Inception, Predators, OnG Talk!

" What's the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it. " - Inception, 2010.

One more week remaining before the start of a new semester, another whole shooting of a new season. For that reason alone, i pledge to spend my holidays to the fullest, to the maximum, because i know once i start my classes, i won't have much time for myself.

Alright, so you may have noticed, i didn't update much since the last post on Cordon Bleu. I have to admit, i was rushing against time to complete some things and now i can wipe the sweats off and tell you, i'm done with it!

So, i'll start by flashing back to last Thursday. The Society of Petroleum Engineer Student Chapter of my uni organized a talk on the oil and gas industry as well as about the university to secondary schools. My secondary school was listed and on Thursday last week, i gave a short talk, exposing the students briefly to the oil and gas industry. At first, i was nervous because i didn't know what to say and i was afraid that if i dwell too much into the technical words, i might bore them. And at the end of the day, i think i did alright and from now on, i might want to be a speaker.

Two of my friends were involved in the talk and after the tour around my school- i still remembers of them fondly, we went to Fong Fong Restaurant for Yong Tau Foo. After that, we headed to Wangsa Walk for Predators.

I expected more violence, more gore from this movie since it's about aliens and humans becoming their prey. But when the show started, it started rather abruptly as if throwing you straight into the shoes of the characters on another planet, and it went to adventure-mode. Somehow, this movie is different than other alien movies because they focus a lot on the characters and the development of each and every one of them. The aliens are there to mess things up and questions the humanity of the characters.

In this movie, it's like a game and the characters are players fighting for survival; and after each round, new members join in the game and continue to fight for their survival. It's a cycle. I wouldn't say this movie is mind-blowing but it has its necessary elements to keep me satisfied. Surely, they had a fantastic cast for such a movie. Adrien B does well.

Thursday night and Friday morning were dramatic. They informed that results are out on 16th, so i waited past midnight until about three but they weren't released yet. Then the next morning, i woke up to check but it still didn't come out.

On Saturday, i met up with a friend to discuss some matters over. It was a nice chat and definitely insightful.

Tuesday was fun. Had a wonderful day of eating- since i'm going back to uni, i'll be missing good food. Loving my Fossil. And watched, what i would now say, the best movie of 2010... Inception.

Inception is superb! How could anyone but them come up with such a fantastic story and a brilliant storyline? Christopher Nolan is my favourite director now and any movies from him hereon will be watched in the cinemas! Seriously, the movie is that amazing! Although it's about two and a half hours, i didn't feel a bit bored at all and the development of the story was terrific. Dream in a dream in a dream. To so many levels of dream, i didn't know if everything was a dream! - i don't know what i'm saying here. I'm probably still in the movie's dreaming...

Back to Inception, it has spectacular acting as well, with Leonardo D C leading the cast. Ellen P, Ken W, and those i recognized-their-faces-but-don't-know-their-names, were perfect. This show proves that it doesn't need to be in 3D for it to be mind-blowing. The graphics are spot on especially when she designed the city and it closed in above their heads, and the water effects. And the action scenes, simply wow! I mean, the ski-shooting, the anti-gravity fist fight, the explosions, the freefall, the meticulous timing, the chases both on foot and on wheels, left me to wow at every one of them!

And until the last moment, the spinning of the totem, the audience in the cinema, me included, didn't take our eyes off the screen. The ending was the best and it leaves us to choose with the littlest tip, that whether it was, after all, still a dream. The best movie of 2010, and arguably the best movie i have watched. This definitely deserves a success like Titanic at the awards. And Nolan can claim to be top of the world too!

One Shot first draft is done!

On World Cup. Yes, Spain won! I wanted to do a post on the WC but i didn't have the time. So much of my energy is channeled to One Shot, but what i can summarise is that i miss the times when i stay awake until 4.30am to watch a match! Next stop, Brazil!

With a few days left, i still have plans. wc10 wants to party...

* Season 4 rates at 4.0. Thank you, all!

