Thursday, March 29, 2007

finally found that bit of code...

finally! i've been wanting to get rid of the caps version of the blog title for AGES. after a bit of experimenting with the code, finding out what works and what doesn't... and i finally got it.

as you'll see, there's a banner now. special, special thanks to matt moylan of lilformers.com for letting me use his chalky rendition of grimlock from his latest strip. it's absolutely adorable, ain't it?

and i've missed the opening of mythbusters in the meantime. *doh*.

turtle power!

hohoho. there's nothing like a good dose of ninja turtle nostalgia to put a smile on one's face. tmnt may not be the blockbuster like 30... o wait a minute, tmnt knocked 300 off the top grossers' list last week. well, it may not be as... epic... yep, that's the word... as 300, but it's definitely a bodacious walk down memory lane.

there were some really classic michelangelo moments ("i get nightmares of birthday parties"), easter eggs for the fans (check out the trophy wall at the end of the show... there's the scepter of time from the third tmnt live action flick...) and of course, almighty ninja fighting action sequences. while the grand plot was a little bit too much on the sidelines, i think it tied up the whole story pretty decently. in the end, the main crux of story line revolved around the family bond between the four turtles (well, mostly two of them), which was kind of refreshing and definitely gave the movie an edge. one gripe i would have is that it was a short ride, and another is that donatello wasn't given very much to say or do.

don't expect a groundbreaking story and an epic adventure to unfold. just sit down in the cinema and enjoy the the movie. like all things nostalgic, it's best not to think. just feel, and i believe you will come out of the cinema with a turtle-y smile on your face.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

greg needs a job

argh. i really need a job. and no, i will NOT do any mlm or other funny jobs (been getting enough mlm stuff lately, and frankly, after my own little experience, i am just not cut out for it. i just can't get beyond the fact that the only person i seem to be helping is myself, which just makes me feel crummy. it's just me. plain and simple. please don't even think about asking me out for dinner if your purpose is to let me listen to a "life changing opportunity". i just don't. cut. it.).

with all the cool stuff coming out in front of my eyes and my bank account perennially looking very empty, i really need a job. a tuition job, or something that i like. heck, even selling stuff like computers, toys... gosh there's gotta be something i can do on a part-time basis. i'd even take my old job at deloitte, if only i didn't need to be in the office all day.

sigh. there's gotta something that i'm good at that can rake in the dough...

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

a rambling as this lenten season draws to a busy close...

it's amazing how a period of 40 days elapses in the blink of an eye. when i next snap my fingers, i'll probably be back in school beginning the degree programme with the others. though of course, it won't be with the whole of 0612A... which will be quite a sad thing even though the usual clique i hang with will be intact. i wonder why mdis actually bothered to let us have such a large class in the first place only to split us up, just as we have begun gelling as a whole. nonetheless, i guess we'll still see each other in school, tis a shame it won't be in the process of learning together.

it's almost been a month since my last reading, which was the for the 2nd sunday of lent. now i've gotta gear up for the easter vigil's 5th reading as i've only got one more training session left before the big day. i really feel that i have grown in the lector ministry in ol, i really do. one of the greatest things about being so in touch with the Word is that you learn so much, especially all the little nuances, symbolisms, imagery and language that was used in those days of old. on top of that, i think i've come a long way, learning more about a language i already thought i had known enough about and finding out just where my strengths really lie. i've never really been a cantor type, for i never ever felt comfortable leading people in song behind a mike, even with all that training in sji (which i loved once i had gotten used to, but that is a time long past). nay, my strength truly lies in reading. it is my element, and the fact that my nerves don't act us as much whenever i read is indicative of this. and i will do everything in my power to practise and perfect this reading for the vigil and for those who have put their faith in me to accomplish this, most of all the good Lord who has called me to this.

looking back at my chat with kelly last night, i really do think that God's work has had a huge hand to play in where i am today faith wise. if i hadn't stepped into ntu for that one year and met all the wonderful people that i have met, i probably wouldn't treasure the faith i carry so much nor would i have involved myself in any ministry in church. while i've always had what i gleaned from sji and cj, the most important years are definitely the ones after confirmation in the faith formation of a young person. i really don't know where i'd be had i not found out the benefits of rcia, the fellowship from a catholic community on campus, the importance of service and the thirst to know more about a faith i have carried for 22 years of my life. csa has molded the steel i had taken from my earlier days and cast it into my shield and sword. i might not even be a lector now had i not met goose, who introduced me to her catechism partner, david, who is a lector as well. while it did pain me greatly that i had to leave all of that behind, i'm really grateful that i've been blessed with the time. will and energy to go back every week. like sarah said, it's like i never left. and i hope i can keep on going back, because csa means that much to me and it has given me so, so much.

