Joakim the Conqueror

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JEFF HARDY, MICHAEL CHIKLIS (BEN GRIMM aka THE THING) AND MD FAUZI, THE SHAWN MICHAELS FANATIC!!

Jasmine's fave artiste: Vincent Ng
Hady's fave artiste: Ann Kok
Joakim's fave artiste: Daphne Khoo
Jonathan's fave artiste: Fann Wong
Paul's fave artiste: Michelle Chia

My predicament came true indeed... and at last, 'balance had been restored' to the competition, but not without controversy (such as when Mathilda got booted out, and the weaker singers were still in the running).
After the phone lines had been closed, and the recaps of the judges' comments were read out, all 5 contestants got out of their seats and stood in one straight line... Paul, Joakim, Jasmine, Hady and Jonathan.
Gurmit said that he would announce 3 names in no particular order, and those 3 would be returning next week... "Jonathan, Hady and Jasmine... we'll see you next week." ALL IN ONE SHOT!!! I hugged Sharifah, Ida and Jeremy after hearing the great news.
And then there were two... already the Paul and Joakim fans were sobbing... and one of them stays, the other will be going home... after a nationwide vote... it had been decided that...
"Paul... we will see you next week. Joakim, I'm sorry your Idol journey ends tonight."
Loud cheers from the Paul fans and everyone else, and I did the Triple H pose... the evil forces behind the controversy involving Joakim had been defeated at long last. Joakim is finally free from the trials that had been placed on him for the past few weeks. And the fans did vote wisely at last. But Gurmit was being too much for dragging the results for more than 10 minutes cos in doing so, it had left the Paul fans as emotionally drained as tyhe already devastated Joakimians.
I then heaved a big sigh of relief cos Joakim need not go thru any more slamming now that he had left the competition, and indeed he gave his best performances on Wed, tho a bit too late. And he wasnt the worst performer this week either, tho he should haf been out a long time ago (perhaps God had planned this all along, we'll never know). I stood up from my seat and applauded to show my respect for Joakim cos in spite of the nightmares he'd been thru for the past few weeks, he never gave up and focused more on his vocals.
Im really happy that he made a dignified exit, and that his sense of humor and good-natured persona were still intact. Cos I know of a few people who would turn bitter after receiving a lot of negativity... and Joakim isn't even one of them cos he remained strong by focusing on what he loves to do rather than let all that bad publicity get into his head... and after his elimination, he's still the bubbly, friendly guy we all know and love. And if ever there was a Most Inspirational Contestant Award, I think it should go to Joakim cos of his never-say-die spirit and the way he handled all that bad publicity with his dignity still intact. I'm very proud of the Monkey Boy, at least he left the show on a good note with his head held up high. And the rainbow had finally perched out from the dark clouds :-)

OH YAH did I forget to mention that I saw Gayle, Emilee and Nurul at the basement level prior to the results show (Mathilda joined them later)??? I was like ARGGHHHHH!!!! NI MEN HEN MEI!!!!! I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!! ESPECIALLY EMILEE!!!!! :-D

My thoughts on the Final 5

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LI-LIN, TAY RONG MING, CHIU YU CHANG AND STEVEN LIM
I was quite relieved to haf completed the OMD project on time, and pass it up while most of the class (or whoever was present than) watched "Shrek" in the computer lab. Lessons ended early at 1615 hrs with the end of Shrek, and I took a train from Bedok to City Hall and eventually to Toa Payoh. I then had early dinner at McDonald's and took a bus from the bus interchange to Mediacorp... lol I saw Kai Leng, Crystal, Steph and even Joan there!! But alas!! The rain was very heavy... and so I had to wait at the bus stop trying to think of a way to escort the gals to Mediacorp... Jerrald, Jumali and Hoonie arrived and so we walked to the Mediacorp Center admist huge puddles and loud thunder... and there were lotsa taxis being packed along Lornie Road. RIGHTTTT... luckily the rain didnt dampen our spirits tho my shoes and pants got drenched. And Kendrick showed us a certain essay he wrote... man I tell you, it's a bit 'sick'!
And surprise surprise... guess who arrived soon after!!! NURUL AND GAYLE!!! OH MY GAWD!!! I'M SO HAPPY!!!! I hugged Gayle after passing to her the drawing I made specially for her!! Initially I thot abt sheddding tears, but I was really too shocked and excited when I saw Gayle... moreover, I suck at dramatics and I had shed enough tears on the day she got eliminated. Farhan and his friend Faizal managed to arrive at 1915 hrs... as for the last guy who arrived LATE, it was NO THANKS to him (last week it was other people) that we ended up at the balcony YET AGAIN!!! But then Wan Hua, Siew Woon, Annabelle, Levin and Roslan also ended up at the balcony... next time I aint gonna help him book tickets. It feels soooo dead to sit with him, esp since he's not as rabid as myself or any of the other fans. And I cant forget how I nearly lost my 8 days issue at the drawing studio bcos of him.
Anyway, here are my thoughts on the remaining 5 Idol contestants and how they had fared in the R & B genre:

Jonathan Leong- he did well in both songs, he didnt seem to falter at all. Hie first song was simply UNFORGETTABLE!! And he definitely improved in his pitching while singing Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life". HE MUST WIN!!! 9/10
Hady Mirza- He continued to wow everyone with his heart-melting deliveries and excellent vocal prowess that once again reminds us of Taufik. Looks too much like an uncle in "Senorita" tho. 8.5/10
Jasmine Tye- As the last girl standing, she's been showing improvement as usual... very good attempt at "Think (Freedom)", she was kinda emulating Mathilda!! And her rendition of "Come On Over" wasn't overly cute either... reminds most of Gayle. 7.5/10
Joakim Gomez- Quite surprisingly, he had showed some improvement with both songs (tho his pitching was still rather flat). And he did moderately well in his second song, tho his first song nearly put me to sleep. Not horrendous, but not fantastic either. 5.5/10
Paul Twohill- For the first time we saw a more serious side of him for both songs, esp in "Walking Away". Tho he had connected moderately well with the fans, he was mumbling his way thru in the first song. Something was missing in his overall performances... was it due to the fact that he had just recovered from a throat infection? 3/10

My prediction: Either Paul or Joakim will be going home... Joakim because of the negativity he had been receiving for a long time due to his flat singing. Paul because he wasn't in his best form. But then the results as of late had been unpredictable. So expect the unexpected (this is why I HATE Thursdays)

Accept me for who I am

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MICHAEL JACKSON
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHEN HANWEI
This self-esteem problem had been troubling me for so many years, since the day I first started schooling. I felt it's abt time I share a bit of myself wif you, and this will be the only time I do so. If you know me well enough, then u may carry on reading... if u dont know me at all, then KEEP OUT FROM THIS SITE.
In case u are wondering, I am of Thai-Chinese heritage... and get this, I am 100% Singaporean, born and bred here (I was born at the hospital located one bus stop away from Mediacorp Center). I had even served NS... and to tell u the truth, it's not a very easy life at all.
Throughout most of the 10 years in primary and secondary school, I had been called names, beaten, spat at and gone thru all kinds of crap... tho there are a few of them who still care abt me and accept me for who I am regardless of my race. Life in ITE Tampines and National Service could haf been a lot worse when the officers keep asking me abt my heritage, but fortunately things weren't as bad I thot. The name calling is fine, but the fact that some of my classmates back then insult my parents or heriatge is painful enough. And I dont like it when some people keep greeting me "Sawadee-kup" whenever I report to work (note to that manager wif the voice as high as MJ's) bcos I am Singaporean after all, and not purely Thai btw. Altho I live a normal life like anyone around me, the fact that Im slightly different from the others had given me some inferior complex that Im struggling with till this very day. I know all too well that my brother and I are not the only Thai-Chinese individuals in Singapore. Im not asking for your sympathy or what... just voicing out my true thoughts. And this is MY blog after all so I can type out anything I like. And another thing to note is that altho Im 23 years old this year, my mind is 'not quite fully developed' yet... a bit like an 18-yr old's.
So when u think of me, think of me not as Tanat the Star Wars fan, the X-Men fan, the Mediacorp Forums member or even a Singapore Idol fan (and many other 'titles' to come), but rather as Tanat the Unique... and my name actually means "Prince of Wealth" (Im speaking the truth). And not to forget that I am after all a Child of God. Im not angry wif anyone of u who had insulted me in the past. I just want u to picture yourself in my shoes, and try not to judge others who aren't from Singapore or are slightly different from us (how I wished I could say that to the poor gal who often eats her lunch alone). And Im really glad not to haf gone thru a troubled childhood like the world-renowned singer who turns 48 today. U know who Im talking abt (see very first paragraph to see my point)... the once-handsome Afro-American who had transformed into a 'long haired, white woman' wif a botched-up nose, bulging eyes, sunken cheekbones and an obsession for young males. I may appreciate his works a lot (and I still listen to his Greatest Hits everyday), but I cannot say anything more abt his grotesque looks and eccentric behaviour (Im quite tolerant with those "Hee-hee", "hoo-hoo" quotes and the crotch grabbing).

Vincent at Ngee Ann City

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NICK SHEN

Vincent's book titled "TEN" was hard to put down!!! Indeed I was amazed by his determination and willpower to lose fat and regain muscle... I must say the book launch at Ngee Ann City ytd was quite a success! And I managed to take pic wif the lovely Chua Lilian (the emcee for the event) after Vin left the place!! :-)
After the event, I had late lunch at KFC, then loitered around at Borders and Paragon, before reporting to work at ard 5 pm and lending some Westlfie concert VCDs to Edwin and Candice.
And ermmm... no comments on the young couple hugging and smooching in the train on the way back home from work... lots of passengers were shaking their heads in dismay, while I was laughing non-stop!!! They somehow remind me of a 'resident couple' in my class who keep holding hands, making a lot of eye contact wif each other and sticking together like glue... I think some of you know very well who Im talking abt :-x

