Love Is All Around....

Ahhh, the Valentine weekend has come and passed by in a flash, just as Chinese New Year did…. So how did your romantic evening with your special somebody go?

It’s really amazing how fast time flies, and I was just wondering to myself just the other day, this is my 9th Valentine’s Day with Sharon!! 9 years of thinking of what presents to get and how to celebrate!!! Well anyway, we spent it in the most comfortable way….. a weekend together (well MOST of it until the Manchester Derby) and a nice meal at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao on V-Day itself to top it all off. (BTW the meal almost killed me… dun order Xiao Long Bao + Pan-Fried Xiao Long Bao + Guo Tie in one sitting. It’s like eating the same thing 3 times… argh….)

People have always asked me, after so many years don’t you run out of ideas of what to get, where to go, etc?? Well I always answer truthfully…. I never DID have any ideas to start with!!! Hahah… no no… seriously I try my best to think of what Sharon would appreciate the most. It doesn’t have to be expensive (although she may beg to differ) but more importantly, it should be something that would have a lasting effect on her such that she will never forget this present. I know I have made quite a few mistakes over the years and she can vouch for it but as time goes by, I guess I’ve learnt not to make too many rash decisions…. I think… You guys must be wondering though… what exactly DID I get for Sharon?? Hahah this you can ask her yourself…. As of this moment she still hasn’t exactly got it due to...well… a series of unfortunate events.


On another note though, it was great talking to Rey and Wen yesterday about our relationships and how they are progressing. You can really see the difference in the status according to the years we’ve been together…

- Of course, Sharon and I are the laidback seniors who look and see over everyone else, keeping it simple yet romantic with the little things that we do;

"The Wisest Couple around...."

- Wen and Celia who have been together for quite a few years now are starting to move up another level, by having V-Day dinner at his house with his beloved mum doing the cooking (!!?!)

"The healthiest couple i know of. Fruits and veges all the time...."

- Rey and Didi are not far behind Wen and Celia although they are STILL in their honeymoon period…. Don’t ask me how but Rey seems to be channeling as much energy into his relationship as he does with his work and football…

"Didi and Rey. It all started with 'Daidi'...."

- Jo and Huili are the latest to join our couple club. Seeing them together brings back a lot of memories for the rest of us, reminding us of the good old days when the relationship was just beginning! Plus point is of course, seeing 2 good friends together although I think Huili is STILL gonna kill me someday for erm… not getting permission from her? Hahaha

"Jo and err... Huili? Well close enuff la.... Dun have a pic of em together yet so this'll do."



Inevitably though, how a relationship turns out depends on how both parties approach it. It is NEVER dependant only on one party no matter how hard he/she tries (even if you are Rey) so always remember these 3 pointers:

1) R.E.S.P.E.C.T. - ALWAYS give your partner the respect that he/she deserves.

2) COMMUNICATE – Always talk to each other coz that’s the only way you’re gonna learn more and more about each other.

3) BREATHE – Yes, breathing space for each other. Everyone’s entitled to his/her own time so don’t suffocate your partner by squeezing the life out of them.


That’s my ramblings about love and relationships man… I hope you’ve learnt something from this post of mine ah… In the meantime, Love Is All Around us!!!

Bom Bom Boy!!

Ha. Was just admiring my erm.. slightly neater room when i thought i'd share this with you all. My current favorite bed sheet.. Bomberman!!!


"Bomberman rocks!!"

Looks like a kid's bed doesn't it? Haha... ah well i always get the cheery feeling when i look at this... especially after a long day of work and you can't wait to just lie down and go to sleep. Maybe that's why i'm always so young at heart.... hmmm....

Million Dollar Movie....

Ahhh... it's been a long time since i caught a really good movie... think it's coz of a combination of factors... work, soccer, lack of good movies, etc... BUT on CNY Eve, i managed to catch one of the best shows i've seen in a long time: Million Dollar Baby!!

Yes yes... i hear all the Tim Critics again... "Tim's gonna call it brilliant again...", "Tim said it's good? Of course!!", "Excellent stuff from Tim again..." ..... BUT i must stress this time, this show is really worthy of all the praises from me!


Anyway about the show, first of all i must say the title DID come across as a little dodgy... i mean... Million Dollar Baby?? First thing that came to Yee Chung's mind was that it's about a rich baby, first thing to came to MY mind was Stephen Chow's rubbish comedy, Sixty Million Dollar Man. Truth is though, after watching the film, you'll realise it's a very apt title. Long story short, all i can say is that it's about a Boxing Coach, Frankie (played by an extremely old Clint Eastwood) who trains a young and eager white-trash boxer-wannabe, Maggie (Hilary Swank... now i know why everyone's nuts about her in Boys Don't Cry!!).

Story seems pretty simple and straightforward doesn't it? But you'll be well surprised if you sit through this show knowing nothing about it. Along the way there are twists and turns you just wouldn't expect, and there are lots of added elements that make this film so interesting to watch. One of these would be Morgan Freeman as Eddie, the ex-boxer who's the caretaker of the boxing gyms the film situates around. Man, this guy is so brilliant and intense in all his roles that you just think that EVERY show he acts in is a classic. (Can't really ever forget his role in Shawshank Redemption...) The banter between him and Eastwood are the best to watch in the film for all it's wit and emotion..... 2 heavyweights who really throw their weight around in the film to make it such a joy to watch. This is NOT taking anything away from Hilary either, with her buffed body and Southern accent just serving to create the image of Maggie that i think no one else would have pulled off.


"No it's NOT a film about Richie Rich as a baby...."

