Pen or Pencil?

Whatever I take notes, I prefer to use the pencil. It is because I can't stand making mistakes and I can erase my mistakes if written in pencil so that everything will be nice and neat and perfect. :) So I actually thought I would be reflected as "a pencil" prior to taking this Blogthings quiz. However, the blogthing quiz says I am otherwise.

You Are a Pen

You are a very precise and detail oriented person. You don't make many mistakes. You're the type who can risk writing in pen. You like making things permanent. True except for the part about taking risk writing in pen. By writing in pencil, I can keep the mistakes to a minimum or zero because I can erase them. :) You are decisive and focused. You know what you want, and you go after it. You like to be in control, and you don't really care for change. You like to count on yourself. Very true lol.

Are You a Pen or a Pencil?

Botanicula on Steam

I finished The Tiny Bang Story HD in less than 4 days lol. I found another game to play, Botanicula on Steam. It is a point and click kind of exploration game - a group of five friends (an acorn look-alike, a mushroom/ toadstool, a flying insect, etc) on a journey trying to save the last seed. My girls thought the characters are really adorable! :) I can't help smiling to myself whenever I play Botanicula lol.

 Botanicula trailer (uploaded by jdamanita)

Sherlock vs Sherlock

My girls and I agree that we love Sherlock Holmes. However, we could not agree on who is the best Sherlock Holmes. The girls love Sherlock Holmes US version while I love Sherlock Holmes UK version. They felt that Sherlock US is funnier and more action while I thought Sherlock UK is funnier and more intellectual and Sherlock UK is cuter haha. :P I think Sherlock Holmes UK is best!

London 2012 Olympics

The 2012 Olympics opened in London on the evening of 27 July (Singapore 28 July morning). I regretted not waking up early to watch it because I heard it was good. But thank goodness for the Internet. I can now catch the highlights of the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. :)
Intro Sequence (uploaded by olympic)


The Queen Sequence (uploaded by olympic)


Industrial Revolution Sequence (uploaded by olympic)

Rowan Atkinson Sequence (uploaded by olympic)

Olympic Cauldron is Lit Sequence (uploaded by olympic)

ThePianoGuys - Cello War (Star Wars Parody) Lightsaber Duel

For all the Star Wars Fans out there! LOL. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT AND HILARIOUS! Must watch till the end! :) 

 (uploaded by ThePianoGuys)
 

ThePianoGuys - Bourne Vivaldi (Bourne Soundtrack/ Vivaldi Double Cello Concerto)

Absolutely brilliant! Beautiful music and location!

(uploaded by ThePianoGuys) 

ThePianoGuys - A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

I found these guys by accident. Oh my gosh, the combination of piano and cello playing together is pure magic. Hauntingly beautiful.

(uploaded by ThePianoGuys)

Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen

I love the end of the music video. So unexpected and funny! Lol. 

 (uploaded by CarlyRaeJepsenVEVO)

Replacement Love

I was introduced to this new app as a replacement for Tap Reef. I know they are in totally different categories so I can't compare the two. But I simply love the new app and it engages my mind a lot more! :) It is The Tiny Bang Story HD. There are different machines to fix and different puzzles to solve in the different segments. The artwork is really lovely and adorable with a simple child-like quality. Navigation is simple in this game and it is definitely fun for all ages. :) The Tiny Bang Story HD is really addictive though, you can't put your iPad down but just want to keep going on to the next puzzle and the next and the next lol. You have been warned lol.

Without You

I have passed a full day without you. I thought I would not be able to survive the separation but I did. I still feel sad but I was also relieved. I realised now that you had become a chore to me. I am glad that I have made the call to release us both to continue on with our lives. 

Farewell and take care, Tap Reef.

Finally, it is Goodbye

Something was not right. I kept getting the offline mode for my tap reef for most part of the day. I followed the instructions given on the tap reef forum and deleted my tap reef. The forum assured that my reef and its finned denizens would not be harmed. To my horror, after reinstalling it, the reef was a brand new start-up with 3 fishes, and 1000 sand dollars. WHERE IS MY ORIGINAL REEF?! I had 20 octopuses (and each one is named!), amassed sand dollars in the billions and accumulated close to 700 pearls! AHHHH. Deleted and reinstalled three times with the same result - a brand new reef and NOT my original reef. :( 

I never expected it to end this way. I knew we would part ways one day but never thought it would be this soon. Without my original reef, there is no more meaning in playing tap reef. :( Goodbye, Tap Reef. We have had great times. I won't forget you anytime soon.

