Spotted!!! Cookie & Elmo dining @ NYDC on Saturday night, 2nd of August 2008!!! ;)

Such an adorable sight, ya?! :)

A local short film production company was keen on getting me to cast in a role in their up & coming short film, in which I'm supposed to be a basketball player & play the piano too..

I shall not reveal too much details here..

All I can say is that it's a film about basketball & ballet..

The reason why they were keen on casting me is because I used to play in my school's basketball team & I have at least a Grade 8 in my Piano Studies..

However, due to various reasons, I don't think I'll take up the role..

Wednesday, 12th of March 2008.. I attended The Regent Hotel's D & D as a guest judge.. :)

I attended The Regent Hotel's "Dinner & Dance Night" that evening as a guest judge for several segments of their programmes.. :)

It was soo cool! Their theme for the night was F1 Grand Prix! :)

There were 2 other judges with me.. Clement was one of them & Tracy was the other..

Segment 1 was Mr & Ms Regent.. Mr Personality & Ms Congeniality..

Segment 2 was Best Group Performance..

Segment 3 was Talentime..

Segment 4 was Best-Dressed..

It really wasn't easy judging the segments as they were all good & competitive..

But 1 thing's for sure..

We, judges really had fun & a great time! ;)

Drama Workshop classes are commencing again this April! :)

Drama Workshop classes are commencing again this coming April! :)

Looking forward to it again! :)

So many Film Festivals coming up this February, March & April which I don't wanna miss! :)

So many Film Festivals coming up this February, March & April, which I don't wanna miss! :)

1stly, the 3rd Spanish Film Festival is being held from the 15th - 26th of February 2008.

Location: - Screening Room, the Arts House.
Address: - 1 Old Parliament Lane.

2ndly, the Singapore Short Film Festival is being held from the 13th -17th of March 2008.

Location: - Guinness Theatre, The Substation
Address: - 45 Armenian Street

Check out The Substation's website for all the amazing short films coming up this year at: http://www.substation.org/

3rdly, celebrating the best in Asian and world cinema, the Singapore International Film Festival, held in April, is a world-class event with a strong emphasis on regional documentaries & Singapore Shorts, with tributes to several key European & Asian filmmakers.

Visit www.filmfest.org.sg for showtimes and screening venues.

Last Sunday's sermon notes outline.. The final part of the 4 part series.. Part 4 - Fortitude

The four part series sermon to start the New Year with.. Here's the outline of the final part.. Part 4.. 4) Fortitude

Hebrews 10:35-36

Fortitude: - Fortitude is the strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.

We can have focus, forgiveness & faith, but you will need fortitude to complete everything..

2 Corinthians 6:4 - the ability to endure problems

2 Timothy 3:10 - Never give up!

People who never give up have great fortitude and endurance.

"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" - Winston Churchill

"I am not called to be successful but called to be faithful" - Mother Theresa

How do we develop fortitude?:

E.N.D.U.R.E.

1) Embrace God's purpose in the situation

1 Peter 1:7

Our faith is more precious to God than Gold

We will go through difficulties to build our faith, increase our faith

A man's strength is shown in adversity, trials & tribulation

* James 1:3-4

What we go through, we grow to become mature & complete in Him

God is not concern about our comfort but our character..

What helps us go through difficulties is to refocus on God / Jesus.. It is gonna help us have hope.

*Romans 5:4

2) Nurture your spiritual roots

Our feet have to be "planted", so we will not waver but stand firm.

Mark 4:16, 17 (CEV)(MES)version

We must be rooted.

When there is no depth in character, a person's character is weak, they give up easily.

There must be depth in character to go through difficulties in life.

When we go through a difficult time, don't feel lost.

Look to and go back to your "instruments"..

Go back to look for "the compass"..

Depend on "the compass" for directions..

Look to God's Word..

Luke 8:15

Romans 15:4 - Patience & endurance, Comfort & encouragement..

God is true to His Word! He is NOT like men who will definitely fail! God's Word last forever!