Chicken Cordon Bleu, Toy Story 3, Faithfully!

" I'm forever yours, faithfully. " - Faithfully (Journey), Glee cast

" [Andy] Thanks, guys.
[Woody] So long... partner. " - Toy Story 3

My holidays are coming to an end, so fast, so soon. I still have lots more to do, lots more to complete before i start my next semester. Many things on hold, some still pending, that again i felt myself running against time.

This post will be different. The first part will be a sharing of my first experience making a, get ready for it, chicken cordon bleu and i'd also like to share the recipe with you- in case if you might want to try. Chicken Cordon Bleu is an easy dish to make. You don't need to be an expert to make a fairly tasty, simple one. I have to admit, i'm no expert at the kitchen, yet.

The ingredients you need. A chicken breast seasoned and marinated with salt and pepper...

Biscuit crumbs, sausage, cheese and ham. Some toothpicks. You may want to vary your cordon bleu by adding other ingredient such as egg, flour, or subtract those you don't want from mine.

Having the ingredients ready at the side, the first thing you need to do is to pound the chicken breast and make sure it's flat, look to the picture above again. You may want to stretch it a little longer and wider so that you will get a bigger piece of meat to fit all your ingredients inside. Also, a reminder, i would recommend you to get or make the pounded piece more rectangular in shape. You will find this absolutely necessary when you want to roll.

Next comes the most exciting part, the filling of your cordon bleu. Depending on how you like your inside to be, mine was, i layered the piece of ham over the chicken, and then the cheese. After that, i centered the sausage and prepared to roll. When rolling, it may be a little tricky as your might notice some parts jutting out. Patiently force them back into the roll, and if necessary, apply some pressure to make sure they don't fall out. When it's done, staple each ends with toothpick. This will hold them from coming out later when you fry.

An uncooked, nicely wrapped chicken cordon bleu. Just before frying, dip this piece into the biscuit crumbs.

The next part comes the frying. Heat up the wok (i used a wok, i didn't have an oven), and add oil to the surface. When it's hot, gently rest the cordon bleu into the wok and toss and turn it until it gets brown and cooked. Dish it up and walla!

Your chicken cordon bleu is ready to be served! Mine got a little burnt on the outside due to the cheese that oozed out somehow and hit the wok. So, removed the burnt layers and mine was ready to be eaten! To be honest, i'm very pleased with my first attempt at it- it tastes really really good! I'll be doing another one, really soon...

The next part of this post will be a movie review. Toy Story 3. I know i'm a little behind time with the Eclipse phenomenon, Predators, Despicable Me and Inception being the movie in town to watch, i can't help but to congratulate Pixar for producing yet another winner. I wouldn't say i'm a die-hard fan of Toy Story, but i know Woody and Buzz. If there's going to be any comparison, i say Toy Story 3 will be this year's best animation film and it levels with Up. Seriously, it's that good. What more, the characters became more relatable than ever. Andy is going to college, leaving behind his toys. Me, already left for college, and left behind my toys. The movie began with a flashback of how he used to love to play his toys and i have to say that when i was younger, i played like how he played. Imagining them as real-life figures, added sound effects and action scenes to my creativity.

Then the story went into adventure-mood. How they have to face the toys at Sunnyside! How they have to escape from that terrible place! It's funny, hilarious, especially the part when Mr Potato Head became a tortilla. That's sheer comedy and the whole cinema rocked with laughter!

After the adventurous part, comes the most touching, most heartbreaking part of the movie. The last thirty minute or so, we had to see Andy departing with his toys. Having grown so attached to these toys, leaving them behind and the thought of never being able to be with them again brings the movie to a total tear-jerking moment. What more when the characters kept on saying that they are Andy's toys and lift their legs up with his name written on their foot. Damn! I have been wanting to cry a lot in the cinema these days. For that reason alone, Pixar's idea to come up with the final Toy Story was brilliant! They ended with such memorable, unforgettable scenes. Thumbs up for Toy Story 3! A perfect blend of touching scenes, hilarious acts and thrilling adventure!

