Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness

My Verdict: I don't care what the critics say, I had fun watching this movie, against my better judgment. Delightfully surprised. Would probably watch again with the right company. And purely from the experience of someone who's been a cynic on Star Trek all her life. The TV series doesn't count.

 

  Google pic

Didn't watch any of the Star Trek previous installments so watching this one was purely on a whim. And because given the choice between The Great Gatsby (which I predicted to be depressing at best) and Star Trek Into Darkness (alien cum space war cum high-tech adventure), obviously adventure will always win. (Note: Both movies premiered at the same time.)

Besides, I'm a fan of Chris Pine and that baby blue eyes. He almost didn't pull it off as a gutsy unorthodox Captain, but then, that smooth charm could be deceptive. And my love-hate relationship with Zachary Quinto, well... high time for it to be tested. It's complicated, but if you follow Heroes, you'd understand. I am happy to announce I totally love him in this movie, pointy ears, expressionless face and all. All those tiny constant bickering between the two major characters are so witty, endearing and well... sweet. 

Google pic: Kirk and Spock... Like siblings rivalry 

So I'm a little outdated with this review and the casts. So what? Outerspace movies isn't my thing, as I've told you many times before (with the exception of AVATAR). But if there's a movie I'd recommend you to watch, it's this one. Just for the fun of it.

The last time I saw Karl Urban anywhere was in The Pathfinder, that moccasin clad bloody warrior. I almost didn't recognise him as Dr Bones or Leonard McCoy, all cleaned up and looking the part. He was, if you remember, that exiled Eomer, nephew of the King, in Lord of The Rings. I'm probably just used to seeing him in tattered clothes long hair unshaven face and all. Haha.

Google pic: Karl Urban as Dr Bones

The cast is great, with the addition of Alice Eve as Dr Carol Marcus. I wish they didn't censure that part where she stripped to change uniforms (the only small bit of indecency and hardly harmful part in this whole movie and they had to take it away. Sigh...) it would've been perfect.

The villain in this movie is this great Khan, a species who seems to be unbeaten, almost immortal, but not quite so. I never heard of Benedict Cumberbatch before, but he sure played his part well. I mean, with that pale face, tall lean warrior killing machine body, pale blue eyes, deep baritone voice, and mocking lips, he's like a psycho with a human heart. Well, for the part where he pleaded "Is there anything you would not do for your family?" and a tear ran down his face. Gawd... even I got sucked up into believing him! 

Google Pic: The lone villain... 

There was this short funny moment, when he revealed his real identity... "My name is Khan..." boyfriend and I both chorused "And I'm not a terorrist". And then we cracked up! With that image of Shah Rukh Khan in our heads.

Too bad Christopher Pike had to be eliminated too early in the movie. He's like the father figure the whole Starfleet needs but never had.

Storyline is adventure-simple and yet there's a twist or two. Like you know where it's going but you could be wrong and you don't want to second guess yourself because you might be right and you don't want it to happen that way because it would probably be wrong. Etc... I supposed you should watch it yourself to deliver your own verdict.

As Mr Spock said cooly in the face of death while accepting defeat "We cannot fire and we cannot flee..."... That means, hey you! Bring it on! What have you got to lose? Go get a ticket at GSC CityOne Kuching (highly recommended for that surround-sound experience so you'd feel like drifting in the milky way) or the cinema nearest to you. Playing now!

Good luck watching folks!

A little way too unwell...

Familiarity either breeds contempt, or nurtures tenderness. At some point, you're bound to remember names of something you keep in close contact with. Like your prescribed drugs. Including the active chemical ingredients.

Left for daytime intake, right for night-time baby-sleep quality

Like everything with a season, the flu bug stung a lot of people in my surrounding, so I must've caught it from someone. No fun being sick at a time like this, just when the new Cabinet lineup has just been announced, and with the pre-planned vacation just around the corner. Takes the fun out of blogging about it. Day 7 and the lumpy feeling at the back of the throat just itches to be scratched.

So nothing heavy today. No head-cracking post. No deep talk. No emotional drama. Just lots of mucus, phlegm, sticky spit, bitter aftertaste, and wet tissues. Hoping to bounce back with more energy and savory posts soon.

 Office companion...

Meanwhile, at the risk of being too dependent on doctor-prescribed medication, what's the best home remedy for sore throat and stubborn flu, anyone?

Politically correct ...

Note: This is a rare post on politics ... well not entirely.

Back from the brink and not getting any wiser.

I have been sitting on the fence too long watching the world go by. It gets bored sometimes perched up there with nothing to do but observe, learn a little, cheering, jeering, being judgmental, having plenty of ideas, all talks, but not really getting involved. It feels like going to a battle that I wasn't a part of and just stand on the side while other people kill or be killed.