3) Direct your attention to Jesus Christ

When you look to the World, you will be distress..
When you look within yourself or to the people around you, you will be depressed..
But when you look to God & fix your eyes on Him, you will be at rest! :)

Hebrews 12:2 - He is the Author & Finisher ( Perfector ) of our faith

4) Use your experience to help others

God allows us to go through problems so that we can be an encouragement to others.

We have the confidence God is gonna come true for us, so that we can encourage others after we have overcome our problems..

2 Corinthians 1:6

A very good example was actor Christopher Reeves ( 1954-2004 )

He was not just a hero onscreen, he was also a hero in real life..

Despite being handicapped after falling off a horse in an accident, he continued to never give up, continued to be strong & continued to persist in life until he died..

He was such an inspiration to the World!

Our greatest life messages comes out not through our strengths, but our weaknesses.

2 Timothy 2:10

God will not waste any experience in our lives.. Good or bad..

5) Rely on God's power

We will NOT be able to make it in our own strengths.

It is only when we rely on His strength & power, only then we can realize how wonderful He is..

Colossians 1:11

Romans 12:12

When we go through problems, don't run away from God, or isolate or hide away! We need Him even all the more!

6) Expect God to bless you!

James 5:11 - Job endured!

It is your faith! It is based on your faith on how much God can bless you!

Hebrews 10:36

The story of John Stephen Akhwari: -

This guy was sent by his country to take part in the Olympics.. He was taking part in a Track & Field event.. He was taking part in a race when he fell & injured his leg.

However, not giving up, even though he was injured, he continued running..

He kept on running until he touched the Finish line.. He came in last place..

When the reporters interviewed him & asked him why did he kept on running, though knowing that he was bound to come in last position due to his leg injury..

Check out his answer: "My country didn't send me to enter the race, but to finish the race"

Cool rite?! ;)

God didn't save us to enter the race, but to finish the race..

It is not just becoming a Christian but to finish the race as one as well..

God never gave up on us & never will, no matter what we've done.

He hasn't given up on us, so don't give up on him!

As Chinese New Year is just around the corner, I've decided to do some spring cleaning to my blog too! ;p

As Chinese New Year is just around the corner, I've decided to do some spring cleaning to my blog too! ;p

Yeah.. It's a good time to do so.. :)

So for those of you who read my blog regularly for the past few months & years, will definitely find some past blog posts being edited or even missing..

Well, the reason for me to do all these "spring cleaning" is because I feel the best time to do so is now..

It is always good for people to move on in life & without any past traces of painful memories..

Many of us, human beings, all have a secret wish in our heart..

And that is, we all wish to have all traces of past painful memories wiped cleanly & completely off from our memories..

We only want to keep the good memories & not bad ones..

Things that or people who have hurt us extremely deeply in our lives, we wish to have all of them forgotten & wiped cleanly & completely off from our memories' database..

What better time is it for me to do so than now.. As Chinese New Year draws near..

Let me start "wiping" them off my blog.. So I will not have traces of any of them here..

Looking forward to the Chinese New Year.. :)

To all my dearest blog readers.. :)

To all my dearest blog readers..

To all of you and those of you who have been faithfully reading my blog regularly..

Some of you have been ardent fans & readers for years!!! :)

Thank you so much for all your support.. :)

Really appreciate you guys alot for all your support & encouragement.. :)

You guys have been awesome!!! :)

You guys have been so encouraging.. :)

I'm so blessed by some of you who even made the effort to email or msn me or sms me everytime you guys find out from my blog that I was feeling down..

You guys really make great supporters & I feel really honoured.. Really.. :)

Here's taking the opportunity to sincerely thank all of you once again for being my great supporters and blog fans/readers throughout all these years.. :)

Thank you for "walking" thru' this journey of my life with me.. :)

Here's wishing all of you a VERY HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE! :)

Cheers to a wonderful 2008 ahead! :)

Dr A.R. Bernard's teaching on Sunday was awesome! :)

Here's the outline for what he taught on Sunday..

