Flying to Indy and Sheraton Indianapolis City Center Hotel

After 15 hours, my flight from SG to LA touched down at LAX. Although I had 2 connecting flights to my final destination, Indianapolis, I had to go through customs and get my luggage bag off the conveyor belt because LA was my port of entry. I took about an hr to clear customs which is considered relatively fast - there was a lady who had a connecting flight in half an hour to San Fran and she had to ask the pp around if they would let her go ahead. That is the reason why I prefer having as few connecting flights as possible when travelling - either one cuts it too close or one ends up sitting around in transit.

In any case, because all the flights from SG to NY were full that weekend, I had a 5 hour wait in LA before my 3 hour flight to O'Hare airport (Chicago) at 11pm. And that red-eye flight was full and perhaps overbooked because the airlines made a couple of announcements asking if anyone was prepared to give up their seat on this flight for a seat on the next flight out in the morning in exchange for cash vouchers and a free hotel stay.

After touching down in O'Hare about 5 in the morning, I had another hour's wait before my flight to Indy, by which time I had finished watching all the cartoons on the ipod touch and was feeling dirty, gritty-eyed and tired from all the transits and flights. In fact, I felt so lousy I swore that I would not fly out any more to Indy unless compelled to do so. However, just like there is a silver lining to every dark cloud, I got to see a really impressive sight from the airplane's window - the lights of Chicago taken from the plane - pretty impressive, isn't it?

After an hour or so up in the air, I reached my final destination. Finally. Indy's airport is large, spanking new, clean and spacious with quite a number of shops, a pleasant contrast to the tired-looking terminals at LAX.

My boss told me that downtown Indy is built outwards from the town's circle center, the very center of which is erected this very tall sculpture.

1 of the largest shopping malls in downtown Indy is the Circle Center Mall - it has my favorite shops like Bath&Body Works, Coach, Victoria Secret and 2 departmental stores - Nordstrom and Carrie Pine Scott. The former store carries high-end goods (including more Coach stuff) while the latter is a bargain-hunter's dream come true. I kid you not - I managed to get a CK suit for just USD40, 70% off its original price. As there was a firefighters' convention that week, most of the hotels in downtown Indy were fully booked. Fortunately, I managed to secure a room at the hotel of my choice: Sheraton City Center Hotel for 3 of the 4 nights I was in Indy. The reason for choosing this hotel was because it was a stone's throw to my offices and I could walk there easily every day instead of depending on public transport. Also, because I have the SPG gold card, I get a complimentary upgrade if a better room is available. This time around, I was upgraded to a suite on the 15th floor. Above and below are some pictures of the room - the suite was large enough that it made me regret not having any travelling companions with me to enjoy the place. There was a separate living room and even a mini-kitchenette area! However, the best bit about the suite was the plushy bed in the bedroom stacked with 4 pillows.

I didn't take any pictures of the bathroom which was rather smallish (but had a tub) but only of the rather spacious bedroom. Although the colors of the carpet and curtain leave much to be desired (dark blue which had a dirty cramping effect), having a couple of 40 inch TVs in the living room and the bedroom, as well as a work desk made me feel that I could live in the hotel room quite happily for a month or more.

The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. There are many good hotels in downtown Indy like Conrad, Hyatt and Marriott which are more centrally located (connected to the shopping mall and convention center) and probably able to give Sheraton City Center hotel a good run for its money. This hotel does not have free broadband and wifi is only available in the lobby area. The elevators are spacious enough and run very quickly between floors but the color scheme of the hotel makes one feel as if it were rather run-down. It is a decent place to stay all in all though with a convenience store around the corner and a bus stop (IndyGo from the airport stops there) right in front of the hotel.

Hard Rock Cafe in Indianapolis

I noticed that there was a Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Indianapolis when my boss was giving me a ride back to the hotel after work. I didn't even know there was a HRC in the town because one really doesn't have the opportunity to see places other than the airport, office and hotel room when travelling for work. So right after I dumped my laptop and files in the hotel room, I took a 15min stroll to the HRC which was located near a Borders that was closing down.

I am not a HRC fan as I've said before but I had a craving for steak (which is what the mid-west is famous for) that evening and I figured I couldn't go too far wrong with the well-established HRC. As I was pretty early (about 6.30pm when I got there), the bar and restaurant area was relatively empty and I was served very promptly by the friendly servers after I had made my first ever HRC purchase - a fridge magnet in the shape of a guitar with the word HRC Indy on it.

Even though the weather was chilly, all the walking had made me thirsty so I started the meal with a vanilla milkshake that came in a very unique-shaped glass which I bought just by paying an additional USD2 more. The milkshake came with whipped cream on top (oh horror of horrors for some1 who really doesn't need the additional calories) and chicken me didn't dare to ask for the cream to be removed as I should have done b4 it was served. So I decided to drink from the bottom and leave the cream. But like with all good intentions that pave the road to hell, I not only finished each drop of the rich creamy frothy milky vanilla shake, I also slurped up all of the whipped cream. Did I regret putting on my hips all that good stuff that went pass my lips? No Sir. The milkshakes in this HRC simply rocks.

I was done with the menu in all of 5 mins - How could anyone resist ordering an entree that is described like this:A USDA choice 21-day-aged, center-cut, 12 oz. New York strip steak grilled to your liking and topped with Merlot-garlic butter. Served with White Cheddar smashed potatoes, gravy and fresh vegetables. Here is a picture of my New York Strip Tease which I ordered medium-well-done.

The Slog Reviews: 10/10. I can't find fault with the beef and if pressed to do so, the only negative thing is that the portion was so huge I had trouble finishing it towards the end. The meat was a huge slab of gastronomical pleasure that had me closing my eyes while relishing each morsel of tender beef that oozed just the right amount of rich flavor. The meat was so tender that I wouldn't call the mastication process chewing...more of pressing the meat between one's teeth to feel it give way oh so gently, to feel it melt in the mouth. Not bloody, not burnt - I don't know how they manage to do such a fine job of their steak. I couldn't finish the mashed potato that came with the beef despite my best efforts but from however much I managed to stuff in my tummy, I'll tell you that the mashed potato is awesome too. The rich dark gravy makes this side dish a perfect complement to the beef. Solid unforgettable stuff.

I am now an official HRC fan - if the beef in their SG branch is that good, they are going to get one more regular patron! (So who wants to go have dinner at HRC SG with me sometime soon?)

