Goodbye 2022

 2022 has been quite an insane year. The beginning is a far cry from the end.

Let's begin with January 2022.

What happened in January 2022?

You might think this happened last year, but this occurred in the same year: a new lockdown because of Omicron.

Yes, in January 2022, Omicron came knocking and made itself known worldwide ferociously. In Singapore, booster shots were quickly dispensed so that the population were inoculated as soon as possible.

I had my booster shot on the 6th of January.

Countries worldwide have not opened their borders. Singapore and Malaysia both were not exceptions. Barring VTL, which cost quite a fortune, we couldn't travel between both countries freely.

But things changed when Omicron had been assessed to be very mild, and the fortress erected came down by March and borders between Singapore and Malaysia were opened in April 2022.

I caught covid-19 in March 2022. It was very mild, and I had been a lot worse, so it was okay for me. I don't suffer from Long-covid, which is a plus, but that quarantine took a real toll on my wallet.

I got my Singapore PR in March 2022. I was going to ICA to sign it early, but due to unfortunate catching of covid-19, I postponed it by two weeks.

Before that, I had to do blood test, do X-rays, which, thankfully, were completed before I got my covid. And then all I needed was to reschedule and sign it at ICA at a different time. Thankfully, I managed to get it done by mid-March, although I wouldn't be able to get my physical card yet.

I went back to Penang in April 2022. For a month, after two years of separation. It was good, and I liked it. Thankfully, my company allowed me to WFH.

I got my card in May 2022, and therefore CPF. It was painful to get a smaller chunk of my salary home. And my timing was bad - it reached the annual cap-off for Medisave top-up, so I was asked - legally compelled - to top up my Medisave account by transferring a few hundreds into it.

I travelled back again in August 2022.

I attended an ex-colleague's wedding in Singapore in September 2022.

I went to Sarawak in October 2022, to attend a friend's wedding in Sarikei. That was my first time travelling to Sibu via Senai airport - and Senai airport was quite an eye-opener, I never realised there could be two gates: one for passengers with checked-in bags and one for passengers without - and then my friend picked me up from there and we travelled to Sarikei.

I haven't met them for three years. It was good catching up.

In November 2022 I travelled back home for my cousin's wedding. It was good.

This year has been very eventful.

I'm not really in a mood to elaborate here, but this year has been exceptional. I hope the new year, set to begin in a few hours, could be as eventful, but perhaps less tumultous, and probably less negative too. Now that China has relented and reopened in a rather embarrassingly hasty manner, I'm afraid it doesn't bode well for the world.

Stupid Love [Acoustic Version] - Lady Gaga

I'm pretty sure this isn't an official version. Somebody must have edited the original version by removing all the musical instruments and inserting only the piano version.

It doesn't matter. This is simply a marvellous piece of work and this version truly showcases Lady Gaga's awesome vocals.

Amazing.

Fight Song - Rachel Platten (Cover by Travis Atreo)

Not sure if I've shared this before, but this is a marvellous, the kind of acoustic, song that I'll never get tired of hearing to.

Avatar 2

 I wasn't really looking forward to it. For one, I can't really recall what happened in Avatar, so it must mean however subtly that it was not of significant interest for me. Second, too much CGIs. Third, it's freaking 3 hours long.

But my friend wanted to watch it, and I'm the kind of person who, when kickstarted something, has the compulsion to end it unless it is unbearably painful to do so (Thanks, Lost).

So we watched it on a Saturday afternoon. I watched it with a friend, and the ticket cost 2 dollars more than usual for reasons I do not know.

But long story short.

The beginning is draggy and soporific, the second half though was stunningly mesmerising and absolutely mindblowing. 

The underwater scenes make Talokan in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks amateurish.

The action scenes surpass almost all Marvel movies I've watched (although Gamora is on it).

The movies contain many emotions: anger, grief, cheer, hope, disappointment etc.

Without releasing too much spoilers, I would say I shed a few tears near the end. It was tragic, absolutely tragic.

Is the movie worth the money? Absolutely.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely.

Would I be eager to watch the third? I would place my money for a booking if it's allowed.

Overall, second-best film of 2022. I'm sorry, top spot is still Top Gun: Maverick for me.

It Broke My Heart

 When I was only 18, ten years ago, I asked a question, and the answer broke my heart.

