Friday, October 28, 2011

Faye Wong: Eyes on me? So what, I ignore...

Poor fans of Faye Wong. They might be whining: Faye Wong, you didn't ever know leh that we have our eyes on you?!?!

Yeah, yeah. It may be the fans' final fantasy that Faye Wong will greet them nicely. She is not willing, disappointed Fans! Shoo shoo...please go separate ways, will you?! Hur hur.

Yeah, yeah...the above paragraphs are inspired by the following songs of hers:








Pop star Faye Wong arrived in Singapore last night, to the reception of 20-odd fans who turned up to catch a glimpse of her at Changi Airport.

Fans who had gathered there about 30 minutes earlier tried to take snapshots of the Beijing-born pop diva as she walked past the gates into the arrival hall at about 11pm, but she was whisked away faster than you can say "Welcome to Singapore".

The singer will be performing at the Indoor Stadium tomorrow as part of her comeback tour.

From Diva Asia, "The Ice Queen cometh and gone".

Special Deals for readers of Anonymous_X

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Comment with your email address if you're interested. Heh.


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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Transformers The Ride at Universal Studios Singapore

Check out the offical blog of the latest (and possibly MOST exciting) attraction by Universal Studios Singapore: tftheride.rwsentosablog.com

The introduction clip was also uploaded in YouTube:



Universal Studios Singapore will launch the world's first theme park attraction based on Hasbro's iconic Transformers brand on Dec 3.

Director and executive producer Michael Bay - who also served as the attraction's creative consultant - will be in Singapore to celebrate the world premiere of Transformers The Ride on Dec 2.

"I am very excited about the debut of this attraction at Universal Studios Singapore. Finally, Transformers fans will not only have the chance to watch the Autobots battle the Decepticons on screen; they'll actually be part of the action," said Mr Bay.

The ride will feature 12 scenes, comprising sets blended seamlessly with hyper-realistic 3-D digital media and special effects to bring tactile realism to every moment. Guests will be unable to discern illusion from reality as they get transported onboard advanced motion-based ride vehicles into the Transformers universe said Universal Studios Singapore in a press release.

CEO of Resorts World Sentosa Tan Hee Teck said: "The world debut of Transformers The Ride at Universal Studios Singapore exemplifies how Resorts World Sentosa has continued to build on its leading reputation as the number one destination resort in Asia. We are most thrilled to bring the milestone launch of this franchise here."

Styled into the ride, guests are "enlisted" as NEST recruits and tasked to help the Autobots protect a remaining shard of the Allspark - the energy cube that gives life to the Transformers. As the Decepticons attack the facility to steal the shard, guests will be introduced to a new Autobot, EVAC, created exclusively for the ride.

Guests will then have to climb aboard EVAC for the ride of their lives, zipping through subway tunnels, down city streets and across rooftops, with the Decepticons hot on their heels.

More details will be posted on the attraction's official blog, http://tftheride.rwsentosablog.com in the weeks leading to the launch.

From Today, "New Transformers ride to launch at Universal Studios Singapore".


Universal Studios Singapore will launch the world's first theme park attraction based on the Transformers movie franchise on 3 December.

The park said the motion thrill ride will showcase the most advanced evolution of immersive theme park entertainment.

It will feature 12 scenes, comprising sets blended seamlessly with 3D digital media and special effects.

The ride will have its world premiere at an exclusive evening event on 2 December with director Michael Bay, in attendance.

Mr Bay said: "I am very excited about the debut of this attraction at Universal Studios Singapore. Finally, Transformers fans will not only have the chance to watch the Autobots battle the Decepticons on screen, they'll actually be part of the action. "

Resorts World Sentosa is confident that Transformers The Ride will raise the bar for immersive ride experiences anywhere in the world and will be a game changer for theme park attractions, well-suited for the entire family.

Mr Tan Hee Teck, CEO of Resorts World Sentosa, said: "The world debut of Transformers The Ride at Universal Studios Singapore exemplifies how Resorts World Sentosa has continued to build on its leading reputation as the number one destination resort in Asia.

"Hence, we are most thrilled to bring the milestone launch of this franchise here. Resorts World Sentosa transformed Singapore as its first integrated resort in 2010, and we will continue to bring in game changing attractions to the region."

From Channel NewsAsia, "Transformers The Ride debuts Dec 3".

Come 3 December, Universal Studios Singapore (USS) will launch the world's first theme park attraction based on Hasbro's iconic Transformers brand.

Planning for this ride started even before Resorts World Sentosa was built. From conceptualisation to construction, the latest theme park ride of USS took over four years to complete.

This motion thrill ride will showcase the most advanced evolution of immersive theme park entertainment.

The attraction will feature 12 scenes, comprising sets blended seamlessly with hyper-realistic 3-D digital media and special effects to bring tactile realism to every moment.

A spokesperson from Resorts World Singapore told AsiaOne that the ride duration is approximately four minutes, and that the ride is currently in a testing phase where it is put through thousands of hours of test cycles.

In this latest ride at USS, guests will be transported onboard advanced motion-based ride vehicles into the Transformers universe, and partake in the ultimate 3D battle against the Decepticons right alongside the Autobots.

Enlisted as NEST recruits, guests are tasked to help the Autobots protect a remaining shard of the ALLSPARK – a powerful energy cube that gives life to the Transformers. As the Decepticons attack the facility in a bid to obtain the shard, guests will be introduced to a new Autobot – EVAC – created exclusively for the ride.

EVAC is a stealth transportation Autobot stationed on Earth designed to transport personnel and classified materials at hyper speeds. For the ride, park guests will board EVAC and zip through subway tunnels, down city streets and across rooftops, with the Decepticons hot on their heels.

Park guests, especially fans of Transformers, will be thrilled as they come face-to-face – and be transported – by an Autobot. This epic ride experience will allow guests the opportunity to truly "Ride The Movie".

Special year-end holiday packages for Universal Studios Singapore will be rolled out through the Resorts World Sentosa website and authorized travel agents.

Guests signing up for these special packages will receive a Transformers The Ride commemorative souvenir and express entry to the attraction. More details will be available at www.rwsentosa.com.

Transformers movie director Michael Bay will be in S'pore for launch party

Transformers The Ride will celebrate its world premiere at an exclusive evening event on December 2.

Michael Bay, director and executive producer of the Transformers blockbuster movies who also served as the attraction's creative consultant, will be in attendance to help commemorate the occasion.

Mr. Michael Bay said: "I am very excited about the debut of this attraction at Universal Studios Singapore. Finally, Transformers fans will not only have the chance to watch the Autobots battle the Decepticons on screen; they will actually be part of the action."

From Asiaone, "Transformers ride to open in S'pore on Dec 3".



Greed of the Dragon & A spooky Halloween Poem: One Dark Night, In the Middle of the Day...


Fast painting of an epic battle against a great red dragon. You wanted it, you got it! What we have here is a clash of the titans. A face-off between two great hoarders. Who will win?! Dragons are well known for their greed and desire to hoard treasures. But so are squirrels.

From a very talented Mary Doodles.

My other favourite is her "A spooky Halloween Poem: One Dark Night, In the Middle of the Day...":


Saturday, October 22, 2011

Marina Bay Sands suffers very bad publicity for denying a Singaporean food seller to claim her Bonus Cash jackpot of $416,742.11

Shame on you, Marina Bay Sands!! I bet this incident will never happen in Resorts World Sentosa (heck, I personally will boycott MBS!!). See, the poor Singaporean food seller won a Bonus Cash jackpot of $416,742.11 and yet, the manager of the casino claimed that the jackpot machine had malfunctioned. The manager also claimed that the machine's top prize is a car, and that its highest cash payout is only $50,000?!

Ridiculous! Shameful of MBS to allow a malfunctioned jackpot to be operated. See, the players were playing the jackpot--perhaps more than one malfunctioned?--with the expectation of hitting the Bonus Cash Jackpot of $416,742.11--and yet, the highest cash payout is only $50,000 and a miserable car??