In any case, if you are ever go to downtown Indianapolis while travelling in the good old Midwest, do drop by 49 South Meridian which is open till midnight most days of the week. Click here for more information and the menu!

Silver Kris Lounge at T3 and Biz Class on SQ to LA

This is the first time I've been to the Silver Kris Lounge at Terminal 3.

And the variety and quality of food and drinks there was simply amazing. It made me regret that we just had a really expensive "Parents meet Parents with Matchmaker" lunch at Crystal Jade just before my flight out to LA.

Nonetheless, because I had nothing to do for the 1hr before flying out, I got myself a diet coke, some cha soba and other light desserts to enjoy while soaking in the ambiance and reflecting (on my life as usual).

Well, because I had indicated my default seat preference as an aisle seat, I ended up seated next to an elderly gentleman instead of having my own individual seat by the window. Hence, all the photos I took this flight were with my trusty Sony Ericsson W995 phone instead of a camera.

Now, there is a vast difference between flying business class and economy - and I mean, vast. The last time I flew economy on SQ was to Melbourne the first week of Feb this year so comparing the 2 was easy - to start with, not only the seats and entertainment screen 2 times wider and more plushy (very much like the GV Cinema Gold Class seats), even the hand-sets below are different - this one shows the flight time left to the destination, and even how far one is into a movie.

About 2 hours into the flight, it was dinnertime and we were served local satay for starters.

Followed by shrimp salad which I washed down with pineapple juice. I thought the satay and salad were both amazingly tasty for airplane food.

But they were nothing compared to the main course - I had the cod fish with lobster bits in creamy sauce and asparagus. And, it was so absolutely tender, fresh, creamy and delicious that I was ready to die happy after experiencing this culinary pleasure. I kid you not.

But of course I didn't die. I had two (yeah, I shameless asked for another) bowls of Haagan Dazz ice-cream which came with nuts and some sort of a sweet biscuit-like wafer thing. After that, on a full stomach and completely satiated, I watched movies and went to bed (the chair folds down into a full length bed).

In the morning (because of the time-difference this was supposed to be our lunch), we were once again plied with food of the Gods. Like this starter for example - huge succulent scallops with cold streaked bacon.

I had beef as the main course and you know, given how more than 10 hours had passed since we took off, I was totally amazed by how soft and tender the meat was instead of cold and hard. SQ's business class food is truly superb.

I ended my meal with some lime cheesecake but that was really like eating solidified sweetened fats so I didn't eat too much of that. There was quite a wide variety of drinks available throughout the entire flight as well as light snacks like Lays potato chips, small packets of Amos chocolate chip biscuits, and even fish porridge if one wanted something more substantial.

You know, in 1 of my first few posts this year 2011, (click here to read), I did say that my job change would mean a change in the life that I have always known. And indeed it has given me opportunities and experiences that I otherwise would never have had - from going to Melbourne in February and then to the Midwest and New York in March. Because I am a firm believer that tomorrow is never a given right, I am just grateful to have the chance to enjoy each good thing that comes my way, including the chance to fly biz class on SQ non-stop to LA and non-stop back from New York.

The Way Back (2011) Movie

I don't know why this movie came to mind while driving to work this morning and listening to songs by Casting Crown. It was the next movie that I caught right after watching The Fighter on the way back from New York and a good summary of the movie can be found here. The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. This movie is a testimony to the resilence and will of the human spirit to survive against the odds. Although the plot was straightforward - prisoners escaping a camp in Siberia and trekking by foot over snow, desert and land over 4000 miles all the way to India and dying 1 after the another till only 3 were left, the pace of the movie was excellent. I felt like I was following their journey through the snow blizzards and the desert storm (which finished off the young girl and another of the prisoners) - rejoicing when they did (in finding water) and despairing as they did when there was no water, much less food.

 

Shopping Heaven - Macy's and Fifth Avenue in New York

My one check-in bag weighed 15kg when I flew off. After all the shopping in Indiana, that one check-in bag weighed 35kg. AND, after all the shopping in New York, I had two check-in bags, 1 which was 29inch and weighed 25kg and the other which was 32inch and weighed 28kg. 53kg minus 15kg = 38kg worth of shopping, and a new Samsonite bag to boot (the 29inch). Go me.

A large part of my purchase consisted of footwear - this is how much footwear I bought in New York (save for 1 pair from Indy) and brought home. The ones in the top row all belong to me - from the left, 2 Ferragamos and 5 Coach. The ones in the bottom row belong to my sister and mum - from the left, 1 Louboutin, 1 Chanel, 2 Coach (these are my gifts to my mum) and 1 Chanel - the cost of my sister's 1 pair of Louboutin shoes is just slightly lesser than the cost of all my shoes. If you count the cost of her 2 Chanel footwear, these are like 30% more than the cost of my shoes so yeah, I had a good time shopping, - "swiping my card" for what items that never would be mine and feeling well, high on spending. Thanks Sis :)

New York is a "shopaholic"'s dream come true - esp if one is into big names and fashion. Just perfect for my little sister who has more branded stuff than any person I know. I was totally floored when her boyfriend got her a pair of Louboutins last month which cost S$1400 - for something that goes on your feet and pound the ground, that's a hell lot of $. However, when I was at Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's and Sak's shopping for my sister, I saw tons of Louboutins, Prada shoes, Chanel shoes, Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahnik on display or just lying around. The picture below taken at Bergdorf shows all Louboutin shoes at the forefront of the pic and Blahnik's in the middle. Shoes that are in the high hundreds to a few thousands (USD). And the ladies there snapped pairs of these without batting an eyelid twice.

My own shopping was confined largely to Macy's which was just one street away from my hotel along the same avenue. Macy's doesn't carry Ferragamo or Prada, much less Louboutins or Blahnik's. However, they have one of the widest range of Coach shoes and with the visitor card, I'm talking about a 10% savings which really helps given the tax rate in NY for non-clothes item is a whopping 8.875%. Macy's is really huge but the layout is such that the women stuff are found in one building/annex while the men's stuff on another so ladies can have uninterrupted shopping pleasure without having to look at men's stuff. Macy's has clearance racks and items less 30 - 70% so it is possible to find some really good buys (I didn't).

