Entries Tagged 'Reviews' ↓

Its been a while since I got my Asus EeePC and no, I did not forget to write about it. You know how it is about techy gadgets? As soon as you get one, a new better improved version will appear in the market. Damn geram I tell you!

My EeeePC was the early 7″ screen one with 4GB of space. In non-geek speak, that’s barely enough space to swing a cat in (not that I will in case I get lambasted by animal rights activists!) So, I don’t store anything on my PC at all. That’s what 4GB and 8GB thumbdrives are for right?

The new version is the EeePC 900 which boasts a larger 9″ or 10″ screen and 20GB of space. Sure, it also boasts a bigger price tag, but still….

Anyway, green-eyed bitching aside, what do I think of the EeePC? I won’t go into specifications and techy talk - that’s what geek review sites are for. This is a fluff site right? So, I’ll tell you instead 7 ways an EeePC is a useful tool. Continue reading →

Its been an exhausting week.

Ever tried cheerleading for 7 days in a row? Over the telephone?

Shake your pom poms! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Cheerleading during my time in school was really tame compared to the acrobatics that I see these days. I was never a cheerleader though and being optimistic in order to lift others out of the doldrums is just so taxing when you don’t exactly quite feel that way!

But all that cheerleading may yet pay off because I’m seeing some results. The clouds might yet lift for the sun to shine through!

Whew!

Since everything’s been dark and gloomy and silent here last week, let me showcase some pictures I’ve been taking:-

I have been playing around with my new Canon Ixus 860 in the past weeks. Its a nifty little thing and I’m really loving it. Dare I say my picture taking skills seem to be improving? I hope so!

I’m still taking mostly pictures of food (for Pink Parisian) and learning every day how to take a better food photo for the food blog. I spent the weekend reading loads of sites that offer tips on taking good food photography and am trying to put theory into practice. Its not easy and I’m so pleased that my whole family has accepted me as a food blogger!

We went out for dinner and when I whipped out my camera, my dear ol’ Dad actually stopped halfway to putting his chopsticks into his ramen, just so I could snap a picture of it! What would I do without the support of my family! Unfortunately for me, all the pictures turned out too dark and now that I have a proper camera, I am getting pickier about the pictures I put up online of my food.

There is no more excuse for me to put up mediocre or crappy dark, out of focus pictures online when I know that with a bit of practice and patience I can actually have some proper drool-worthy photos. Yes, I’m turning into a perfectionist. My Canon might be a simple little point and shoot, but it is good enough for me (I’m not yet in the league of the food bloggers with SLR cameras) for now. Its also rekindled my interest in photography so yay! Something new to learn!

Anyway, here are some stuff I learnt about food photography over the weekend that I’m sure will help those of you who are also into writing about food:-

• The Macro setting on the camera is your best friend. It allows you to get right up close to your food and still keep it in focus.
• Natural lighting is best. Not direct sunlight though, just enough sunlight to cast some natural light on the food.
• No Flash at any cost. Using the flash washes out the colours and texture of the food and makes it look too stark and unappetizing.

Not much to my surprise, these tips work well if you are taking photos of beauty products too as I have been for my beauty reviews site. So there is a co-relation between food and beauty after all!

The Canon Ixus 860 has a huge LCD screen but no viewfinder. It doesn’t bug me but it seems to bug some people based on some online reviews. I find the focus good and it performs decently enough under low light conditions which was the prime reason I chose this Canon over the Panasonic Lumix. Being a food blogger (reviewer) too, I have to have a camera that works in low light because most restaurants keep their lights low.

I’m worried about the flimsy cover for the AV/USB output as it feels and looks like it could break at any second so I’m extra careful with it. The battery cover too is rather flimsy. I found battery life decent. A full charge lasted me about a week without having to recharge. However I only took about 5-8 photos a day without flash so that has to be taken into consideration.

All in all, I’m loving this little Ixus 860. Its a decent point and shoot camera and I think I’ll just stick to Canon for cameras from now on because I can use the same USB cable as with the old Canon I had which gives me more mobility!

I hope everyone had a good weekend too and thank you all for your kind support over the last week!

Indiana Jones = Harrison Ford.

There are no two ways about it. Old or not, haggard or not, Indy Jones = Harrison Ford.