One word to MBS: dishonest!

Two words: bad publicity!!

Many words: let us go to RWS instead!!!

Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino is refusing to pay a woman her jackpot winnings of more than $410,000.

Mdm Zhu Yun Ping (50, hawker) had visited the casino with some foreign friends and her store helpers at about 5am on this Tuesday, 18 October.

She described what happened to reporters, "I was playing on this jackpot machine until 6am and my stored value card had already accumulated about $800 in winnings. Suddenly, I struck the Bonus Cash jackpot of $416,742.11."

At the time, Mdm Zhu was confused with what happened until a bystander explained to her that she had struck a jackpot prize. Many other casino patrons also came up to her to congratulate her on the win.

She continued, "Soon after, the manager of the casino came up to me and told me that the jackpot machine had malfunctioned. The manager explained to me that the machine's top prize is a car, and that its highest cash payout is only $50,000, so I could not have struck that Bonus Cash prize.

The manager also explained that I could get $258,962 if I decide to sell the car back to the dealer." Mdm Zhu refused to settle with the manager's explanation and insisted that she was entitled to her win, which the jackpot machine clearly displayed.

At that time, a casino patron had also stepped forward to help her by taking a photo of the displayed cash prize as evidence. The man was however, stopped by casino staff who warned him that photo-taking is not allowed in the casino.

The staff then asked the man to hand over his phone and indicated that they will be deleting the photo. The man was then escorted out of the casino. Mdm Zhu has lodged a complaint with the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore, which is currently investigating the case.

The police have also explained to her the forms of legal action she can take.

From Asiaone Forum, "Woman wins $410,000 but Marina Bay Sands refuses payout".

A Singaporean food seller claims a casino is trying to deprive her of her rightful winnings after it said a slot machine jackpot message only popped up because of a glitch, a report said Friday.

Choo Hong Eng, 58, told the Straits Times newspaper she was playing the slot machines for the first time Tuesday when the “Cash Bonus” sign appeared indicating she had won more than $416,000.

She said the manager told her instead of the full jackpot she had won $50,000 and a sports car worth $258,962 which she could sell back to the casino for cash.

A spokesman for the Marina Bay Sands casino said: “As this case is the subject of an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Choo, who runs a vegetarian food stall, said as well as complaining to the casino she had also made police report.

“It’s a matter of principle. I wouldn’t take a single cent more from them, but I wouldn’t accept a single cent less either,” she told the newspaper, adding that she had not been told when the casino investigation would be completed.

“The other patrons told me not to be taken in. They said there was no indication anywhere that I had won only $50,000 and a car.”

According to the Straits Times, other patrons who witnessed the incident at 6am offered to be her witnesses.


One of them, Mr Moo Ngow Chai, a 63-year-old Malaysian, told the paper in a telephone interview yesterday: "I saw what happened and thought it was very unfair of the casino to deny her the winnings.

"The jackpot machine clearly displayed the words 'Cash Bonus'.

"There were no pictures of a car at all."

From Asiaone, "Singaporean hawker in casino dispute over jackpot".

Friday, October 21, 2011

Not just Jessica C...


A trivia: 'C' in 'Jessica C' does not refer to her bra size (Okay, I'm no expert!). 'C' stands for Cambensy. At least according to this Asiaonefinest forum, "Hong Kong model Jessica C strips to celebrate World Cup".

Okay, now to the juicy news: Jessica C is reported to allegedly take HK$600 that a (incredibly absent-minded) customer left behind at an ATM.

Jessica C also made to the news with alleged nude and sex photos as well as video clips of hers were being attempted to be sold by a man who was Jessica's American boyfriend. He claimed the photos and videos were taken two years ago in Chicago.

Yeah, I choose to emphasize the words 'a man who was Jessica's American boyfriend', because in the earlier article by Daily Chilli (dated 12/06/10), Jessica was quoted to say: "Kaka is handsome and good, but most importantly he's a good husband and cares about the family. But in my heart, my boyfriend is the best. No one can replace him."

So are we talking about the same boyfriend here? Perhaps, perhaps not.

But the point is decent girls should not let themselves to be blinded by Love to the extent of allowing their intimate photos to be taken.

It has nothing to do with girls just want to have fun. The fun is more experienced by the guys. Really!

22-year-old Hong Kong model, Jessica C., suffered an unfortunate turn of events recently when a bank's surveillance tape revealed that Jessica had taken HK $600 that a customer left behind at an ATM and then shortly after alleged nude photos and videos of her was circulated, according to report on Apple Daily's website.

Jessica was summoned to the police station to assist with the investigation after the surveillance tape surfaced. The day before however, Jessica's shocking sex photos and video clips was circulated.

The photos were said to have stunned the entire city of Hong Kong and Jessica suffered emotionally from their exposure.

There were approximately a dozen nude photos released. In several of the photos, a nude woman resembling Jessica C. was seen having intercourse and giving oral sex to a man in a bedroom.

The side of the woman's face was seen clearly, in which her profile resembled Jessica closely. Another video clip featured Jessica emerging from the shower, in which she looked at the camera directly and smiled lightly.

Yesterday, a man who was not fluent in Cantonese attempted to sell the sex photos and video clips for a high price. The man, who was Jessica's American boyfriend, claimed the photos and videos were taken two years ago in Chicago.

Jessica's manager, Christine, did not deny the authenticity of the photos, while stressing that Jessica was a victim in the incident.

In a text message, Christine replied to the media's inquiries, "Jessica is currently in Taiwan filming and will respond to the recent reports as soon as possible. Many thanks Jessica's fans, friends and people who care about her. Whether the photos are authentic or not, please understand that Jessica is the victim."

From Yahoo! News, "HK model Jessica C. laden with controversy".


As the World Cup kicks off, Hong Kong model Jessica C. (JC) celebrates it by taking her clothes off.

Provocative shots from her upcoming photo album, "Just Jessica" were recently unveiled.

They feature the busty model in sexy lingerie, bikini and even a topless shot, with only her long hair to cover her breasts.

Jessica said she was extremely careful not to expose her nipples during the photoshoot.

The sizzling-hot model added that she supports Brazil and loves Kaka the most.

"Kaka is handsome and good, but most importantly he's a good husband and cares about the family.

"But in my heart, my boyfriend is the best. No one can replace him."

From Daily Chilli, "Hong Kong model strips to celebrate World Cup". (12/06/10)

Photo Source: epshot

Thursday, October 20, 2011

of "Heartening to see how readily S'poreans help woman having seizure"

With regards to STOMP article, "Heartening to see how readily S'poreans help woman having seizure", I just wonder how the STOMPer knew that the good Samaritans in the heart-warming article are Singaporeans. See, they may be foreigners--and not necessarily Singaporeans. Unless of course, the STOMPer inquired the nationality of the caring individuals.

Instead of the word 'Singaporeans' in the article, I'd prefer the more accurate 'people in Singapore'.

Keep up the good work, Singaporeans people in Singapore!

Quoted from the STOMP article:

STOMPer Seaeagle was proud to see these Singaporeans step forward and assist a woman, who apparently had a seizure and collapsed near MacDonald House in Dhoby Ghaut this afternoon (Oct 20).

The STOMPer compares this to a recent story where a 2-year-old girl who was run over by a truck in China, and 18 passers-by did not come to her aid.

The STOMPer wrote:

"At around 1pm today, I spotted a woman who seemed to be having an epileptic seizure near MacDonald House on Orchard Road.

"Luckily, there were many good Samaritans nearby to help.

"So Singaporeans are not like apathetic and always inconsiderate.

"This is not the first time I have witnessed people stepping up to help someone in need -- I was at Chinatown when a man had a seizure and people came forward to help him.

"What a contrast to the recent case in China where a Chinese toddler who was ignored by 18 passers-by after being the victim of a hit-and-run accident in a wholesale market in southern China.