On TV, Glee Season 1 came to an end. What a dramatic ending! With Faithfully and Don't Stop Believing worsening my addiction to it, i have been practising these songs on piano and i can tell you, i'm almost there.

World Cup! It's coming to an end real soon! I wonder how would it be like not waking up in the middle of the night to watch the matches. A Spain-Netherlands showdown! I will be rooting for Spain, for sure. As for Germany, who lost to Spain, you are already a winner. You knocked out Argentina and England by 4, that's something you should be so proud of! And if either Spain or Netherlands wins, you'll be remembered this World Cup for the fantastic play of football!

Faithfully, wc10.

S'pore Experience 3

* This is the third and final part of a three-part post.

" It is you i have loved all along. " - Shrek soundtrack

After a long and exhausting day at the Universal Studios (No, i'm not complaining. It's all worth it), we had another long day ahead. You know what makes a holiday a holiday? Yes, for me, it's getting around and experience the best it could offer, even if it sores the feet. If it's going to be just sitting around, watching the day go past, then that's not a holiday. So, although we didn't get up as early as we did yesterday to beat the crowd into Universal Studios, we prepared ourselves for Sentosa, Singapore's playground, without a doubt.

- Chinatown
Before heading to Sentosa, we stopped by Chinatown for brunch. Ate the Singaporean Laksa in the hawker centre. Not bad. Then while strolling around the place, halted at a stall that sells durian pancake. Seriously, this pancake tastes so good, especially if you're a durian lover. It's hot and crispy on the outside, cold and chilly on the durian paste inside. Yummy! Sorry, no photos here for you to drool.

- Sentosa
Again, we took the monorail into the island. Instead of stopping at Waterfront, we went straight ahead to Imbiah station, where most of the Sentosa's activities are located.

> Sentosa Luge and Skyride
If you're going to Sentosa, this attraction is a must try. Thrilling ride, both up and down. We checked in to the platform and boarded our luge. It's similar to go-kart, but you don't need to press for oil. Instead, you lift to either go ahead or brake. You can race with your friends to the finish line, but we'd rather take our time and savour the moment. We paid for a one-time ride only. And to go back up, we sat the skyride. Similar to a ski lift, it's a magnificent view from above. If you're afraid of heights, this puts you to the challenge.

Queuing for our turn.

The skyride. At some points, it's quite high, or may be it's just myself.

> Merlion Walk
To enter, there's admission fee. So, we decided to just see the iconic structure from outside.

Posing quickly at this half lion, half fish statue.

> Sentosa's 4D Magix, CineBlast and Desperado.
Frankly, i wouldn't recommend you these if your itinerary on the island is tight. The 4D Magix was just above average (comparing to Shrek's 4D), the CineBlast was a little disappointing, and Desperado was fun but expensive. In fact, they were all quite costly- taking into account the length of play and the currency exchange rate.

> Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon
I just like to go for Underwater World(s). Perhaps, it's my enthusiasm for the marine life and the endless possibilities of the world under water. Do you know that i'd also wanted to be a marine biologist before taking on course and become an engineer?

In the tunnel.

Posing with a diver who was feeding the fishes while in the tunnel.

Behind me is a dugong. It got taken in when it was little and placed under the care of the Underwater World personnel.

An interesting hologram of a shark that appears at a certain angle.

Inside this dome, where i could get a closer look at the creatures.

Dolphin show at the lagoon. Seen here is the dolphins performing with their ball.

Splendid marine lives as my background.

Meet the sea lions session.

Japanese Giant Spider Crab. If i happen to see this real, without a glass separating us, i'd quickly swim away. Very quickly. It's really... giant.

In Langkawi, we saw the Leafy Seadragon and it was my favourite then. Here, even with the leafy seadragon, my favourite became the Sea Angel. It was too tiny, that even if i took with my camera, you'll just be seeing a tiny red dot in the water. The way they swam, spun, and dived in the water really made them looked so... angelic.