Ok, maybe not that dramatic. Life doesn't revolve around me and my coffee induced rants, right?

But let's face it. When it comes to politics -- my least favorite topic these days -- everyone has an opinion. Everyone. Top to bottom. The politicians most of all. The voters. Even those who don't vote. Even those not of voting age. Even those far away overseas who can't or won't come home to vote. Even those who aren't even from this country. I'm not blaming you, I belong to one of the category above. Nothing wrong with giving an opinion, I'm about to hand one (or two) myself today. However, an opinion remains as what it is -- An Opinion. Subject to neither right nor wrong.

The still-warm General Election 2013 (yes the very same, so go ahead stop reading whenever you feel like it because here comes another opinion from the sidelines you probably have heard before...) left a lot to be desired. You know the results yourself, look it up. The dominant political party Barisan Nasional (BN) won the majority seats, almost by a close call, although personally I won't call it a good victory considering the People's Alliance rose up in great force this season and almost managed to tip the scale of time to create history. Almost, but not quite there. A small victory for them.

On the other hand, let me deliver this while I'm still precariously roosting up here. I support no party but my own. Election is finally over. But didn't somebody say it was only the beginning?

I love my country, but the people in it are getting more and more advanced with their words and attitude and those do not necessarily bring about a good thing. Thanks to social media, you can say just about anything you want and damn the consequences. All the good values and proper upbringing at risk of going down the drain in all those status updates, comments, replies, shared links, supportive or non-supportive mentions, derogatory remarks, big pompous words, seemingly intelligent outbursts, drama. The Internet brings about a lot of good, but it's also a harmful tool. Weapon, if you may.

Start them young ...

With all the political drama going on in our country these past few weeks -- one that saw the supporters instead of the candidates, going to war against each other -- it's any wonder that we're even standing straight and taking it all in stride. I believe this season we're a step ahead (or backward depending on how you read it) what's with all the ruckus some people created to draw attention to  themselves. Using abusive words to hurt and slur your very neighbor, sowing seeds of hatred, teaching kids to discriminate and choose for themselves a vicious path ... Nasty. And then you blame the younger generations for inciting rage and wrath, but you forgot maybe you started it and didn't remember it.

Mouths faster than the brains. Quick to anger, slow to listen. When provoked, influenced by peers, thinking you're somehow following the flow, going where people go... You crack. No, WE crack. Fumbling. Flustered. We responded. Reacting without taking enough time to catch our breath. We stop thinking about all manners of things good and kind. We forget our values, our faith, our upbringing, our friends, most of all, our God who sees all things.

All in the name of defending ourselves, our beliefs, our rights. We're not even going to war and yet here we are shooting virtual venomous ammos at each other. It must be a sign of the end time.

Truly One Malaysia ... and more

Somewhere in the world's most published book I read, "...he who sheds blood in peacetime, will never go to his grave in peace...". A troubling thought, isn't it. Whose God in this world, do you think, teaches His congregations to stir hate and causes strife? None. Or is there? Perhaps you can show me so I would shut it now and stop typing.

*Paused for breath*

So somebody won. Somebody almost won. Not a landslide win, but a win nonetheless. So give it a chance and embrace it. All sides have been given ample (if not too much) time to pitch their sales. All those 5 previous years in the record to show their mettle, make improvements, do stuffs for the good of the people... However you treat those years behind you will determine the votes against or for you.

Winning a seat isn't your personal and individual victory, Sir. Losing a seat doesn't mean you're a horrible leader either, Sir. Remember this isn't about YOU or the POLITICAL PARTY that backed you up. This is about WE THE PEOPLE. WE THE COUNTRY. WE THE NATION.

The die is cast. Be a sport and accept the general r.e.s.u.l.t no matter how hard it is to swallow for some or how unexplainably allegedly unfair it seems. But you wasting your breath isn't going to change the results. Or make the 5 years term run faster.

I love my country. No matter which way the votes swing, I will still be grateful for all the good stuffs I have gained, friends I make who hail from various culture background, abundant of great unique food, the facilities, job opportunities, and the lists is pretty long. See... when you stop to smell the roses, you will probably be able to appreciate a lot more than those.

Development ...

Why would you pit one religion against another? It's just not done. Besides, if God had wanted it any other way (here I go again dragging the Deity into this, but you asked for it, o ye of little faith) He would've tipped the scale to the other side, no assistance from mere mortal like us needed. If this is how we react in the face of internal political strife, God help us when we actually face real bloody war.

Stop being such a sour puss. Don't you have a job to do?

P/s: If you're offended, no apology is going to be issued, not for stating opinions anyway. If you're hilarious, go ahead laugh. If you're thinking I'm pro-something, get it off your head. I'm not. Just a concerned citizen.