"Keep up the good work, Singaporeans!"

Suchitra Kumar: What the F*** (Or why I am such a bimbo I don't know I'm on live television broadcast)

Suchitra Kumar | Photo: Diva Asia

On a second thought, the reality TV show, "BeautyCamp: The Search for Miss Universe Malaysia 2012" may not necessarily be broadcast live. Otherwise, that (annoying) bleep wouldn't be able to substitute the F-word. Heh.

From the official website of Miss Universe Malaysia 2012, Suchitra Kumar is said to have baking, watching TV series, singing and chilling with friends as her hobbies. A relief that uttering F-word in TV is not one of them. Grin.



A Malaysian reality show has shown that the claws can come out between contestants behind the scenes of a beauty pageant.

The 13-episode TV show, BeautyCamp: The Search for Miss Universe Malaysia 2012, follows 19 contestants as they compete for the opportunity to represent Malaysia in the Miss Universe pageant.

In a recent episode of the reality TV series broadcast last Thursday, one of the contestants, Miss Suchitra Kumar (right), was facing elimination, and blurted out the four-letter word after it was announced that another contestant, Miss Jascinta Kaur (left), had made it to the top eight finalists, reported Malaysia's The Star.

Foul word

Commenting on Internet forums, Malaysian viewers reported that Miss Suchitra could be seen mouthing the words "What the f***", even though a bleep was inserted over the audio track. The programme was aired over Astro's Hitz TV channel last week.

Immediately after the programme, Miss Suchitra, a tax accountant, approached Miss Jascinta and offered her apologies.

"There is absolutely no excuse for how I reacted and it was inappropriate. It was very harsh. I have apologised to Jascinta,'' she told gossip website Daily Chilli.

"I used the word and I don't usually blow up like that. I guess it was the stress (of the competition). Still, I should not have done so," said the 24-year-old.

During the episode, Miss Suchitra burst into tears when she found out that she was close to being voted off.

Miss Jascinta, 19, who has just completed her A-Levels, said she accepted Miss Suchitra's apology and was letting "bygones be bygones".

"There is no tension between us, and there is no point bearing grudges," said the student who is about to begin a degree course in accounting and finance.

Miss Suchitra said remaining in the Miss Universe Malaysia contest was important to her. "It's something that I always wanted to vie for but never had the confidence to do, until now," she said.

Miss Jascinta and Miss Suchitra were two of the 19 finalists who qualified for BeautyCamp. The series comprises six one-episodes, culminating in a two-hour grand final which will be broadcast live on Nov 10 from Selangor.

The Miss Universe Malaysia is part of the international Miss Universe franchise, owned and managed by real estate tycoon Donald Trump's Trump Organisation.

From Diva Asia, "Beauty queen blurts out F-word".

NOT everyone knows that they would be a model one day, at least not for Suchitra Kumar.

The 24-year-old said modelling was never on her list of to-dos and refers to herself as one of the late-bloomers in the industry.

“It’s quite late for someone my age to only get into modelling now, compared to the rest who started off at a younger age,” said the tax accountant.

Suchitra said her big break into the world of bright lights, cameras and fame came in 2007 when she was shortlisted as one of Female magazine’s 50 Most Gorgeous People.

“It all happened so quickly, one day I was shopping with a friend at 1 Utama and he wanted to try out.

“He dragged me along to the audition and I was actually looking pale and sickly as I was not feeling well then,” she said.

The magazine called her back a few days later, informing her of the results.

“It was so unbelievable that I got it and my friend who followed me didn’t,” she adds.

The contestants, she said, went through several rounds of activities prior to the finals.

To her utter surprise, she was crowned the most gorgeous female contestant of all the participants while Peter Davis won the title for the male category.

“I have always thought that models have to be tall and lanky, which is why I stayed away from it thinking I will never make it,” said the 5ft 4in model.

Today, Suchitra, or more fondly known as Suci by her friends, juggles between her day job in Kuala Lumpur and modelling on weekends.

Although modelling occupies most of her weekends, Suchitra does not mind it at all.

“It is weird but modelling is my way of de-stressing after a hard week at work.

“It is just bliss as I love doing the whole make-up thing and going through shoot after shoot,” she said, adding that her most memorable moment was appearing on the cover of a magazine in 2008.

Suchitra, who is of Thai-Indian parentage, spends her free time it with close friends over a nice dinner.

“Most of the time, I don’t get to see them, so dinner or coffee with friends are valuable moments for me,” she said.

For the next few months, the youngest of two siblings will be adding another ‘task’ to her usual routine as she has been short-listed as one of the top 19 contestants for the upcoming Miss Malaysia Universe 2012 pageant.

“Back then I was not prepared for the pageant as I felt I was too young for it, but now I am more prepared through the years and experience in modelling.

“It is also one contest that if I don’t try it now, it will definitely be too late for me later,” added Suchitra.

From The Star, "Suchitra a late bloomer in modelling". (29/09/11)



YouTube.com.sg -- yes, you read the 'sg' rightly!

According to ZDNet Asia, "YouTube launches Singapore site": YouTube Singapore is the company's second localized site in Southeast Asia, following last week's launch of its Philippine local site. In total, there are 35 localized YouTube sites worldwide including Asia-Pacific markets Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Why Singapore? Well, it is a "straightforward" choice as Singapore has a "huge potential", thanks to a strong community on the Internet, not just on YouTube.

Well, let's see how well this YouTube.com.sg kicks in here.

YouTube, the world's largest online video sharing community, today announces the launch of a localized service for Singapore.

Users can visit this localized Singapore site by choosing "Singapore" as the location setting at the bottom of the YouTube.com homepage or going directly to http://youtube.com.sg

The brand new YouTube Singapore offers a local interface to easily and quickly find videos most relevant to Singaporeans, including expanded content from local and global partners.

The site will create a new online space for the national community and give Singaporean creators the opportunity to increase their exposure.

In conjunction with this launch, YouTube has forged partnership agreements with top Singaporean media companies, including Interactive SG, Valleyarm / Music Services Asia, World Sport Group, Warner Music Group, Refinery Media, and Oak3.

These partners are establishing a strong presence on YouTube to easily distribute their content and grow their audience. YouTube has also secured a masthead advertisement on the Singapore home page for opening day from local telecom SingTel.

In anticipation of the localized service for Singapore, YouTube has signed a licensing agreement with the Composers & Authors Society of Singapore Ltd (COMPASS) that will allow music artists to earn revenue on YouTube.

Revenue is generated when advertisements are displayed against YouTube partner's videos. Under this agreement, Singaporean authors will now receive payments from their associations when rights holders distribute them.

From Asiaone, "YouTube makes its official debut in Singapore".

Yong Kian Fei killed in a boating accident in India fishing trip

According to Straits Times, details of what happened are 'hazy', however, the death of Mr Yong Kian Fei was still considered due to a boating accident when he was on a fishing trip together with his friend Mr Desmond Ho Wee Kiat.

In other words, one should not suspect foul play.

Rest in peace, Yong Kian Fei.

A Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) staff has died after he was involved in a boating accident in Agatti island, off India, on Monday.

Mr Yong Kian Fei was on vacation when the incident happened.

While it is not fully known how the accident occurred, Mr Yong and his colleague, research engineer Desmond Ho, were believed to be attending a wedding on the island.

Thirty-two-year-old Mr Ho was injured during the accident and was sent to a local hospital. He is said to be in stable condition.

An A*STAR spokesperson said it was making arrangements for him to return to Singapore last night.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson said Wednesday that its consulate general in Chennai is aware of the incident and is in contact with the families of both Singaporeans.

MFA will also provide the families with all the necessary consulate assistance they might need.

A SIMTech supervisor has accompanied Mr Yong's family members to India and is helping the family to make arrangements to repatriate Mr Yong's body back to Singapore.