Stay happy, Nurul

Everything seemed to be going smoothly when the results were announced on 24th August, which happens to be Dick Lee's birthday...
Gurmit announces: "Hady,...you're safe." (loud cheers from Hady fans AND the entire studio!!)
"Next one to be safe... Jasmine." (very loud cheers from eveyone as well, mostly from Jasmine fan club!! I then turned around to show the thumbs-up to the Jasmine and Hady fans)
"Third person who will be returning next week... Jonathan." (equally loud cheers from the Jon fans and majority of the group)
Commercial break... Paul, Nurul and Joakim are at the Bottom 3. Seems like the 'prophecy' is about to be fulfilled.

Back from commercial break... Gurmit announces, "Paul... we'll see you next week." (loud cheers from the Paul fans and majority of the other fans)
Now every anti-Joakim fan, be it a Jon fan, Hady fan, Jasmine fan or Paul fan, is chanting "Nurul, Nurul" to indicate that they want her to stay.
Especially since the best singers are safe.
And Gurmit announces, "Joakim... you're safe." (loud cheers from the Joakim fans, the other fans were either in stunned silence or jeering very loudly)
As expected, Nurul's family, friends and supporters were all weeping... and even Dick sarcastically said that altho the fans had voted wisely, things are' just not quite right' yet.
Standing ovation to Nurul as she sang her swan song "Put Your Records On"... it was a truly emotional night as she embraced her family members and supporters. A rather expected yet unjistified exit, similar to her close friend Mathilda's.

My thoughts on Nurul Maideen... tho I dont really know much abt her, I do know that she had shown improvement in her singing (tho stage presence can be a little bland) and gets along very well wif her friends and fans alike. A very sweet and bubbly girl, much like Jasmine and the other gals before her. Yep she does remind me of a Malay Fiona Xie, but her sweetness wasnt overly saccharine. Her sisters were also very nice.
First time I saw her was at Wisma Atria on 17th June wif Mathilda, Emilee and 4 other semi-finalists (thats a pic of her and Annabelle). Her rendition of "Emotions", tho pleasant and decent, sounded a little pitchy, but nevertheless she made it to the next round, even without the technical glitch problem. And the best thing was, the Mathilda fans and other fans never blamed Nurul for it.
And so Nurul was present for the roadshows at Bugis Junction, Jurong Point and Bishan J8. At the Mount Emily meet-the-Idols session, Nurul celebrated her birthday wif her family and friends. Her performances for the past few weeks may not be good enough to garner her an A rating, but at least she got mostly Bs and some Cs. Her performances were decent and note-worthy in spite of flawed pitching on odd weeks.
Stay sweet, happy and pretty, Nurul!! Dont give up on your dreams!! We will still support you in everything you do!!

WHAT THE...????

Firstly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DICK LEE... AND VINCENT KENNEDY MCMAHON!!!
Yes folks, it's the start of the Virgo sign!!
Secondly, Im very happy when Hady, Jasmine, Jonathan and Paul were announced to be safe, and would be returning next week.
But Im very very pissed by the fact that Nurul had been sent home instead of Joakim??
Sigh... looks like Dick Lee's birthday wish never really got fulfilled after all. I never thot it's gonna be the very last time I would see Nurul's family and supporters in the studio... as myself and some Jasmine fans went to console the Nurul fans, I couldnt help but think back abt the time Gayle got kicked out and I wasnt present at the studio to see it (til now I still regret not being there)... which was why I made it a point to attend the results show every Thursday to show my support for Jasmine and console her and family on the day she gets eliminated (hopefully not ever lah). And that was the only way I could make up for my past mistake of not being able to watch the Final 11 results show back on 20th July.

My thoughts on the Final 6

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RAY PARK (Darth Maul/ Toad)
The thing I hate abt Thurs' results show is that you'll never know who will be out til the actual day itself. Who knows that the best singer of the competition might be out... only God Almighty knows for sure (if I hate to admit this)
Anyway, here are my thoughts on the Final 6 in the Asian Pop genre:
Paul- Screechy as usual, but still in tune. Looks slightly better than preious weeks. And his command in Mandarin was simply AMAZING!!! 6/10
Jasmine- Good attempt at A*Mei's "Ting Hai", tho not captivating enough. "I Believe" was quite decent and not over-cutesy. 7/10
Joakim- Im getting sick of seeing him deliver bland and tuneless songs week after week. Esp with Gurmit's song from "One Leg Kicking" and a CHINESE SONG. Thank goodness he didnt sing in Korean. 2/10
Jonathan- Continues to wow the fans wif his stage presence. Sounded equally good in English and Mandarin, tho his rendition of "Wei Yi" sounded a little muffled at the start. The fans sinply 'ran away' wif Jon's renition of Electrico's "Runaway". 9/10
Nurul- Very fluent in Malay, and a bit cutesy yet bland in Coco Lee's number "If You Want My Love". But decent overall, and she didnt falter. 7.5/10
Hady- HE'S SIMPLY THE BEST!!! Most natural and most confident!!! His Malay song choice "Lagenda" was so moving it actually made his mum cry... and he wept along as well. Tho he looked like an uncle wif Eletrico's "Party Like This", he still continued to wow the audiences. 10/10!!!

