Alvin and the Chipmunks

Last night, I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks for the second time. The movie was that good and entertaining. Alvin is the cheeky chipmunk, while Simon is the smart one with spectacles and Theodore is the small plump chipmunks who keeps having nightmares. Dave Seville (Jason Lee) was a down-on-his-luck musician who just needed that special something to make his songs sell. That's when three talking chipmunks, Alvin (Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (Jesse McCartney), ended up raiding his home. Their rise to stardom is seen in "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

The computer graphics were superb as animators blend them with humans. The facial expressions of fear tell all especially the three chipmunks had to sing to Uncle Ian for the first time. This movie shows a father figure in Dave and money-making practical businessman in Uncle Ian who make use of the talking chipmunks to generate more cash from singing tours. Dave have had enough when he saw on TV how the poor chipmunks are so tired and exhausted from so much singing shows all over USA. This is a must see movie for all, not only the kids.

Dr Chua Soi Lek was caught with his pants down

Our former health minister, Dr Chua Soi Lek had to resign when he was brutally honest in admitting for being the Chinese minister caught in the sex video taped in a hotel in Johor. Had he been a Christian, he would not have been so blunt and commit the act in spite of him having a wife and 3 children. Being a public figure, he has to show good example of being a family man to the nation. But no, he could not control his 'langciau' and some would wonder how long this has been going on before the video was taped secretly. Hotel Katarina or whatever the name was ought to have its license revoked for brutal invasion of privacy where Dr Chua was videotaped. He has stripped naked to Malaysia and caught in the act. Imagine, booking a hotel room where they installed pin-hole video camera and start videotaping you when you have having sex or changing clothes. No wonder the boss of the hotel was sick recently. Apparently he does not know what goes on in his hotel and the hotel staff are up to monkey tricks.

Anyway, since the incident, Dr Chua was apparently forced to resign to safeguard the government and coming election. He did the right thing by resigning, otherwise he would have been sacked by higher authorities which would be more embarassing. In the past, mighty men or those holding top positions in society were brought to shame when they keep a mistress or have sex outside marriage. These people ought to remember that they are under public scrutiny when they hold top positions.

Now his children have to bear the shame and also chip in money to help maintain the family as Dr Chua is now a retiree. Overnight, from a somebody, you become a nobody and resign from all public posts. Let this be a lesson to all ministers there who are keeping mistresses. Don't ever get caught with your pants down.

Genting Trip and Happy New Year 2008

Today is the last day for the year 2007. It brings many happy memories for me in terms of making money and as well as some tragic news like the unlikely assasination of Benazir Bhutto on 27th Dec. She died a martyr. She was full of confidence and victory in the election just minutes before her death by a suicide bomber in Rawalpindi. There is just no explanation to all these terrorists acts.

Also today, I just came back from RHB Bank in Jalan Teh Ewe Lim, near my house. I managed to cash out RM367.59 from my Google Adsense via Western Union for the first time after one and a half years. The bank exchange rate was 3.30 today in RHB. And this month alone, I watched a few movies too like Alvin and the Chipmunks, National Treasure and Golden Compass. As I have promised in my previous post, here are the many photos taken in Genting Highlands during my trip from 21st to 23rd of December.


Genting's very own Statue of Liberty in First World Plaza.


Stage in First World Plaza in preparation for Christmas.


Giant Santa Claus.


Santa Claus sitting on a bench in maroon velvet costume.


Genting Walk in brightly lit neon lights.


Many decorations and items for sale in Genting Highlands.


Eiffel Tower in Genting Highlands. This was taken in First World Plaza, the happening place to be in Genting where most attractions and fun rides are abound everywhere.


Christmas decorations and water fountain outside Genting Hotel.


Chrysanthemum flowers grow abundantly outside Genting Hotel.


First World hotel, the largest hotel in the world with 6118 rooms. This was where we stayed.


Escalator decorated with pots of geniune poinsettias and christmas trees.


The two elephants remind me of my recent trip to Bangkok and Pattaya. They are part of the interior decoration of Genting Hotel where we roamed about.


This is one of the entrance to a casino. We were not allowed to go in as I was holding a camera in my hand. Since we don't gamble, we did not attempt to go in again and instead enjoyed the cool mountain air in our room.


Christmas House.

Happy New Year 2008 to all and Good Bye 2007. Let's hope 2008 will be another year full of excitement, enjoyment, food, travels and making more money.

Merry Christmas

I came back from Genting Highlands yesterday evening after 3 days 2 nights stay there. The mountain air was so refreshing that all the rooms do not need air conditioner. I will put up the photos taken there after Christmas. My second sister is back for surprise visit for 1 week from lecturing in Suchou in China. She will treat the whole family in Hokkaido Seafood Restaurant tonight. My youngest sister will treat us lunch tomorrow in Mitzy's Bistro in New World Park and finally my treat for Christmas dinner in Fishing Village in Teluk Bahang.

This is the season to give and to share. Christmas marks the birth of baby Jesus who came from heaven to redeem mankind from eternal damnation. He is our Saviour and Redeemer. Jesus' birth is a gift to mankind. That's why you see presents and gift-wraps by the brightly lit Christmas trees. Here is to wish all my readers and visitors a Very Blessed Christmas this year 2007.

Window Shopping and Wedding Dinner

I came back from KL last night after 4 days staying in Subang Jaya for business and also to attend my friend's niece's wedding dinner in 5-star Nikko Hotel in Ampang, near to KLCC. Below are some of the beautiful photos taken during the trip.