Fifth Avenue in New York is the equivalent of Singapore's Orchard shopping belt. Fifth is the shopping belt and Saks at Fifth Avenue is one of the premium department stores, a class up from the above-mentioned Macy's. No clearance racks of course, and when I asked if the items there ever went on discount, the saleslady gave me The Look and mentioned something about friends and family day - tourists however do not get any discounts whatsoever.

While strolling along Fifth Avenue, I took some pictures of the unique-looking buildings where well-known brands had set up shop and presence, such as Cartier below.

And of course, Trump Tower which was open to the public (up to the fourth level where there is a public garden) and has a store on the entrance level selling all sorts of Trump stuff, like neckties and even a teddy bear with a Trump T-shirt. The bears were seriously cute and only prudence stopped me from bringing one back home with me (Trump is 1 of my heros).

Some other unique buildings along Fifth Avenue such as the one below which has three gold statues as part of its facade - I adore pearls (much less Mikimoto pearls!) and like diamonds, they are a wild extravagance - existing purely to give pleasure through their beauty.

But seeing and day-dreaming costs nothing and I guess that is part of the appeal of window shopping at Fifth Avenue. There is of course the infamous LV - I think this is the flagship store.

And I couldn't help stepping into F.A.O simply because I had seen this famous toy store featured in oh-so-many movies. I think this is a store that cannot be missed if one has children or has brought children to New York - the range of toys that one can find pleasure and amusement in for hours is enchantingly bewildering and the stuffed toys - talk about every size and type! Going into this store almost (just almost) made me wish I had a child of my own!

Bergdorf Goodman must be one of the classy and upmarket departmental stores I've ever come across - nothing like Macy's of course and even more, well, geared to the rich, than Saks is. According to 1 of Bloomingdale's salesman, Bergdorf has the widest range of Louboutins (Bloomie does not carry these even though it has Chanel, Prada and Ferragamo shoes).

While walking along, I also stumbled across The Plaza. I had recently watched Brides War and remembered how it was each girl's dream to be married at this hotel and even from a distance, I could see why. It looks mighty impressive, even when viewed from a distance and although I really would have loved to check it out, I couldn't make myself cross over because my legs were crying out in pain - I'd been walking all the way from 34th, mind! And my ultimate goal was to get to Bloomingdales which was on 59th!

Still, in any case, I made it to the fringe of the famous Central Park - someone told me that this was one of the "must-go" places in NYC and of course I'd heard of it before (given how often it is featured in the detective novels that I like) but I figured that going to Bloomingdale on 59th and Lexington was infinitely more important for a pseudo "shopaholic" like myself. Therefore, right after this picture, I turned my tired feet in the direction of Lexington Avenue...I tell you, I've never walked so much in my entire life in one day (I swear this is quite the truth) and the next day, I couldn't get out of bed till almost 11am!

The Fighter (2011) Movie

I went to bed abt 3am on Sat morning after meeting with a friend I hadn't met with for more than a year. I have been so jet lagged that by 5pm on Fri, all I wanted to do was go home and sleep, which I did until he rang me at 730pm to say that he was already at where we had arranged to meet. Oops. Fortunately it was close by and I took 15 mins to get there. And we sat there eating and drinking till almost 11pm...when one is having a good time, one tends to forget the time I guess. So anyway I slept the whole if sat away without getting up to eat even. I guess it is true that the older one gets, the harder it is for the body to recover. Maybe the lack of exercise since July has also quite done me in and I think it is time for a lifestyle overhaul.

Anyway, this meeting with my friend reminded me somehow of the first movie I caught on the 18hr non-stop flight back from New York. It was one of the recommended movies in the in-flight entertainment magazine and it turned out to be a rather unforgettable movie which is all the more remarkable because it is based on a true story. The Slog Reviews: 10/10. The movie is more than just one of those rags to riches, beating the odds to rise to the top boxing movie. What makes this movie unique (to me at least) is its exploration of family bonds and how these shape one's life and eventually one's destiny.

Dickie who is the lead's younger brother is a legend in their town for having knocked down Sugar Ray. He teaches Mickie all he knows about boxing and their mother is their manager. However, she and Dickie gets Mickie into a particularly bad fight where he not only loses but is beaten up badly. Mickie seeks comfort in the arms of his new gf who is a college dropout and bartender but who genuinely cares about Mickie. He moves in with her and stops boxing. His mother is furious and confronts her when Mickie introduces her to his family. This girl holds firm to her position and when the mother asks Mickie angrily if he is going to let his mother be spoken to this way , he replies that what his gf said is true- that Dickie is a crackhead who fails to turn up for his training and all he has been getting into are bad fights where he loses and is beaten up. Mickie chooses the shot at a better life he is given by a new manager and accepts the condition imposed by this manager and his gf that he will not let his mother and Dickie play any further role in his boxing career.

When Dickie hears that, he devises a plot to impersonate a police officer and extort money but is chased by the real cops one day when trying to pull off this stunt. Mickie is having dinner with his gf and family when someone bursts into the restaurant to tell them that Dickie is being beaten by the cops. He rushes out and when his Gf tries to stop him he shoves her away, hard enough for her to tumble to the ground. While trying to stop the cops from beating Dickie , he gets his hand brutally broken. Dickie is sent to prison and Mickie goes back to his Gf. He makes a promise to her he is fine with letting his family ruin his life and he makes the same promise to his new trainer.

When Dickie is released he goes back to the gym where Mickie is training. Mickie tells him he can't train anymore with him. Dickie is hurt and disappointed and turns away. Their mother screams at Mickie he would not have won his last boxing fight if not for what Dickie taught him. Mickie admits this is true but says he would not have won the last fight either without his present trainer. When his gf reminds him he had made a deal with her, he replies he wants his family too and she tells him this is not part of the deal, to which he replies what is so wrong with wanting my family! She is for obvious reasons very disappointed with Mickie - at that moment I perfectly empathize with her feelings of hurt, betrayal and disbelief. It's like how could you break your promise to me when the intent behind the promise is to benefit you and for your own good! And like I did before when someone I knew made empty promises he later dishonored, she turns away from him and leave him.