Baby Bonanza at Compass Point

After a few hours of slacking at home, I went out of the house and reached Compass Point at abt 1245 hrs. Elvin Ng and Eelyn Kok were the guest judges for the first part of the show... SHUAI GE AND MEI NU!!! Got a lot of fans present for the Baby Bonanza event... the Pretty Baby contestants were really cuuuuuute!!! Then at abt 1410 hrs, Elvin and Eelyn got escorted out of the place very quickly... but not before I pased to them letters wif drawings on the back, and even got to wish Eelyn Happy Belated birthday... while the majority of the fans headed for Radiogate, I stayed behind for my main purpose was to show my support to Ling Lee, and so I stayed a little longer til 1440 hrs, then I passed to her the picture I drew... and she was really grateful!! She was kinda embarrassed to see her own face in the New Paper New Face 2004 articles I had brought along. Then she headed to backstage for a break, and I left Compass Point soon after, not quite wanting to stay for the entire event (altho I would love to, esp since Ling Lee is the host). As a last minute decision, I decided to go to church for fellowship... discussing abt Youth Sunday and attending Bible classes at 6 pm. After that, I headed back home to watch the repeats of the Singapore Idol 'Rock-The-House' spectaculars. Still found it hard to believe that Mathilda could get kicked out just like that.

Mathilda out of SI???

This is very bad indeed... Mathilda out of the competition???
Just when we thot the only female contestant worthy of winning Singapore Idol would survive the results show and come back for another week unscathed... THIS SHIT HAS TO HAPPEN.
I haf shed enough tears and lost enough sleep after Gayle got eliminated so early on 20th July.
I haf already vented enough anger towards those so-called Rahimah fans when Imah got ousted last week... as well as shown enough sympathy to her fans.
And now this. One of the best singers had just been voted off. WHAT THE HELL!!!
And it doesn't help that the other two most consistent contestants Hady and Jonathan are in the unsafe group yet again.
Dont know who to blame... definitely not the Mathilda fans or her family...
Blame it mostly on the tone-deaf Singaporeans who keep voting for the oh-so-cute-but-flat-or-screechy Paul and Joakim... and also the JUDGES for letting those two jokers advance in first place.
I cannot say the same for Jasmine and Nurul bcos they happened to be my faves, and they had been showing improvement week after week (even tho they may not be as consistent as Jonathan and Hady)
I am too angry to even continue this entry... like what (the even angrier) Ken Lim qouted, Mathilda certainly DID NOT deserve to go... she is blessed wif a very good voice and that's what matters the most. Pity her frumpy image tho, seems it proved to be her undoing.
Our hopes are on Hady and Jon to survive the next few results shows and make it all the way to the Final Showdown on September 25th... or at least the Final 3.
So long as Joakim is booted off ASAP and does not make it into the Finals on September 24th.
Mathilda, dont give up on your dreams! Your Idol journey may have ended, but not your singing career...

Wake-up call to all those who watch Singapore Idol

17th August 2006... the worst day ever known. In Singapore Idol that is.
Once again, Paul got the highest number of votes.
Once again, the older contestants are in one group.
Once again, the second group consists of youngsters, Joakim included. And Paul knows what that meant... he could only satre in disbelief. Suddenly, it's a case of deja vu like what happened on the week Jay got booted.
And true enough... Gurmit announced that the group comprising of Nurul, Jasmine and Joakim are SAFE. And boy does this pic piss me off (esp wif the monkey and his symptoms of survivor's guilt).
Everyone is shocked, Paul and Joakim included... how can that be??? The three BEST SINGERS at the bottom yet again???
That means it's Mathilda's very first time at the Bottom 3, Hady's 2nd time and Jon's 3RD TIME. This pic pisses me off even more.
DAMNIT THIS IS SO NOT RIGHT AT ALL!!!!
And the person whose Singapore Idol journey ended tonight... is MATHILDA.
WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!
Suddenly its all deja vu again... another spark of controversy like what happened in the first season when the very talented Jeassea Thyidor got booted out early in the competition.
So Emilee was right all along... she got eliminated NOT bcos she didnt do well... and now we can clearly understand the meaning that quote... Singapore Idol has indeed become too much of a popularity contest. And the more talented singers end up in the bottom positions more than once!! What is this world coming to?!?!
WAKE UP SINGAPOREANS!!! I haf had enough of this nonsense!!! Xiao didis and xiao meimeis, just what the hell is wrong wif you all???? Voting for your faves for his/her looks rather than for quality??? OPEN YOUR EARS AND EYES AND VOTE WISELY! BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE ALL OF YOU, THE BEST SINGERS HAVE BEEN OUSTED OUT EVERY WEEK LEAVING ALL THE CRAP ONES STILL IN THE RUNNING... IM SURE WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS CONTEST TURN INTO A MOCKERY THAT CROWNS SOMEONE WHO CANNOT SING FOR NUTS!!!