- Without Him we can do nothing.

He is our shepherd. He leads, we follow. Not we lead, He follows.

Genesis 4

Men has the capacity to do things

God gave men the capacity to do anything.

- Adam - the partaker of God's divine nature

Adam fell into sin & his capacity became the fallen, corrupted, peverted form..

Adam, although fallen, is still not totally lost.

He still had redemptive value!

God wastes nothing!

When God looks at a sinner, although in their fallen nature, they still have redemptive value.

God doesn't strip a sinner of their personality, their gifts etc.. but bring them back to their original purpose.

Adam had 2 sons - Cain & Abel

Abel represented the good, Cain represented the evil. There's a conflict btwn good & evil..

Cain still has the capacity to do the things he has been brought up to do.

But he is gonna do it his way.

He established his 1st city & he

1) institutionalized - raised livestock Genesis 4:20

2) started early development - live in tents Genesis 4:21

3) started the Arts & Entertainment - play the harp & flute Genesis 4:22

4) forged tools made of bronze & iron

Social Institution of : fallen condition

- family

- church

- education

- politics

- economics

- Arts & Entertainment

The whole idea is KRISTOS KAI KOSMOS - to redeem the value in every institution

- redeem the culture

We are sent into the world to do all the above.

Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

I am here, not what am I here for but for who am I here for..

Culture, no matter how, is fallen..

It is still redeemable..

A junkyard exists because there is still value in junk..

Not because of what it is, but the value of what it can become..

Something or someone whom we were.. were junk..

But God is the junk collector..

We were junk.. We were destroyed but He saw the value left in us..

He took us from the junkyard & redeemed us & made us new & put us back to our original beautiful selves..

He redeemed us back into our full value..

From junk to treasure..

In His eyes, we are now treasures.. & He displays us for the world to see..

:)

A four part series sermon to start the New Year with.. Here's the outline of part 3.. 3) Faith..

A four part series sermon to start the New Year with.. Here's the outline of part 3.. 3) Faith..

Hebrews 11:1 - Faith

Faith is the attitude of confidence that God is with us.

We feel secure in who we are. We walk in confidence in every area of our lives.

Matt 4:1-3,5-6,8-9

When you doubt; have lack of faith, you displease God.

We don't have to explain ourselves in everything..

We live our lives to please God, not humans, not reporters, tabloids, internet etc..

The more you give in to worry, stress etc.. The more it'll affect you..

Matt 11

"Offended" meaning "scandalizo" - "to trip up, stumbled, entice to sin"

We got to do what God has sent me to do.

That is confidence!

The key to confidence is revelation!

We are not afraid to displease people but are afraid to displease God.

Psalm 16, Heb 10, John 13

My position is my power is my purpose & destiny..

The whole message for my whole life is to Love God & Love people.

1. Love God - the great commandment

2. Love people - the great commission

3. Engaging Society - taking Christ into the culture - the cultural mandateJohn 13:4-5

It takes confidence & security for a person of status to be the servant to all.

Example: people who work for the government are called Civil Servants..

We gotta maintain our confidence..

That night during the Lord's Supper, everyone was arguing who is the greatest of them all..

So Jesus humbled himself to the lowest & served the disciples like a servant..

The way down is the way up!

There are many great men in the Bible who were servants & became great kings..

Example: Joseph had the ability to serve. He became a king..

Daniel was the king's servant who became a great man of God..

We must keep on serving God..

To keep it, we must have a secret place..

Psalm 91:1 - He who dwells in the secret place of the most high..

Psalm 23

Jesus is always praying.. :)

A four part series sermon to start the New Year with.. Here's the outline of part 2.. 2) Forgiveness..

A four part series sermon to start the New Year with.. Here's the outline of part 2.. 2) Forgiveness.. ( this is my favourite sermon, among the 3 parts so far.. )

Colossians 3:13 - Forgiveness

If we really want to love, we have to learn to forgive..