In short, this place is worth the price. You get to watch two shows: dolphin and sea lion, see new and unseen sea creatures like the sea angel and giant spider crab, touch rays and star fish, and walk through the tunnel and be close to the creatures.

> Songs of the Sea
After the Underwater World, we regrouped and prepared to witness the much-awaited spectacular show by the sea. We took the next train to Beach side station and greeting us at night was a splendidly lit fort-like building. The show was impressive. Highly-recommended and reasonably priced.

I just liked the lights!


The Lord of Fire!


The water fountain is fantastic! With the music, pyro-effects, lasers and of course, the water effects, this show is a must watch!

After the show, we went on a tram ride around the beach front to experience the night breeze. It was, surprisingly, a nice ride.

>Haw Par Villa
Just before flying off back to KL, we stopped by Haw Par Villa. It's a nice place to visit. Free admission. We walked around Hell, went next to see the Eight Immortals and other statues, with our luggage.

At the main gate.

I don't know what it's written but i know this is the entrance to the Ten Stages in Hell. An interesting place to see and, i have to admit, entering this place brought chills. Especially when looking at the figures.

One of the many lessons. Seen here is the virtue and vice. There were many other interesting Chinese tales to read in this place and i'd like to spend more time here. If only time permits.

Bidding farewell to the place, hopped onto bus number 10 and returned to Vivocity.

> Brook Cafe
The last meal we had in Singapore before rushing to the Changi Airport. Because we were dwelling to much on our lunch, and not wanting to leave this place, we overlooked the time and ran from one terminal to the other. Thankfully, we made it back!

Spaghetti on offer and a Bahamas breeze- i didn't know what it was until my order came. What an adventure.

Arrived in KL and headed back home. Well... not exactly home. Just when i reached KL, my dad told me that we're going to our uncle's place to watch football. Brazil versus Netherlands! What a way to end my already exciting holiday!

wc10&Singapore likes this!

* Onto World Cup.

Went out to watch the second half of the Germany-Argentina match in Kayu, Petronas in Ampang. The crowd was amazing, and so was the match! Looking forward to the semifinals...

S'pore Experience 2

* This is the second of a three-part post.

" I smell nice, Sugar and spice. "

Woke up early, getting prepared, pumped up, excited, for this day ahead. After having our breakfast in Ang Mo Kio, that was where we stayed, we boarded on the train to Dhouby Ghaut, changed to the North East line to our first location.

- HarbourFront, Vivocity
This stop is a connector to Sentosa Island. There were many ways to get there: monorail, bus, etc. We took the monorail. Vivocity is another shopping area, but due to time constraint, we quickly boarded the monorail to get into Sentosa and stopped at Waterfront Station, the station where Resort World rules!

- Universal Studio, Singapore
Without a doubt, this is the cream of our holiday. Universal Studio, and just let your imagination and excitement run freely. Having one in Singapore means we need not fly over so far to experience one, an experience we'll live by forever. The place was fantastic! Discard the thoughts of it being incomplete, with the right company, we enjoyed ourselves extremely!

The symbolic globe bearing UNIVERSAL! Liked it with the dry ice effect.

> Hollywood
As we arrived, it was crowded at the entrance. Quickly, we grabbed the showtime brouchure and scanned through for the shows. Rides aside, the shows are world class and worth a watch. We set our times and moved on, abiding our schedule. This place, we could find all our favourite movie characters and snapped photographs with them.

Taken here with Charlie Chaplin. Me imitating the post.

With John Travolta's Walk of Fame star!

S and me with Woody!

Frankly, i don't know which character is this. He appeared, no one took with him, so we went to him.

Don't mess with the Panda. Kung Fu Panda!

Frankeinstein. He was out of my reach, if not, i'd stranggled him too.

One of the most popular figure, Marilyn Monroe, with her signature pose.