My thoughts on the Final 7

After Rahimah's exit last week, it was a a sign of controversy to come... not just from the fans who turned against her but also on one of the contestants who couldnt sing for nuts.
My thoughts on the 'Rock Da House' Spectaculars:

Hady Mirza- "You Gave Love A Bad Name"
Week after week he had proven that he's the most natural... with lots of ower and potential, he nearly blew the rooftop!!! 10/10!!!
Mathilda D'Silva- "Livin' On a Prayer"
She did superb here!!! Tho a litle dramatic, she certainly had the most captivating stage presence! 9.5/10
Jonathan Leong- "Plush"
Another excellent perfromer who aced this rock genre... tho I must admit he's trying a little too hard. 9/10
Jasmine Tye- "Sweet Child O' Mine"
She surpised everyone wif her rendition of the Guns N Roses hit... no-nonsense style!!! 8/10
Nurul Maideen- Improvement from previous week, a little bland but still decent and well-delivered. 7.5/10
Paul Twohill- "The Anthem"
Getting from bad to worse, he looks crazy and his delivery is simply horrendous... Paul was screeching instead of singing. All he needs to do next is get a makeover or, like what the guys seated behind me were shouting, shave his head!! 4/10
Joakim Gomez- "I'm A Believer"
Wrong choice of song (that song from "Shrek"????), horrid vocals (flat throughout), boring stage presence. Week after week, Joakim has become the biggest joke. 1/10

Dedication to the chicks!

Happy Birthday to Nicholas Chew
No thanks to some idiots who misplaced Lincoln's cellphone and placed it elsewhere in the drawing studio towards the end of figure drawing lesson, I nearly couldnt make it to work on time!!! We all had to line up for spotcheck and stay behind... til Lincoln's phone had been found just abt 5 mins later. I was so pissed I quickly packed up my bag and stormed out of the studio... and yelling vulgarities at whichever immature ball-less freak dared to sabo the whole class!!! >:-(
Anyway, I managed to reach my workplace at 1630 hrs after only 20 mins of train journey. I then cleansed my mind of that incident and went ahead wif my work. And Im still not happy over a lot of stuff, like when a few customers still wanted to place orders when the restaurant was about to close!!!
But yeah it was still great serving lotsa hot chicks as usual... which is why I dedicate this song to the pretty babes Ive seen so far for the past few days... babes like Miss Loh (Tues), Miss Choy (Thurs), Miss Lee (Sat) and of course the mermaid-like Miss Chin (Sun). ;-)

WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING LIKE THAT- Westlife

When you’re looking like that, that, that, that (yeah yeah)

She’s a 5 foot 10 in catsuit and Bambi eyes
Everybody who’s staring wouldn’t believe that this girl was mine
I should have known I was wrong
When I left her for a life in pity but
They say you never miss the water until it’s gone (yeah)
Guess I failed to love you and you’re taking it out toniiiiiight!

Chorus
How’m I supposed to leave you now, when you’re looking like that!
I can’t believe what I just gave away now I can’t take it back!
I don’t wanna get lost (lost) I don’t wanna live my life without you
How’m I supposed to leave you now...
When you’re looking like that.

She’s all dressed up for glamour and rock ‘n roll
Wanna squeeze her real tight, get outta this place
If only I could take control.
But she’s out of my reach forever
Just a week ago she lied next to me
It’s so ironic how I had to lose just to see…
That I failed to love you and you’re taking it out toniiiiiiiight!

Chorus
How’m I supposed to leave you now, when you’re looking like that!
I can’t believe what I just gave away now I can’t take it back!
I don’t wanna get lost (lost) I don’t wanna live my life without you
How’m I supposed to leave you now...
When you’re looking like that!

I don’t wanna forget you, I don’t even wanna try
How am I supposed to walk on by…when you’re looking like that!
(that, that, that, that)
How am I supposed to leave you (when you're looking like that)
I can’t believe what I just gave away (oh no no baby)
Cos I can’t take it back, I'm lost
I don't wanna live my life without you (live my life without you)
How’m I supposed to leave you now... when you’re looking like that.
(Thaaaaaat....) How’m I supposed to leave you now.
(Oh oh yeah) When you’re looking like that (oh no)
I can’t believe what I just gave away now I can’t take it back!
I don’t wanna get lost (lost) I don’t wanna live my life without you
How’m I supposed to leave you now
(How’m I supposed to leave you) When you're looking like that
How’m I supposed to leave you now
When you’re looking like that (When you’re looking like that!)
I can’t believe what I just gave away now I can’t take it back!
(Now I can't take it back, Im lost) I don’t wanna get lost.
(I don't wanna live my life) I don't wanna live my life without you
How’m I supposed to leave you now... when you’re looking like that!