Crafted By Mei ... Living the dream...

I have a confession to make: I have been seriously indulging in online shopping for the past month. You'd think that constant traveling would lessen it, but NO. Traveling encourages it more! What's with the constant long lonely hours in the hotel room and strong Internet signal ... a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Right ladies?

My point is: I've discovered another site for my trinket collection. Actually this site has been there awhile, I've browsed through the entries many times and even contemplated on buying something, but usually ended up didn't. So by 'discovered', I meant I purchased something from there just for experiment sake. And voila! What a delight the whole experience turned out to be!

Quite like my previous passion with romance novels which has now slowly dwindled due to my own er private emotional life steadily taking off. But that's another story. Oh how I can go on and on!

So anyway lovelies, have you ever heard of Crafted By Mei? If you haven't already, you should be.

Last week I got a little brave and made contact with Mei, inquiring about her latest charm bracelets. Her First Steps series kinda caught my fancy so strongly that I just couldn't help myself. (Hello, sounds like an online-shopaholic ho...). She responded promptly and her tone was quite cheerful but at the same time, professional. To cut the story short and a few emails between us later...

TADAAA! My First Steps bracelet. Made of (ok here comes the fancy cute names) Flower Cabochon, Padparadscha AB Swarovski Heart, Matte Orange Flat Oval Chinese Crystal, Coral Red Faux Pearl Bead, Light Peach Chinese Crystal Doughnut, Footstep Charm and Live Your Dream Charm (as seen below on my chubby wrist).

'Live your dream' it says, as if I have been neglecting just that lately. 

 Complete with the necklace series ...

I'm a sucker for sweet wraps and lovely creative packaging. Even if the inside sucks (which this one totally didn't), the outer part would always make up for it a little. This lady is serious.

Packaging was really nice ... really really nice...

 This is how a woman who means business makes a deal that really impresses...

And you know what sealed the deal? Her really big dreams and her courage. I followed her on Facebook after this initial purchase, and what I discovered totally changed my perception of her. (Sorry Mei, I am going to borrow your Facebook page a bit).

I discovered lovely Mei is actually wheelchair bound, as was mentioned in a Magazine article and her previous post (read here to know more) .I emailed her to say I was sorry about her condition and guess what she replied?

In her own words to me: "... One is not defined by whether he sits or stands. I am truly fine..."

Pretty girl with big dreams living it everyday...

I was touched by how positive she looks at life, and I reflected on myself and how different I am from her in so many ways. I can be quite a whiner sometimes when things don't go my way.  Or silently going through a series of passive regression, like a time bomb, when encountering a negative experience.

But this girl? She got back right up, and I don't know how she did it, but she did and she's doing something that she loves right now. Very good at it too. She can be ok with her condition, while I was swamped with guilt and sympathy. (Not a good combination sometimes especially when dealing with someone of less advantage than you). Girl, you'd make a good role model for all these able-bodied youths out there. And to some of the older ones with diminishing dreams.

So now I'm here to stay! Wohoo! Her handcrafted jewellery is perfect for birthday gifts to BFFs, parting souvenirs, or simply for your own wear to match with party or function attires. They're quite an eye-catching stuff.

Thank you Mei. :-) God bless your online business.

NOTE: Lesson learned for the day: I should start on that novel project already. Live MY dream for once!

Lawas Adventure: That precious native appeal ...

Yo!

So a month back I revisited Lawas on an official visit, after a two year hiatus from the place. If you don't already know where the place is, hey do a quick Google.

My sum on the place: Lawas is this small quiet border town in Limbang Division of Sarawak. A whole day and a half journey by road crossing via Brunei, or 45 minutes flight on a Twin Otter transiting via Miri. Or you could also fly to Kota Kinabalu and then take a 3-hour road trip via Sipitang to get here.

 Lawas Airport...

For a small town -- the folks consisting of majority native Lunbawangs -- Lawas is quite lovely and the community are hospitable to bits. I've been here like 5 or 6 times in the past and the native charms never fail to amaze me.

There are many small wonders to this place. I don't even know how to keep writing this entry without sounding any less delighted or if I could recapture that brief Oh-Wow moment when I discovered what I had been subconsciously looking for. Eh I found them quite by chance, in Lawas.

Did I ever tell you that I have quite an extensive collection of trinkets, lockets, bangles, earpieces? My favorites are the natives'. Do I wear them? Not usually. Not all the time anyway, depending on the occasion. I just like to collect them. I supposed you could say I'm a normal girl in that aspect.