I'm going to admit one thing: with everyone around me getting married, becoming a parent, or otherwise engaged, and I'm gradually becoming the only one staying single, it affects me a lot.

But the thing is, I don't know how to get a girlfriend. I'm not good at intimacy. I do not crave intimacy. 

It all boiled down to my childhood.

As you're probably aware, I never had a happy childhood. My parents did not get along well. They quarrelled a lot, very extensively.

Then their interests don't overlap - in fact, they run in opposite.

I never had a proper family outing, proper family adventure, proper family holiday, proper family occasion or celebration etc. My father did bring us to holiday but it was only for a short period.

Don't get me wrong, I love my parents, and they showered me with love.

But the lack of love between them, and the hostility they hurled at each other, deeply affected them and scarred me more than I cared to admit.

More then I realised, until I actually attempted to confront them.

Because of my childhood, I never actually understand 'love'. I never actually understand 'family'. 

Because of my childhood, I learnt to take care of myself. I learnt to be independent, to never reach out, because often reaching out to either one of my parent led to another conflict - I avoided that completely.

Because of my childhood, I never learnt to socially mingle with anyone. I shut myself in my own world.

And so, all these form who I am today.

And it has become very lonely.

I'm aware I'm a social oddity - I am an odd one out wherever I go.

My parents quarrelled so much, hurt each other so much, it reached a point where I asked my mother 'Why don't the both of you just get a divorce?'

My mother replied, it was because I was still studying.

It completely shattered my heart, and it haunts me even today.

First of all, for obvious reasons they were better off separated. It hurt me to know I was the reason they continued to hurt each other. 

It completely scarred me that I was the reason they continued to conflict. That I was the source of the discontent that dragged on for years.

Second, I was still in school. I hadn't entered university. It was too much for a youth to bear, and it was too much for me to realise it still take years for me to finish study and I would continue to be the source of their pain.

Since then, I decided shutting myself was the way to go.

Because nobody would understand, I thought.

Seriously, unless you live through it, you couldn't possibly understand how hurtful the situation was.

I did not think anybody would understand if I confess it to anybody.

I did not think anybody would take me seriously. We were just a bunch of youths.

While my peers were happily indulging in puppy loves, I was facing a broken home.

There was no way they could understand.

This is not a healthy thought, and I recognise that.

Do not worry, I am not depressed, and I am not even remotely contemplating suicide.

I am facing my inner demon, and I want to get over with. 

It's just a lot harder than I had imagined, and I really don't know how to get over it.

Maybe I should seek medical counselling.

Maybe I should confide in someone. I have never spilt this to anyone physically.

I've put on a facade of happiness and cheerfulness for very long.

It's getting tiring. Especially when I'm not - amidst the wave that everyone has finally found their love.

I need some guidance.

I need help.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

First of all, this was my first time patronising Cathay AMK, and I found it to be leaps and bounds above GV in terms of seats, screen and sound effects; but embarrassingly lagged behind GV in terms of adopting electronic means to get orders and ticketing.

I was a little hesitant about watching this sequel because Chadwick had died. Black Panther wouldn't be the same if the person is not there. But this sequel does manage to deliver a little.

The biggest complaint is that this sequel focuses too much on Shuri. I don't really like her, and she emerges as a Black Panther only like the last 30 minutes of the film. And she isn't a very convincing Black Panther.

It does seem unfortunate that Wakanda is suddenly under attack by Talokan after T'Challa died. But given what transpired in the film, I'm pretty sure even if T'Challa is still alive, the Talokan would have been able to decimate Wakanda similarly rather effortlessly. 

This movie attempts to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, but I personally doubt it worked. There's significantly less jokes compared to other MCU films (but not none, though all seemed a lot more appropriately phrased); and the settings in many scenes are too dark for enjoyment. 

The Talokans are not fascinating in my opinion. Also, where were they when Thanos came?

Good movie, just not the best. I rate it 7/10, I prefer Doctor Strange and Thor better.

Avicii - The Days

I know I've shared this before, but I just really love this song. It's my favourite Avicii's song. And this song never fails to lift me up.

This song is way too underrated.

By the way, I really miss Avicii.

