Movie Reviews - Ironman, Narnia and Incredible Hulk

I've been watching a lot of movies lately. Ok, not that many, but more than my average take up. I think in the last 2 months, I watched...3? That's not a lot? OK, whatever..here are my reviews of the movies I've watched lately.

IRONMAN
Fuhget Justin, Robert Downey Jr brought sexy back!! And also, I must add, facial hair. God, I've never been so turned on by someone so scruffy, he looks like he slept in some back alley and grabbed lunch from a dumpster. But this is RD Jr and he brings his character, Tony Starks, to new heights. And I mean that literally.


The storyline was solid, even for a comic book. I liked Gwyneth as Ms Pepper Potts and I thought the two characters (Potts and Stark) showed great chemistry together. Terence Howard was a little under appreciated in his role but Jeff Bridges was awesome!! And almost unrecognizable with his bald head and thick beard (again, the facial hair).


Of all the hero suits I've seen so far, I must say Ironman knocks it out of the ball park. But then again, the strength lies within the suit. Bravo to the suit creator/designer..whoever, for doing such an awesome job.


However credit must all go to RD Jr. The weight of the movie rests on his shoulders and what a great job he does doing it!! For those who haven't seen this movie yet, GO SEE IT!!

NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN


We took the girls to see this movie, since they had seen the first one. It did not disappoint. It was a bit lengthy, Dina got a bit anxious during the fight scenes, but Dania was enthralled throughout the entire time. The kids who played the Pevensie siblings were back with Ben Barnes playing the title role. I kept on thinking I had seen that guy from somewhere but apparently he's still a new actor so I must have been thinking of someone else.


How was the movie? Alright in my opinion. They still have the cute, talking animals; last time is was Mr and Mrs Badger, this time it's a mouse..with attitude. Hehehe..the girls absolutely loved the mouse. The fight scenes were awesome albeit a bit too long. I had read the book a long time ago, far too long for me to remember the gist of the story so it was nice to see the movie without much prejudice on my side.


Verdict: Good fight scenes, amazing cinematography but a bit too long for kids to stay still throughout and enjoy. Good for kids ages 6 and above. Worth the money? For me and the girls, yes (especially since we got to use our "buy 2, free 1" coupon.)



THE INCREDIBLE HULK

What can I say about this movie? Oklah, I'm going to be biased here and say, I really don't care if the storyline is crap or the dialogue is lousy, all I care about is that I get to see EDWARD NORTON for 2 whole hours.

Because you know what? The storyline was rather crappy. The dialogue was lame at most. However there were some good points. One of course being EDWARD "You had me at Primal Fear" NORTON. Man, I am just hot for this guy. Second good point would be The Hulk itself. Ok, so it looked a bit cartoonish at times but unlike the 1st Hulk movie (Ang Lee, what did you do?!!), this hulk seemed to blend in a bit more and the interactions with the people and things around it was much more seamless. Also, it stayed pretty much the same size throughout the whole movie, so heh, that's a good point too.
I loved Liv Tyler in LOTR (Eventhough I slept through all the 3 movies) and I think she's a beautiful woman, but somehow in this movie, she seemed rather "chunky" to me. And it wasn't just me, even hubby and my colleague Ben (who gave us the free premier tickets) thought so. Huh. Maybe it was her hairstyle, those bangs never really work on anyone.

However, much can be said about the chemistry between the two main characters, they were really good, I even got a little jealous. I also liked Tim Roth as the bad guy. Too bad, he's short. Like, short "I can't believe they let you enroll in the army" short. I googled and apparently he's 5'7" (170cm) which isn't short at all. But in the movie, everyone seems to be towering above him. Huh..

Verdict? If you're like me and have a major crush on any of the actors/actresses, then go see this movie. If not, the final fight scene is worth the ticket price if you ask me. Look out for cameos from Stan Lee (the creator of The Hulk) and Lou Ferrigno (The original Hulk from the TV series). Don't think too much about the storyline (it's a comicbook for crying out loud, what do you expect?) but look out for a special guest appearance at the end of the movie. Again...sexy back!!