CD Heritage Gallery Learning Journey

Today, Juliane's class went on a learning journey to the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery. She has visited it once when she was in K2, an excursion too. Juliane enjoyed herself the second time round because she was with her classmates/ friends. :)

Little India Learning Journey

On the day of their NAPFA test (Tuesday 17 July), Marieann's class went to Little India for their learning journey. It was the first time that Marieann has set foot in Little India and explored the area on foot. When I came home in the evening, she started telling me about the sights she saw and the stories about the Hindu gods and goddesses. She also showed me the henna that was drawn on her hand. She enjoyed herself very much. I am really glad that she has gotten something out of this learning journey - new knowledge and henna lol.

Racial Harmony Day

It is Racial Harmony Day again. This year, the girls' school celebrated it today. The girls were allowed to dress in any of the ethnic costumes of the four ethnic races in Singapore. The girls just went in their Chinese cheong sums, easier lol. :P

NAPFA Test

Being in Primary 4, Marieann is taking her very first National Physical Fitness Award/Assessment test or better known as NAPFA test. She asked how I did for my NAPFA tests when I was in school. I told her that I received a Bronze in Primary 4 and from Primary 5 to JC2, I received Golds. I think she felt pressured lol. :P She was pretty nervous and has been preparing hard for it - in school and at home. 

She had her NAPFA test today and she passed! :) That's my girl lol.

Family Support

Marieann and Juliane really had fun playing with Pop Pirates. When they were in school today, they told their respective friends about Pop Pirates and that their uncle had a hand in designing it. The girls showed their support for their uncle by asking their friends to download Pop Pirates lol. 

Marieann and Juliane are extremely proud of their uncle. They said he is really clever. :)

Pop Pirates by Bloc Media Productions

A new game app is out. Probably nothing new as you would say because there are new apps everyday. Well, this one is special because my very talented brother and his team at Bloc Media Productions designed it!! :) Pop Pirates. 

Pop Pirates follows in the style of classic arcade game with its vertical scrolling shooting. That is where the charm is. :) It is also simple to play and doesn't need complicated combination moves. Just tilt your iPad/ iPhone/ iPod to move the craft around and just touch anywhere on the screen to fire. Pop Pirates sure brings back fond childhood memories for me! :) My girls really enjoyed playing it too. :) 

Dear friends, please support my brother and his team at Bloc Media. Download Pop Pirates now (free for limited time only) and play! :) Please rate it if you enjoy playing it.

 YM, we feel really proud of you! :)

Saturday is Stay Home Day

Due to the change in the girls' Sunday tuition from afternoon to morning (10.30am - 12.30pm), Saturday is now officially Stay Home Day. The girls will have to finish all their school homework as well as tuition homework on Saturday itself. As a reward, I would allow them to stay up later on Saturday night to watch Incredible Tales lol. I would also let them have a break by taking them out for a meal after their Sunday tuition and they could also have Sunday afternoon to relax. In the evening, they would get ready for the new school week such as learning their spelling, etc. 

We used to go out for lunch/ dinner on Saturday and the girls could continue to do their homework on Sunday morning before their tuition in the afternoon. However, I much prefer this new arrangement as the girls could concentrate and gain momentum to finish all their work.  So far, the girls are okay with this arrangement too. :)

Graduation Gown

I made an appointment to collect my graduation gown at 3pm today. My intention was to rent the gown because I saw absolutely no need to buy the gown at all. BUT I ended up buying the gown lol. How did that happen?

Besides renting the gown, I was going to get the graduation portrait special at $280 too (1 family portrait 28cm x 35cm canvas with frame, 6 family photos 3R with folder, 1 individual 20cm x 25cm portrait with folder and 6 individual photos with folder). The salesperson told me since I was getting the portrait special, with an additional $8, the graduation gown would be mine to keep. Well, I started doing the math - the rental is $42 and the purchase price (without portrait special) is $79... Hey, I am getting a real bargain at $50!! :D The "shopaholic" me prevailed over the practical me. That's how I ended up buying the gown. :P

Post-Rollins Reading

To fill up the void created after finishing Rollins' latest book, Bloodline too quickly, I started reading Andy McDermott's Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase novels! I have not read his novels before and they are the same genre as Rollins' novels - action, thriller. :) There are 8 novels already out, with 2 more on the way. They should be more than enough to keep me occupied for a few weeks at least and "cure" me of my Rollins withdrawal syndrome lol. :P