Dickie who is witness to this exchange then picks up the welcome cake his sisters have baked and walks to the crackhouse he used to go. Despite his friends' exhortations to join them, he resists successfully the temptation to go in and goes to look for Mickie's gf. He swears to her that he will stay clean and turn over a new leaf and manages to persuade her to give Mickie and him a chance. At this moment Mickie also turns up at her house and they reunite. Mickie tells Dickie to go get his manager back too which Dickie does. The movie ends with Dickie winning a title fight with his family, new trainer and gf all behind him.

I think I like the movie so much because it depicts how our family may want the best for us in their own way but that way may not necessarily be the one that is successful or even right. But it doesn't change the fact that they are family and such blood bonds are not easily broken. I also like the movie cos it shows how it can take just one person's genuine love and care for another to turn that person's life around, to give that person courage and strength to go against all he has ever known or believed in, to choose a better life for himself.

Phantom of the Opera on Broadway New York

I hadn't planned on doing anything in New York the first day I touched down from Indianapolis except collect the New York Pass which I had purchased, esp since my flight had been delayed by an hour because of the foul weather in NYC. However, because the collection point for the pass was at Madame Tussauds which is at the Times Square area, I ended up at the TKTS booth located at 47th Street, Broadway. There were several short queues of 5-6pp each for each counter about 7.50pm and despite not really knowing what they were standing in line for ( I had a hunch it might be for broadway tickets), I decided to join a queue anyway.

As luck or fate would have it, I was the very last person served at that counter. The server impatiently asked me what show I wanted to watch and I said Phantom because I had watched the movie before and rather liked the dark drama. He told me he had tickets for the 8pm show which was the last show for the day and to quickly pay before it was too late. So even though I had no idea whether USD71 was a reasonable price to pay for a broadway ticket, I gave him the money and he told me to run to the Majestic Theatre on 44th Street as the play would start in 3mins. And as I turned away from the counter with my ticket in hand and the person behind me stepped up at 8pm sharp, the server cried out that there were no more tickets for sale and pulled down the shutters. I only realized later what an excellent deal I had gotten - as per the ticket above, the price I had paid was at a 50% discount and for fourth row seats from the front at that! However, I had to run at full speed from 47th to 44th street to get to the Majestic Theatre on time and less than 2 mins after I had fallen into my seat huffing and puffing, the doors were closed (about 8.10pm). I guess the moral of the story is to buy last-min discounted tickets at a theatre which is near enough to TKTS on 47th street so as to avoid being denied entry (until the interval) or missing the start of the play.

Of course, photography of the play is prohibited and with the LCD screens most cameras have these days, it is easy to be caught taking photos or videos during a performance. So like most people, I took photos of the theater before the play begun. As per my pic below, there are circle and balcony seats on a higher level other than the main floor which was quite fully packed.

The picture below is of course the stage of the theater - the chandelier (top right) plays a rather large part in the play as per the plot but so do the other seemingly unmovable parts. However, these features/effects pale in comparison to the costumes, props (there was even a fake elephant), dancing and acting by the performers on that stage.

The Slog Reviews: 10/10. Awesome. Truly spectacular in every sense of the word. I am not a musical person or one who appreciates or likes plays but Phantom on Broadway had me riveted and converted. The change of each scene was carried out with precision and maximum efficiency without compromising the quality of the setting. And the performers conveyed the different emotions of each of their characters with not just song but by their entire body language.

I haven't watched any other Broadway plays to make a fair comparison of Phantom but I dare say that one should most definitely catch a Broadway play if one is in NYC instead of just shopping and if one isn't sure of which to watch, just remember that Phantom is the longest running musical on Broadway and the Slog here who has nary an artistic bone is raving all about this play. :D

Love and Other Drugs (2011) Movie

This was the 1st movie I watched on the flight to LA, and the 1st movie that I've watched in a long time that had me sitting there with tears flowing uncontrollably down my cheeks. So despite my earlier post, I am still a romantic and sentimental sop at heart. Really. I easily give this movie 10/10.

Not because of the plot alone - intelligent but wayward handsome guy who goes for anything in a skirt falls in love with a woman with a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system (Parkinson's). But because of fragments of life captured in the film, and of course, the very moving ending bit. Definitely a must-watch for all who liked My Sister's Keeper, and anyone else who has a sentimental bone. Oh, and I should mention there is top front nudity and some rather intense love-making scenes.

Anyway, there is a pretty good review of the film's plot written here so I won't write a recap of the movie. But it is the ending which made me cry - all last 10mins of it. You know, the scene where Jamie (the male lead) is putting his heart out to win back Maggie (the female lead) after he watched the video tape they made together where she said something along the lines that this moment with him was perfect and even if she had 10 thousand more moments like this one, they would all be the same, so this one (moment) was enough for her...because she has that (moment). Anyway, Jake says to Maggie that she needs him, and she says "No I don't" and he says "Everyone needs someone to take care of them" and she says that she will need him more than he will and it isn't fair and she can't ask that of him. And Jake says "You didn't ask me to." Maggie tells him that she has places to go and Jake replies "I will carry you.". Jake also adds that if there was a parallel universe where she was healthy and he perfect, he would still choose the current her, the current them. I think that is when I bawled. Meh - what a sad sop.

So anyway, other than this sappy ending, the movie has its moments of humor, sizzling scenes but its core and essence never shifts from reflecting accurately the realities of life. Jamie says at the very end of the movie "Sometimes the things you want the most don't happen and what you least expect happens...you meet thousands of people, and none of them really touch you. And then you meet that one person and your life is changed." If you are reading this entry my friend, the Slug, I thought of you right after I watched it and I believe that you'll like it as much as I do so go catch it if you haven't already. Till I get back!

Newark Airport SAS Lounge and Loving Me at the end of this trip

I've got about 2 and a half hrs before the 18hours flight back to SG and rather than exercise my credit card(s) some more at the duty free shop here, I've decided to spend my time in the SAS lounge to write this instead. Below is a pic of the SAS lounge's complimentary internet stations, one of which I am hogging.

The selection of food at this lounge is rather meagre - just a salad bar really, (as compared to Changi Airport T3's lounge which I shall blog about another time), but since I have just USD30 in my wallet and I've also developed a taste for salads, I'm not complaining too much about my free dinner.

You know, there is this scientific finding that people always remember how they feel, and not so much the details of the specific incident/event. I could and will write about the places I've been, but right now I want to write about how I feel at the end of the trip before I get on the plane and watch more movies.