Next: Kunfu Panda & The Happening (I love free tickets!!)

The Best Gift

Yesterday hubby and I both had meetings that ended late in the evening. As a result, we arrived at home around 9pm. The girls were waiting up for us anxiously.

Dina: Ibu!! You are late!! (*frowning)

Dania: Ibu, why are you late?

Me: Sorryla sayang. Ibu had a meeting.

Dania: I have a present for you, ibu. First I wanted to make you a picture but all my colour pencils need sharpening. Then I made you a card but adik already threw it away. Then I wanted to make you a name tag but I don't know how to use the scissors. So I give you this present....

And with that, she gave me the biggest hug ever!!!

A Powerful Hadith

Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said: 'When a man dies and his relatives are busy in funeral, there stands an extremely handsome man by his head. When the dead body is shrouded, that man gets in between the shroud and the chest of the deceased.

When after the burial, the people return home, 2 angels, Munkar and Nakeer(names of two special Angels), come in the grave and try to separate this handsome man so that they may be able to interrogate the dead man in privacy about his faith. But the handsome man says, 'He is my companion, he is my friend. I will not leave him alone in any case. If you are appointed for interrogation, do your job. I cannot leave him until I get him admitted into Paradise '.

Thereafter he turns to his dead companion and says, 'I am the Qur'an, which you used to read, sometimes in a loud voice and sometimes in a low voice. Do not worry. After the interrogation of Munkar and Naker, you will have no grief.'

When the interrogation is over, the handsome man arranges for him from Al-Mala'ul A'laa (the angels in Heaven) silk bedding filled with musk. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said: 'On the Day of Judgement, before Allah, no other Intercessor will have a greater status than the Qur'an, neither a Prophet nor an angel.'

Please keep forwarding this ' Hadi th' to all .because Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said: 'Pass on knowledge from me even if it is only one verse'. May Allah bestow this favour on all of us. AMEEN

*Thank you to PJ for the beautiful email. Tersedar kejap, dah lama tak mengaji sebenarnya...kena cari masa lepas ni.

Petrol Prices Increase - How To Accomodate

Petrol prices increase starting 12 midnite tonight from RM1.90 per liter to RM2.80 per liter. Holy cow!! What does that mean for me (and the family indirectly)? Means that now I'm paying around RM65 for a full tank on the Myvi; starting tomorrow I'll be paying around RM96 for a full tank. That's over RM30 increase!! RM30 times 5 full tanks and I'm dishing out over RM150 extra on petrol. And that's just if I'm driving to and fro to work. Doesn't include any detours or joyriding. Sheeeshhh...

Hubby and I realise we need to relook at out expenses and figure out how we can be more frugal to accommodate for this price hike. Coz you know it's gonna happen; first fuel prices go up, next thing you know, everything goes up. Roti canai will cost RM2.00 per slice. Basic chicken rice will cost RM5.00. Warm water will cost RM 1.00 (more reason to bring my water bottle everywhere I go).

I'm running through a typical day in my head and already identifying a few areas where we could, as a family, be more frugal.

1. Make sure everyone has breakfast.
The kids are pretty set in this area, they have a full bottle of milk as soon as they wake up. It fills them up and gives them energy to start the day. I tried giving them cereal and bread as breakfast but it didn't work as well. For starters, my kids are slow eaters. A bottle of milk takes them 5-10 minutes to finish. A bowl of cereal might take them 15-20 minutes, which won't work for Dania on her school days. Hubby and I usually take breakfast but not all the time. We usually skip it of we have a morning meeting as most of the time, food is provided but there have been instances where the meeting only had water served. As a result, I felt hungry and by lunch time was famished enough to eat a horse. Of course, that made me make poor decisions in choosing a place to eat and I end up spending RM10 on lunch. Which brings me to my 2nd point.