The Flight Attendant 2

 Let's admit it - I watch the show because of Kaley Cuoco. But season 1 was average - it wasn't memorable and didn't contain enough suspense for me to hook me up. Nonetheless, it was a decent show that delivered some fun, but that's about it. Season 2 though was a remarkable improvement, in my opinion. We've reached a stage where character introduction is no longer needed. We know what's Cassie's problem in season 1, she took a while to figure it out, and then we now look at how Cassie deals with it in season 2. Annie and her boyfriend are a lovely couple that I'm glad given a lot more screen time. Shane is a delight that I really doubt convincingly portrays a CIA agent. 

As for the rest, like I said, it's a better show. The suspense is better. The mystery is also better. But I'll admit the psychological battle or the inner conflicts she suffers is boring and mundane. Grace is a fun character but seriously she isn't a convincing killer, and Cassie should have trusted her instinct better. 

My rating: 8/10

Smile

 I travelled to Sarawak, for reasons I'll find time to elaborate in other posts. But I had free time to kill and I decided to watch Smile, a horror movie I've heard raved and praised for its uniqueness. So I checked the timeslot at The Spring in Kuching and found one about two hours later and bought it without hesitating too much as I knew hesitation and unnecessary deliberation had not been proved helpful most of the time. By the way, though MBO in Spring gave me bad impressions, this time GSC seemed to have improved it.

Anyway I went for the 7.15pm screen but was shopping at Parkson shortly before. I went to the counter and paid for what I wanted at about 7.05pm and thought it would be timely then to enter the hall, but I did not anticipate transaction errors the counter might face. It caused me a delay and by 7.20pm I said I couldn't wait anymore and left - the only problem they had was the inability to print the receipt for me. The product could still be paid for and was successfully paid for. I thus left.

I entered the hall late about 7.25pm and thought the trailers would run for 15 minutes, but I was slightly wrong - it had begun, but judging from the looks of it, only for about a few minutes. Anyway, the hall was pretty empty. And I think due to my rush, I was a little clumsy and noisy and disruptive, especially when I on the torch in my phone to find my seat in an otherwise dark room that was suitable for the genre.

Anyway, to the movie.

It was good, but it wasn't 'smiley' enough. The theme of the movie is about an evil entity that smiles. That's it, but 99.5% of the movies involve no smiling. The main character saw a person smiling at her and then slit her own throat, and she thus is haunted by a ghost that no one else can see. That's the gist of it, and she began her homework to find the root of the evil.

Okay, the movie had tonnes of jumpscares. It relies on psychological tricks and appropriately-timed jumpscares to keep the movie alive - and it worked. It scared the shit out of many people. I was in the hall and many people were screaming, some actually tried to leave the hall. I saw a guy standing by the door, not sure whether he had wanted to go for the loo and decided to stay a little to watch what was going to happen or that he was just scared and wanted to go. 

But the jumpscares worked. It reminded me of the movie Oculus, about an evil mirror that curses the beholders. Movies that deploy psychological trickery, if masterfully crafted, could enthrall viewers in manners others genres could not. And Smiles did - a few jumpscares really worked, and it really made the movie a lot more interesting rather than dulling it by repeating what the viewers could have foreseen.

Though, I must add, for the jumpscares to work, you probably do not want to watch the trailers first. I watched the trailers and found how revealing they were and am glad I did not watch it before the movie.

Overall, I give it a 9/10. One of the finest horror movies recently. Horror movies have been on the decline, especially since J-horror and Thai horror had appeared to cease, and quality horror movies had all but came to a screeching halt other than the Conjuring. Smile is a welcome return of the horror genre.

Marcella

 It ain't that bad a series, but it ain't extremely captivating or fascinating either. The titular character, Marcella, is a detective who had temporarily left the police force to cope with the death of her child. She's had a troubled life - estranged husband and two disconnected children. In season 1 she had to deal with a cold case she worked on. In season 2, now that she's back on the workforce, she's dealing with the disappearance of her son's friend, the discovery of his body, and the uncover of a serial killer.

I wouldn't say it's a bad series, but it certainly is pecular. Marcella is not your typical smart detective. She's antithesis of the typical police fictional character - she's smart, but her impulsiveness triumphs more and is obviously more dominant. She's mentally medically ill and she's leading a dysfunctional life and is not enjoying a stable, blossoming romantic life. But she remains sharp, although largely guided by her impulsiveness so it hadn't been always been receptively entertained.