See No Evil- See it at your own risk!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HALLE BERRY

I watched the highly-anticipated film "See No Evil" yesterday at Plaza Singapura.a film was good... tho not to my expectations. Kane, the only saving grace of the show (and perhaps the only valid reason why few people like myself watch the film, the hot babes notwithstanding), was the most natural as Jacob Goodnight, portraying a psychotic, mentally disturbed and traumatised freak who is totally obsessed wif plucking eyeballs and hooking his victims' body parts wif his steel chain-hook. And he even stuffed a handphone down a blonde chick's throat. Overall the film was damn gross, hence the NC-16 rating. I rate it 3 out of 5 stars. The plot is a little confusing, and it's only towards the end that we realise why Jacob is doing all this: his mum had tortured him since young and he's been forced to do her biddings. But it was cool to see Jacob turn against his mother altho he hated to do so. And the monster's death fall was cool, even with the wooden stick being jammed into his remaining eye. Kane's cinematic debut is quite impressive indeed... the same cant be said for the 8 little-known actors who were terrorized by him, esp since some got killed early in the film. But I thot Samantha Noble was HOT, as hot as the chick in green top and black pants (tho she was a little beefy).
I suggest u watch it only when u haf time to spare... and it's best to watch it in the morning or the afternoon, and BEFORE dinner; otherwise you will throw up. Thankfully I hadnt eaten yet, so yeah I cant imagine what would happen if I were to eat before entering the cinema...

Rahimah we still love you!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HULK HOGAN AND SIR IAN McDIARMID (EMPEROR PALPATINE!!)
For the second time my prediction came true... Rahimah got sent home last night. Kinda expected, considering the amount of 'bad blood' she got wif some of her older fans. And she still looks like Rui En to me...
Too angry to state much of my views on Rahimah... altho I dont know her personally, I can see that she's a determined girl with lots of spunk. A cute individual of her own rights, even wif her feistiness. And she can really sing.
Shame on that MOFO who completely turned his back against Rahimah at the end of the performance show!!! I dont know if what you say abt Imah's personality is true or not, but I was very angry when I found out what you did when i got back home to check the Oh-Rahimah blog. I mean its ok if he wants to support another contestant (like I did for Jasmine after Gayle got the boot), but for you to mercilessly delete the blog after the performance show and sever all ties wif Rahimah is TOO MUCH!!! That's so not right at all!!! Altho Im not an official member of the Rahimah fanclub, I would NEVER turn my back on Rahimah, even if other people claim that she's a 'fake' or a 'brat'. And to that bastard who backstabbed her (if you're still reading this), you better not let me see you bloody face in the studio or at any roadshow, you dont deserve to even be part of the Singapore Idol supporters!!!
Anyway Rahimah, Im glad that u remained strong and didnt shed a tear after u got eliminated... truth be told, I myself was close to tears when I saw how upset your fans were (esp the one named Apple) at the end of the night as they left the Mediacorp Center. You didnt deserve to go... matter of fact, nobody does, but this is a competition where the contestants haf to be booted off one by one, til there can be only one winner. Dont care what other people think, I will still love you for who you are, not what you do. I haf no regrets supporting u, shaking hands wif u, taking pic wif u and even hugging u... and Im glad u made it this far in the competition. Farewell, cute and pretty Rahimah... you will be greatly missed :-(

Final 8 performance

HAPPY 41ST BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC BANA (Bruce Banner aka THE HULK) AND SAM ELLIOT (THUNDERBOLT ROSS)

How proud I am to be Singaporean... and how proud I am to be a SINGAPORE IDOL FAN!!! :-p
August 8th was the second time Im going for a SI recording (tho not exactly live). 6 members from the 'League of Ousted Idols' were present... Primero, Siew Woon, Wan Hua, Annabelle, Randy and the 'newest member' Jay :-)
My thoughts on the Singapore Idol Spectaculars on "Home, Family and Friends":
Rahimah Rahim- "Confessions from a Broken Heart"
C. A lot of emotions used in the song but Rahimah was already in very low spirits at the start of the show. Didnt help that she broke down at the end of the recording.
Jasmine Tye- "Don't Forget To Remember Me"
B+. She improved greatly here, truly a breakthrough performance. For once Dick gave her praise, as did Flo and Ja.
Nurul Maideen- "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
C+. Good vocal control but the delivery was bland and boring. Moreover the song choice wasnt good and many fans may not be familiar with the song, which originated from the 1930s movie "The Wizard of Oz".
Joakim Gomez- "I'll Be There For You"
D+. His dancing was not enough to hide the fact that his singin was already going from worse to worser. He shouldve been out long time ago if not for the overwhelming support from his (mostly teenage) fans.
Mathilda D'Silva- "The Living Years"
A. A lot of power and anger used. A little over-exaggerated in the delivery, but Mathilda was clearly one of the better singers. Truly captivating presence.
Hady Mirza- "You've Got A Friend"
A+. Again Hady proved that he was indeed the most natural of the lot, and he made the song seem so easy to deliver. Reminds most of Taufik.
Jonathan Leong- "Dance With My Father"
B+. His stage presence didnt falter, his singing wasnt really muffled, and he continued to melt everyone's hearts in spite of some flawed pitching.
Paul Twohill- "Picture Of You"
D. His stage presence was captivating nonetheless, but it was clear his pitching was getting more flawed week after week. At least he sang better than Sly who completely butchered that song in the last season.