1. Real forgiveness is unconditional. It is our initiative to forgive.

2. Forgiveness does not minimize the seriousness of the offence. Prov 26:18-19

3. Forgiveness ISN'T resuming a relationship without change

1) There must be genuine repentance.

2) Restitution

3) Rebuilding trust

4. Forgiveness isn't forgetting what has happened.

The way to forget a painful relationship is to move on to a new one.

Concentrate your time on other relationships.

5. Forgiveness isn't my right when I wasn't the one hurt

- We will not do something if we do not see the value in what we do..

The value of forgiveness is that God has a greater future for us

Our past should not hold us captive.

We can't move on if we do not forgive.

* Life is 10% "what happened" & 90% how we react to it.

Values:

1. What's most important to you

2. What you stand for

3. What you are willing to pay the price for. Heb 12

4 If we judge what we value by our circumstances, we will devalue what is important to give value to what is momentary.

Heb 12:15

- Put God first

- Get your life in order with God 1st, then followed by family, then work, then ministry.

- Prioritise your life in 2008.

1. Give up your right to get even. Romans 12:19

* Man will never measure up to your expectations. Human beings are fallible, they will definitely disappoint you somehow or rather in life.

2. Set boundaries

3. Respond evil with good

4. Repeat these above steps as long as necessary

Forgiveness is not a one time event. Matt 18:21-22

- What's most important is at the end of the day, only relationships is what we have left when we leave this world.

Romans 8:28

A four part series sermon to start the New Year with.. Here's the outline of part 1.. 1) Focus..

Pastor decided to start the New Year with a four part series sermon..

This four part series sermon is to prepare us for the New Year ahead..

He started the sermon since the 1st Sunday of this month..

Yeah.. I'm kinda slow.. Now then upload the points of the sermon onto my blog.. :p

Here's part 1.. 1) Focus..

Luke 11:34

When there is focus, there is tremendous power.

Focused light has tremendous power. Eg. lasers

Charles Lazarus, the guy who started TOYS R' US, focused on selling nothing but toys..

He now has 587 stores in US & 600 stores worldwide.

Luke 9:51, 52, 53

Phil 3:13,14

1 Corinth. 9:26

We must focus on our goals!

Luke 14:28-31

Prov 16:9

We make plans for our lives, however, never forget, God is the Director of our lives & we are just the Scriptwriter! ;)

If we don't work on our dreams, dreams will just remain as dreams.. We are just daydreaming.. Hahaha!!! ;)

Our goal card:

- Be specific
- Measurable Goals
- Set an action plan
- Realistic goals
- Time Conscious
- Expectation Management - Be flexible
- Revelation - Whom am I here for?

The opposite of focus is : Distraction

John 3:22

John 4:1-3

1) Don't get distracted by interim successes!

2) Don't get distracted by competition!

Be yourself! Don't get jealous! As long as we are the head, we will never be the tail.. :)

Example: Netscape got jealous of Internet Explorer when Internet Explorer was 1st launched & got popular..

Netscape accused Internet Explorer of imitating them & they got so caught up with suing Internet Explorer & gradually Netscape lost sight of its focus, did badly & the company got bought over by AOL in years to come..

John 21:17, 20-21 - Peter got jealous of John whom Jesus love..

We should focus on Him & not the people around..

Focus brings joy & pain..

3) Don't get distracted by the pain of life.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Monday evening, 7th of January 2008

Clement, Shol & I went for FIRST TAKE held on 7th of January 2008, 8pm, at The Substation Theatre.. :)

First Take, happening every 1st Monday of the month at The Substation, is a popular screening of new local short films and is followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers..

A platform for new filmmakers and anyone who is interested in filmmaking to meet, exchange ideas and show their work..

We watched 2 short local films that night..

Flyer by Helmi Yusof / 19min & Lonely Scars by Steven Liew / 30min

After the night's events, we hung out at Starbucks for late night supper drinks..

Silkpro Shampoo by Monsoon..