Agatti island is situated about 459km off Kochi and is a popular beach resort destination due to its blue lagoons and coral reefs.

From Channel NewsAsia, "S'porean dies in India boat accident".

A Singaporean has died after the boat he was on capsized in India.

32-year-old Yong Kian Fei is believed to have been found floating unconscious near Agatti Island, about 450km off Kerala's western coast.

The New Paper reported that Mr Yong was on a fishing trip with his friend, 32-year-old Desmond Ho Wee Kiat, on Monday when their vessel was hit by heavy waves and capsized at about 1.30pm.

The duo, together with the boat owner and another local, were thrown overboard.

Mr Ho suffered minor injuries. Mr Yong is believed to have hit his head when the boat capsized.

An Agatti Island spokesperson told The New Paper that the three men who were able to swim then pulled Mr Yong to the overturned boat and clung onto its sides while holding him.

The boat owner tried to help him, but they were unsure whether he was still alive.

Thereafter, the boat owner and the other local man tried to reach help by swimming towards Bangaram Island, about 8km from Agatti Island, after securing the wreckage to a rock.

The New Paper said they swam for an hour before they were spotted and picked up by a fishing boat.

The fishing boat dropped them off at the Agatti Island jetty at around 5.30pm.

Mr Yong was pronounced dead by doctors at a nearby hospital. His body was kept in a temporary mortuary at the hospital. Mr Ho was warded.

Mr Ho and Mr Yong's body were flown to Kochi, Kerala, by helicopter the next day at around noon.

This is the second boat incident involving Singaporeans in recent months. Two Singaporeans are still missing after their boat was hit by a ship off Mersing on Sept 27.

From Asiaone, "Singaporean killed in India fishing trip tragedy".

'Singapore is not Shangri-La on earth': Anonymous_X

I'm referring to this Asiaone article, "'Bhutan is not Shangri-La on earth': Khaw". Yes, I must confess that I'm annoyed with the title of the article. So what if Bhutan is not Shangri-La on earth?! Neither is Singapore, Mr Khaw!!

Anyway, none of the real place on earth is Shangri-La. And that is simply because Shangri-La is fictional.

Partially quoted from Wikipedia, "Shangri-La":

Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains.

Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise but particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia — a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world.

In the novel Lost Horizon, the people who live at Shangri-La are almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

WP maiden speeches in the House -- and rebuttals by PAP

Heh. Cannot wait to find the YouTube clip of the speeches. Grin.

Two Workers' Party Members of Parliament made their maiden speeches in the House yesterday, only to see their arguments met with robust rebuttals by People's Action Party (PAP) MPs.

One protracted exchange was between WP Non-Constituency MP Gerald Giam and PAP MP Christopher De Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), with WP chief Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied GRC) joining the fray to seek clarification. Another involved WP's Chen Show Mao (Aljunied GRC), who was taken to task by PAP's Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang) for the lack of specifics in the Opposition MP's speech.

Mr Giam had taken issue with the Government's policies on healthcare, public housing and public transport, which he argued "has gone too far down the road of pursuing free market efficiency, often to the detriment of the elderly and low wage workers".

"At a time when our citizens are exposed to heightened risks in the form of global competition... the Government is exposing them to even more competition from foreigners... This regressive transfer of risks from government to citizens must count as one of the PAP Government's biggest policy failures in the last decade," Mr Giam argued.

Mr De Souza, however, felt Mr Giam should "not throw the baby out with the bath water". Mr De Souza said: "Our housing is the envy of many first world countries. Therefore, to suggest that we have failed in housing, I think it is unfair."

Mr De Souza felt Mr Giam "is finetuning PAP policies", which is "a tacit concession that the foundations are correct".

"We have scaled much altitude with this Government... we should not chide the foundations upon which we were built," Mr De Souza added.

Separately, Workers' Party MP Chen Show Mao welcomed the Government's plans to "significantly enhance" the transport infrastructure, quality and opportunities in education, healthcare and housing. Mr Chen, however, stressed: "In addition to fiscal discipline, we would need to watch out for inflation, for effects on our currency and competitiveness," he said.

Mr Chen also put before the House his view that political differences were not in themselves divisive, but rather it was the intolerance of differences that would prove to be divisive.

He added, "I may challenge Government policy in Parliament, but I do not by definition oppose Government policy. It does not mean that I do not support the Government in its work."

This led Dr Teo Ho Pin to quip that he "did not know the difference (Mr Chen) has made" in defining the differences. Dr Teo added, "The PAP MPs are different but we work together as a team to serve our people."

From Today, "WP speeches met with robust response from PAP MPs".

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

MP Denise Phua: If not relevant, let's get rid of offices of the Nominated Member of Parliament, Non-Constituency MP and Elected President

Hear, hear!

Ms Denise Phua has spoken. The fearless MP is indeed daring to speak out her mind.

She pointed out that government ought to review offices of Elected President, NCMPs and NMPs. If they are not relevant? Get rid of them!

(The logic is somewhat akin to what she said--quoted from YouTube clip, "Put a lid on easy gaming revenue"--casinos strengthen neither economy nor society and we should put a lid on this industry whilst easy gaming revenue is still small and not let it grow so large that we become dependent on it for social services and it becomes impossible to give up.)

I have to say I'm fully agree with her about the overdue review on the aforementioned political posts.

MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, Denise Phua, has urged the government to study if the offices of the Elected President, NCMP and NMP are still relevant, given the new political environment of a team of elected Opposition MPs.

She was speaking in Parliament on Tuesday.

Ms Phua said: "I believe that there is no need for the ruling party to play the paternal role and artificially inject alternative voices in Parliament or install additional checks on elected representatives of Singaporeans.

"I urge the government to examine if the created offices of the Nominated Member of Parliament, Non-Constituency MP and Elected President are still relevant in today's new political environment.

"If the conditions under which they were introduced are no longer the same, let us have the courage to slay these sacred cows before they become overgrown and irrelevant."


She also suggested setting up a Special Education body to represent each major disability group, as well as a task force to provide education and training for the special-needs workforce. She said the body must look at identifying, implementing and reporting the enablers that will move special education towards excellence.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Review offices of Elected President, NCMPs and NMPs, urges MP".

Dozens of scantily-dressed women in short skirts and skimpy dresses stand around the entrances to sleazy nightclubs.

When male passers-by walk by, they say things like "Darling, come in for a drink, you won't regret it."

This happens at Circular Road, a stretch of shophouses behind Boat Quay.

Previously occupied by hip bars and upmarket restaurants, the stretch now houses as many as 15 new nightclubs sporting names like 'Kriselle' and 'Mambo 5.'

As soon as the sun sets, hostesses emerge from these establishments and openly solicit male patrons who walk by, at times aggressively pulling them through the doors, said a report in The Straits Times.

Shop owners say these nightly activities have been going on for some time, and have expressed concern that the situation is getting worse.

The co-owner of the Unca Bunca bar said that he has had to speak to one of the bar owners to ensure the girls do not disturb his patrons, who are mostly the office crowd.

Some businesses, such as matchmaking agency Lunch Actually, have even opted to move out of the area altogether. Its chief executive told The Straits Times that clients who came to the agency after work would get solicited by girls in the area.

Customers are also increasingly avoiding walking down the stretch.

The area had a very different future as an attraction when it was first given a makeover in 1993. Since then it has steadily degenerated into a hot spot for drunken brawls and massage parlours offering dubious services.

Most of these girls appeared to be Filipinas. They were seen hanging around outside bars in groups of four to five, wearing provocative clothing.

An owner of a beauty salon located between two such bars told the Sunday Times that she has lodged complaints in response to numerous complaints of harassment from her customers, but to no avail.

The MP in charge of the area Denise Phua told the Sunday Times that she is aware of the activities going on and plans to speak with the relevant authorities to prevent Boat Quay from sliding into an area of crime.

The police have said that they have not noticed an increase in crime in the area, but will continue to monitor it closely.