The good thing about the series, like a typical British series, is that the emphasis of the character's personal growth is secondary to the main theme of the show. You'll be spending more time watching the crime rather than the drama of the character's lives. The bad thing is that Marcella is disturbed and I'm not sure how a person like her actually is a model representation of a hero even though it's obviously fictional.

Nonetheless, I've watched season 1 and season 2, with season 3 next. I know that the online consensus seems to favour season 2 over season 1, but I happened to like season 2 more than season 1. I'm not sure why, but I thought season 2 is underappreciated. The complexity of the crime is obviously few notches higher than season 1's, and the crime itself is just more interesting.

I'll look forward to season 3, but Marcella proves to me that British series has always been better than American series.

Lady Gaga - Hold My Hand

Yes, I love the movie. Top Gun: Maverick is the best movie in 2022 so far and I don't foresee any movies displacing it. Not even Black Panther: Wakanda Forever or even Avatar.

But, more importantly, I love Lady Gaga. Such an awesome song.

Calum Scott - Heaven (Official Video)

I guess, like the old times, good songs ought to be shared.

Songs like this are the best, and are disturbingly increasingly becoming a rarity.

Just Beyond

I chanced upon this on Disney+, so I gave it a try.

This is an anthological series consisting of 8 episodes. It's categorised as a paranormal series, but in actuality, it's more of a teenage supernatural series. It's nothing very scary, and is more suited for kids than young adults, to be honest.

It's based on a few comic/children books, adapted to a short series.

It's pretty fun, and like most shows geared for kids, it's partially educational. Every episodes explores an incident which aims to serve as a lesson for the viewers.

I particularly like the first and the last episode. The last episode was a particularly strong stand-out. The first made a very nice introduction of the series, but unfortunately, it's followed by a few subpar episodes, but they are still alright. I just prefer the first and the last.

Since each episodes is about only 20 minutes long, it's a mildly entertaining show you can choose to watch during your lunch break. I kinda like the show, and if there's a second season, I'll give it a try too.

Ok. So This Is It

Okay, I'm pushing 30, and the incessant question of 'why are you single?' is getting much more relentless.

The truth is, I belong to the rare group of people called aromantic. (link attached) Essentially, it means I'm a kind of person who does not, or has a very poor ability to, develop romantic feelings. 

I can care for every living thing, but I'm just the kind of person that does not develop romantic feelings towards others.

I can be obsessed with things, but being obsessed is not quite the same as romantic I guess. I would like to learn about that particular thing to the extent of what interests me - I'm not interested in prodding further.

Then, I'm simply not keen to have another person in my life. I'm sometimes bored being alone but I don't feel insecure or incomplete. 

I just never experienced that. I wanted to experience romance too, you know, since my youth is almost gone, but I simply lack the capability to do so.

And it's not entirely a bad thing. Unlike many people, I'm not complaining I want a girlfriend but can't get one. I'm not complaining.

There are many things in my life that I want to have but can't have, and I accept this as part of it and I've settled with it.

Just like, I want to be rich but it's simply not a realistic dream. It's the same attitude I hold towards a partner.

So, there, that's why I'm single.

Blood Donation

A few weeks ago I read that the Red Cross was appealing for blood donors for, I think A+ and O+ blood, so it suddenly piqued my oddly subdued interest to donate blood, though my blood type is B+.

My friend and I decided to then travel to the blood bank at Dhoby Ghaut to donate, because he donated before and he knew the process and I thus decided that it was safer to tag along him rather than going alone. Alas, because we made no appointment, the queue was two and a half hours waiting time so we forewent it.

Until just last Saturday, there was a mobile drive. So we decided to go again.

I'm going to say that the first time of everything gets my nerves all fired up, despite repeated assurances and stories that say it's a simple process that does not necessitate any fear, but anxiety is, after all, an irrational response that is biologically necessary.

As we reached there, the first thing to do was to fill up a health form. Then we proceed to get our details registered.