So. My "takeaway feeling" from this trip is that I am actually happy and comfortable being alone. There is no sense of loneliness or wishing that anyone was here with me. Sure, I do wish my sister was here when I see all the louboutin shoes but I don't wish she was here with with me on this trip. Sure, I do think my mother would have liked the awesome view of NYC from the Empire State Building but I didn't miss her when I was on the observatory deck taking photos or asking strangers to take photos. I did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and it was all good. Being by myself didn't stop me from doing things that I wanted to do - such as eating at nice places or doing touristy things - even when everyone else had someone else with them. I only observed that I was the only one alone, but that observation was nothing more than just that - an observation, and then it was me being with me, and loving me.

Maybe it is because shopping is therapeutic, as is eating, and I was doing plenty of both. Or maybe it is because my circumstances are such that solitude and I are destined to be together...and given how futile it is to lament, reconciling myself to what I cannot change is the best and perhaps only way forward. Don't get me wrong that I don't like people or that I am going to do another "runaway" (and I really hope that I won't) But painful experience and my good colleague have taught me better than to pin my happiness and hope on another person.

So while I still hold to my favourite quote by Emily Kimbrough ("Remember we stumble everyone of us. That's why it is a comfort to go hand in hand""), I have learnt how to love me, be friends with me, and depend on me primarily for happiness and pleasure. A

I am Number 4 (2011) Movie, Drive Angry (2011) Movie and Adjustment Bureau (2011) Movie

We caught 3 movies last week, the first "I am Number 4" on a Wed, and the other 2 movies over the weekend. It wasn't because of a lack of things to be done but my CEB was on a movie-roll of some sort and there was just no stopping him.

Anyhow, here is my personal review of the movies:

"I am Number 4" <- 6/10. A teenager flick aka a weak version of Twilight. Alien boy with supernatural power falls in love with a lovely lowly earth being. Alien boy is hunted by ugly big Voldemort-like aliens and manages to join forces with another alien (No 6). And really, that's about all to it. A waste of time.

"Drive Angry" <-4/10. I didn't think anything could get worse than the first movie but Drive Angry proved me wrong. We didn't think the movie could be that bad given that Nicholas Cage was starring in the movie but B- action flick it turned out to be with echoes of Cage's famous movie "Ghost Rider". In this case, Cage plays a character who escapes from hell with a weapon called the Godkiller, intent on taking revenge on his daughter's killer, Jonah King, the head of a satanic cult. Jonah King also has the daughter's child which Cage is determined to save at all cost. However, Cage is hunted by the "Accountant", a being tasked to bring him back to hell. There is quite a bit of senseless violence and unrealistic unreal fighting scenes. Watch only if there is nothing else to do

"Adjustment Bureau" <-6.5/10. While my CEB agreed that Drive Angry was a lousy movie, he thought that this movie "wasn't too bad" (to quote him). I on the other hand felt that we would have done better purchasing the DVD for the same because it really wasn't anything remarkable. Men in fedoras altering the world to make sure that the "Chairman" 's grand plan for each individual went smoothly. You can read more about the plot here. Be warned though that the movie has a happy "against-the-odds" fantasy ending. Which reminds me of my friend The Slug, who would try still despite the cards being decked against his favour.

11 @ Century Hotel in JB

I should have taken a picture of the hotel building and will do so the next time I have a chance but in case I don't get to update this post with a picture, I'll start by describing the building as a tall (10 floors) grey vertical building just behind a Chinese restaurant called Eastern Dragon at Taman Century. There is pretty limited parking available at the front of the hotel so one can always ask the security guard to direct one to park at the basement carpark.

In any case, one thing I really like about this hotel is that the counter staff are fluent in English and very efficient for both the check-in and check-out process. A deposit of just RM50 is required during check-in but be warned that the 2 lifts which service the rooms can be quite slow and one needs to press the individual lift lobby buttons for each lift.

The superior room is decently-sized and is relatively comfortable with a 32inch LCD (which has Star Movies but no HBO or other movie channels). There is also free wifi available in the rooms and that requires a password from the counter staff. The room also comes with a safe, hot water facilities and very basic toiletries. Be warned that the bed sheets may be slightly dirty but just slightly...

Now, I have to clarify that we booked this hotel because of its location, and also because we were not going to spend much time in the hotel room at all - less than 8 hours and just for crashing for the night. Hence, I can't comment on its facilities except for the breakfast (which came with the package) which was pretty good value for money just like the room at just SGD62 for the room and breakfast for 2. This is our second time at the hotel and there always seem to be policemen or some officers having the buffet breakfast served at the spacious and clean lobby. When I talked about good location, I was referring to the hotel being just a 2 min short walk to the newly opened shopping center called KSL. KSL has a nice large cineplex and quite a number of established eateries like Tang Shifu, Kim Gary etc. There appears to be a hotel opening soon within the complex and I suspect that hotel will give 11 @ Century a serious run for its money. However, if one is used to the shops found in Singapore like Topshop, Warehouse, Bebe etc, one will not find these in KSL which appears to house mostly local homegrown brands.

The Slog Reviews: 8/10 - definitely not luxurious, and not a place for a weekend getaway/place to chill but value for money indeed.

Black Swan (2011) Movie

Since we are on the subject of movie reviews, I thought I'll write about Black Swan too which my CEB and I caught over the CNY period at one of the less popular cinemas in Singapore where we were confident of being able to secure tickets.

The Slog Reviews: 9/10 for Natalie Portman's portrayal of a ballerina so obsessed with perfection that her hold on reality disintegrates completely. A must-watch for those who are not adverse to blood, pain and suffering in the name of perfection/art, and of course, for those who like ballet as well.

Sanctum (2011) movie

It has been ages since I've done a movie synopsis but we just caught the movie in 3D this weekend at KSL city and I can't get it out of my head just yet.