From Asiaone, "More hostesses openly soliciting at Boat Quay". (26/09/11)

Monday, October 17, 2011

Dr Tan Cheng Bock: We Took Them On

We Took Them On | Photo: Facebook of Dr Tan Cheng Bock


Download Dr Tan Cheng Book's very own book 'We Took Them On' here. Yeah, right. Buy it yourself. It will soon be a highly valued collector's item. See, there are only 1,300 copies of the book!

Hundreds queued up at Dr Tan Cheng Bock's campaign headquarters in Commonwealth to purchase his newly-launched book yesterday.

Dedicated to all his supporters, the book commemorates Dr Tan's bid for the presidency earlier this year.

Titled 'We Took Them On', the 100-page book details events, photographs and short messages throughout his race which began in May and concluded on Aug 27.

Some 1,300 copies of the books were printed and costs were absorbed by Dr Tan himself.

The books were going for $20 each and all proceeds will go to the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA), where the 71-year-old served as an adviser to the charity from 1986 to 2006.

In addition, campaign memorabilia such as posters, badges and car bumper stickers were also up for grabs. The campaign team realised there was demand for these items when six banners and over half of 2,000 posters put up islandwide went missing after Polling Day.

Yesterday, the charity sales raked in $8,085 and all of it went to HWA, reported The Straits Times.

Dr Tan lost by 7,382 votes to Dr Tony Tan, a razor-thin margin of 0.35 percentage point.

He was the first of four candidates to announce his intention to contest the August election, which also marked the first time the presidential election had been contested since 1993.

Dr Tan told reporters he approved of President Tan's efforts to reach out to charities and the community. He said: "I think he's doing a good thing. As president, he should be visiting all these charity organisations and encouraging disadvantaged Singaporeans."

On his future plans, he said he had "structured plans" in mind, however, not revealing what they were or whether he would contest in the next presidential election.

Bent on keeping the surprise element, he said: "In politics, nothing is certain. I've always kept you all guessing, right? It's my style."

On the parliamentary debate which starts today, Dr Tan had this to say to first-time backbenchers: "Be prepared to get some parliamentary wounds and not run away when they get these parliamentary wounds.

"If they believe in a cause, they must stand up and fight for that cause," he added.

From Asiaone, "Tan Cheng Bock launches commemorative book".

Former Presidential candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock has launched a book about his campaign, adding to the collection of election memorabilia he launched during the campaign.

Titled We Took Them On, the book is a photo diary of the events during the election in August. It was conceptualised and put together by Dr Tan's campaign volunteers.

Dedicating the book to his supporters, Dr Tan, 71, said the photo diary also features the volunteers who helped him, and captured the moments he shared with the many Singaporeans he met on his campaign trail.

Said Dr Tan yesterday: "We did a lot so it's better to capture all this in a book ... and it's also a very historical event. I think this PE is quite special. It's to let Singaporeans have an idea of what we went through."

Dr Tan lost the election by 0.35 per cent or 7,382 votes - out of the 2.16 million votes cast - to Dr Tony Tan, who was sworn in as Singapore's seventh President on Aug 27.

Dr Tan, who paid for the printing cost of the 1,300 books, said the money from the sales will be donated to the Handicaps Welfare Association, of which he was patron when he was Ayer Rajah MP.

The book costs S$20. To purchase a copy, go to his Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/TanChengBock.

Asked about his plans, Dr Tan advised new MPs: "Be prepared to get some parliamentary wounds, and not run away when they get these wounds. If they believe in a cause, they must stand up and fight for that cause."

From Today, "Tan Cheng Bock launches photo diary".

With Parliament sitting on Monday, former MP and presidential candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock has urged new MPs to fight for causes they believe in.

Dr Tan said this when launching his photo diary "We Took Them On" - which captures what he felt was a "historical and well-fought" Presidential Election.

Dr Tan's supporters came as early as noon on Sunday, an hour before the launch started, with many saying they knew Dr Tan from his days as an MP for Ayer Rajah.

Dr Tan said he had printed 1,300 books, and slightly more than half were ordered online before Sunday's launch.

Other campaign collaterals, like the election poster which cost $32 to produce, were also put up for sale.

About S$8,085 worth of items were sold when the event ended at 5.30pm. All proceeds will be donated to the Handicaps Welfare Association.

Asked about his plans, Dr Tan remained coy but said he will be watching parliament closely and had a piece of advice for new MPs.

"Be prepared to get some parliamentary wounds, and not run away when they get these parliamentary wounds. If they believe in a cause, they must stand up and fight for that cause," said Dr Tan.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Dr Tan Cheng Bock tells new MPs to fight for causes they believe in".

Harmoni One Batam Escapade by Liveoffcoupon

Went to Batam for a relaxing 2D1N stay in Harmoni One courtesy of a great deal by Liveoffcoupon.

What a minute, did I say great? The only great thing is the hotel: Harmoni One. Others 'privilege' like a city tour (boring, incompetent tour guide from Best Batam who misplaced my disembarkation 'white' card), seafood lunch (totally below the standard - avoid Golden Prawn 933 at all cost!), flying fox + paintball (actually quite fun!), Balinese massage (hard & painful), $10 batam shopping center (which only valid at one obscure Factory Outlet and only redeemable if you purchase minimum Rp 200,000.00).

All in all, the hotel Harmoni One is the only GREAT about the trip. Still I manage to snap some photos. So it's not altogether a wasted trip. Heh.

1. Klenteng Nabi Khong Hu Chu

2. UFO - Unidentified Floating Object (Enlighten me what the ship is about, pls...)

3. A statue of the Buddha

4. Chan Chu or the Lucky Money Toad

5. A ceremony which involved a beautiful maiden wearing high-heel shoes freeing turtles to the pond??

6. Statues of beautiful maidens (not the previous one, though) taking shower?! How this becomes a part of the temple is beyond me...

7. Guanyin and the Thousand Arms

8. Free, but not impressive seafood lunch at Golden Prawn 933. Other bad reviews here and here.

9. A statue of a winged lion and a moon (taken from Harmoni One hotel, sixth floor - the level where the swimming pool & gym are located).

10. Two winged lions - I just love the statues! Heh.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Obedient Wives Club: Islamic Sex, Fighting Jews to Return Islamic Sex to the World

The outrageous Obedient Wives Club (OWC) has made it to the news again! Why am I not surprised?!

This time the club publish a 115-page sex book titled, "Islamic Sex, Fighting Jews to Return Islamic Sex to the World" (or in Malay, "Seks Islam, Perangi Yahudi untuk Kembalikan Seks Islam kepada Dunia").

The outrageous part mentioned in the news below is about how the explicit sex book encourages a Muslim husband to have joint sex with all his wives. The Qur’an, in Surah Nisa, chapter 4 verse 3, states that a Muslim is allowed to marry a maximum of only four wives.

I am impressed. One word comes to my mind: virility. Tsk, tsk, to have joint sex with all FOUR wives.

To quote Donald Duck: "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy".

The controversial Obedient Wives Club (OWC) has set off another round of public outrage with an "explicit sex book" which encourages a Muslim husband to have joint sex with all his wives.

The 115-page book titled Seks Islam, Perangi Yahudi untuk Kembalikan Seks Islam kepada Dunia (Islamic Sex, fighting Jews to return Islamic sex to the world), has a picture of the late Asaari Muhammad, the banned Al-Arqam leader, on the cover.

An excerpt from a passage printed on the back encouraged Muslims husbands to have sex simultaneously with their wives.

The book stated that research showed women only gave their husbands 10 per cent of what they wanted from their wives' bodies, a local daily reported yesterday.

According to the report, chapter eight titled Bagaimana seks menjadi ibadah (How sex becomes worship), contained explicit descriptions of sexual acts.

Facebook page "We do not want sexist nonsense from Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd" founder Matthew Ong expressed outrage over the book and urged Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to intervene.