Then, we had to get our haemoglobin levels checked. Insufficient haemoglobin disqualifies one as a donor; after all, if you don't have enough, you shouldn't donate. I knew it involved extracting blood from a wound on the finger, so it got my very, very nervous. The nurse saw that my palms were all sweaty, so she gave me a tissue paper to wipe off. I was very scared of any pain, regardless of how small it is, and I would say I was totally unprepared for the 'stapler' (don't know what it's called) and the subsequent rather loud sound it produced. It threw me off balance and my palms were visibly sweaty again despite just wiping them off a few seconds ago, amusing the nurse that took my blood. Ya, it hurt a little, but it was temporary (and uncomfortable).

My haemoglobin level was 15.2 g/dl. It was good. 

Then, the next was health check. I hadn't taken any medicines or fallen sick, so it was good.

Next, we waited for donation. It was quite a while. I wasn't expecting the donation to be in the centre of the room with the crowd watching while waiting.

When it was my turn, I was asked to sit on the chair. I was given a small thing to squeeze to stimulate blood flow. The nurse tried finding my veins, but was deterred by what she said was 'very small' veins. She then moved on to my right arm in hope for a better shot, but I knew my right arm was the red zone for all nurses - very, very few nurses successfully extracted blood from my right arm. She moved back to my left arm hoping for a better luck, to no avail, and sighed rather frustratingly as if I offended her. She had to seek help, and another nurse came and took a look and pondered a while, and then she said, okay. She would do it. 

She applied anaesthetic on my arm, and naturally the standard procedure required my vision of the extraction site to be blocked off so I couldn't see it. Then she tightened my arm again and told me to please squeeze hard because my vein was very small. Then I felt a prick, which was rather uncomfortable though momentary, and she plugged the tube in. I had been advised to squeeze that thing every 5 seconds or so to accelerate the extraction, and so I did. But to be honest, squeezing that thing allowed me to feel that a tube was plugged in me and it was not very comfortable.

After a while, I surmised not more than 3 minutes, she came and removed the tube, which I thought was fast. Three people in front of me sat down a few minutes before me and they ended their donation the same time with me. In fact, I left the chair earlier than all of them, which prompted my friend to say 'your donation process was especially fast'. I was told this meant I had healthy muscular system and blood circulation, so I took it as a compliment. We were given foods and drinks for rest, and I took Milo.

After that, the side effects were not immediate. But I did feel a little dizzy and light weight a while later, and by night time I felt a little angina and heart weaknesses, and my heart seemed to beat a lot faster than usual. Considering that I lost about 15% of my blood, I supposed it was normal. I felt better the next day, but my appetite was beyond normal for the next three days.

Overall I would say the entire process was fairly easy and only minimally painful. I would be eligible to donate in 45 days, and I guess I might. Maybe not soon, to allow my body to heal better, but suffice to say I think a second donation is imminent. If I can save lives, I guess I'll do it. And I guess everyone should too - it's fairly harmless yet beneficial.

July 2022

 It's incredible how time flies so quickly. It's now the 2nd half of 2022, and we're just past the mid-third quarter of the year.

This year has been great so far. In the beginning of the year, Omicron was fresh and new and excited to spread its roots, and naturally I wasn't spared. Despite getting my booster in January (and disappointed I had no significant side effects and hence unable to claim any MC to get a break from work - I purposely chose to get my booster on a Sunday evening anticipating strong debilitating reaction on Monday), I was infected with covid-19 in March. It's likely Omicron, though no specific tests were performed, because my symptoms were so mild, I didn't test it until I just thought, oh, fuck it, I was in the office, let's just test it, and I saw a dark T line on the kit.

It was uneventful for me. Had a great week off.

Then, I went back to Penang for a month. I realised I haven't updated the subsequent parts - I'll do so when, well, I'm in the mood to do so. But returning to Penang a month makes me realised that I actually can survive in Penang. I tracked my finances, and I projected that I would be able to live comfortably if I have to. But the problem is, Penang isn't fertile with jobs I like, and I like the outdoor environment in Singapore that Penang does not offer.

I'm become a lot more physically active, because Singapore is such a great place for you to try to be physically active, and I seize on that opportunity because, why not?

Disney+ has not been a worthwhile subscription all the time, but it's not all lost. I paid SGD119.90 for a number of shows that don't seem like a very good investment, but to be honest, I would probably renew it next year. It doesn't harm to support the company a little for some entertainment I could get, even though it leans on the pricey side that makes piracy seems like a wasted, free stuff.