For pictures of the semi-finalists, go to the following link: http://tanatanakyn.blogs.friendster.com/darkside_blog/2006/08/pics_at_spore_i.html

Horrid NDP celebrations, and random thoughts

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TWYLA LAI, CLARENCE LIM AND VANNESS WU (F4)

As usual, I was among the first to reach school, then got a few more... we all went to the theaterette at abt 0830 hrs after singing the National Anthem and pledge. Filmmaker Royston Tan was in the house!!! And 3 of his short films were showcased... 'D.I.Y' (a funny film on people from all walks of life creating music wif different actions... stars include Allan Wu, Lum May Yee and the cutesy Samantha Tan), "Careless Whisperer" (a fictional story based on Patrick Khoo's desire to woo a girl of his dreams) and "New York Girl" (on an American-raised Singaporean named Karen Khoo who wanted real badly to be an entertainer and become the first Asian Wonder Woman). Karen Khoo happened to be present in the theaterette (she looked really toned, and she got a cool hairdo), and she sang a Chang Huei Mei song specially for us. After Royston and Karen left, there was some Malay ensemble (5 gals and 2 guys)... followed by a trio of HOT BABES!!! Their bellies are very hot!!! After that, we got out of the theaterette and had early breakfast. Didnt want to go for the band performance at the school hall, so some of us went to various places... I went back home to surf the Net for a while, then head back to school to do a brainless mock exam on electronics. Then we were dismissed at 1415 hrs...
A few random thoughts before I head off to the studio to watch Singapore Idol Spectaculars #5:
- 'Edge' has truly become a rebel, dying his hair and shaving the side of his scalp. He looks like a real Ah Beng, and wif a steel chain around his neck as well. I wont be surprised if he got into bad terms wif his folks and ran away from home just to elope wif 'Lita', seeing how close they are with each other, so close til no force on earth can separate them miles apart. Indeed they are like Tom-Kat, making their relationship public to everyone around them
- To the ignorant fella sitting at the far end of the drawing studio everyday and only engrossed wif reading newspapers or putting that stupid hood over your head... SHAME ON YOU, WAKE UP YOUR FUCKING IDEA. Its either u haf no interest in your studies or your mind is einto something else. If u think going to school is only abt sitting at the corner and slacking abt and not even doing your work within 3 hrs of lesson (and skipping PE lesson more than 10 times), then I say that you're WASTING YOUR PARENTS' MONEY AND WASTING YOUR FUCKING TIME. And not to forget u owe Mr Ee MORE THAN FIVE BLEEDING ASSIGNMENTS. And you were supposed to complete some of them BEFORE the school holidays. I think it's better for u to get debarred from the exams since your heart isnt totally into studying. And u even took punctuality as a joke?!?! EVERY MINUTE AND SECOND COUNTS!!!! So now I can finally see your true colors... and why should I bother to help u when u cant even help yourself??? If u dont want to study anymore, then why not I suggest u just get out of the school and dont even think abt coming back again, I wont be missing u at all anyway. I find it a shame to even be talking abt u in first place.
- And to the dumb-ass prank caller who 'accused' me of daring to 'harass your girlfriend last night', I THINK I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. I dare you to call me again someday, if you haf the balls to even do so. If ur really from the 'same unit' as me from 2 years ago, then why the hell did you haf to wait til today to make the call? Come on, speak up lah!!! Why do you even keep quiet when my mum asked you which camp u came from? You are a yellow-bellied coward who only knows how to waste your time making prank calls and making false accusations... do u think Im even scared of you?!?! No, Im not cos I know that deep down you're afraid of what I CAN do to you!!! I just wanna tell you that if you dare call again, I will beat you up into a bloody pulp and kick your teeth into your throat, and make sure you dont ever get to speak for the rest of your damned fucking horrid life!! And if ya aint down wif that, then I GOT TWO WORDS FOR YA... SUCK IT!!!!

