Jindabyne

I've had this entry saved in my blog for a while but just never get the chance to finish it. Unfortunately blogging from work is out of questions, just seems so busy with the new job at the moment, and so will have to leave it at weeknights or weekend to do my blogging, hence the extreme lacking of content off late. Kinda fustrated, but such is life.... Anyway, me, Pete and Dave went to check out Jindabyne at Mandarin Centre in Chatswood last weekend. Jindabyne is a place in Australia famous as a skiing resort, but a movie about a murder in Jindabyne region does sound interesting and got me to go and find out what's all about.

Stewart Kane (Gabriel Byrne), an Irishman living in the Australian town of Jindabyne, is on a fishing trip in isolated hill country with three other friends when they discover the body of a murdered aborigine girl in the river. Rather than return to the town immediately, they continue fishing and report their gruesome find days later. Stewart's wife Claire (Laura Linney) is the last to find out. Deeply disturbed by her husband's action, her faith in her relationship with Stewart is shaken to the core. She wants to understand and tries to make things right. In her determination to help the victim's family Claire sets herself not only against her own family and friends but also those of the dead girl. Her marriage is taken to the brink and her peaceful life with Stewart and their young son hangs in the balance.

The format of the movie is very similar to Ray Lawrence's previous movie, Lantana, which I think I prefer more than this one. Jindabyne is actually an adaptation from a short story by Raymond Carver, "So Much Water So Close to Home". This is a powerful movie just like Lantana, but to most it probably bit slow and dull. Great casts all around in the film and they all giving a great acting top class performance. You don't see alot of independant films that are well made like this from Australia. Despite this is a well-crafted movie, I myself can't really say that I am truly connected with the story. I understand the meanings what the movie trying to convey but perhaps I am probably not in the set of mind to accept topical messages in flicks. Overall, it is a great experience to go and watch a truly well made Australian film, a nice change from the casual US flicks.


Story :

Popcorn Level :

TOTAL :8.0/10

I ♥ OKGO

My new found love in music, OK GO is the man, or the band, who totally rock my socks off! A swedish band of 4 members is storming the US chart with their latest album "Oh No", well it's not new cuz the album released August last year, but is more of their latest viral music clips that makes them the talk of the town. I came across to this band because of their latest hits, "Here it goes Again", with the most ingenius home-made music clip ever produced, on treadmills had been sent around on internet through you-tube. And from there, I've discovered their first home-made music clip A Million Ways, which is just as hilarious and clever, and not surprise how they become so big now in US. It is the power of digital, their home-made quirky dance routine music clip had been uploaded on you tube, and they also came up with the dance contest, and now everyone is uploading their own music clips of themselves doing the A Million Ways at parking lot, school performance etc. Heaps of fun. I love it.

They are not big in Australia... well not yet anyway, I couldn't find their album in the shops. I've decided to buy it online through their own website. I was surprised to receive an email from the lead vocal Damian Kulash, sent me email thanking me for ordering stuff from their website. Then I also found the bass of the band, Tim Nordwind, he actually has a flickr account, with audioblog, asking people to bring a drawing of wookie playing drum, or a stamped canadian postcard to their gigs. I think is cool for them to get involved and interact with the fans, it makes them special and no surprise, the best way to be successful. Well, I definitely digging them.

If you never seen their clips before... then is a MUST!! I also recruiting people for the dance off of the "A Million Ways"! C'mon is gonna be so much fun!!!

My new job

This week is my first week at the new job, and today is my 3rd day, I am liking it so far. My daily routine kind of alternated a little which is a nice fresh change. I never commute using public transport to work before, and this is my first time taking train into city to work. The last few jobs just never really got the chance to use public transport really. First job I lived in newport, and drove to Artarmon to work, 2nd job I drove from Chatswood to Balmain, and last job is a 10mins walk from Crows Nest to St Leonards, and now, I take train from St Leonards into Central and walk to Surry Hills. It seems boring to most people out there but for me is kind of fun and exciting. I like seeing people, cramping into the same cartridge with them in the train. Curious me like to know what newspapers and books they reading, what music they are listening, how they tilt their heads while snoring their heads off on the way home, is all new to me.