Your work was due yesterday, your lunch was delivered by the microwave oven in just 45 seconds. In an age of instant everything, why can getting rid of your dandruff be as simple as washing your hair?
That’s exactly the question that the people at Silkpro and the Monsoon Hair Group, arguably one of the most popular salons in the country, have set out to answer with its latest range of shampoos, giving you the treatment not only in hair salons but from the convenience of your homes as well.

Introducing the Shampoo “in just one wash”
Silkpro claims that these shampoos are the first in the market specially formulated to treat both the scalp and hair at the same time. Plus, they added that with just one wash, you can truly feel the difference.
Celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee, the founder of the Monsoon Hair Group, is the products’ ambassador. And Silkpro revealed that some of Addy’s celebrity clients, like popular MediaCorp TV host Quan Yi Feng, tested out the products as they were being developed.

But which Silkpro shampoo is for me?
Did you know that using the wrong shampoo type actually harms your hair?

Fortunately, if you go down to any of the Monsoon groups of hair salons or selected SILKPRO counters, you can get your scalp tested for free to identify which shampoo is idea for you! Here’s the UrbanWire’s guide to the shampoos for you.

The most versatile of the range is “Aqua Physics” (black bottle) which is for normal/dry scalp and apparently is general purpose enough that it works for everyone. In fact, according to Addy, while developing the shampoo, they took into consideration the “aunties” [typically unsophisticated housewife types] that like to buy just 1 bottle of shampoo for the whole family.

For those with coloured or permed hair, “ColorVibro” (pink bottle) for sensitive scalps is ideal.

Next, there’s “Anti dandruff therapeutic” (blue bottle) for itchy scalps and dandruff. Dandruff usually occurs when you have the habit of sleeping late (thanks to working piling up), experience stress or have hormones imbalances.

“Hairgro” (purple bottle) is a hair loss control shampoo for oily scalps. A good way to determine whether your scalp is oily is to check your face T-zone which, according to ivillage.co.uk consists of the “forehead, nose and the area around your mouth, including the chin”. Chances are if your T-zone is oily, your scalp will be oily too. Hairgro, like its name suggests, was also developed to increase one’s hair growth.

Finally, there’s UthCare (orange bottle) for tender scalps. It’s formulated with camomile to take care of the needs of young growing scalps and hair.

How effective is it?
Although Silkpro claims, “in just one wash, you can truly feel the difference”. However, after testing my hair with Hairgro, I didn’t really feel any different at all.

But at the same time, it’s great to note that the shampoo didn’t do any harm to my hair, and well, it does have a nice scent to it. While you may not admit it, it isn’t a secret that many of us will have a whiff of a shampoo’s scent before even considering purchasing it.

Product Design
It certainly is less than ideal that the 400ml shampoo bottle has its cap located at the bottom, which isn’t very practical. Plus, the cap proved quite hard to open at the first attempt.

A quick check at the NTUC FairPrice in Thomson Plaza showed that none of the other shampoo bottles had their caps situated below, although most of the conditioners did.

Conditioners tend to be less fluid compared to shampoos, so it’s alright to put the cap at the bottom, because the conditioner won’t flow out easily. In comparison, shampoos tend to flow out at a quicker rate. Thus, if you don’t turn the cap upwards before slowly tilting it at an appropriate angle, the shampoo will just spill out rather messily and uncontrollably.

Probably in a bid to differentiate itself from its competitors, Silkpro has decided to adopt this special and slightly semi-circular cylindrical shape for its bottles. The 700ml bottles have the usual press pump function at the top, while the 400ml bottles are slimmer and slightly handier. But as mentioned earlier, the cap’s position proved problematic.

Additional Treatment
You know how all shampoos always have a treatment conditioner to complete the whole hair care regime? Well, Silkpro has one too, and it’s a generic conditioner called “Mask-Hav”.

Compared to the shampoos, the conditioner has a boring design and looks just like any other facial wash tube.