Another song in dedication to the finale of "Love @ 0 degrees C":

Unbreakable- Westlife

Took my hand... touched my heart
Held me close... you were always there
By my side... night and day
Through it all... maybe come what may
Swept away on a wave of emotion
Overcaught in the eye of the storm
And whenever you smile
I can hardly believe that you're mine
Believe that you're mine

This love is unbreakable, it's unmistakable
And each time I look in your eyesI know why
This love is untouchable, I feel that my heart just can't deny
Each time I look in your eyes
Oh baby, I know why
This love is unbreakable

Shared the laughter... shared the tears
We both know... we'll go on from here
Cause together... we are strong
In my arms... that's where you belong
I've been touched by the hands of an ange
lI've been blessed by the power of love
And whenever you smile I can hardly believe that you're mine

This love is unbreakable... it's unmistakable
Each time I look in your eyes... I know why
This love is untouchable... I feel that my heart just can't deny
Each time you whisper my name
Oh baby, I know why

This love is unbreakable through fire and flame
When all this seems over, our love still remains

This love is unbreakable, it's unmistakable
And each time I look in your eyes... I know why
This love is untouchable... I feel that my heart just can't deny
Each time you whisper my name
Oh baby, I know why
Cause each time I look in your eyes
Oh baby, I know why...

This love is unbreakable

Dedication to the end of Ai Qing Ling Du C

The last episode of Ai Qing Ling Du C was too touching... when Weixiang and Yixin hugged at the airport, I just couldnt help but let the tears flow. And soon after, I sneered at Guobin for being dumped by An-na at the departure halls and losing out to Weixiang at the very end. Very very sweet ending indeed. Perhaps Guobin can try to woo that lovely chick Rebecca whom he posed wif on Episode 15, whereas ther should at least be some focus on Xiaoling's and Victor's blossoming relationship. Here's a song to dedicate to such a wonderous ending to a worth-watching drama that we've waited so long to see.

Queen of My Heart- Westlife

So here we stand in our secret place
With a sound of the crowd so far away…
You take my hand, and it feels like home
We both understand…it’s where we belong
So how do I say? Do I say goodbye?
We both have our dreamsWe both wanna fly…
So lets take tonight…to carry us through…
The lonely times…

Chorus (all)
I’ll always look back as I walk away
This memory will last…for eternity
And all of our tears will be lost in the rain…
When I’ve found my way back…to your arms again
But until that day, you know you are…the queen of my heart

The queen of my heart

So lets take tonight, never let go
While dancing we’ll kiss like there’s no tomorrow
As the stars sparkle down like a diamond ring
I’ll treasure this moment till we meet again
But no matter how far (no matter how far)
Or where you may be (where you may be)
I just close my eye (I just close my eyes)
And you’re in my dreams
There you will be, until we meet

Chorus x2
I’ll always look back as I walk away
This memory will last for eternity
And all of our tears will be lost in the rain
When I’ve found my way back to your arms again
But until that day, you know you are the queen of my heart

Oh…yea…You’re the queen of my heart… (Queen of my heart…)
No matter how many years it takes… (Queen of my heart...)
I’ll give it all to you…Oh yeah… (Queen of my heart…)
Oh yes you are…the queen of my heart

Not goodbye for Jay

Hmmm seems like my prediction came true after all. I wasnt too surprised that Jay Lim would be the one going home, given the poor fan attendance on Monday's event at Mount Emily Hangout. Still I thot it was unfair for Hady and Jonathan to be at the bottom 3. I sense something fishy in the voting system... as if the producers had manipulated the numbers in such a way that the three better singers are at the bottom. And this is so not right.
Initially I didnt quite like Jay, esp when he didnt high-five Meryl at the end of the 4th piano round, but when he professed that he missed the high-five, I changed my viewpoint abt him (at least he was honest abt it, not like a certain someone). Then when I saw Jay wif the other 6 Wildcards (Meryl had pulled out then) at Tampines Mall, I realised he was a really nice, friendly and humble guy wif no airs of pretence or attitude. So yeah I started to like him (yep thats a pic of him wif the lovely Gayle Nerva) :-)
Jay did really well wif Solitaire during the Wildcard round, and he was the viewers' choice. Altho the crying part was a tad unnecessary, it was truly beautiful, and memorable as well. Then I saw him at the Bugis and Bishan events. Other times I saw him were at the recpetionist area after the Final 11 show, the Lime @Scape party and outside Mount Emily Hangout on Monday (never thot it would be the last time I would see him)
His song of "My Funny Valentine" was a little dull, mostly bcos many fans weren't too familiar wif the song. Nevertheless, he made it thru to the next round. His Number One hit choice of "If You're Not The One" was splendid, esp when he hit the falsetto towards the end of the chorus... but he ended up at the Bottom 3 wif Gayle and Paul (the whole nation was in tears when Gayle got kicked out that night). His jazz song "Have You Met Miss Jones" wasnt really captivating tho his vocal control was as good as ever. And his tryout at Robbie Williams' "Supreme" (loosely based on the classic hit "I Will Survive") was quite a surprise cos it was so much different from the typical ballads... tho not the best performance that night, it was his most earnest, for he proved that he was willing to try out something different. And yet he got ousted last night, mostly in due part to his vocals and his xinyao vibe.
Well at least Jay made it this far into SI, and he got something to tell his students about. The elimination has got mostly to do wif his age and his lack of star quality, but definitely not on wrong choice of song. Still, I'm gonna miss him greatly... hope he doesnt give up on his dreams. And Im glad to haf taken picture wif u that Monday night, Jay :-)