Today is only the 3rd day at my job, things have been slowed, which is kinda expected for the 1st week anyway. They have ordered a PC for me, which it hasn't arrived, so I am on a Mac for time being. So can't really do much, cuz is my boss' machine. No pornography download I guess.... ha! But looks like it will be a great environment to work with. A much much smaller team comparing to the last job, which is good, so everyone gets to work with each other more and communicate better. Funny thing is I am like working in a little London, I think 99% of the people here are Pommies. It's almost like watching the UK reality tv shows on Lifestyle Channel. They surely like their tea, weather, bangers and mash. (I think my boss is reading my blog, HI!!! ;) But yeah, we shared bit of excitement in office during hailstorm yesterday. So looking forward to work with the team and have some fun!

Confetti

It's my first day at my new job and everything is kinda slow. So thought I will just do bit of blogging to kill some time before I finish work for the day. I've seen Confetti weeks back with some mates, and never really got the chance to update so thought will do it now. And thanks to Mark and George for inviting us to the movie, I absolutely enjoyed it very much so.

Confetti the movie is a mockumentary following 3 couples as they battle it out to win the title of "The Most Original Wedding of The Year" which runs by a famous wedding magazine in UK called, you guessed it right, Confetti. All three couples have their own dreams and would like to have their passions executed as their wedding ceremonies to win the half a million dream home. Of course, Confetti organiser had also invited a gay couple, who are the most popular wedding planners in town to help them out, by coming up with some dazzling funny dance routines, with tennis balls. Don't want to ruin it for you, so you have to go and check it out and see who's gonna win the title at the end.

Confetti is such a great movie, english comedy at its best!! All the characters in the movie are fantastic include Martin Freeman, famous for his heart-throbbing role in The Office and also the funny comedian, Jimmy Carr. Not just them, Vincent Franklin and Jason Watkins are just hilarious as the gay couple wedding plannners which the characters are based on the famous gay coupled artists, George and Gilbert. They are probably the funniest characters in the movie. Well, the tennis players came pretty close to be the 2nd funniest.

Seriously, this movie is a crack up. Well, I know so, cuz I have never seen anyone laughed so whole heartedly in the cinema than Nick, one of Mark and George's mate. I think the whole cinema pretty much laughing with him in the end. But yeah, is a MUST SEE, highly recommend it.


Story :

Popcorn Level :

TOTAL :8.5/10

My Last Day

The day has come..... finally today is my last day at work with my current employer. Despite all me whining and swearing, I am sure there will be things I miss here, like the conveniency to walk from home to work, the sleep ins, the free snacks.... ok ok... I don't miss the work much here, but I am sure the work is same everywhere you go really... is up to myself to make it interesting, but of course having people listen to you is quite important as well.

So I am pretty much looking forward to my new job next week, start straight off Monday, no rest for me. But is cool, cuz I have a big Japan trip coming up in October, so I am pretty chuffed. Oh oh! I got the final pay check yesterday as well... planning to get myself a macbook with the money so I can flickr and blog while I am in Japan. Always wanted a macbook but never find a good excuse enough to own one, now I do!

3 days to go...

Yep, 3 more days... I am counting....

Groundhog Night

My machine is back, thank god!!!! Thank god the computer shop knows what they are doing, all my data is safe....altho all the programs I've installed will be gone and have to reinstall all over again. But that's okay, so long my photos and freelance work are safe. Hence, the lack of updates on my blog, my photoblog, and also on my flickr. I spent whole night last night installing softwares, boring as...