Pricing
The new Silkpro shampoos are now available in stores across the island at $14.90 for the 700ml bottle, $9.90 for the 400ml bottle putting them in the range of shampoos like Pantene. The treatment shampoo costs $6.90 for a 200ml bottle.

I've been using the Silkpro Shampoo by Monsoon for several weeks now..

I'm using the “Aqua Physics” (black bottle) which is for normal/dry scalp and apparently is general purpose enough that it works for everyone.

So far I've been very happy & satisfied with it..

My friends & colleagues have been complimenting that my hair looks straighter & smoother ever since.. Even though I have not been using any hair treatment wax or hair moisturizer etc.. :)

They thought I did something to my hair.. which I didn't..

I just changed my brand of shampoo that's all.. :)

So far so good & I'm just another happy user of Silkpro Shampoo by Monsoon..

*Hmm.. It seems like I'm doing another free advert here for Silkpro, ya?* ;p

Grandpa's 87th birthday dinner

My entire family & some of our relatives & friends gathered for my grandfather's 87th birthday dinner held at Pu Tien Restaurant located along Kitchener Road..
Check out the restaurant's website at: http://www.putien.com/ :)
My grandfather's 87th birthday dinner at Pu Tien Restaurant was a 10 course dinner.. :d
The 10 course dinner consists of:
1) Cold Dish Platter
2) Shark's Fin soup
3) Bean Curd Skin; Mushroom & vegetables
4) Fried Grouper
5) Fried Shrimp Rolls
6) Fried Crispy Chicken
7) Honey-Glazed Pork Ribs
8) Claypot / Hotpot Braised Sea Cucumber
9) Fried Vermicelli
10) Steamed Yam Paste ( for dessert )
There were 3 tables reserved for us.. :)
Here are some snap shots I took.. ;p
Hehe.. :p

Midnight Maximum Tune 3 & Dream Shooter Golden can be so addictive.. ;p

Midnight Maximum Tune 3 & Dream Shooter Golden can be so addictive.. ;p

Midnight Maximum Tune 3
Dream Shooter Golden

On Thursday night, after the movie, Shol & I went to play Midnight Maximum Tune 3 again!!! ;p

Haha!!! Since the last time, I've improved yet again!!! :)

This time, I just need to put in 1 coin & I played 5 games straight in a row.. Beating Shol & the computer with my racing!!! ;p

Hehehe!!! ;p

After which we got kinda bored at car racing.. Thus we decided to try our hand at the Dream Shooter Golden..

Ever since the publicity & marketing of Jay Chou's upcoming new movie, Kung Fu Dunk has been so vast & widespread..

There's been this phenomenon going on..

All his fans & youngsters being so crazy over basketball overnight..

Thus recently, I've noticed all the basketball shooting games in all the arcades have been extremely occupied by youngsters playing non-stop..

*sighz*

These kids just simply don't know how to appreciate the real thing..

Playing the game of Basketball can only be enjoyed ON THE BASKETBALL COURT..

*Btw, just in case you guys; my faithful blog readers, don't know, I was a basketball school team player when I was in secondary school!!!* ;p

I had been playing basketball since I was a kid!!! :)

I rarely have the chance to really practise or play these days due to my busy work schedules.. ;p
Anyway, Shol & I decided to have some fun for the 2nd time to improve our basketball shooting skills & indeed we did improve alot!!! :)

Had fun though..

Even though I really prefer sweating it out on the basketball court sometime & someday when I really had the time to spare.. :)

After the games, Shol, Clement & I had late night supper at Plaza Singapura's McCafe outlet.. :)

My Blueberry Nights by Wong Kar Wai.. :)

