.: Skyfall :.

There has been some mixed review of the latest James Bond movie - Skyfall, but like everything else in life, one can never please everyone.

The fact of the matter is that majority (with exception of a handful) of the reviews I have read and gotten so far is that it is indeed one of the best James Bond movies in the last 50 years.

Now, I have to first disclaim that I could not concur with such a bold statement as I am not such a die-hard great fan of the iconic shaken-but-not-stirred Bond, but I have caught a few of the movies on screen as merely for entertainment purpose - so I did have a few predecessing Bond movies to compare with anyways.

I have to admit that Skyfall is one of the best I have watched in the James Bond series and also in fact one of the better movies I have watch this year! I love this quote from one of the reviewers "Few things get better with age. Among things that do; a good scotch and, in his latest incarnation, Bond….James Bond."

And here is why I conclude so
(WARNING, SPOILER ALERT!)

The movie plot is simple thrilling & at a climax - all the way from it's opening sequence until the end. Unlike the previous few movies ago, this 23rd Bond movie is less gadgety (it's all back to the basic "gun & radio").

I must also note that Ben Whishaw played a very cute Q (youngest actor to have played Q in fact). I loved the conversation between Bond & Q when they first met, so pay more attention during that scene!

I also find this double-oh-7 movie a little bit less sexist, and I was surprise to find out that there are some out there who concurs with me (read here for an interesting article by The Guardian). Sure, there are still steamy scenes with hot babes (how can it be a Bond film without?), but the fact that the backstory of Sévérine being a victim of sex trade perhaps explain the reasons of the positions of all the other Bond women? Anyhows, I did left the movie without feeling that the babes were just merely eye-candies; all this with just a one minute scene of conversation. Well scripted, if I do say so myself!

Also kudos to the villian's role Tiago Rodriguez aka Raoul Silva, very well played by Spanish actor, Javier Bardem (looks a lot like Robert Downey Jr, don't you think so?) which, in my books puts him the same league as Joker in the Dark Knight! A role that "honored the bad guys of old, yet one that breaks new ground" is apt to decribe Raoul - which is all eccentric, sick-humoured and creepy with huge mummy-issues. The scene of Bond's first encounter with Raoul was also one of my favourite - where Raoul tells a symbolic & sinuous story of rats on an island and then proceed to behave suggestively towards Bond! (Oh, I just have too many of favourite scenes in this movie!)

The one that takes the cake, is M played by Judi Dench which is oscar-worthy in my books! In this film, it's really a lil less of Bond and a lil more of M, in a good way. I guess it's no huge secret that she died in the end (kinda sad really)!

So, in conclusion - well developed characters with great chemistry, back-to-basic-weaponary and fights, unconventional villian, awesome soundtrack with the same title by Adele (Her voice! Wow!), well-written script… Isn't that enough reasons for one to catch this highly anticipated movie? :)

Q: It always makes me feel a bit melancholy. Grand old war ship. being ignominiously haunted away to scrap... The inevitability of time, don't you think? What do you see?
James Bond: A bloody big ship. Excuse me.
Q: 007. I'm your new Quartermaster.
James Bond: You must be joking.
Q: Why, Because I'm not wearing a lab coat?
James Bond: Because you still have spots.
Q: My complexion is hardly relevant.
James Bond: Your competence is.
Q: Age is no guarantee of efficiency.
James Bond: And youth is no guarantee of innovation.
Q: Well, I'll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pajamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field.
James Bond: Oh, so why do you need me?
Q: Every now and then a trigger has to be pulled.
James Bond: Or not pulled.
Q: It's hard to know which in your pajamas. Q.
James Bond: 007.

.: Soft Kitty :.

Not feeling well of late.

Was laying a bed with the sniffles and slight fever, when I asked the Husband to sing to me

"Sing to me soft kitty" I tried my best Sheldon (The Big Bang Theory) impersonation.

I taught him the tune, and the Husband went along to entertain his much amused wife

Soft kitty, warm kitty;
little ball of fur,
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty;
purr, purr, purr.

.: The Big Bang Theory :.

The series that keeps me laughing & keep me sane mostly.

A must-watch!



Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors.

.: Time :.

"Our life is made up of time; our days are measured in hours, our pay measured by those hours, our knowledge is measured by years. We grab a few quick minutes in our busy day to have a coffee break. We rush back to our desks, we watch the clock, we live by appointments. And yet your time eventually runs out and you wonder in your heart of hearts if those seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years and decades were being spent the best way they possibly could. In other words, if you could change anything, would you?"


Cecelia Aherns : Love, Rosie

.: Singin' The Blues :.

Yesterday was feelin a lil bit down.

Was walking back to the carpark from a friendly archery tourney held at Berjaya Times Square organised by my dept.

The skies were grey, holding threat to rain anytime soon. It's been like that the past few days, an indication that we are heading in to a slightly earlier monsoon this year. As I walked alone, I feel miniscule droplets of water on my skin. I looked up, and the sky has indeed turned to a darker shade of grey, covering whatever lil sunrays we had just minutes ago. I contemplate increasing my leisure pace to my car, which is about another three minutes walk from where I was.