Tim's Movie Rating - Million Dollar Baby ====> 4.5/5
As i said, an excellent film with lots of elements put together to create a really wondrous piece of cinema. It may seem a little slow at times but you'll soon realise its these moments, with strategic moments of silence and mannerisms by the actors, that make the strongest punch (pardon the pun) in the movie. Truly a boxing film like no other so be prepared to be knocked out by the impact this movie will have on you!

Happy New Year!!!

Gong Xi Fa Cai and Happy New Year to all of you out there!!! It's the start of yet another year in the Chinese Calender and this year, it's time for the CHICKEN to take centrestage!! Here's to a great year ahead for everyone, in terms of health, work, relationships and erm... soccer (go Man Utd!!)!!!


Chu Xi (CNY Eve) was the same as every year, with mum preparing a sumptuous dinner and 2 very welcome guests: "Myanmar" (the Myanmese dude who takes care of dogs near our house who has joined us for the 3rd year running), and Sharon (do i need to explain?). This year though, my sis managed to get something special for us..... check it out below...


"Lou Hei!!!"

Yup yup... we finally had a dish of Yu Sheng to start off our dinner!! Seems that Alvin (my sis' bf) has an aunty who sells these at affordable prices and we managed to get it at $28. Not too bad considering the size and taste! The nicely prepared Yu Sheng you see in the pic by the way, was largely due to my sis taking her time to place the items nicely on the dish (with the help of a pic in the article in Life of coz...). Anyway to top it all off, Sharon helped to say the Mandarin "cheng yus" while pouring the sauce and stuff over the dish while i translated it in English for the sake of everyone else on the table.... of coz i ALSO needed a li'l help from the newspaper article. :P


Dinner was brilliant of course, which is always the case whenever mum cooks and it was time for the night activities!! While "Myanmar" stayed back to catch Spider-Man 2 with the rest of my family, me and Sharon decided to catch a movie with the rest of the gang at Plaza Sing! It's been a really long time since we all went out together and it was great to be out with them for such a gathering once again.


"3 prosperous stooges"

Aside from these 3 stooges, Yaohan, Ivan, Shikai also made it to watch the movie, Million Dollar Baby, which i must say is an excellent show... i'll write up a review soon for it but if you've got the chance, go catch it if you can!

Anyway, as you can see, Wen was wearing his beloved new Man Utd jersey for the first time, complete with the number 7, the name of which is left to your own imagination. Amazingly, i felt like wearing a United jersey on the day too (as always) and we turned out looking more like a couple than me and Sharon... argh....


"United red is the IN colour this season..."

On the plus side, it's a sign of Man Utd's togetherness and that's really really crucial for the rest of the season if we ARE to catch up with moneybags Chelsea although it still looks like less and less likely. The 2 points dropped by Chelsea last weekend however, is a glimmer of hope and being a United fan, i ain't gonna give up on the title just yet!!


Last but not least, the moment i've been waiting for in months has finally arrived. The new Lancer Dancer has come to town just in time for the new year!! It's really a work of art and the colour and design is just absolutely mouth watering.... Kinda sad to say goodbye to Black Lancer though... It's been with me for years and has gone through so much with me... haiz.... Ah well, there's always time for a change though rite? And i'm sure this change'll be for the better!! A red car to bring in good luck for the new year loh!!!!


"A new Car for the New Year"

In the meantime everyone, enjoy the good food and angpaos yea.... i know I AM!!!

Phoney decisions....

Something weird happened on Tuesday. Client amazingly decided to go home a little bit earlier, around 8-ish, and i thought i'd pop by to West Mall to finally get what i had been eyeing at all weekend.



Nonono... NOT the white lady on the right you ass.... but the SLEEK, STYLISH and BOLD Nokia 7270. A work of art if you ask me and the best reason to buy a clamshell phone at the moment. (yes Wen, an even better reason than your RazR!!)

Well anyway, i went there and picked a number to wait for my turn, knowing full well that they had reserved a set for me over the weekend already. There i was then, waiting for my turn, but at the same time i kept thinking: Should i change my phone now? Really? Really really? Being the sensible person that i am then, i decided to look at the plus points for both phones.

========================================

Nokia 7270
1) Sleek.

2) Stylish.

3) Bold.

4) Err... new?

2 yr-old 6100
1) Working perfectly fine.

2) Slimmer than the 7270.

3) Brilliant at SMSing. (yea even better than the 7270)

4) No need to flip to dial/SMS.

5) Sentimental value (been my closest pal for 2 years....)

========================================

And there you have it. In those 45 mins and just 1 person before my turn, i finally made my decision. My 6100 barely made it past the strong challenge of the 7270 and here i am, SMSing yet again in my old Nokia. I guess there's really no need to spend $600 on something you really don't need yea? Well at least that's what i've been trying to convince myself the past few days.

Maybe one day i will change my phone, but when i do, i guess it must be the right time and i must have the right feeling. Speaking of which, i'm starting to have a little bit of that feeling again..... hmm... regrets?? Hmmmmmm.... HMMMMMMMMMMMM.


The weekend beckons.

Henry, what's the score???

Another classic match between United and Arsenal last night.... and only one team walked out the winner.


"Awwwww... dun feel too bad about yourself yea?"

An excellent game of football, with a touch of added spices such as yellow cards, red cards, diving, head-butting, oh yea... and of course... goals!! 6 of em in fact!! Today, we showed the Arsenal who we really are. Not some bunch of thugs who will muscle you off the pitch, but rather one that will outperform you with pure grit and determination. What a great feeling it is..... on to the Champions' League then!!


PS: Watch out Chelsea.