At the entrance of Pentages. Showing Monster Rock, this show is a must watch. It's a live concert, Broadway-style. The singers? Dracula, Phantom, Werewolf, She Wolf, Frankeinstein and other horror movie characters singing familiar tunes like Nobody, It's My Life and You Give Love A Bad Name. Cool pyro-effects too, so watch out for it!

> New York
A street that teleports you to New York. We went for the Lights, Camera, Action hosted on screen by Steven Spielberg. This ride is about experiencing how a normal day in the city becomes the victim of a category 5 hurricane. The effects were amazing. Strong wind, fire, and a sudden surprise to wrap up this exciting attraction.

At the entrance of New York.

Taking a cab to nowhere.

In front of a gigantic building that looked like a library.

A shop that allowed us to use their costumes for photographs. Me in the king crown.

> Sci-Fi city
The only thing that disappoints was this part of the park. Battlestar Galactica was closed for maintenance, Transformers is still under construction, and the only ride available was Accelerator, which didn't accelerate up to my expectation. Needless to say, i'll be back for the missed rides. Human. Cyclon.

At the foot of the gigantic statue.

Posing with the Battlestar Galactica. What a waste...

> Ancient Egypt
I liked how the way they presented each part with the decoration. Here, they brought us to Egypt. The Mummy Ride was the best ride. Equipped with nice effects and built to a suspenseful climax, we had to travel our way into the platform of the ride. Along the way, there were mummy figures and familiar ones from the movies. When in roller coasters, the best thing to do is to scream!

At the entrance of the Revenge of the Mummy. Enjoyed the ride!

Taken here with an Egyptian figure. There was the Treasure Hunter ride but it was more suitable for kids. However, we still sat on it.

> The Lost World and Waterworld
Here comes the Jurassic Park movies. Dinosaurs. Went for the Canopy Flyer and got a good view of the entire park.

Waterworld live show is a must watch! MUST! The acts were amazing. The gun shoots, explosions. And the plane crash, diving. A perfect show with mind blowing stunts. Well done to the cast. Very interactive as well, at the beginning of the show especially.

A short part from the show!

A picture taken here with the lead actor and actress after the show.

> Far Far Away
This is my favourite part of the park! Far Far Away means Shrek, and liking their movies and being a fan, this place is spectacular! There was the King Harold's castle stood magestically at the centre and shops that resembled those in the movie. Donkey Live Show was very interactive and engaging. Enchanted Airways was for the younger riders, with figures of the Three Little Pigs, Gingerbread man and the Three Blind Mice amongst others along the ride.

The castle! Liked it. And while strolling around this part, the music was good. Brought us, really, to Far Far Away.

Going for a carriage ride?

Behind is the Potion Factory ferris wheel ride, in...

... Fairy Godmother's Potion Shop. It's creative how they sold their drinks. In potion bottles. The orange could be orange juice. The yellow could be pineapple juice.

With the Frog Prince?

Shrek's 4 D in the castle!

Entered Far Far Away for the second time later at night, and wow-ed at the night lights again!

> Madagascar
Not really a fan of this movie, but there's great show and photography sessions. The rides are for the kids.

Imitating their poses. Wished my head could stretch to the other side.

With Alex (i think).

> At night
Did some shopping in Universal Studios. Bought some souvenirs.

The Universal Studios Store! From shirts to key chains to fridge magnets.

Liked Battlestar Galactica with their night lights on, and next to it, the Ancient Egypt comes to life!

Again, imitating the statues!

In short, Universal Studios is superb! Don't ask me to compare to the ones i went in Gold Coast. They have their own specialty, Universal Studios has their own signature. Enjoy your time in the park, from 10 am until 7 pm. That's longer than the ones in Gold Coast, and we had plenty of time to explore the park! Since it wasn't super peak period, we were lucky the queue length wasn't long.

I, for sure, will return to the Universal Studios Singapore once again to repeat what i had done and go for the Battlestar Galactica and, fingers-crossed, Transformers!

As for now, next stop...

Hollywood. *cries from the wallet*

wc10&Singapore enjoyed his time in Universal Studios and til then, the third and final part coming soon!