When The Last Crusade was released, I thought that would be the end of the Indiana Jones series. After all, Harrison Ford is good for doing trilogies - see Star Wars (Han Solo *drools* ok ok I like older men - sue me ) and of course the Indiana Jones trilogy.

So, when there was talk about the new Indiana Jones, I had the impression (don’t know from where) that Indy was no longer played by Harrison Ford so I was quite adamant I wouldn’t watch it. And then, my dad (of all people!) told me that it was indeed Harrison Ford reprising the role of Indiana Jones, which led me to google up the information which led me to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last night!

Did I enjoy it? Of course I did! Its Indiana Jones isn’t it? Delightfully camp and tongue in cheek and all. But what else did I think about it? Please watch out for spoilers after the jump!

Continue reading →

On a whim, I decided to cough up RM18 and test out the GSC Signature cinemas at The Gardens. I’ll talk a lot here about the cinema first before I get to the movie so those who haven’t seen Forbidden Kingdom and who don’t like spoilers, can then leave before reading further. Aren’t I considerate?

Yes, no kidding. RM18 for a movie. It’d better be good

The GSC Signature cinema at The Gardens is GSC’s premier line of cinemas for those who don’t want to mingle with the masses and who want more comfort and are willing to pay for it. Each cinema is very small with only about 10 rows of seats. Each row only has 6 seats in pairs of 2 so you have 3 rows of seats. What this means is larger more comfortable seats. There is even a little table attached to the side of the chairs for your popcorn or snacks. However, because its so small, I felt that the screen was too small to do justice to a truly epic movie. It might be good for some light fun but not if you want to enjoy and truly appreciate the full effects of the movies.

I could curl up in the chair so yes, its a large comfy chair. The back can recline if you are heavy enough to cause it to. I can only make it recline if I physically push against it which makes for an uncomfortable time. But I’m ok with it even sitting upright.

The exterior of the cinema is kept dim. Perhaps, its to keep with the “premier” theme. After all, expensive and privileged places are always kept dim with low lighting. The ticket queue is practically non-existent which of course is great if you don’t want to stand in queue for hours to buy the usual RM11 ticket. Downstairs is a bar/cafe for drinks and snacks and the cinema halls are upstairs. There are only 5 premier halls and 1 Gold Class. Gold class tickets are RM60 each. I’d pay those prices if they run the Lord of The Rings trilogy back to back! Otherwise, forget it!

When you go upstairs, you’ll see your cinema hall number and the words “Now Seating” which will light up when its time to seat you. If its dim, its not ready. I’m not sure how that helps anything, but everyone there quietly waited until the light came on before approaching the ushers.

Even the popcorn is different. It comes in a black cup instead of the usual yellow box. Unfortunately, the popcorn was either not caramel coated, or not fresh. It tasted bland and musty. You know how cardboard tastes? No? Go pop some corn, don’t mix it with anything and chew on it. Now, you know how cardboard tastes. Awful! I don’t recommend the popcorn at GSC Signature.

For all the extra cost and air of exclusivity, I noticed that the place was subtly crowded. Yes even the crowds are classy No, its because the cinema halls are so small, that the crowds won’t overwhelm, no matter how crowded it gets. It makes going to the movies fun but a pricey affair.

GSC Signature premier cinemas at The Gardens are at the end near Robinsons. Take the escalators all the way up right to the top of the building, and you’ll see it… or maybe not. Its so “classy” and dim, its easy to miss, but for the subtle touches of some movie posters on the walls.

Now, read on for my take on Forbidden Kingdom the movie. Please leave now if you don’t like spoilers. Continue reading →

Buddy you’re a boy make a big noise
Playin’ in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on yo’ face
You big disgrace
Kickin’ your can all over the place

We will we will rock you
Singin’
We will we will rock you

It was a very very busy weekend for me with work going on through the weekend in Singapore. A full day’s meeting on Saturday left me totally washed out, until I was offered tickets to see We Will Rock You at the Esplanade Theatre. Did I want to? You bet I did!

I was planning to go anyway, but thought that this weekend might be too rushed. So yes, I was super duper thrilled and perked up immediately at the offer. Free ticket some more, who don’t want?!

Did I enjoy it? Of course I did! The music was awesome (and loud) and I was bouncing along on my seat although the people I went with were of the more staid persuasion and found the music “too loud”. Sigh… Here, read the synopsis of the musical if you don’t know it already:- Continue reading →