156 posts tagged “fave”

I don't know how I ever thought of checking out Asimo while in Japan. But I just found myself asking Atsuko-chan when we had drinks how to see Asimo. And being the science and technology journalist that she was, she knew exactly how and where. So on the morning I was flying back to Bangkok, I went to the Honda showroom in Aoyama. My luck, they had an Asimo demonstration that Sunday morning. And oh my goodness, move over Arashi and Takuya, I'm in love with another Japanese. His name is Asimo. And he's a robot.

It's been two years since I was last there.
And I missed it so.
As Puffy Ami Yumi sing: "Tokeeeeoooohhhhh I'm on my way!!!!"

Just a note on what I want to do on this visit, not necessarily in the following order:
* watch the cityscape from the Tokyo Metropolitan Building in Shinjuku
* have a drink at the Park Hyatt (@cnngo recommends to go there at sunset and leave before 6pm to avoid the killer tax surcharge)
* meet up with Atsuko-san
* catch the screening of Snowfall in Taipei at the Tokyo International Film Festival
* check out Uniqlo and HMV and the bookstores
* watch the Shibuya crossing from Starbucks
* eat sushi & sashimi at Tsukiji
* say hello to Tokyo Tower again
* check out Roppongi (which is near my hotel)
* maybe check out Harajuku too and the shops in nearby Omotesando

Oh so many things I want to do, I hope there will be time! I just want to sit back and soak in Tokyo this time.

I finally got to watch Cape No. 7, the movie that swept Taiwan last year.
I didn't blog it not because I was lazy but in deference to recent circumstances.
The movie did not disappoint though there was absolutely no chemistry between the leads.
Quite ironic since the two are supposedly dating in real life.
I like the soundtrack and DON'T WANNA, sang by Van Fan, the lead actor, is my fave.
I specially like the opening when he rams his guitar on the pavement and shouts: "FUCK YOU TAIPEI!"

Sing along!

So many times I've tried
Put in my heart and soul
Never good enough for you
I'm sick of all your lies
It's time to realize
I'm better off without you

Don't wanna be a fool and a slave
To satisfy your needs
Not gonna waste my time and my life
To settle in your dreams

You said it's over
It's never over
It's time for something new
I tried so hard
To get this over
To follow something new

So many times I've tired
Put in my heart and soul
Never good enough for you
I'm sick of all your lies
It's time to realize

I'm better off without you

Don't wanna be a fool and a slave
To satisfy on your needs
Not gonna waste my time and my life
To settle in your dreams

Your said it's over
It's never over
It's time for something new
I tried so hard
To get this over
To follow something new

Your said it's over
It's never over
It's time for something new
I tried so hard
To get this over
To follow something new

I just finished watching Black&White and am I glad it's over.

The characters in this drama move in a very small world and the people around them are either a long-lost relative/ lover, a spy/ mole or a killer out to get them. And no happy endings either for the good people: the informer who just wanted to spend his dying mother's last days, the police mole who just wanted to retire and marry his girlfriend, the old cop whose retirement has already been approved... all killed. Where is justice in this world?! And for a police drama, paraffin tests, DNA tests are unheard of; even checking the peephole before opening the door is not something one would do, or calling for assistance when they're outnumbered by the enemy. Truly, there were a lot of stupid things that the characters did in this drama, which made it a pain to watch especially during the second half.

And the most unacceptable factor for me is the basic foundation of this drama. A would-be-president, his illegitimate son, the love of his life, his best friend, the best friend's daughter and the daughter's love interest. The ties just defy logic. And the romance just brought down the entire story. It was totally unnecessary and completely annoying (now I hate not only the lead female character but Ivy Chen herself)!

Zaizai is good as the bumbling cop with a mysterious past, he provided the much-needed comic relief. Of the F4, I liked Zaizai the least but I found myself liking him more here. Of course Zhao You Ting is the biggest discovery of the year in Taiwan and for a newcomer, he can really act. Where do I get a number to be Mrs Zhao?

I admire Tsai Yue Hsun's work but he has the tendency to over-extend things until they become too exaggerated for comfort. The first half of this drama was fun and riveting to watch but everything falls apart in the second half when all the conspiracies and complicated ties start to unravel. Too many subplots to handle. All in all though, still a good one to watch. Not really looking forward to the movie but will still watch it when it comes out.

