of turbulence ended, they served us dinner, and immediately after they were done and cleaned up, the turbulence started again. It was exciting to have the turbulence since we were very bored, at the same time it made the whole affair very scary...what if something bad happens? .............

It was difficult to sleep with all the rockings and the noise (there were kids on board and yes, they were screaming. Plus, those middle-aged miscreants do not talk to each other; they scream at each other! Remains me of my neighbour), but we finally did so since we were very very tired. The publice entertainment system showed 1 episode of Zhong Yi Da Ge Da, King Kong, Hoodwinked (a very funny animated movie ala Shrek) among other things.


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Touchdown JKF Airport

Okies, so we waiting quite long for our luggages to appear. Quite fun pulling the luggages off the conveyor belt. Some of the passengers had enormous baggages that they themselves were unable to handle. A few even looked like they brought their whole family's property with them. Maybe they are seeking asylum in US. Again there were a lot of screaming and shoutings, the usual miscreants found guilty.

So, once I exited the luggages claim area a Hispanic male approached me. No prizes for guessing but yes, he works for a taxi company. He quickly assigned us to a taxi and we just took it. I asked the assigned taxi driver for the rate, but he wanted us to get to his car first before showing it to me. It wasn't a car actually, but a rover, so it was able to accomodate all our luggages. Then after he loaded all our stuff and we were settled in, he showed me that we had to pay $35 PER PERSON!!! It was such a rip-off and I was shocked. I had read that the journey should only cost $45 per taxi; this was completely ridiculous. I looked to the others and ask thme if they would want to continue. My sis and KJ said just take, so ok lor, just take. We were all very tired to try to seek alternatives. While driving from the airport to Port Authority bus terminal, the driver showed us the different things that is New York. He is hispanic, so I couldn't understand him sometimes. He saw that I had a camera in my hands, so he told me that taking pictures inside of moving vehicles are prohibited in the US. What a weird law!! It seems after 9-11 the govt are all paranoid and do funny things just to prevent the terriorists from striking again. But what difference does it make if I got down and took the pictures on foot? Hmmm....

Saw a glimpse of Times Square, and wow! It was so filled with lights, looked a little like Las Vegas. Then we came to Port Authority. We just paid him the bare minimum. I knew that tips are customary, but since he ripped us off more than he should, I decided to give him no tips. That decision came really easy.

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Inside Port Authority

As much as the name sounds impressive, that's all that there is to be impressed about. The insed is very old and dilapidated. I had thought that Jurong East interchange is old, but this is worse. But at least the whole area is air-conditioned. Not like we need it (cause it was freezing in NYC) but it's just a mention.

So we bought our Greyhound bus tickets. It was weird because they needed our ID (IC as we are accustomed to) to purchase the tickets. So I wanted to tell her (a African-American woman) my IC number, but then she said, "I need to see it". And after processing, she asked, "you mean you guys memorise your ID?" to which I replied, "yah". Then she said, "I dun remember my ID" and her colleague said, "I dun even know mine". So funny...

After purchasing the tickets we had about an hour to spare before we needed to board the bus, so we sat down at some area, on the floor. After a long while later, after we took turns to explore the area (there was this 24hrs mart that was lit, but there was no one inside, and the glass doors were locked too, but it said 24hrs. Hmm...funny) this African-American (AA) shouted at us from a distance, "Hey y'all yellow people," then came closer and said, "you guys gotta slide cause this place is closing soon" so we were like, "oh ok thanks". Seeing that we could speak English, he softened up a bit and asked,"You guys taking the bus or something?" so like, yah we are, "so just wait at the bus terminal alright?".

I concluded that they may sound and look fierce, but they are actually very friendly. It's just that we misunderstood their tone. While my sis and I were exploring the area, a middle-aged AA saw us, and he glanced at us a few times before asking in a rather stern tone, "what y'all looking for?" and I said, "oh we're just looking ard" and he just said, "oh". So I gather he really wants to help, just that the cultural difference made it sound to us like he was interrogating.

While waiting in line for the bus there was this man whom was really helpful (ok, most of them are damn helpful lah can?). I started chatting with him nd asked him about the transport system in NYC. Turns out he is there for frequent business trips and actually lives in Washington DC area. He told me that there are like a million other types of transport systems in NYC, so it's good since I would be able to make plans then when we are visiting after our program and not get ripped off again. I also asked him about what's there to see in the DC area, and he suggested all the museums. THEY ARE ALL FREE ADMISSION! Well, at least most of them are. I noticed he did not mention the new Holocaust museum, so I enquired. He told me to not waste my time with that, same with the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. I had thought he is a Jew by his appearance but it isn't apparently so with his reaction.

While on the bus, we weren't able to get a good night's sleep too because just right behind where my sis and I were sitting there was this young blond and supposedly her boyfriend. The problem is, she has some kind of cough and she kept coughing like she was about to puke blood or something. I was very worried that her germs will engulf my sis and I and make us sick since it sounded like she projected her cough to the front. Then at one point she kept wheezing and sobbing and saying that she can't breathe. Too bad I did not have any cough drops with me or I would have offered her some. Not that I am kind, but hopefully it will give me a peaceful night =P. Ok lah, I also sympathise since I had been in that situation before, but I think I at least know how to control and deal with it.

So we rode and rode and monotonously came to Richmond, Virgnia. Thank Heavens. This is where we are getting ripped off a second time. I told one taxi driver that we want to get to WEST Broad Street, and he quoted me a fare of $20. Then when we got on he asked, "EAST Broad Street?" I said, "no, WEST Broad Street". Little did I know that he intended to rip us off. When we reached the hotel, he said we need to pay another $35. Bloody hell! To hell with him and his family. But the receptionist at the hotel was a very nice middle-aged lady named Deborah. She introduced us this very cheap pizza buffet restaurant called Cici's Pizza. The 4 of us were really excited when we saw the spread. We stayed for about 2hrs, like how I usually do at buffets in Singapore. KJ and WL were surprised at how much my sister can consume.