Movie starts with billionaire Carl landing in New Guinea with his girlfriend Victoria whom he met on an Everest expedition. They are met upon disembarking from the sea-plane by young 17 year old Josh. Josh is the son of Frank who is an experienced cave diver who is presently exploring the cave system at the mother of all caves, a huge hole in the ground that Carl, Victoria and Josh helicopter into. There is a system that connects the base camps set up almost 2km underground with the surface which allows video conferencing. 1 of Frank's team-mates, George tells Frank who is about to go on a dive that another member Jude, who is supposed to go on the dive does not seem ready and when Frank questions Jude, she almost begs him to let her go on the dive. They both go, followed by a robot which transmits images of the divers and the surroundings to the video system. There is a narrow opening in the rock which they both have to squeeze through to get to a new cavern and they make a decision to leave their spare tanks behind. However while squeezing through, Jude's hose gets caught and tears, causing water to enter the tube and flood her face-mask. Frank shares his own mask with her for some time but then when she reaches out for his mask the third time, he pushes her away and she quickly drowns before his eyes. He makes his way to the decompression chamber underground while her body floats outside. The people at the surface and in the base camp watch with horror, esp Josh who accuses his father of killing Jude. Frank brings Jude's dead body back to the base camp just in time to hear Josh's accusations. George explains to Josh that the moment there was a leak in Jude's pipe, it was a qn of one dead body or two down there and Frank giving Jude the few moments of air with his mask of a heroic act.

In any case, Carl, Victoria and Josh have by then climbed down /parachuted into the base camp and Carl's intent is to explore with Josh the new cavern which Jude died in the next day. However, there is a storm which spirals quickly into a hurricane that night and 2 of the members of the base camp manage to make their way out. Josh is suppose to climb up with them and one of the local guides, Lugo, but both turn back instead to warn those left at the base camp - Frank, Carl, Victoria and George. They manage to reach the group but while trying to rescue them using a system of ropes which is secured by a large rock, the rock gives way and Lugo falls into the water and is sucked underwater underground despite Josh trying to hold on to his leg. The exit is also shut because of the rock. Realizing that they have to find another way out, the group make their way back to base camp to pick up whatever they can find for survival. Lugo's body surfaces and Josh grabs it, only to find that Lugo is still alive but horribly battered with just 1 eye left. Frank holds Lugo underwater to drown him in a mercy killing despite Josh's and Victoria's protests. George leads Josh away while Carl does the same with Victoria. Frank tells them that every bone in Lugo's body has been broken and there was no way he could have survived. Besides, the base camp would be flooded in a matter of hours and they had to keep moving. Frank then asks Victoria to put on a wet suit which he is about to remove from Jude's dead body but she refuses to wear it. So they set off swimming underwater to try to find the way out of the underground caves to the sea using the river. However, along the way after surfacing, George suffers from decompression bends and is unable to keep up. He asks Josh to go along first while he catches his breath, coughing. When he spits out blood, he decides to hide himself from the group. Frank realizes what has happened and goes back for him, calling out for him but he refuses to show himself, lying hidden in the dark with blood oozing from his nose until he dies. The group of 4 then presses on.

They come to an opening where the only way is across a churning round pit of water that appears like a bubbling whirlpool. Frank calls it a meat-grinder and wants to climb to the opening at the other side but Josh does the climbing instead as the best climber in the group. He successfully makes it to the other side, climbing the cave walls and sets up the belay system. When Victoria is crossing, Carl shines his light at her, causing her to be blinded and slip. Her hair gets caught in system of ropes and is torn/ripped from her scalp. In pain, she ignores Frank's warning not to use her knife to free herself from the ropes, and cuts through her hair. However, she cuts through the rope instead and plummets downwards, breaking her spine on the ropes below her and then tumbling into the whirlpool. Carl is half mad with grief, esp when Frank does not give him time to mourn but commands that they press on.

There is one rebreather left for the 3 because of Victoria's accident (she was carrying the load) and Frank tells Carl and Josh that he will use that to explore the underwater cave before them. However, Carl grabs it and takes off. Despite jumping in after him and trying to grab him, Frank fails to get the rebreather back. Josh smells bat droppings on one of the openings above them and they decide to climb up towards where fresh air is coming from. They make it out of the caves to where a Japanese tank is - apparently a result of the ground caving in. Everyone there is dead so they use the fuel in the tank to make torches for themselves and re-enter the caves to find another way instead of waiting to be rescued. They meet Carl along the way and Carl begs them for some food. Josh lets him have some. Frank walks towards Carl despite his protests and sees that Carl has been hiding Victoria's dead body. Carl explains that he couldn't leave her. Frank tells Josh to leave Carl and walk on despite Carl trying to explain that he would have come back for them. Frank tells Carl that he should not have brought Victoria into the caves, esp since she had no experience cave diving. He also says Victoria was responsible for the decisions she made - like choosing not to wear a wet suit to keep herself warm (her fingers were numb so she slipped when Carl shone the light at her) and using the knife to free herself. Carl does not respond and so they leave Carl and walk on.

Suddenly along the way, Carl appears and jumps on Frank, impaling him on a minor stalagmite.Josh jumps at Frank and manage to over-power him, leaving him half-lifeless in the water. Josh goes back to Frank's side and sees that Frank is mortally wounded. Behind him, Carl rises up from the water and Josh tells him that the reason they have been alive for so long is because of Frank. Carl does not respond to that and jumps into the cave water without taking any equipment. In the meantime, Frank asks Josh to help him. Josh agrees and Frank asks Josh to help carry him into the water where he lies there in pain. And then Frank asks Josh to help him to make things faster. Josh does not understand and wants to wait with Frank until Frank expires. Frank tells Josh he would rather go faster and not like this in pain slowly, so after promising Frank that he would never give up, Josh holds his father underwater until he drowns. Josh then takes the rebreather and enters the cave water. He by-passes Carl's dead body (having to swim between the dead hands) and makes his way through the underground cave system following the river ie swimming. When he runs out of air, he sucks air from the air bubbles trapped in the holes of the cave wall leading upwards to the sun light and finally manages to surface along a sandy beach.

The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. While the setting was novel (divers in a cave), the plot certainly wasn't (much like Poseidon). The only 2 things that stayed with me after watching this movie is firstly, always listen to the one who has the most experience in the matter concerned (listen at least, not follow blindly), esp if one does not have the benefit of the experience that the person had. Secondly, all of us have to take responsibility for each decision we make, even or esp, those that have consequences that we never expect.

Restoran Lee - the best crabs in Melaka and breakfast at The Majestic

Having heard the fabulous experience I'd had at The Majestic before with my beloved ex-boss and ex-colleagues (click here to read my earlier review), my CEB chose to spend our pre-Valentine Day weekend there. As it was still the Chinese New Year period, the lunar decorations were still up at the hotel when we got there.