Nah, I said to myself. I rather enjoy my slow, leisure walk. And if it rains, so much the better.

I recalled a time when I was still in Form 5 (that was about a decade ago). The dad usually sends me to school, and I would walk back. That day, it was raining. Of course, I could have stayed in the canteen, have some fried wontan soaked in watered down chilly sauce which sells for RM1 for 3 huge pieces. Or I could stay in the library and catch up on some reading. But I thought to myself, I needed this.

So, the rationale part of me (thank goodness there was) made sure I took care of the books in my non waterproof bag. I left my text & work book at the desk of my favourite teacher (forget about the homework, I can always do it the next day; Somehow. Somewhat). And then I did it. I walked. Under the rain. It was liberating. It was exhilarating. It was just.so.ugh! As I walked, the rain soaked my uniform. My shoes & socks were filled with water from puddles that I walked on. As I wiped the mixture of rainwater and tears from my eyes, I felt so relieved. There's no need to put on that mask and just be who I really am inside.

I felt I needed that so much yesterday.

Unfortunately, like that to the promises made by politician, the promise of rain by the nimbostratus clouds didn't crystalise and I left that carpark still feelin the blues.

.: Short Stories :.

It’s been a while since I last blogged. As always, just too much on my plate to juggle, just too little time.

Priorities has (yet again) shift, me being more into watching series these days (no thanks to my current boss introducing to me this site which allows me to watch the latest series the very day it's airing). I am currently watching HIMYM up to their latest episod and I also finally joined the bandwagon of The Big Bang Theory. Speaking of series, I very much liked the one that Benedict introduced to us - which is Suits.

Finally, a series that both the Husband & I unanimously agree to. No more scissors-paper-stone-ing to see who gets to what which series first - Glee or HIMYM.

Suits is appealing to the Husband very much because it relates to what he's doing. You see, this series is about corporate lawyers (nope, not like Ally Mcbeal, totally different league) who is coniving & brutal, characteristics one would need to survive the dog-eat-dog corporate world.

I particularly love the show due to it's witty-but-not-lame humour (similar reasons to why I love watching BBC's Sherlock series)

Unfortunately, we consumed the two seasons like hungry wolves and hence have to go on a Suits hiatus until the new season airs early next year. Why, oh why?

Benedict has also introduced us to New Girl, but the Husband wasn't too keen. As for me, I am just mesmerised by Zooey Deschanel's beauty (she is just so mesmerisingly beautiful! Really!) and the series is quite good, but because I am spoilt for choice, I do rank HIMYM, Criminal Minds & (currently) The Big Bang Theory higher then New Girl. And when Suits & Sherlock comes in next year, I am gonna be swamped by series-watching.

I have given book-reading a rest, so I still have 17 more books to go to complete my #52booksin52weeks challenge. I still think it's achievable if I start to proactively kickstart my reading again and scale back a little of watching the addictive series. Ah, the typical first world dilemma (#firstworldpain).

Oh, and if you must know, I have also butchered my hair to bob-short now, throwing away about 12 inches of my locks. I am still in a i-love-my-haircut mode, but I got a gut feel that I will be regreting this decision in the near future. Typical women, no?

.: Foolin' Around :.

The cousins, the brother and I fooling around after our mini project.

It's gonna be an awesome weekend two weeks from now! :)

Yup, my hair is finally short! About 12 inches snipped away! :)

.: Wake Up, September Has Ended :.

Holla all! Today's the day where you smack silly all your friends who have requested to be woken up when September ends. I shall not even start on how many people on my Facebook & Twitter alike have posted / tweeted that *facepalm* [or was is *palmface* - I can never remember]

It's indeed a beginning of a new month, and also the beginning of the last quarter of the year. Personally, today will be a time of reflection for me. Of how far I have been and how far more I will be going. And tho I must admit that I am feeling a bit down the last few days (probably also due to the fact that I was feeling under the weather - with the coughing & wheezing & backaches & sore throat), I am still thankful for God's shower of blessings in my life.

There is so much more I want to do before the clock strikes twelve to mark the new year.

I would love to at least substantially complete my interior house décor to make my crib a lil more homey. I would love to get my hands down and dirty with all the arts & crafts ideas lined up on my Pinterest board, tempting me to try. I would love to try out more new recipes, using and testing ingredients that I have never used before, pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I would love to get another property for investment, better still if it's of a different portfolio mix of that we already have. I would love to spend more quality time with my family and not forgetting more quiet time with our Heavenly Father. I would love to travel to a new place (even if it's local). I would love to whip out my camera, wipe the dust of it's lens and take a few good shoots. I would love to complete my 52 books read this year challenge. I would love to lose the pounds I have gained (and even more) to achieve a healthy weight.

There's really so much to be done, but I shall conquer it a step at at time.

Til then, goodbye September, hello October! :)

.: Study Room Colour Theme :.

My study / reading room colour theme! Gettin' there!