CCA-less week

There is no after school activities for this whole week due to the Primary 6 students having their prelim orals. Marieann is really enjoying it - being able to come home immediately after school. For this week, she could complete her school and tuition homework by late afternoon and had spare time to do her favourite things - watching "how to make handicrafts/ cupcakes/ pancakes" videos on Youtube. :)

Ride

I had to go to Republic Polytechnic for a meeting in the morning. I took a cab from at 7.30am and thought I would be there by 8am latest. However, I was taken for a ride. Not being familiar with the roads was my downfall. The journey took 45 minutes! I managed to get to the venue just in time. :( 

Next time, I will make sure I know the shortest route to my destination to avoid being taken for a ride again.

New Designation

With effect from 6 June 2012, I have been re-designated from Research Associate to Research Fellow. I was surprised when colleagues started congratulating me on my promotion after they saw the announcement on the centre's online staff updates. Somehow I never saw it as a promotion lol. :P I guess it might be because I have known about this "re-designation upon conferment of my PhD" condition in my contract for a long time that I have become indifferent to it. 

Thanks for the congratulation messages. It is greatly appreciated! :)

Skyping via iPad

I recently started Skyping with my brother and his family in UK via the iPad3. It is definitely a lot faster than starting up the notebook cold.  The only complaint my mother had was that it was heavy to hold the iPad for a period of time lol.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I accompanied a friend (who was afraid to watch it on her own) to watch Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It is certainly an interesting spin on Abraham Lincoln, casting him as a lawyer/ president-to-be/ president by day and a vampire hunter by night. (Buffy does pop into the mind - cheerleader/ counsellor [in the later seasons] by day and vampire slayer by night lol :P). I have heard some people were appalled with the idea of a well-beloved president having a secret life and as a vampire hunter at that too. I guess the main thing to bear in mind in order to enjoy the movie is the notion of "What If". This movie is a result of "what if Lincoln has a secret life as a vampire hunter, how would it be?". The movie combines imagination and a bit of history and it is definitely not meant to replace the real history. That's how I see it and I enjoyed the movie lol. 

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter trailer (uploaded by ENTV)

The bloodier ALVH trailer (uploaded by ENTV)

PS. Not too long into the show, a scene where Lincoln, an amateur, shot the vampire who murdered his mother - when he turned to look at the corpse, it was nowhere to be seen. From watching so many horror movies, I knew the vampire was going to attack Lincoln from behind so I braced myself for the attack on screen. Little did I know, the "attack" came from behind my seat! The movie-goer seated behind me screamed most loudly and jammed his knees with force into the back of my seat in fright! I have NEVER heard a guy screamed like a girl before and much less see, or rather felt a violent reaction like that. Goodness! All I can say to that male movie-goer is: Be a man!

Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson

I saw the music video, Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson on Youtube. I thought the song is very catchy, just like Kelly's Stronger. I hope to hear more of Dark Side on the radio. :)

 (uploaded by kellyclarksonVEVO)

Bloodline - Read!

I have finished reading Bloodline by James Rollins! It has only been less than 48 hours since I got the e-book and it was in between work, having meals and sleeping when I could read it. Rollins, as usual, has written another page-turner book that compels you to finish it. 

It is the usual team from the Sigma Force, with the addition of two new characters, a former Army Ranger Captain Tucker Wayne and his military war dog, Kane. What's really interesting and unusual are the depth of these two new characters and the POV sections from Kane. Tucker and Kane definitely brought another new dimension to the novel. I hope to see more of them in future Sigma Force novels. :)

Bloodline is a non-stop thrill ride that just leaves you wanting more. Gosh, it is going to be such a LONG WAIT before the next Sigma Force book. That is the consequence of reading Rollins' books too quickly!

Burn It Down by Linkin Park

Heard it over the radio and thought it sounded distinctly like Linkin Park's style. And true enough, it is Linkin Park's Burn It Down. :)

 (uploaded by linkinparktv)

Bloodline by James Rollins

James Rollins has a new thriller out, Bloodline. It is the latest book in the SIGMA series. I can't wait to start reading it!! :)

Youth Day Holiday

Today is the Youth Day holiday. Only the school students get to enjoy this holiday. It is quite nice for the students to have this little break after a week of school lol.

Youth Day 2012

Happy Youth Day 2012. :)

Youth Day is not just celebrated in Singapore but all over the world on different dates. In Singapore, Youth Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of July.