2. Limit lunch money to only RM5 per day.
We have yet to see the food prices go up and I bet you they will, but until then I hope to be able to limit my lunch expenses to RM5 per day. I know I can do if I cut out having to buy drinks, so that means carrying a full water bottle everywhere. Thank god for my humongous handbags. Heee. Plus plain water is free in my office so yeah, all the more reason. Better yet, I plan to drink at least 1/2 a bottle of water 1/2 hour before I go for lunch, so that I don't feel too hungry.

3. Going to work - carpool.
There are a lot of people who work in the same office as we do near our home. It wouldn't hurt to relook at the carpool idea as it really would save a lot of fuel. I intend to contact some of my officemates and see if they are open to the idea and hopefully set up a schedule where we can take turns driving to work. I know carpooling is somewhat of a grey area for some people; some people cherish the time alone they get in the car on the way to work but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. We'll see how this goes.

4. Scheduling all my meetings in the same day.
I especially hate it when I have one morning meeting in KL and then one afternoon meeting back in the office. Eventhough the company pays for our T&T, it's not nearly enough and the cost of petrol, toll and the headache of driving around is just too much. Luckily I have an understanding boss; usually if she has me go for a meeting in KL, I get to stay there the whole day and do my work and not have to go back to the office. Carpooling with hubby also is a plus. We get to talk to each about our day and also stuff that matter to us in a way that makes the whole driving to and fro from work a little bit more bearable.

I'm pretty sure there are a lot more areas where hubby and I can cut down on our spending (like grocery shopping) but it's getting late and I have a training session I have to conduct early next morning...yawn!!

I would like to know how other people are planning to accommodate for the hike in petrol. What are you guys going to do differently?

Trip to Rabbit Fun Land

Last Saturday, hubby took us to Rabbit Fun Land in Broga as a birthday treat for Dania. We were kind of unsure of the way, even with directions but after u-turning several times, we finally arrived there.

The place was really out of the way but was well worth it seeing how excited the girls were when they saw all the bunnies. I have no comments about rabbits; I think they're cute but kind of boring. Hehehe...

The girls got a bit frustrated as the bunnies were kind of shy at first and kept hopping away everytime they came close. However, after a few minutes, the bunnies got used to the girls and began feeding from their hands.

We stayed for over an hour; when we ran out of rabbit feed, the girls feed the bunnies leaves from the nearby trees. Hehehee...

So now, of course, the girls are begging us for a pet rabbit. Hmmm...maybe when we move to Bangi. Even that might be a BIG maybe.

A Birthday Note to Dania Jazmin - 6 Years Old

My Dearest Dania,

Today you turned six years old. Six!! How time flies. A part of me still wants to see you as my little girl that will always be by my side yet everyday you show signs of Independence, realising my fear and astonishment that you are now a big girl.

Because of the school holidays, we had your birthday party a couple of weeks earlier. Your wish for a Princess Themed party came true and I'm so happy that it all turned out well for you. It wouldn't have been possible if not for the support from our family and friends, who all joined in the celebration of your happiest day of the year. Thank you to your wan for sponsoring the food, thank you to your maksu, pakngah and auntie Zaiti for being the gamemasters, thank you to your paklang for being the unpaid photographer (hehehe), thank you to all your friends for coming and joining in the activities and games and for bringing such wonderful presents for you to enjoy.

A huge shoutout would also have to go to Auntie Noresh for making such a wonderful cake. Seeing your eye light up at the sight of the massive castle cake really made my day. Your smile lit up the room and you contagious laughter was music to my ears. Thank you for being such a wonderful princess and for making your day all about family and friends too.

Today, as your birthday treat, abah took us to the Rabbit Farm in Semenyih. When we arrived there, you and your sister whooped with joy when you all saw the cute rabbits hopping in the pen yard. It took a few minutes for the rabbits to get acquainted with you but before long, you had them eating out of your hand, literally. You were amazed at their soft fur and wobbly noses and continued to pestered me and abah to buy you one of your own.
Seeing how gently you handled the rabbits at the pen yard, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea but would have to wait until we move to our new house. So soon my little princess, you may have your bunny to call you own, to play with and hopefully find lots of good memories and love to give and receive.