The room and the service was excellent of course but I've already written about that. What I hadn't written about was the buffet breakfast spread which cost RM70++/pax. Thankfully we had booked a package that came with breakfast which was less than SGD20 for the 2 of us. 

Other than the extensive spread laid out which included porridge, nasi lemak, cereal etc, one has the option of choosing more food (such as omelets and sunny side ups) as well as juices (freshly squeezed orange juice etc) from the menu on the table. The Slog Reviews: 9/10. Definitely get a package which includes breakfast if the cost is not more than SGD 30 for two! Paying RM70++ per pax is far too much though despite the quality, selection and quantity available.

The reason I say that is because of an absolutely gem of a place we found that serves the best crab that both of us have ever had. I would absolutely advise you to spend RM150 on 2kg of crab (1kg is about RM74) at this restaurant than breakfast for two at The Majestic.

The place I'm talking about is called Restoran Lee I had the good fortune of reading about on the famous Chubby Hubby's blog. The restaurant, or rather should I say, coffee-shop because it really isn't anything more than that, is less than 2mins walk from The Majestic's back carpark. We got there about 8.30pm and the restaurant was 3/4 full but we managed to get a table. This is a Chinese-operated coffee-shop and although the server was brief and to-the-point (no smiles), service was decent and we were served quickly starting with the crackers below (keropok) which my CEB finished in a flash after holding up just 1 cracker for my photo. Hah!

At Chubby Hubby's recommendation, I also ordered the fried bean-curd with minced-pork which he said was the place's specialty. The Slog Reviews: 6/10. Although this dish cost only RM6 and isn't awful in any sense of the word, it is incredibly oily and unremarkable. Save your stomach and good money for the crabs here.

Speaking of which, one has the option of ordering bread to go with the crabs. Now, the bread isn't anything like the kind of buns that we have in Singapore to go with our famous chilli crab. In fact, I was quite appalled to find out that the bread looks like this below - the kind of bread that I would use to feed swans or birds which I did in Switzerland and China b4. Ugh!!!

In any case, my CEB and I found that the crabs that we had, were amongst the the fleshiest and biggest crabs that we've ever had. Even our favorite seafood haunt at Kong Kong pales in comparison when it comes to the quality of the crab. Restoran Lee's crabs are excellent and done so well that the white meat in both the claws and bodies of the crab is firm and sweet. Not shreds of crab meat, or soft mushy bits but firm full chunks of crab meat. That's good quality crab we're talking and as my CEB claims even today, worth every damn dime he spent. The Slog Reviews: 10/10. Crab heaven! The milk sauce is slightly spicy and not cloying at all and we both can't wait to get back to Melaka (prob 2nd week of March) to try out the other crab dishes that this coffee-shop serves!

The address of this great crab place is 55 Jalan Bendahara, 75000 which is diagonally opposite Bayview Hotel and, it would be a great pity to any true crab lover to miss eating at this great place if one is ever at Melaka.

The Rialto, Intercontinental at Melbourne

I woke up at 9am, about one hour before my flight out to Melbourne (10.10am). I’d set my alarms (on both the radio clock and my mobile hp) for 6.50am, intending to call a cab early and reach the airport by 8.15am so that I could do some duty free shopping. As it was, I found myself jumping out of bed, calling a cab and then rushing to get changed. The cab came at 9.20am just as I was hauling my luggage out of the front gate and I literally begged the driver to get to the airport as fast as he could. I’m sure he thought it was a lost cause (as did I) but we reached the airport at 9.40am thanks to his spiffy driving. The counter staff expedited the check-in procedure (for my check-in luggage too) and clutching my airplane ticket, I rushed through the immigration check and made it to the boarding gate just as boarding for the flight commenced. The flight journey was about 7 hours and I watched 3 movies – The Town (which was excellent (8/10) but predictable), Conviction (which was also excellent (8/10) – we are talking about Hilary Swank here playing a driven sister hell-bent on saving her wrongly convicted brother) and Millennium 3: The Girl who kicked the Hornet’s Nest (which was horribly boring and slow-moving). Clearing the Australia customs took another 40mins and by the time I stepped into the arrival hall where my pick-up was waiting, it was 9.20pm local time (Melbourne is 3 hrs ahead of SG). Checking in at Intercontinental, The Rialto where my new boss had made reservations (wonder why she picked this hotel) took less than a couple of minutes. The outlook/facade of the building is very unique - here is a picture I took during the evening the next day before dinner:

There is a plaque as you can see from the picture below, next to the entrance of the hotel along the facade. It has a brief writeup on the history of the building but the reflective nature of the plaque makes taking a photo of the words quite impossible! Anyway, if you thought the facade of this hotel was something, the inside of the hotel, upon stepping in through the main entrance and into the lobby, looks like this. The red lights on the left of the pic are the balconies of the hotel rooms while the middle bottom portion is the restaurant. It looks very impressive indeed! The room that was reserved to me was a king deluxe room (more than AUD 300 a night) and it was spacious with a large comfortable bed. However, the false french windows at the end of the room cannot be opened for security reasons and one is therefore denied fresh air and access to the balcony. I particularly like the fact that there is a large business desk in the room which makes this room very convenient for business. The work desk faces the TV so one can multi-task but if you will note from the picture above, the TV is placed at a right angle to the bed which isn't practical.

What stood out though was the lack of a bath tub in the bathroom. I suspect it is because of water conservation efforts. The rain shower doesn’t quite make up for the lack of the tub, esp given that this is a five star hotel. The toiletries provided are from the Elementis brand which apparently is a higher end brand than normal hotel toiletries.

As my room package didn't come with complimentary wireless/internet access (it cost AUD10 per hour), I decided to take a one minute walk to the MacDonald’s just diagonally across the hotel to use the free wireless there and get some grub (the room menu here isn’t spectacular and seems a tad overpriced). As Australia is famous for beef, I ordered the Grand Angus burger meal which cost AUD 8.80. The Slog Reviews: 7/10. Although the burger was supposed to have mustard and mayo, I asked for mayo only and the staff made it from scratch. And while I appreciated the effort, I didn’t really enjoy the burger as the beef was really raw-tasting which may be how beef is done here. However, the wireless did work fine and I managed to send an email to the folks back home before going back to the hotel room for a warm bath and to write this entry. Given that it is 1am local time and I have to meet the pick up at 8am tomorrow, I better go to bed now to avoid a repeat of this morning!