I need diversion from my frayed nerves, thoughts, emotions... whatever!
and this is the perfect antidote. Thanks GailT, saw this in your Twitter.

I think I am taking a liking to LBH, he's kind of game and funny. Taku's comic timing and expression is just sugoi! Poor Shingo Mama, getting manhandled like that.

The thing with admiring an artiste is the fear that they might fall short of your expectations and disappoint you when you finally get to meet them.

I've been lucky to have seen some of the artistes I admire up close like Chou Jie Lun (just as I expected), Rain (after which I stopped admiring him if that says something), Lea Salonga (a very deserving role model indeed) and Arashi (a very fun experience with Kaytee). And then yesterday, the interview I have been quietly working on the last week suddenly fell through. Yang Cheng Lin or Rainie Yang to you and me. It was so unexpected that I had no time to be excited about it; until now, I am still fumbling with my emotions. Finally, coming face to face with the other half of my OTP, the only concern I had was if I could ask questions about her "other half".

Her manager was very nice and I was wondering, would she be as nice too?

Let me just say this: the girl is very unassuming. She walks into a room and the only reason why you would notice her is because she is very pretty. Her pictures do not do her justice. She has a very small face and dark pools of eyes. She looks like a teenager and not a year of her 25 years.

But more than the phsyical, she is very simple and no airs at all. No "I'm a star, look at me" tag on her forehead. Very low-key with only her manager accompanying her in her almost two months stay in the Kingdom to shoot a film. She carries her own bag and does not demand any special treatment (so unassuming that even a hotel staff was the one who acted more like a star with the gall to throw her weight around, which of course earned a complaint from me straight to the GM but that's another story).

She answered the questions straightforward, no fumbling. And the manager did not require me to submit an advanced set of questions to prepare her (unlike other stars and even politicians--the better for them to get their lies ready I suppose). Their only request, no photos of her taken last night to be published and that we focus more on discussing her career, which I happily obliged. They were both very nice about it in the first place, and it wasn't like I wasn't able to ask a question about He Jun Xiang. And she knows a lot of people are rooting for both of them. As to the truth behind them... only the two of them could answer that, not to a journalist like me, but to their very own hearts.

Some artistes are worth the admiration and spending a fortune on CDs, concerts, films, magazines and the like. One of the reason is because they are good in what they do and they work so hard for their craft. But more than being good, I am also one type of fan who would look beyond that. Is the person nice? Decent? Worth admiring in real life? If the answer to all these questions is a NO, then forget it.

True, we don't pay for who they are in real life but who they are and what they do whether on TV, movies or music. For the fantasy and entertainment they offer. I don't agree with that school of thought, however. Because what's the point of supporting someone who aside from having a great voice and good acting chops does not have much to offer as a person? There are always others out there who are as talented and are nicer, more pleasant individuals.

With Yang Cheng Lin, the answer to whether she's nice, decent and worth admiring in real life  is a resounding YES. Of course I just spent an hour with her, that may not be enough to judge her wholly as a person. But though it may have been short, if she is a diva or a prima donna, I would have seen it in her subtle body language sooner or later (especially when I was asking the very personal questions or the hotel staff was being a b*tch). I also don't think a nice manager could cover up for an ill-mannered talent.

So thanks to Yang Cheng Lin (and Da Da-ge) for proving that in such a superficial world as the entertainment circle, there is still a nice and decent person who just work hard to do what she enjoys doing and deserves the support she gets from countless of strangers who may not be as lucky as me to meet her personally. Rest assured that she really is worth supporting and admiring, even worth emulating especially her humility and grace.

There really is a global downturn. The flight to Singapore was not even half full. Even leaving BKK, there seems to be less tourists though of course it's a weekday. In-flight food was good, maybe because I was so hungry I was wondering if I could ask for a second serving, after all, the flight wasn't full. And the flight was too short I did not even finish watching Andy Lau and Shu Qi's Looking for a Star.

It's one of those Hong Kong movies that you can watch and blink and fall asleep and you won't get lost in the story. But still, entertaining to watch and I haven't watched Andy Lau in a looong time. The film is a modern retelling of the Cinderella story. The girl is a dancer, the guy is a hotel mogul (what makes his character different and more interesting is he has been married and divorced twice). But just when I was at the part when the girl was being made to sign a pre-nuptial agreement, we were about to land. So... I'm sure though it's a happy ending.