Global Ikhwan had set up the OWC.

From Asiaone, "Obedient Wives Club launches "explicit sex book"".

Kuala Lumpur. Just months after it gained infamy for telling its members to “serve their husbands better than a first-class prostitute,” a Malaysian Muslim wives’ club has made the news again — this time for publishing a guide on “Islamic sex.”

The Obedient Wives Club has produced a book titled “Islamic Sex, Fighting Against Jews To Return Islamic Sex To The World,” according to a news report in Malay daily Berita Harian in Malaysia yesterday.

The 115-page, pocket-sized sex guide is believed to have been published this year.

The news report did not explain what ‘Islamic sex’ is or how it apparently differs from Jewish sex. Leaders of the OWC - which has about 800 members in Malaysia and branches in Singapore, Indonesia and Jordan - could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The book’s foreword says that OWC’s research has found that wives can satisfy only 10 per cent of their husbands’ desires, Berita Harian reported.

So, the book apparently lays out how to close the gap on the remaining 90 per cent.

At least one chapter contains detailed information on sexual acts. The chapter, the only part of the book The Straits Times has seen, describes in reverential tones how a husband and wife should approach sex.

Stressing that the couple should be married, it described sexual acts, such as the fondling of a breast, in detail. The chapter said that sex is ‘sanctioned by God’ and is intended to create new life.

“You [God] have said that all these acts are halal, pure, beautiful and like a prayer [between a man and a wife,]” the guide says.

The Straits Times understands that each copy is sold for RM50 (S$20), and is available only to OWC members. The guide does not contain pictures or illustrations of sex.

Launched in June, the OWC was set up by the same people who formed a Polygamy Club in 2009. Both clubs were criticized by women’s rights groups, which said that marriages should be based on mutual respect.

The clubs were set up by Global Ikhwan, a business organization founded by former members of the Al-Arqam cult. Banned 20 years ago by the Malaysian government, Al-Arqam’s followers believed their leader Ashaari Muhammad could absolve their sins and defer death.

The late Ashaari’s picture is on the cover of the sex guide, which is targeted at newlyweds, Berita Harian said.

The OWC, however, denies any links to Al-Arqam. In an interview in June, one committee member told The Straits Times that the club was simply spreading the teachings of God, and that “Al-Arqam no longer exists.”

From Jakarta Globe, "Obedient Wives Club Produces ‘Islamic Sex’ Guide".

A Muslim man can have sex with all his wives at the same time, according to a controversial new book on Islamic sex by the Obedient Wives Club (OWC).

Titillatingly-titled “Seks Islam, perangi Yahudi untk kembalikan seks Islam kepada dunia [Islamic sex, fighting Jews to return Islamic sex to the world]”, the explicit book aims to guide Muslim brides on how to pleasure their husbands in bed.

In its foreword, the pro-polygamy OWC said its studies showed women only gave their husbands 10 per cent of what the men desired of their wives’ bodies.

Malay-language daily, Berita Harian, reported today the Malay-Muslim community was upset the book featured on its front cover the polygamous leader of the outlawed Al-Arqam religious sect, Asaari Muhammad, and also objected to its extremely graphic visuals.

An extract on the back cover reads, in Bahasa Malaysia: “Selaku pemimpin roh, kebolehan yang Allah izinkan kepada mereka ialah boleh serentak dengan semua isteri-isteri melakukan hubungan jenis. Manakala kalau isteripun orang roh, lagilah hebat. Ke mana-mana terbang untuk atau sambil melakukan hubungan sulit itu dalam keadaan lebih nikmat dan lebih ringan dibanding dengan perlakuan yang menggunakan fizikal. Untuk itulah Abuya sedang proses isteri-isterinya ke arah roh.”

In English: “As a spiritual leader, Allah has granted him the ability to have simultaneous sex with all his wives. And if the wife is spiritual, the sex is greater. They can fly anywhere for sex, it is more enjoyable and easier compared to physical sex. For that reason, Abuya was processing his wives towards the spiritual.”

The paper noted that explicit sex details littered the book’s 115 pages, and cited as another example chapter eight which deals with “how sex becomes worship”.

“Kemuncak cinta kita ialah celah kangkang. Tangan, kaki dan segalanya terdorong kuat untuk menuju ke situ [The peak of our love is the cleft in between. Hands, feet and everything are strongly driven there].”

The sex book has not been banned but Kelantan mufti, Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad, has stepped into the fray to play down the emphasis of Islam on sex.

“The Al-Quran explains the ‘wife clothes the husband and you (the husband) clothes the wife. ‘Your wife is the field and therefore come to your field’,” Berita Harian quoted him saying today.

“Islam touches on sex in a civilised, polite and non-lewd manner. So we should not detail it in such a way as to give a negative impression,” Mohamad Shukri added, saying sex in Islam was described in symbolic terms.

This is the second time the OWC has hit the headlines. Previously, the club’s vice-president, Dr Rohaya Mohamad, provoked an outcry from women’s rights groups and Islamic religious authorities for advising women to behave like “a first-class whore” while in the company of their husbands if they wanted their marriages to succeed.

From The Malaysian Insider, "Obedient Wives Club publishes explicit sex book".

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

SNSD aka Girls' Generation Singapore concert -- or the hot girl band whose music video inspired mrbrown ...


SNSD (it stands for So Nyuh Shi Dae) aka Girls' Generation will have their concert held in Singapore earlier. Wow. So what? Honestly if not because of the mrbrown show clip, "gee ahruh see", I'd never even know the existence of this girl band. Heh.


the mrbrown show: gee ahruh see (music video)


And for comparison purpose, here's the original song, Gee:

Girls` Generation(소녀시대) _ Gee _ MusicVideo


And hey, while we're talking about a parody of their song, Gee...this one also deserves to be featured in this post:


SNSD - Gee (Parody for anti-fans)


Singapore fans of K-pop girl group SNSD (aka Girls' Generation) won't have to wait much longer to see their idols in action.

Concert promoter Running Into The Sun (RITS) announced Tuesday that SNSD's concert here - their first solo concert in Singapore - has been brought forward from February next year to December 9, due to changes in the girls' schedule.

RITS added that tickets to the concert, which will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, are likely to go on sale by the end of October.

"We hope this will be an early Christmas present for fans and we're sure this will end the year on a sweet note.

"With many fans young and schooling, we hope the change will be for the better, with Girls' Generation performing here during the school holidays," said RITS Creative Director Beatrice Chia-Richmond.

SNSD is currently one of the most popular girl groups in Korea and are known for their lithe figures as well as their long slender legs, which are accentuated by the short shorts and heels they favour during their performances.

The nine-member girl group debuted in 2007 and shot to fame in 2009 with their hit songs "Gee" as well as "Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)".

SNSD is scheduled to release their new album "The Boys" on October 19.

From Channel NewsAsia, "SNSD Singapore concert brought forward to December 9".

Tick Tock ... Your Time's Up ... Everyone's Really!!



Beside its curious way of playing the scenes backwards, I too like how the short film, "Tick Tock"--uploaded to YouTube on 22/02/11 by campusmoviefest--ends with an incredibly apt quote from the recently departed co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs.



By the way the full quote of his is as follows:

Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.


Rest in peace, Steve Jobs. You've done a fantastic job to follow your heart...

Singapore Future MRT Network ... in HD


Click to enlarge. And marvel at the speculative (?) or possibly future MRT network. Beautiful, aren't they? Heh.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Pac-Man the Musical: A Pacapella Song


Heh. Cool. Never realize I might be into musicals. LOL.

Oh In Hye in her daring dress...




Oh In Hye is indeed captivating, isn't she? No matter what she wears -- in daring revealing dress or even just plain 'ok' clothing. Heh.