Shaolin (2011) movie

I prefer not watching Chinese movies so I never do on my own accord. And I'm glad a friend suggested watching "Shaolin" this evening out of the blue and that I didn't disagree. We both came away with different takes on what the movie was about, driven of course by our individual paramount thoughts/feelings and circumstances. Our consensus though was that this was a great shows. The Slog Reviews: 9/10. Worth the 2 and 1/2 hours of your life spent watching.

I thought the movie was about the humbling of a man - how it takes losing the person one loves the most before one is brought to one's knees. About how wealth and power are not everything at the end of the day, even though these are what most of us strive for on a daily basis. And how really, life isn't just about experiences (even a dog can experience fear or anger), but also about lessons and trials （人生要有经验和磨练）. If one has not been baptized by the fires of loss, hardship and trial to emerge stronger and better, but has always taken the safe and easy way out, one's character reminds undeveloped, stuck in a cycle of selfishness and self-centredness. Sometimes to win, you have to lose.

Summary

The movie starts with a scene of carnage and shaolin monks burying the dead and rescuing the injured. 1 of the injured turns out to be someone of great importance of the city that has just been leveled by the lead character, a warlord named Hou Jie. Cao Man, Hou Jie's second in command whom he addresses as younger brother, goes to Shaolin Temple to demand that the monks give up this injured character and pulls a gun on the abbott when denied. Hou Jie appears then and the injured character begs for his life and offers a treasure map if spared. Hou Jie takes the treasure map and walks away before turning around abruptly to shoot and kill. As a final insult, Hou Jie writes on the door plague (which had fallen off during a fight with the monks), no big deal. As they ride away to meet Tiger Sou who is Hou Jie's sworn brother, Hou Jie advises Cao Man to always show no mercy when one has gained the upper hand.

Tiger Sou is shown to be a brute whom Hou Jie shows deference to. Tiger Sou suggests a marriage between his young son and Hou Jie's little 7 year old daughter (Sheng Nan). It is obvious that Hou Jie and his wife dotes on their adorable little daughter and Hou Jie wonders why Tiger Sou did not ask him about the treasure map. He concludes that Tiger Sou wants the entire spoils of the city and decides to kill him before Tiger Sou can move first against him. The arrangement with his wife is that if he hits the table, she is to get up and go with their daughter to the toilet. The movie then depicts the relationship between Cao Man and Hou Jie where Cao Man is testing out arms marketed by the Russians and is tempted to accept the Russian's offer to supply the arms free of charge in exchange for support to build a railroad. Hou Jie rejects the offer as he believes the Russians want Chinese land and when Cao Man tries to speak up for the Russians, Hou Jie slams him into a wall, squeezes his neck and face until Cao Man concedes Hou Jie's superiority. Also, when Cao Man questions why Hou Jie allows Tiger Sou to bully him, Hou Jie shouts at Cao Man that it is his not his place to question this. In any case, Hou Jie trusts Cao Man enough to inform him of his plans to kill Tiger Sou at the restaurant where they are to meet to discuss the upcoming wedding and this is when Cao Man takes the chance to betray Hou Jie by sending a note informing Tiger Sou of the plan. midway during the meal.

Tiger Sou is enraged and Hou Jie has no choice but to kill Tiger Sou (who reveals during the meal that he doesn't want any part of the spoils of the city which Hou Jie leveled as Hou Jie would be leaving it to his daughter who would in turn share the same with Tiger Sou's son). In the meantime, Cao Man's men start hacking to death Tiger Sou's and Hou Jie's men with axes. Hou Jie's wife gets knocked unconscious while trying to fend off attackers from Sheng Nan. Hou Jie makes it out of the restaurant only to find his daughter running away from a group of attackers. He runs after them but is too slow/late to reach his daughter who runs into a path of a horse-drawn chariot. Hou Jie loads his wounded daughter in a chariot and an exciting chariot chase ensues. Hou Jie is badly wounded during the chase and loses control of his daughter's chariot. He manages to grab her before the chariot goes off a cliff and they both tumble and roll down the side of a slope. They then huddle in the dark and cold behind some rocks while the attackers search for them.

The horse's hoofs and then the tumbling around proved too much for the little girl. Hou Jie bursts into the Shaolin temple cradling his daughter and begging the monks to save them. They try but she dies in the presence of Hou Jie and his wife who was also rescued by the monks. Hou Jie is bersek in his grief while his wife weeps and blames him for all his evil deeds. Hou Jie is eventually subdued by the monks and when he awakes, his wife is gone, leaving him to settle Sheng Nan's funeral. He stumbles around outside and ends up falling in a boar pit dug by the temple's cook. The cook eventually becomes friends with Hou Jie who decides to cut off all his hair and join Shaolin as a monk after his daughter's cremation. The abbott takes Hou Jie in despite the other monks' protests and Hou Jie learns to do good deeds like dish out food to the poor, and to train with the other monks. He learns repentance and to let go.

In the meantime, Cao Man who had betrayed Hou Jie is a ruthless warload and allows the Russians to build their railroad in exchange for China's unearthed treasures. He kills those who oppose him without any mercy and even the laborers who dig up the treasures so they cannot breathe a word of his deeds. Hou Jie's cover/location is blown when one day he frees some of the laborers. Cao Man comes after Hou Jie with his men and Hou Jie goes with Cao Man to buy time for the other monks to free the other laborers and recover the treasure. But I should mention here that Hou Jie greets Cao Man with a face-turning slap which he says was for his daughter. Whatever happened to true forgiveness and letting go? Anyway, I suppose that was given at the ending of the movie when Hou Jie saves Cao Man's life not once but twice. The second time was fatal as it meant pushing Cao Man out of the way of a falling beam in the temple. The beam crushes Hou Jie so badly he dies wordlessly. A second blow to the temple (the Russians were bombing the place) dislodged the beam such that Hou Jie's lifeless body falls into the hands of the Buddha statue. Cao Man is then shown to go out of the temple wracked with remorse (Hou Jie keeps telling him to repent), esp when he sees the carnage around.

The movie ends with a scene between Hou Jie and his wife which is before the Shaolin temple is bombed to bits - he gives her Sheng Nan's ashes in a vase and the wife tells him that she likes him better now although she knows and accepts that they can never be together again. Closure.