Watched My Blueberry Nights by Wong Kar Wai 

Cast: Jude Law, Norah Jones, David Strathairn, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman
Director: Wong Kar Wai
Genre: Romance/ Drama
Language: English
Release Date: 27 December 2007
Running Time: 95 minutes
Movie Code: 7571
Distributor: GVP
Synopsis:
A young woman (Jones) takes a soul-searching journey across America to resolve her questions about love while encountering a series of offbeat characters along the way.
In Wong Kar Wai’s debut English language feature, the internationally acclaimed director takes his audience on a dramatic journey across the distance between heartbreak and a new beginning. After a rough break-up, Elizabeth (played by songstress Norah Jones in her screen debut) sets out on a journey across America, leaving behind a life of memories, a dream and a soulful new friend; a café owner (Jude Law)—all while in search of something to mend her broken heart. Waitressing her way through the country, Elizabeth befriends others whose yearnings are greater than hers, including a troubled cop (David Strathairn) and his estranged wife (Rachel Weisz) and a down-on-her luck gambler (Natalie Portman) with a score to settle.
We all love it sooo much!!! :)
Really love Wong Kar Wai's works.. :)
All his works are beautiful pieces of art.. :)
Again Wong Kar Wai is undefeatable! :)
As usual, his works always evolves around human relationships; love; life..
My Blueberry Nights taught me alot about love & life..
We never really cherish what we have in life until we lose it..
As we go through the motions of our everyday lives, we tend to take things for granted..
Human relationships.. So complex & complicated at times.. Yet.. So simple & straightforward at times..
There are those of us who trust people too much & too easily..
Yet there are those of us who simply never allow ourselves to trust anybody on this earth at all..
CANNES JOURNAL
Blue Skies and Blueberry Nights
Wednesday, May. 16, 2007 By RICHARD CORLISS AND MARY CORLISS

For professional movie-lovers — directors, actors, producers, publicists and that lowest form of film careerists, critics — Cannes is a benign and abiding addiction. Each May we come to this Riviera resort as pilgrims to the shrine of cinema. Heroically shunning the piercing blues of the Mediterranean skies, we see four or five dozen films from two or three dozen countries. At the start of each screening, we hope for epiphanies; at the closing credits, usually, we shuffle out hoping the next film will be better. But quality is not mandatory here. Each movie, good or bad, is another volume in our continuing, essential film education. And why not go to school in one of the most gorgeous locations in the world?

We love coming here. We've done so for 34 years, tasting the local strawberries and fine wines when we're not testing the films on view. Once again we'll be filing daily dispatches on the movies, press conferences, parties and other events of this, the 60th Cannes Film Festival. When the new works of the Coen brothers, Emir Kusturica, Gus Van Sant, Hou Hsiao-hsien and other world-class directors are shown, we'll report on them. When Brangelina comes calling, for their respective films (Ocean's Thirteen and A Mighty Heart), we'll be in the mob trying to ask them questions. If Michael Moore is arrested by the U.S. government (as we suspect he hopes), we'll let you know. Drop by each day for the latest movie effluvia.

Wong Kar Wai also loves Cannes. The Hong Kong writer-director has been here a half-dozen times, including last year's stint as president of the Festival Jury that awards the Palme d'Or on closing night (a week from Sunday). And the Festival likes Wong enough to have chosen his new film, My Blueberry Nights, as the opening night film at a black-tie ceremony later this evening. He'll be there with his star, Norah Jones, the pop singer making her acting debut in his first American movie — a very mixed bag, with some fine scenes and characters to enliven a mostly disappointing endeavor.

For Wong Kar Wai, a film is not one big thing — not the Hollywood notion of movies as snowballing sagas of a world in jeopardy and the heroes who save it — but many little things, an accretion of textured images and vagrant impulses. He's a master miniaturist, a creator of wistful anecdotes featuring, over and over, the same sort of people: fatalistic men and moody women who, for a poignant, painful, precious few moments, connect. He cocoons these beautiful losers in his distinct visual-emotional style. The mix of cigarette smoke and step-printed slow motion, furtive glances and liquored wisdom, lends ordinary anguish an almost majestic glamour.