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Howl's Moving Castle

Ok, ok, so check it out:

This movie is kinda weird; is that typical of all animes? Now I understand why I don't enjoy watching animes. The reason why I watched this one (is it even considered anime? what constitutes an anime anyway?) is only because it is dubbed in English, and by some big stars too. Christian Bale (Howl) and Billy Crystal (Calxifer) were among the voice overs. So I thought I'd give it a try.

Firstly, Howl is a wizard, and I thought he is some powerful wizard. But somewhere in the show he got seriously upset when Sophie (the "resident cleaning lady" in his "moving castle") mixed up the potions in his bathroom when she was cleaning it out. Turns out those potions were hair dyes and because they were mixed up his hair colour came out wrong (turned his hair red instead of keeping it blond). Then he threw a hissy fit and started melting. Like, don't he know his own potions?? Well...don't sound very wizard-like to me...imagine Gandalf behaving like that...quite scary isn't it, changing hair colour and throwing hissy fits and all?

Secondly, the moving "castle" is not a castle; it is rather some machinery that looks quite revolting. The title gave me the feeling that it would be something like a castle on a cloud (think Les Miserables), but it turned out to be so depressing...

The appearance of the castle is not the only depressing thing (the whole show is quite dark and depressing). They were apparantly in some kind of war: there were the use of very repulsive looking battleships by the different countries and then there were wizards and witches. Then there was this very powerful sorceress Madam Sullivan (she met with Sophie and said that she was Howl's teacher, but I couldn't be sure because everything in the show twisted and turned until I dunno what is the story about and who's who already) who wanted to try to destroy Howl, or it so appears. But at the end, when Howl and Sophie ended up together, Sullivan said something like it was time to end the war, and she called the war idiotic, which baffles me because it seems like she agreed to going to war in the first place. What has Howl got to do with the war anyway? Didn't quite get it...

There were many other things that I did not comprehend, and I beseech those who have seen
and understood the movie to please comment and enlighten me!! I would be so grateful...I would have to watch it again sometime 3 months later.

The only thing that I like was that the ending was of a typical happy ending; everybody found what they were looking for and were contented. Hmm...guess that should be enough for anyone right?

House Of Wax

Just finished watching this movie (yah yah, I know its a movie from a long long time ago). Wow...sure is gruesome, and quite unbelievable too. The whole freakin house is made of wax, literally! Liked the ending part when the whole house started melting under the heat of the fire, was so dramatic.

The story (for those of you who did not watch) is about a twin breaking down people's car off the interstate, getting them to go to their 'town', which was basically a small town made of waxed humans, for assistance with their automobile. The twins then kill, or sometimes they leave their victims alive, and waxes them; covering them from head to toe in wax. Ermm...very freaky, but it's refreshing, and I have to say, that quite a f*cked up way to die. It's a remake, so it was a story conjured up a long time ago, like 1950s, or something like that?

One thing I didn't like was that Paris Hilton's character died in the show, and quite ungracefully too. Speared through the head, right smack center of the forehead. Good aiming by the freak-of-the-twin killer, oh yah I must mention that he threw it 2 cars away. Bulls-eye. Hmm...Paris would've been a beautiful sculpture...

Ok, gotta watch some Simpsons now, make my mood lighter a bit, or else it will be difficult to sleep later.

CN2125 Wang Chi Hwa Tong Yen Wah

Had this paper today, felt so surreal. It felt like I was in a dream, one that I woke up and forgot about. But it would be like a premonition, one that I did not concern myself with, which later I'll find myself wallowing in pain and disappointment when the time comes for the truth to surface. Somehow I'm numb to the craziness, so it did not matter much that I lack the knowledge. Already it has been too much of a burden; I am glad it will be over soon.

Well anyway, it's only 5 days more to my Virginia trip. A 3 months vacation, and I had previously thought time will pass fast. But while I was studying for one of the exams I thought about time I was to spend in the States, and it occured to me that it was going to be a 3 months trip! Wow...felt kind of intimidated by the sheer length of time. I took comfort however, in the fact that I have my friends with me, and my sister as well. It's going to be 3 crazy months, an experience of a lifetime.

I mean, come on, be a ride operator?? When do you get a chance like that? After graduation it will be work work work...and then more boring work...office politics, back-stabbing to get that promotion that you desire, forming alliances, cutting people off...blah blah...

Of course this chance did not come easy. The greatest hurdle was the $3000++ we had to pay just to get ourselves there, and speaking of it still makes my heart ache.

Twister

It wasn't twister as much as I would like to call it, it came almost as bad as Katrina. Whoops! Didn't purposely name it after such a catastrophe but really it was just as bad, only difference is that it affected the mind. The effect of the damage done will stick for a while, at least maybe until I get to Virginia. CN2116...Mission Impossible.

There is an eighties band called Katrina and the Waves, had a hit song called 'Walking on Sunshine'. If only people had taken the band name more seriously...

In the midst of the Storm

Test test, test test, ahem...yah exams ongoing right now, and er...I just finished watching an epsiode of Family Guy, right after an episode of American Dad, yah...I'm pretty screwed for the coming papers.

But anyway, decided to create this site so that all you people can see what I, as well as Kee Jun and Wellian, are up to in Virginia. Will post photos occassionally, but it's gonna be tougher than just typing so, depends on available equipment I guess...

Oh and if you guys have any questions about anything in America, please post on the comments section, then I (or we) will check it out and make a comment on it. =)