and i just looked at my email that contained my first rostered reading. i've lectored at ol for 5 months already. wow.

looking at my room, i can't help but feel that i'll definitely miss this place when we eventually do move out. i look forward to the new surroundings, but i've called this place home for 22 years and 4 months of my life. heck, i remember how i cried my little eyes out when i saw it being rennovated when i was just a kid of about 4 or 5. sure, i've lived 3 years away from here from my time in hall and army, but this place is home. home. one letter less than house, yet it makes such a big difference. feels like i'm living on borrowed time every morning i wake up here. i'm really gonna miss this place.

the thought of moving out will be an interesting proposition though. guess this family will be whole again if we all move into jie's place, for good or for worse. can't imagine having to share rooms with my sister tho. we might level the place.

ah well. guess i'll end my ramblings here for now. sleep beckons, and i have a tonne of investigative work to do later...

Sunday, March 25, 2007

fire emblem

something i haven't discussed in recent weeks is the gaming aspect of the blog title. guess it's time to describe something that has been sort of a rediscovered love.

fire emblem has been around for a while, and i'm unfortunately stuck with the gameboy advance renditions since they're the only games available to me since i don't have a gamecube and a wii (well, the wii version ain't out yet, but nothing's been said about a DS version... which means more waiting for me... sigh...). but that being said, i think i should count my blessings considering it's a pair of games that are really, really fulfilling. if not as a game, then for the excellent storylines that run behind them. the first anglicised version (the 7th in the entire series in japan) tells a tale of mystery, intrigue and friendship amidst a fantasy medieval setting. think chess and warcraft and you might get the rough idea. the 2nd game, the sacred stones, is also somewhat similar but a totally new game in itself.

except that, for your army, each and every piece on the board is a character on their own, with his or her own personality behind the individual statistics. this is probably the biggest draw that has me playing both FE games again. it's nigh impossible for me to lose a character and carry on without restarting the game. it sounds silly, but there's a real attachment between you and the characters in this game, maybe even more so in the first one since you're part of the game as the group's tactician.

and this game ain't no walk in the park. one wrong or careless move can land you in a lot of trouble, hence the allusion to chess. it's not so simple, especially when you actually care about the characters and are loathe to lose any of your team in completing each stage. there's a certain element of risk whenever you move your characters as there's a chance to hit or miss with every strike. one sudden, unexpected miss can throw your strategy into chaos and could result in death for a character.

if you have a gba or a ds, these games are must-haves. if you don't, go get a gba emulator and find the roms and give 'em a spin (just remember that piracy is bad and illegal kids...). get sucked into the world of fire emblem, and enjoy the camraderie and fantasy of it all...

my turn to rave about 300...

hoping to avoid the 300 wave by coming here? nay. not when this geek is up and about. ok, it's been a week since i watched it, but i'm sticking with the timeframe of missed updates.

well, it was a late show at plaza sing with the freshies and i think no other movie i have watched in recent memory has a more emphatic opening than "THIS IS SPARTA!" before having leonidas kicking the hapless, "i'm-immune-to-violence-cos-i'm-just-the-messenger" persian messgenger in the chest and sending him down the well.

certain bits were over the top, like how xerxes looked like a total faggot on the battlefield (those horrible eyebrows, or lack of it, whichever suits you... and that gold chain mail thong... ugh.), the immortals (surely, everyone disfigures themselves for the sake of the "god-king" and has weapons grafted onto them) and the war rhino (i believe i read somewhere that rhinos were beasts of war... but i don't think the persians had rhinos... i could be wrong... but till i'm disproven, they're not really factually correct), but i enjoyed every minute of it, especially with the really memorable lines from gerard butler's leonidas. as nirwan described it, he brings a good deal of energy to the role.

and to my surprise on coming home and doing some wiki-ing, it seems that frank miller got the history down quite accurately. of course, i'm not surprised that some bits were added in to sex up the story (literally in the case of gorgo's "affair", which apparently wasn't in the graphic novel itself) and to give the whole tale a more familiar comic book surrounding. but all in all, it definitely made for a brilliant story about honour, duty and sacrifice.

and of course, those oh-so-memorable lines which you've seen on people's msn nicks (if not mine, then maybe even your own).