Adding to my collection is this beautiful awesome piece: a ceramic bead necklace embedded with a native 'bunga terung' motifs. Bunga terung or eggplant flower motif is a popular Iban tattoo design, the most basic tattoo art usually inked on a coming-of-age Iban male to mark his err manhood. (So help me Wiki...).

Hello baby... you're mine at last! 

This lady, Ms Mirit Tai, a small-time craft entrepreneur manning the booth, explained that she herself is a Lunbawang of Lawas origin, but she uses this design a lot on her crafts because like she put it and I quote: "It sells. People signifies it with Sarawak, and its popular with the tourists and natives alike. What better way to associate yourself with the homeland you love the most?" I couldn't agree more. I mean, I'm a Bidayuh and I find this knowledge a unifying force of Sarawak, the land of rich tribes and cultures.

The Lunbawang tribe (or also known as Orang Ulu in a more generic sense) are famous for their beadworks, and their creative skills with ceramics beads are legendary. According to Ms Mirit, they produce the ceramic beads themselves. It's a few days job producing the perfect clay beads. The village where she comes from, Long Tuma, is quite known among the locals for craft products. The Lunbawang designs are normally painted in yellow and black on the beads, but she gets to experiment with other bright colours as well, just for variety.

Well hello. I love it when I keep discovering secrets about my own backyard.

I lurvvvee my native ceramic pendant necklace...

That lovely piece is priced at RM10 each. Cheap weh ... considering I could easily get that for between RM20 - RM40 here in Kuching. I bought three other designs from her. Why not, right? By the time she ships them to Kuching or other places to market, it won't cost the same anymore.

The soft spoken Ms Mirit rolled up twisted and pulled a few tricks on this sturdy string made up of err (man I forgot to ask!) and expertly assembled three other native necklaces using the designs I just picked.

 Ms Mirit Tai stringing up a new necklace piece...

And tada! They're awesome to wear with a dinner dress, or to match a working attire. Or simply with a casual wear. Don't mind me. In fact, some native boys were known to fancy these too. And sometimes I kinda think they look sexy on a guy too, of course, providing they pick one that suitable for a guy.

Ceramic bead necklace, like native charm medallions...

Ms Mirit also sells these lovely earrings made up ceramic beads. Imagine that dangling sensation. I don't really normally go for these but they would make perfect souvenirs. 

Fancy native earrings...

And native bracelets! A girl must at least own one of these in all her life. They're normally tied together using an elasticized band so don't worry if your wrists are a little chubby, like mine. These too would be nice as souvenirs (for those people who hound you about giving them something from that place every time you go somewhere). Neat what. They're mostly unisex.

Ceramic bead bracelets in many designs

I have a lot of these in my treasure box too. Haha. They're like friendship bands except they lasts much longer than that. :-)

String bead bracelets

I actually wrote this entry with the lady in mind. Wasnt planning on it but sometimes I believe some good things must be shared, and besides, although I made no promise, I was hoping I could help her expand her business. Didn't I read somewhere that there's a special place in Heaven for women who helped other women? Amen.

 

 Ms Mirit Tai (right) with the hardly-photographed Coffee Girl ...

Ms Mirit takes up personal orders, group orders, corporate orders, special orders or any custom orders for her beadworks or other handcrafts. She promises fair and reasonable prices for orders made directly to herself. And so help me God because I am writing this with no charge.

For enquiries, you may contact:
Ms Mirit Tai
Handmade Ceramic Beads
Long Tuma
PO Box 319
98850 Lawas
Sarawak
Email: mirit816@yahoo.com
Mobile: (I haven't gotten her permission to publish, but wait ah... let me find her business card first)

Home at last!

Oh hello lovelies. I'm back!

Lapsed a month, didn't I?

I barely know where to begin, or how.

I have so many incredible stories to write, including the ones I owe a few people.

About the places I've been to (no matter that they are my own backyard), the people I've met, the adventures (and misadventures) I've had, the FOOD I ate (oh trust me, there are many new ones to be discovered everyday), and all the little stuffs that make the journey bearable.

After weeks on end being away on tour of duty ... right now, I'm just happy to be home. JUST RIGHT WHEN THE PARLIAMENT IS FINALLY DISSOLVED! Talk about!

Ok I shall get right back to writing after I post this entry.

I shall leave you with this remnants of memory in Lawas, a small quiet hospitable town in Limbang Division. This little food is called Ambuyat (in some parts of Sarawak) or Linut (in another part of Sarawak) or you may just call it Boiled Sago for what it actually is. One of the most addictive food I've ever eaten.

 

These folks in Lawas eat this with spicy watery sweet prawn paste (sambal belacan cair manis). However I grew up eating this with fermented durian soup (sup tempoyak). Both ways are acceptable, and both ways are pretty potent, if I say so myself.

Ok bye! Be right back!