I've decided to treat myself a little better and take myself out to the movie. Most of my friends don't really share my excitement for movies. They rather stream at home. And most of them are more materialistic - they rather splurge on food, alcohol and attires, but I prefer the experience over materials. So far, I've watched 6 movies in Singapore. Despite being a GV member, I had not utilised any benefits, because watching a movie on Monday and Tuesday just don't feel right despite needing to pay only half the ticket price.

I've signed up for Standard Charted Singapore Marathon. I was hesitant at first, but at that time I decided that I should at times be impulsive. I registered and paid without rationally thinking further. Being rational can sometimes be a problem, and I do not want this to be one of the problems.

Well, 2022, let's make it eventful. Five more months to go, and I'll be looking forward to making my five more months more colourful. I'm pushing 30, it seems sad, but perhaps it's a reckoning - time's not in great supply. Seize it.

Top Gun: Maverick

This show has been released for two months, since end-May, but I decided to watch only yesterday.

You see, this isn't the typical genre I go for. I usually go for detective/crime, superhero, or horror. Aviation-theme movie isn't one that I have a fondness for. It doesn't mean I hate that theme, I just never really considered giving it a try. 

But this has since become the top grossing film of 2022, surpassing Marvel Studio's movie, and the general audience consensus seems to be unusually good. I've not met a single person who dislike the movie, or read a review that criticises anything about any aspects of this movie. Everybody who cares to write a review, however simplistic it is, seems to string together words in awe, reflecting great admiration and respect. And most importantly, they say this must be watched in the cinema for the ultimate experience.

So I decided to finally give it a try. I was hesitant to pay SGD16.50 for a two-month old movie that's about to be released VOD, but I decided that when the critics are unanimous that it's good, it has got to be good.

Boy, I would say, it's worth every damn cent of the money I was reluctant to pay. I would say it's now the best movie I've ever spent on.

The movie employs quite a cliche story plot, but what makes this movie remarkable really is the action scene - you watch the jets fly, and you watch it from the cockpit. That's where Top Gun: Maverick distinguishes itself from the common movies out there - the movie puts you inside the character's view, and you see the characters' emotions as it is when they're doing it. 

Then that resentment and hatred of Rooster towards Maverick, and how Maverick sacrificed himself (seemingly) for Rooster, and Rooster's regret and sadness and the ultimate getaway and the final reunion - that's gold. As Miles Teller said in an interview, this is a movie that makes a grown up cries. I did not cry, but I probably could have. It was moving, and it was good.

2022 has been an exceptional year, and this movie makes this year an exceptionally amazing one for me.

My rating: 10/10. And I love Lady Gaga, Hold My Hands rock and is beautiful.

Thor: Love and Thunder

It's a no go in Malaysia, but it's screened in Singapore, where I currently reside. Initially, I wasn't very keen with Thor, because Thor isn't a character that really got my attention. In MCU, I especially love Wanda, Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and to some degree, Captain Marvel. Thor isn't high in my list, but I don't hate him. 

So we watched Thor: Love and Thunder on the Sunday of the first release week. Knowing it's still directed by Taika Waititi, I believe comedic elements are expected. From the trailer, we know Jane is returning. That's awesome. 

Before I watched the movie, I was heavily expecting GOTG to be a heavy future in Thor. Disappointingly, they are featured for only like the first few minutes, and then Thor parted way with them to his friend whose world's God had been butchered by Gorr. Only Star-Lord actually had a few memorable speeches, no other characters of the GOTG had any memorable screentime other than a cameo. In fact, I think Zeus had more screentime.

But otherwise, it's a great movie. I like the goats. I like the 'seeing your ex-girlfriend hanging out with your ex-hammer' thing and I like how the stormbreaker gets jealous. I also like Gorr, and Christian Bale is an awesome actor for skilfully playing such a evil villain that manages to elicit sympathy from the viewers. The shadow realm is interesting, and I like the fight at the end of the film. It's really too sad that Mighty Thor had to die, although it was also impressive how she could put up such a good fight like Thor when she just got hold of the Mjolnir a short while ago (in Thor's time, since he's like thousands years ago).