Dearest Buttercup,

Words cannot express at how proud I feel everytime I look at you. School has been very good for you this year, even with the added on workload. In fact you've thrived beyond our expectations, which just goes to show how much of your mother you take after. Hehe. I love the fact that you always have a funny story waiting for me when I come home, about your friends at school and what you guys did together. It pleases me that you have nice friends and that your teachers love you too. I must be doing something right.

I hope you can forgive me for being super busy this year. With work and the new spa, our time together has been limited and I can only hope this is temporary. Please don't ever think that anything could ever be more important to me than you and your sister. Please know that what I'm doing now is so that our family will be more easy off in the long run. I promise to make this up to you. I promise to make our time together more meaningful.

Because the truth of the matter is, you're growing up so quickly; next year you'll be in primary school, before I know it you'll be heading off to University and getting married and moving away from me. I realise there is nothing I can do to stop this so as a mother that loves you so dearly, my gift to you would be to prepare you for your live ahead, by giving you guidance and love and support.

Sometimes I think writing you a note once a year is not enough. There are too many memories I want to hold on to, to many things I want to tell you. So many things I want to thank you for because if anything, you are my pillar of strength. You may not know it now but there have been times when your abah and I have been so down and sad, yet then you come along and tell us a story or a joke and make us laugh and suddenly everything is alright again. That is your superpower, your ability to make the sun shine bright in our lives. And for that, I can never thank you enough.

Thank you for bringing us six years of joy, happiness and love. Thank you for all the smiles, hugs and kisses. Thank you for all the "I love You" whispers before bedtime and upon waking up.

Most of all, thank you for being my daughter. For all my faults and weaknesses, I must be doing something right if I have you as my daughter.

Happy sixth birthday, Manja.

Love, Ibu.

Worst Album Covers Ever

I'm still waiting for my brother to finish editing the pictures from Dania's birthday party so until then I bring you...

THE WORST ALBUM COVERS OF ALL TIME!!!

The Brothers Johnson: Look Out For #1.

Good god, I get it..you love guitars. In fact you love them so much, they give you massive orgasms!! Shheeeeshh...

The Rolling Stones in Concert: Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!

I dunno what a Ya-Ya is but if it's gonna make me run up and down the road like a crazed king wannabe with a guitar and a drum-wearing donkey by my side, I think I'll pass. But then again, every concert should have a donkey...hehehe.

Tim Riley: A Rainbow in Curved Air.

Apparently Tim came up with the "using your forehead as an advertising site" idea first.

Rob & Fab: self-titled

What happened to these guys? Apart from getting caught ermmm...not singing...and having to give back their Grammies. Plus I think one of them died from a drug overdose. Hmmm, I used to like these guys, I mean..come on, look at those bods!! Hehehe..but what's with the pose in this picture? It's like the photo sessions lasted for 10 hours and they couldn't even get one toilet break to ease themselves. Heh..

Jim Post: I Like My Life.

Really, Jim? Really? Coz the expression on your face tells me differently. Or maybe it's because you have ice cold water splashed all over your shoulder and that Tom Selleck moustache of yours can't cover enough of you to feel warm and fuzzy.

Heino: Liebe Mutter

The dyed hair, the thick-rimmed glasses, the black "funeral" suit, the roses, the lazy eye. What exactly is the message here? A part of me is afraid to find out.

Freddie Gage: All My Friends Are Dead

I cannot find any occasion where this album would be appropriate. A funeral for really, really old people? Maybe. This wins the award for Most Depressing Album ever.

ABBA: Gracias Por La Musica

Ahh...Thank You For The Music. And also thank you for the laughs. Look...they're even laughing at themselves. Pastels have never looked so bad.

Orleans: Waking and Dreaming

Thank god none of them had any major chest hairs. But still...why?!! Somehow 5 guys naked and embracing is not my idea of a dream...it's a nightmare!!