Oh In Hye (오인혜) - Busan International Film Festival


When asked on why she chose the dress, Oh In Hye replied, “Doesn’t everyone dream of attending a film festival? It was my first time, so I didn’t know what dress to wear. An unni I know from my movie recommended a wedding shop store in Seoul, so I rented a dress from there. I didn’t have much to choose from to begin with, so I just chose that dress. It also didn’t fit me so I had to personally tailor the shoulder part and length. I don’t have a stylist. The dress was worn by Baek Ji Young six years ago.”

She continued, “I don’t have experience with these events so I didn’t know what amount of exposure was appropriate or not. I just wore whatever they gave me. The dress was so old that a lot of it needed tailoring.”

Concluding the interview, she stated, “I’m really self conscious and get hurt easily. When I saw that I was the most searched figure online, I was worried about tomorrow. My parents knew that I had been going through a hard time and just told me to not focus on the hateful replies and just overcome it as a life experience.”

Partially quoted from allkpop, "Actress Oh In Hye talks about her controversial red carpet dress at the ’16th BIFF’".

A Korean actress has become the talk of the town after she strutted down the red carpet at the 16th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) last Thursday in a revealing ensemble.

27-year-old Oh In Hye’s dress - called “Grecian goddess-inspired” by allkpop.com - featured a plunging neckline which showed jaw-dropping amounts of cleavage.

Pairing her outfit was a gold clutch and glittery heels, with accessories being kept to a minimum so as not to draw attention away from the dress, the entertainment website said.

Oh is a fairly fresh face in the Korean movie industry - having scored a supporting role in 2010’s “Sin of a family” - but her daring dress, reports claimed, stole the limelight from bigger names like Chinese starlet Fan Bingbing and French actress Isabelle Huppert during the festival’s opening.

It was actually her first-time on the red carpet, the actress told reporters, and she had rented the dress from a bridal shop – a recommendation from an unni, or ‘elder sister’ from a movie.

She said that the gown was worn by actress Baek Ji Young six years ago, and as it did not fit her, she had to tailor it personally.

“I merely went to the event hoping to get caught on camera, but I think the situation blew up into something out of my control.

There were some who criticised me for going overboard, but what I want to make clear is that I didn’t seek the attention purposely,” she was quoted as saying on allkpop.com.

From Diva Asia, "Controversial red carpet dress at Busan Film Festival".

Photos source: allkpop, hancinema

Monday, October 10, 2011

Pokémon theme songs in many languages!!

Yes. That's how popular this cartoon is world-wide!! Heh. If you ask me, I like the Arabic version the best, followed by the German one and Swedish. How about you?


Pokemon theme song Arabic version


Original Pokemon Theme Song in English


Pokemon Theme Song [ FINNISH ]


Pokemon Theme Song In French


Pokemon Theme Song 1 German (FULL SONG)


Pokemon theme music 1 in Greek


Pokémon song Norwegian


Pokemon Theme Song Russian


Pokémon - theme song - Swedish

Dawn Yeoh in Jipaban Online Shopping









Dawn Yeoh is in fact the first female editor for Jipaban! Check out how well she posted her thought in Jipaban here...the above beautiful shots of her are from the very same article.

Bedok Reservoir drowning: A foreign worker

When one is determine to die, one will die.

Again, the sad case--very likely a suicide--involves Bedok Reservoir (Yeah, recall these posts: "Bedok Reservoir dead bodies...", "Bedok Reservoir dead bodies due to suicide?" and "Bedok Reservoir suicides: Killing oneself is not an answer!!").

See, it was reported (in Straits Times, "Floating body of Indian man found in Bedok Reservoir") that the man--Raman Selvam, a foreign construction worker from India--refused help from passers-by who had tried to throw him a life buoy.

Seriously, I have this thought of appealing to media to stop reporting suicide cases anymore. Don't you think it's just attract a similar-minded individual to commit suicide in almost similar manner--and at the same place?!?!

I know it's irrational. (But we're talking about 3 cases here so far!! And all of them happened this year...)

Some insensitive netizens, instead of feeling sorry about the departed, chose to worry about the effect of the suicide to the property nearby. Shame on you! Really.

Officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) retrieved a body from Bedok Reservoir this morning.

An SCDF spokesman said they were alerted to a floating body at 8.46am. One fire engine and one ambulance were immediately dispatched to the scene.

Upon arrival, a body was seen floating near the shore, and was retrieved by SCDF officers. The male casualty was pronounced dead at 9.22am.

According to The Straits Times, the man is believed to be Indian construction worker Raman Selvam, 33.

An eyewitness saw a man walking into the water, before disappearing on Saturday afternoon, reported the Shin Min Daily News.

The report said one onlooker who spotted the man shouted at him and threw him a life-buoy, but the man disappeared into the water about 20 or 30 metres from shore.

The man is a construction worker at a site nearby, and is married with three kids, the report said.

According to a fellow worker, Mr Selvam had seemed depressed a few days ago due to some family problems.

The construction foreman, Mr Huang, 40, said Mr Selvam had left the site at about 12pm that day and did not return.

SCDF officers spent more than 10 hours over the weekend looking for the man's body, according to a Straits Times report.

Police received a call about the incident at about 2.30pm on Saturday.

More than 20 officers from SCDF and the Naval Diving Unit were involved in the search for the body.

There was no sign of the body despite a four-hour search. The under-water search resumed at 10.30am on Sunday and ceased at 7.10pm.

Bedok Reservoir cursed?

If found, the body will be the fourth recovered in four months.

On June 20, a highly-decomposed partial corpse was found in the reservoir. The body was identified as Chinese national Lin Xiao, 23, who had gone missing in April.

On Sep 22, the bodies of Tan Sze Sze, 32, and her three-year-old son, Jerald Chin Le Hui, were found floating in Bedok Reservoir.

According to media reports, the stress of her broken marriage and fear of losing the custody battle for her son had pushed Madam Tan over the edge. The two bodies, dressed in red, were found locked in embrace.

Reporters spoke to a resident Mr Liao, 55, who stays nearby and jogs at the reservoir park twice a week with his wife.

When Mr Liao saw police and civil defence officers gathered at the reservoir, he wondered if there had been another drowning.

"Is the reservoir cursed?" he wondered, "Why are there so many incidents lately?"

Another resident Ms He, 38, a teacher, told reporters that fewer people are exercising at the reservoir now and are avoiding the park, especially in the evenings.

From Asiaone, "Another drowning at Bedok Reservoir".

A body - believed to be that of an Indian construction worker - was found at Bedok Reservoir this morning.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call at around 8.45am from someone who spotted the body floating in the reservoir.

Officers retrieved the body shortly afterwards, and the man was pronounced dead at 9.22am.

SCDF officers have been searching since Saturday for the man who is said to have walked into the reservoir.

The man, believed to be 33-year-old Raman Selvam, is said to have worked at a site near the reservoir.

From Today, "Body found at Bedok Reservoir".

Sunday, October 09, 2011

The Butterfly Dragon


The Butterfly Dragon. Animation from COFA student Sushan Yue, winner of the Wacom Award for best 2D work at the 2010 COFA Annual Awards.

Friday, October 07, 2011

Kouk Leong Jin missing, but believed to be alive?!

Another post to follow up to "The Search for Kouk Leong Jin ..." and "Missing: Kouk Leong Jin". Sigh. When will we see the post with the title like "Missing Singaporean Kouk Leong Jin Found!"?

Anyway. A real test for the distraught wife Ms Seow Shu Ping who appeared in Greece TV ANT1 to appeal for information.

On a separate news it's said that the Greek police reportedly believe Mr Kouk is alive, after investigations yielded results. I wish more are going to elaborate about this soon. What 'results'? Where is Kouk Leong Jin? (By the way it's getting rather annoying to see his name mentioned as "Kuok Leong Jin", isn't it?!)

Εξαφάνιση Kuok Leong Jin


The wife of Singapore medical student Kouk Leong Jin has gone on Greece's leading television channel, ANT1, to appeal for information on his whereabouts.