I think the movie is great. No, there's no LGBTQ+ element. It's mentioned only by passing by Korg and it's extremely insignificant, definitely not as significant as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showing America's two mothers on screen. I believe why it wasn't greenlit in Malaysia was the scene in the beginning - Gorr, dying, met his God and begged for His help, but that God dismissed him as a worthless chap only worthy as a follower. Gorr, furious, declared he renounced his fate. The God was furious and was about to kill him, but that's when Gorr was chosen by the cursed sword to become the God Butcher and he killed the same God who was just about to kill him. Renunciation of a fate is blasphemy in Malaysia, and I think this is the likely explanation.

Why I do not think LGBTQ+ element is the reason Thor was blocked? First, as I mentioned, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had a more significant LGBTQ+ element yet it wasn't blocked or censored. Secondly, Thor was initially delayed two weeks in Malaysia. Disney had affirmed that it's not open to censoring LGBTQ+ scenes from movies in Lightyear, so I doubt they'll do the same with Thor. And even if they are willing to, it didn't need a two-week delay. LDP would have given conditional approval subject to compliance which is often not an issue, just like Lightyear. Disney pulled out Lightyear not because it was blocked, but because Disney refused to comply. Then, a two-week delay suggested Disney intended to make amendments, and we know LGBTQ+ isn't something Disney was willing to compromise, and we know it hadn't been an issue in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

So given the silence on why it's not released, the better explanation, in my opinion, had to be the renunciation of fate in the beginning, and the central theme of the God Butcher, which is a very controversial and perhaps taboo topic in Malaysia.

It's too bad for Malaysia. It's a work of fiction, and actually a very entertaining film.

My rating: 8/10. Deducting 2 marks because GOTG is reduced to an insignificant cameo. Btw, the R&B style of the opening Marvel scene is refreshing.

Stranger Things 4

This now becomes one of my top favourite shows of all time.

I think I've mentioned how Stranger Things blew my mind in season 1. Then season 2 was better. Then, blowing my mind again, season 3 was also awesome. This appears to be an outlier - a show where the subsequent seasons are better than the previous ones. I was worried season 4 might not follow this trend especially since season 3 did not end with a major cliffhanger except a dermagogue, and the kids have grown up. 

But no, season 4 continues to blow my mind.

We're now introduced to the main villain, the main player behind the evils of the first three seasons - Vecna/001, the one whom Eleven is experimented basing on in hope to replicate his success. This is one mind-blowing season that has got to be a history - each episode is minimally 50 episodes long and the season finale is literally 2 hours and 10 minutes long, easily surpassing the duration of many movies out there. There are 9 episodes in this season, so season 4 is actually crazily long by Netflix standard.

Still, it did not disappoint.

Okay, there are a few things I dislike. The three groups barely interact with one another, and it seems that Steve, Dustin, Lucas, Max, Robin, Nancy, and the delightfully cheerful Eddie were the one busy trying to defeat Vecna. Eleven's role had been reduced to mostly regaining her power, so her role in defeating or confronting Vecna only arises in the season finale - before that, the both of them do not cross path, and Eleven isn't aware of Vecna at all. Because Eleven is taken away without leaving a message and without informing where she's taken to, the show spent most of the time having Jonathan, Mike and Will searching for and rescuing her, so this is the first season that isn't Mike- and Will-centric, which is fair, considering the two of them and Eleven had played the central role in the previous seasons and it's opportune the spotlight is passed on to the rest. Joyce, as delightful as always, goes to Russia with Murray in hope to free Hopper. Their storyline feels a little forced - like, the coincidence Joyce receives the letter just in time when Vecna strikes feels too, hmm, fake and forced, but I absolutely love watching Joyce and Murray so I'll let it slide.

The three groups reunite only in the season finale. As explained earlier, this is the season where the focus is shifted to the characters who weren't the focus in the previous three - Steve, Dustin, Lucas, Max, Robin and Nancy. 

I love Robin. And I love Joyce. And I love Steve and Dustin as a group. So I'm happy.

But seriously, one of mind-blowingly good season. The horror is up several notches, the stories are well-paced and solidly built, and the acting are as flawless as expected. Stranger Things 4 did not disappoint, and now I seriously just can't wait for season 5.