Here is a nice Christmas house with trees in Sunway Pyramid shopping mall in Subang Jaya. You can hardly find such beautiful decorations in Penang.


Another view of the attractive Christmas tree with presents and golden baubles.


Lights lighted up during the night for Christmas season in Sunway Pyramid.


A Christmas Snowman.


More Christmas window shopping.


More Christmas trees.


This is a giant Christmas tree of lights in the lobby of Nikko Hotel.


On our way back from Nikko Hotel, I took the liberty to snap this photo of Petronas Twin Towers at night in KLCC which was very near to the Hotel.

Stayed in Vistana Hotel for the weekend

On Saturday, I stayed in Vistana Hotel for the weekend. Then we headed straight to Max Gourmet, opposite Queensbay Mall for Tim Sum dinner. The place was crowded with diners as usual from breakfast to dinnner. It is opened from 9:00am to 9:00pm everyday and close on Mondays. I had 2 sets of 'har kau', deep fried prawn dumpling in soya bean skin, almond balls, and boiled ginseng with water chestnut drink. I have stayed in Vistana many times before and they offer 4 soft white pillows for a king size bed. I just love this hotel for its comfort but the breakfast buffet was not so attractive and we have to queue up for limited tables and chairs. The selections were very few and not too good. Other than that, the overall stay was perfect.

Enchanted, the 2007 Movie

Last night, I watched this stunning movie in Queensbay Mall. It was one of the best movies I have seen in 2007 with love and romance and living happily ever after. Giselle (Amy Adams) lives in the blissful animated world of Andalasia, where magical beings frolic freely, animals are talkative companions and musical interludes punctuate every interaction. She dreams of her true love and builds a statue wearing a blue jacket to represent him from her dream with the help of her chipmunk friend Pip and other forest animals. She sings about her true love's kiss, and Prince Edward (James Marsden), a handsome and valiant but dimwitted prince who hears her voice in the forest, rescues her from an ogre. Giselle and Edward get engaged, but her fate takes a turn for worse on her wedding day when his stepmother, the villainous Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), throws her through a magic portal to a place where there is no happily ever after in order to keep her son single and thus remain queen.

Giselle meets divorcee Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), who takes her into his apartment despite believing that she is a little crazy, and he is nervous for his daughter Morgan. Robert is a divorce lawyer who doesn't believe in Giselle's gushings of happily-ever-after and true love's first kiss. The next morning he becomes aggravated when he and his daughter find Giselle has rats and other vermin cleaning their apartment and that she has constructed a dress using material cut from the curtains. Nancy (Idina Menzel), Giselle starts to sob when she finds out that his client and her husband are getting a divorce, causing Robert's boss to angrily reprimand him. Robert takes Giselle, and they go outside the building to Central Park.

Meanwhile, Queen Narissa's henchman Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) goes after Edward and Pip, who have journeyed off to save Giselle. They stop at a motel, where Nathaniel sneaks out to give Giselle a poisoned apple, while Pip, unable to speak in this world, has a frustrating time alerting the Prince of the minion's intentions. Nathaniel tries twice to poison Giselle, only to be stopped by Pip, and Narissa becomes infuriated. Robert tells her he will help her because he doesn't believe Edward will show up. She yells at him, and becomes giddy when she finds out that she is experiencing anger for the first time. They both stare at each other for a moment and come close enough to kiss but Robert turns and bids her good night. Giselle falls into a chair, confused, realizing she is falling for him, and he does the same on his bed.

At the ball, Giselle begins to finally realize that Robert is her true love. Nancy and Edwards keep their eyes on the couple. Nancy decides to cut in and continue dancing with Robert. Giselle and Edward turn to return to Andalasia, and Giselle is visibly upset as they leave the ball. Edward leaves her by the elevators to get her coat.

Narissa appears as the old hag. Seeing Giselle become distressed when she watches Nancy kiss Robert on the dance floor, Narissa offers her an apple that she says will make Giselle forget the whole experience. She takes it and collapses on the floor. Edward returns, and Narissa claims Giselle fainted as Robert and Nancy run to Giselle's aid. A remorseful Nathaniel appears and admits the plot that she was poisoned, sadly, with his help. He restrains Narissa with Edward's sword. If the spell isn't broken in a minute (when it will be midnight), Giselle will die.

Remembering her belief in true love's first kiss, Robert tells Edward to kiss her, only to find it doesn't work. Edward turns to Robert and realizes that his kiss has failed because Robert is her true love. Robert immediately denies this, but Nancy says it's okay and tells him to kiss her before it's too late. He does, and Giselle wakes up. Narissa breaks free from Nathaniel, seizes Edward's sword from him and then transforms into a dragon as she impales the sword onto the dance floor. Narissa declares that she will have to kill them all. She plans to start with Giselle, but Robert intervenes and is promptly seized. Narissa climbs on top of the building with Robert in hand. Giselle grabs Edward's sword from the dance floor and follows, leaving a slipper behind.

Giselle chases the dragon to the point where, thanks to help from Pip, it falls off the Woolworth Building and dissolves into glitter on the pavement. Giselle catches Robert just in time as he falls, and they kiss on the roof. Meanwhile, Edward puts the slipper on Nancy's foot, and they go back to Andalasia and get married. Robert and Giselle open up Andalasia Fashions where they are assisted by both humans and animals.

In the meantime Nathanael becomes a successful author in the modern world writing a book entitled "My Royal Pain" and signing autographs. Similarly, Pip becomes a bestselling author in Andalasia, writing a book called "Silence Is Not Golden." The last scene shows Giselle and Robert with his daughter Morgan playing together and living happily ever after as a family in his apartment.