Money Advice...From Someone Who's Also Still Learning

Today and yesterday I attended a very interesting course; Finance for Non-Financial Executives. The reason was initially so I could make heads and tails out of all the financial reports and P&L statements I had to go through during the course of my work, but in the end I came out with a lot more knowledge.

During one of our chit chat sessions, our lecturer touched on the subject of personal financial planning. She gave an example of her ex-colleagues who had retired but were forced to dive back into the corporate sector because they had non or insufficient savings to last them during their retirement years. She then gave an example of another ex-colleague who is not only currently enjoying his retirement years playing golf, but also has 3-4 houses for renting, thus generating passive income on the side.

Being seated in the front of the class subjected me to be the "example" during the lessons. The prof asked me whether I had any assets to my name; I mentioned I had a car and an apartment, both of them already fully paid for. To say she was impressed was an understatement. In fact looking back, I probably was the person in the class with the most net worth to my name.

During lunch hour, I was approached by one of class members who asked me about my financial strategies; how on earth was I able to afford a car and apartment and not have any loans to burden me with? Did I win the lottery? Did I get a huge inheritance from anyone?

My answer was simple; I made sure I spent less than what I earned.

Sounds simple, right? Yet you would be surprised to know that a lot of people I know, not only live from one paycheck to another but also accumulate debts on a monthly basis.

She then asked me, I make so and so every month and it's barely enough to get by. How can I ever have enough to start saving?

I told her, make your savings automatic. Fill out the form from HR and allow them to deduct a certain amount from your salary that will be autodeposited into your ASB or Tabung Haji. Just make sure you place this savings into a place that you can't just use an atm card to withdraw money from. Depositing money into another bank where you don't have an atm card is also a good option.

My concept is "out of sight, out of mind". If that portion of money is not made readily available for me to spend, I usually find that I don't even miss it and even find ways to compensate for the decrease in spending money.

Ways I've cut down my monthly expenses.
1. I sometimes bring breakfast to work. Usually I eat it a bit later in the day, at around 930am. That way, at lunch I'm still half full and don't feel the urge to stuff myself. Another idea would be to also bag your lunch to work, something I'm also considering after I get a more reliable maid.

2. I drink lots of plain water. At my office, we have a ready water cooler so basically plain water is free for the staff. When I go out for lunch with my colleagues, I fill up a bottle of water and take it with me. That usually saves me RM1.50 if I were to order hot lemon tea. Times that by 5 days a week and 4 weeks a month and the savings can really add up.

3. I carpool when going out for lunch. We usually take turns driving so everyone gets a chance to save on petrol.

4. I make a grocery list and make sure I stick to it. It's very easy to get "lost" at the grocery stores and by pushing the trolley down every aisle, I would normally find myself spending up to RM200 per trip, mostly on items that were never on my list to begin with. By sticking to my list and minimizing the amount of time I spend at the grocery stores, ensures that I cut down on fraudulent spending and increase my savings.

There are a lot of ways to increase your savings. Another tip that I found extremely useful was to meticulously track my expenditures for at least 3 months, then go over the receipts and figure out where my money was going to and how I could cut down on the spending. I found out that one of my weaknesses was to visit the store at the petrol stations whenever I stopped to fill up on petrol. Those RM2.50 cups of corn can really burn into your budget if you allow them to.

I would recommend everyone who's interested in finding out how to improve their net worth to visit The Simple Dollar. I find the articles to be very informative and really easy to understand, which is important for a non-finance executive like me.

Makeup Magic!!

I have so much stories to share (my birthday celebration, Dania's birthday celebration, my movie review of Ironman) but no time as of yet.

So instead I leave you with this...behold, the magic of makeup!!
(thanks to my dear lost friend PeeJ, for the email)

My Husband in a Parallel Life

I can't wait for The Incredible Hulk to come to theatres because I am just positively, incredibly in love with Edward Norton.

I don't know what it is about him that makes me swoon. He's one of the best, most versatile actor I know. He looks good thin, he looks good buffed up.

Everything he does just makes me want to take off my panties!!

Check out the trailer for TIH. Looks really fine!!