Friday, March 23, 2007

big reunion

i never imagined that i'd end up meeting so many familiar faces by attending just one function. bro paul rogers (the man who pulled sji up and is doing the same with my jc alma mater as well) retook his vows with 3 other australian De La Salle brothers as a celebration of their 40 years of service in the Christian Brothers Schools at St Ignatius Church.

it's a truly splendid thing to see such commitment to a vocation, especially in this volatile day and age where things are easily replaced and no one really thinks that long-term. i cannot imagine what went through these 4, then-young, men's minds when they left home to answer the call from God to religious life, dropping whatever life they had and leaving it behind to serve. it's really incredible, and i am definitely glad bro paul made that choice. while i've only experienced one full year in both spells he has spent as principal of both my schools (he left sji when i was in sec 1 and returned just before i began my jc 2 year), i can definitely say that he has had a tremendous impact wherever he has been, and that i have felt it one way or another.

St Ig's itself is a beautiful church. i know i've been there before, as i was there for ablaze, but previously, i had never been inside the actual church itself. it's absolutely gorgeous. simple, but within that simplicity lies the beauty of it. what really impressed itself upon me was lighting of the church, as i was really taken aback by the shadow cast by the crucifix. the crucifix itself was one of those rather normal ones you'd see in a catholic church, but the shadow it cast was so surreal and realistic. i almost could've sworn i was looking through a window into the past and viewing a sillhouette of Christ on the cross. it looks that real.

bro paul and nice church aside, it was a real blast to see so many people from my past once again. from classmates i hadn't seen in a while like bennette (who i found out is probably reading this haha) and shunwei to my sji teachers like mr ang and mr chan, from my cj seniors like pixian and charlene to juniors like alexius, and of course my cj teachers like ms ng. even my year 2 chinese teacher (whose name i've forgotten, but i'll never forget the nickname we gave him cos he really looks like a chinese version of elton john). it's always nice to see people you haven't seen in a long while, especially when you didn't really expect it (of course i should've guessed something like that would be on the cards, but yeah, silly me didn't expect to see so many familiar faces). truly one of those nights for me to remember.

so many things... so little time...

well, ok, not really that little time. just that whenever i get back home late after an eventful day that i have little time and interest and energy to chronicle it. hence my lack of post-match analyses and postings in general of late. at the time of this writing, i'm contemplating between chugging it all out in one long long post or to split it up, so don't be surprised if either or both occur.

i guess the first major thing that occurred in this long sequence of events was the...

ah scratch this. i'll break it up because i just remembered there are issues i wanna write about. hahaha.

Monday, March 12, 2007

yeah, that would make her your mom too. doofus.

perhaps not one of my best days considering i've given $50 to the army cos i failed to take my ippt last year. well, i guess it's my fault for leaving things to the last minute... hopefully i make it back along with $150 more in my test next month (tho that's kinda optimistic with me in the shape i'm in... haha.). but the bus ride back did prompt me to dig this up on youtube. the turtles are back in town...



after the heroes in a half shell come the robots in disguise. i can't wait for july for that, but in the mean time, i eagerly await the week of 23rd march.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

turning an ankle...

you know it's not really your sunday when you do your ankle in after you've made only the first two baskets of the morning. but i guess it ain't that bad considering i wasn't exactly hobbling home and could still play on. and i can still hobble around the house, so that's not too bad either.

somehow, even though it's been sprained more than my right (not that i habitually sprain my ankles, i'd be a cripple by now), my left ankle has never really swollen up to the point it had been when i had my first major sprain. i remember hobbling home after school with much difficulty and when i got home, i could barely walk. walking downstairs to open the door for gek lye ee ee who came to treat my injury was a terrible chore as every step meant a shot of pain consuming my ankle. to think that this little injury occurred under such innocuous circumstances is pretty baffling as i was just dribbling down the line under no pressure in a full court game when my ankle decided to do a 90 degree on me.

hopefully it ain't as bad as it feels right now and heals quick. gotta get ready for ippt in one month's time.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

spent...

talk about tired. i fell asleep for two hours without so much as knowing whether i was helped onto my own bed or if i flopped onto it knowingly.

so much to blog about, yet so little time and energy. though i guess all that will and can be revealed will make itself known in good time.

in the mean time, slumber beckons for this drowsy one.