Once he finds a character or situation that beguiles him, Wong tends to stick with it, through multiple movies. He conceived the 1994 Chungking Express as three stories but shot only two; the third tale became his next film, Fallen Angels. A few years later he made In the Mood for Love, about a writer (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) falling for a married woman in 60s Hong Kong; that character reappeared, with four other alluring females, in 2046. Wong knows that movies are supposed to run between an hour and a half and two hours, but that's not natural for him. The Hand, a lovely fable about an aging courtesan (Gong Li), seemed just right at 40 mins.

It's no surprise, then, that his first U.S. feature should present two mid-length stories framed by a third. And in tribute to Hollywood cinema, My Blueberry Nights is not confined to a neighborhood (as Chungking Express and Fallen Angels were), or a single hotel (as in In the Mood for Love and 2046). This is a road movie, which begins in Venice, Cal., then flashes back to and ends in New York City, with long detours to Memphis and Nevada. It's an itinerary any foreign filmmaker fascinated with with America would choose to illustrate the country's scope and variety.

Jones plays Elizabeth, a young woman mired in depression over a recently ended affair. She strikes up a friendship with Jeremy (Jude Law), who runs a bar-restaurant in one of the seedier sections of New York. On her frequent visits there, she orders blueberry pie — a dish no one else orders — and he falls a little in love with her loneliness. She leaves New York for Memphis, where she gets a couple of waitressing jobs and meets a cop (David Strathairn) who's sunk into alcoholism over the departure of his good-time wife Sue Lynne (Rachel Weisz). Elizabeth then goes to Nevada, cocktailing in a casino. There she encounters Leslie (Natalie Portman), a canny gambler who's got a sassy line of patter and is almost, but not quite, as good at cards as she thinks she is.

Jones, a very appealing performer in concerts and interviews, is herself half-Asian (her father is the celebrated Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar), and thus fits snugly into the Wong Kar Wai iconography. We see her, chin on hand, staring sadly into the middle distance; and Wong shows this not-very-much-happening in his patented dreamy slo-mo. Jones also has a similar background to many performers from Wong's Hong Kong films: Leung, Leslie Cheung, Faye Wong, Andy Lau, Leon Lai and dozens of others were Canto-pop stars before they were accomplished actors.

But there's a big difference between movie acting, which is what the Hong Kong stars quickly learned to do, and posing for pictures, which is what Jones does. She has all the right moves, but something is missing inside. (Her unfortunate speaking voice doesn't help.) She's the hole at the center of the movie. Indeed, Blueberry Nights can be seen as a series of acting lessons, by the other members of the cast, which Jones can apply the next time she's in a movie. Their work usually looks natural; hers seems forced and false. They shine, next to her limited screen luster.

Nor do most of the stories spring to movie life. Jeremy's devotion to Elizabeth is more an idea than a felt emotion, though Law pours all his considerable charm into the effort. Strathairn and Weisz have some potent moments in a set piece of domestic regret, but each has to push harder than should be necessary to achieve the rueful feelings. It's not until Portman shows up that you'll find the sort of sizzle and sympathy Wong cooks up with ease in his best films.

Natalie Portman — Best Actress? Yup. For once she's not playing a waif or a child princess but a mature, full-bodied woman, probably a decade older than Portman is (25). She looks great, in a blond rinse and come-hither outfits, but she's not coasting on her looks; they are only accoutrements to Leslie's natural salesmanship. She uses her appeal to simultaneously flirt with and taunt the gambler across the table. And when the cards turn against her, Leslie is quick to hit on Elizabeth, who has naively mentioned a $2200 stash of her own. Thus begins a wary comradeship where it's hard to tell who's lying and who's telling the truth.

There are other sweet scenes in the film — notably the (perhaps imagined) kiss of a (possibly sleeping) woman. But the memory we'll cherish is that of Portman's vibrancy, grittiness and ache, all performed with a virtuosa's easy assurance. She, not Jones, is the savory dish of movie magic in a mostly bland Blueberry Nights.
Photos of Clement, Shol & I "stirring crazy" with the My Blueberry Nights & Ah Long Pte Ltd Movie Posters, after we've finished watching the movie.. ;p

The 3 musketeers

Amanda, Joy & myself.. :)