Anyway, that's over now, everything is back to normal, so I thought I will do a quick update about the Groundhog Day man. Around 6.15pm, I was walking home from St Leonards, just another typical night. I normally do have a camera with me on my way home just in case I see anything that catches my attention but I didn't do it last night, couldn't care less and just wanted to get home and get on internet ASAP after suffering from internet-deprived. As I was crossing the street, well I didn't wait for the traffic light to turn green, so I just crossed and stopped half way in the middle of traffic. There were few people followed suit and we all stuck in the middle in the traffic waiting for the cars to get passed so we can continue our crossing. Seriously, I didn't even notice the Groundhog Day man was actually standing there on the same traffic island until we continued our crossing. He didn't really see me until we both passed each other heading towards different directions. He did a double take, and I just gave him a weird stare and continued my way home.... consider that some sort of acknowledgement.

PC down

Fuck! fuck! fuck! Finally learnt my lesson by downloading cracks for softwares! Now my PC is fucked and I couldnt retrrieve my data and now I can't even run it. The whole damn thing just keep rebooting itself over and over again and when it does, the explorer sucks up over 1gb memory!!! Totally fucked and I am very pissed off!!!! So you won't see me much on msn, and also will be lack of updates on blog and photos, because everything is fucked up!!!



Grrrrrr.r.r...........

Who would drop the baby first?

My blog definitely needs some participation from the home viewers and blog audiences, because I know there are alot of people creepily reading my blog, like an old grandma stalking next door neighbour to see what they are up to. I was day dreaming earlier... about babies.... yep, Babies!!!! People around me starting to have babies!!! My brother is having one, Adam (naddsy) is having one too!! Nicole Kidman told me she might have one as well!!! Michael Jackson said his baby is growing, and Britney Spears told me she still not sure how to hold the baby properly!!! If you have to choose:

Michael Jackson VS Britney Spears : Who will drop their baby first and why?

Obsession

Everyone got an obsession, cuz I know I do. I am obsessed with empty boxes and air refreshner so am told. The empty boxes is not much of an obsession but I tend to have lots of empty boxes in the house that I keep rather than throwing them out, because I always think they will put into good use one day. Well it all started when I had my online toyshop www.figuro.com, selling vinyl figures online. I started collecting empty boxes and even went to Marrickville to buy them in bulk, because I do need to post the toys out quite frequently and need lots of empty boxes. And my Ebay addiction is not helping either cuz I do get quite alot of parcels send to me every month, and empty boxes always will be kept rather than throwing out and thought I can use them to post other things out again. So yeah, there are some empty boxes under the stairwell, in my office, in the kitchen, up the attic.... I've been warned by Pete I need to throw them up occassionally. But it is so hard to part with them since they are good boxes with packing bubble wrap and popcorn inside!!! How can I just throw them away when I know I would use them one day!?!??! So sad.....

Another thing, air refreshner... oooohhhh yes...... I love my air refreshner..... lounge room air refreshner, car air refreshner, or even the toilet flush air refreshner, I am obsessed by them!!! Everyone time we go groceries shopping, I will always stop by at the cleaning kit aisle, and looking for the latest air refreshner. I can spend a long time standing there, scratching the pack, sniffing every single one of them. Sometimes Pete will even pretend he sees something further down the aisle to get my attention, so that he wishes I will walk past quickly without noticing the air refreshners. NO WAY JOSE!!! I have the Airwick timer air refreshner at home, it is probably the best air refreshner in town. They are not cheap, but they tend to last longer than others. Oh not just that, I like my carpet smells clean, so I also started using those air refreshner sand powder which you sprinkler on the carpet while vacuming. It leaves a nice trace of scent on the carpet. Lovely!!! Yep, I am obsessed with air refreshner, let just consider it my own aromatic therapy.

I found this website, totally dedicated to shoe lacing, and I thought is kinda cool yet bit obsessive. Not sure how many people will consider shoe lacing as an hobby and set up a website fully dedicating to just shoe lacing. Ian from melbourne definitely has made an impression of himself with his shoe lacing website. Gosh, I still remember the Checkboard lacing method (pic above), it was soo IN back in early 90s during my teenage years. It's like one of the coolest kid who knows how to do the checkboard lacing!!! I think is probably the New Kids On The Block influence. I definitely should bring back the checkboard shoelacing method back into my fashion sense. Wait a second, I just bought a weaved Camper shoes. HA!