Teacher Seow Shu Ping, 28, appeared teary on the 10-minute broadcast on Monday.

Mr Kouk, 28, who is a fourth-year student at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, has been uncontactable since Sept 27 - a day after he arrived in Athens.

Kidnapping unlikely, says Greek police

While one theory to explain the disappearance of Mr Kouk suggests that he could have been kidnapped, Greek police rules out that possibility.

According to the police, Greece is a "safe country for tourists" and it holds a clean record of having not had any previous cases of tourist kidnapping before.

An officer at the Office of Disappearances in Athens told The Straits Times: "It is not common for tourists to be kidnapped here."

According to the same report, some of Mr Kouk's friends also believed that it is not easy for anyone to abduct the 1.7m-tall karate exponent.

It has been nine days since Mr Kouk had gone missing.

In the last email to his wife, he said he might explore some nearby islands before the medical conference he was there to attend started on Sept 28.

Was he marooned on a Greek island?

Mystery continues to surround the case.

From Asiaone, "Missing man's wife asks for help on Greek TV".

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is working with the Greek authorities in continuing efforts to track down Singaporean medical student Kouk Leong Jin, who is believed to have been missing in Greece since last Tuesday.

The Greek police reportedly believe Mr Kouk is alive, after investigations yielded results.

In a statement on Wednesday, an MFA spokesman added its Honorary Consul-General (HCG) in Athens has been monitoring the efforts of the Greek authorities to locate the 28-year-old Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School student, as well as "making his own efforts to locate Mr Kouk, including publicising Mr Kouk's profile in the local media".

The spokesman added: "We have sought, through the Greek Ambassador to Singapore, the full assistance of the Greek authorities to locate Mr Kouk Leong Jin and emphasised the importance we place on expeditious resolution of this case."

The MFA has also contacted INTERPOL for assistance, while the Singapore Police Force is working with its Greek counterparts.

"Our HCG has also been extending all necessary assistance to the members of Mr Kouk's family currently in Athens. Some members of the small Singaporean community resident in Athens have also stepped forward to offer their support for Mr Kouk's family," the spokesman said.

From Channel NewsAsia, "MFA continuing efforts to find missing Singaporean".

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Amber An delighting you always in her Reebok shoes...In ONLY her Reebok shoes?!?!

Amber An nude in Reebok ad?


Seriously. What is it with Reebok ad featuring (possibly) naked models wearing nothing but the shoes?!

The recent news has the sexy and yet angelic Amber An posing (possibly) in nude while only wearing the Reebok shoes, almost a similar style with that of Kelly Brook! Yes, the latter also posed with nothing on excepts the shoes...

Kelly Brook nude in Reebok EasyTone Ad


Soon we may expect Reebok to has a fancy tagline like: "Reebok: Delighting You Always". Nah, "Delighting You Always" phrase is already taken by Canon!

I digress. Back to Amber An. Have I blogged that she is truly a good singer?! Well, she is...


安心亞 戀愛應援團 HIGH QUALITY MV (完整版) [With Lyrics]


WAS Taiwanese sex bomb Amber An forced to strip?

The issue has caused much between tension An and another celebrity, and started an online war between their fans.

It started when Taiwan's Next Magazine published a report on Wednesday claiming Reebok's regional manager Tony Zhao had tried to coerce the 26-year-old model and singer into shedding her clothes during a photo shoot for the brand.

The 34D babe recently became the Taiwan ambassador for the international sports shoe and apparel company in a reported NT$1 million ($42,500) endorsement deal.

In one photo, she appears to be completely nude except for a pair of shoes, with her legs folded in front to protect her modesty.

British model Kelly Brook had appeared in exactly the same pose last year for the same label.

In another shot, An wears a short feather skirt and a pair of shoes slung over her chest.

The Next Magazine report claimed that Mr Zhao, regional manager for the label and husband of popular Malaysian singer Fish Leong, then attempted to "force An to strip" for another scintillating pose.

Raunchy

He reportedly wanted her to sprawl on the ground in nothing except the shoes, similar to what Brook had done in an advertisement campaign for the brand last year.

Brook's raunchy 12m long billboards, placed at busy traffic junctions in the UK, was blasted by safety campaigners as a "deadly distraction" as men craned their necks for a closer look.

An reportedly thought for 30 minutes but eventually rejected the suggestion.

The tabloid's report has made Leong and her husband see red.

Apple Daily reported on Thursday the 33-year-old singer threw a fit after reading how her husband had allegedly tried to "force An to strip".

Leong's manager told Apple Daily: "Fish is very upset now and has expressed her objections to (Next Magazine)...

"The sports label paid Amber An for the advertisements and both parties communicated before on how it would be done. How can you say she was forced?

"We reasonably suspect it's Amber An's camp trying to stir up publicity."

Mr Zhao was also reportedly outraged and rebuked the Next Magazine article.

The magazine, however, is standing by its report.

A representative told Apple Daily: "We are only concerned whether it's the truth, we are not concerned if it sounds nice or not."

Meanwhile, a representative from An's recording company denied the brouhaha was a publicity gimmick. "There's no need to create news like this. It does not add value to either the artiste or the sports label."

An - formerly a comedienne in the Taiwanese variety Celebrity Imitated Show: The Largest Political Party - used to flaunt her cleavage and slender figure in many photo shoots and public appearances.

She has also appeared near-nude in some shoots.

In 2009, she appeared on the cover of Next Magazine wearing only C-string underwear. That's G-string without the waist string, instead the C-shaped piece is held firmly in place by a flexible internal frame.

It earned her much attention and the label, Queen of C-string.

An later claimed in a TV interview that she had actually worn a pair of shorts under the C-string but it was later digitally removed.

She said she cried during the photo shoot but didn't dare to voice out her worries as she was a rookie then.

With her angelic face and sexy figure, An quickly became the No. 1 "goddess" to Taiwan's male otakus - people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga, or video games.

She was also voted the world's sexiest woman in Taiwan's FHM this year, beating model Lin Chi Ling who held the honour for the last four years.

An is also the face for a lingerie company, an online game, a USB flash drive, a skincare label and a gold jewellery company.

Very possibly in response to the controversy, An wrote on her Weibo account (a Chinese version of Twitter) on Thursday that she was extremely unhappy.

She didn't say whether Mr Zhao had tried to force her to shed her clothes in the photo shoot. The issue has now escalated into an online war.

Leong's fans left scorching remarks on An's Weibo, calling her names and swearing at her for allegedly using Leong's fame to create news for herself.

An's fans also retaliated by lambasting Leong's fans on An's Weibo.

An, who flew to Japan yesterday for work, pleaded in a Weibo post yesterday: "Please do not over-speculate. There's no need for me to create this piece of news. It doesn't benefit me, so why would I step on my own foot?

"For those who truly care about me, I will continue to work hard for you." Flash for cash?

In their report on Wednesday, Next Magazine also alleged that if paid the right sum of money, An is willing to show skin.

An's manager however, denied that the starlet will flash for cash.

She told the magazine in the same report: "Amber has never been one to show skin as and when endorsements pay her to.

"It depends on the product's branding and image. Like for this endorsement, it's an international label and Amber's healthy and sexy image fits the product.

"It was a happy collaboration because (the amount of skin showed) was within our limits."

In contrast to her earlier daring photos, An has recently began covering herself up during TV appearances and fan meets.

It was reportedly an order from some of the companies that she's a spokesman for.

But An's attempts to cover up has upset her male fans.

When she released her debut album Evil Girl in August, she reportedly promised she would hold a fan-meet wearing a bikini if album sales hit more than 10,000 copies. The album is also on sale here.

However, in two ticketed concerts held in Taipei and Kaohsiung last week, she was fully clothed and left male supporters shouting for her to fulfil her bikini promise.

An is scheduled to visit Singapore to promote her album this month.

From Diva Asia, "Was Taiwan singer Amber An forced to strip?".