Please bring season 5 as soon as possible - and before the kids become young adults. This show should be about kids and adolescents, it saddens me to say this, but I believe the show would lose a lot of its original charm if the actors are still playing that role in their mid- and late-20s. 

Highly recommended. Watch season 1 onwards if you haven't given it a try, you'll definitely not regret it! There's a reason why the release of the show crashed Netflix - that's because it's awesome on an international scale. In fact, I prefer it over MCU movies. Sorry.

Minions 2: Rise of Gru

 I'm going to say it: Minions was, in hindsight, quite a big letdown from the cute yellow minions. But Minions 2: Rise of Gru is honestly a huge improvement - the story is a lot better, the minions are cuter, and the show is just livelier and more entertaining and more funny.

Minions 2 wastes no time introducing the central theme of the movie. Gru, still a kid, obsesses, idolises and fantasises the Vicious 6, which has, by design, a slot opening and is recruiting a new member. Unaware Gru is just a kid and thus has accepted his application and scheduled an interview, the Vicious 6 dismisses him as unfit for a partner but was momentarily distracted by a new member walking into his interview. Seizing the opportunity, Gru stole the prized stone the Vicious 6 holds and threatens the world, and thus spends the remaining of the movie running away from the Vicious 6 and attempting to counter them.

The minions here play quite a huge role in assisting Gru and has significant screentime, which is a much better treatment than what Despicable Me 3 bestowed upon them. The three minions are as cute and adorable as always. I like Kevin, Bob and Stuart, and also Otto, and all four of them did not disappoint as hardcore minion fans fear. 

Minions never disappoint. Well, except the first, but I blamed it on my own unrealistically high expectations following an awesome Despicable Me 2.

I watched this movie in the theatre, and I had an absolutely enjoyable time. My criticism would be that the movie is actually too short - barely one and a half hours. But the minions are cute and I forgive them.

Rating: 9/10.

P/s, watch the scene below at 0:04 to hear  Bob says '没有了 nasi goreng kicap manis' which means no more (the Chinese part) sweet soy sauce fried rice (nasi goreng kicap manis, the Malay/Indonesian part). Apparently Bob's nightmare is that his favourite fried rice is no longer available.

Out of Curiosity - What Brought You to Teenblue?

This relatively unknown but otherwise aged blog is attracting on average 350 views per day.

Can any visitor leave a comment to tell me why brought you here?

I'm just curious. This blog contains my inner thoughts I do not share with other people; but I don't bother to conceal it either - if you find it, you can read it; but if you don't know about it in real life, I wouldn't mention it either.

So, what brought you here?

The Woman Across The Street From The Girl In The Window

I always love a psychological thriller drama, and likewise I actually enjoyed this show a lot and would rate it very highly, provided that

• The name of the show could have been shortened. It's unnecessarily long.
• The sloppy writings and silly logic can be forgiven

1.  Are you kidding me? The bring-your-daughter-to-work day involves an FBI agent bringing her daughter into a jail, and having her in the same room during an interview with a high profile serial killer, and this supposedly highly trained FBI agent left her alone with the profile killer when he was asked to leave the room to receive some updates, which led to the death of her daughter. What?
2. The killer is revealed to be the little kid, who somehow had the ability to chop up her stepmother's body into parts and buried them far from her house? A kid, who cannot drive, who didn't appear to have even hit puberty? What?
3. And a little kid like that could have carried out a premeditated murder over the course of a few years and framed her father and the lovely neighbour? If this is Orphan, okay, it makes sense. But this is a genuine little kid. WTF?
4. A FBI-trained psychologist picked an ex-violent criminal to work as a gardener and had no compulsion whatsoever to inform his wife about his potentially dangerous background at all?

If the above could be forgiven, I would rate it 9.5/10. Nice story.

But it betrays any sentient sense of logic, so the final score might hover around 2-3/10. I still enjoyed it, if I ignore these flaws.

American Horror Story: Asylum

 I've always wanted to watch American Horror Story, but I never really gave it a try. I was made aware of its existence of it when Lady Gaga starred in it and I'm a Lady Gaga fan, but it wasn't aired in Malaysia back then and I didn't really bother to search for it. Until last year, I subscribed to Disney+, and this is a show that is streamed on it. 

The problem is it's rated R21, and Disney+ by default set the viewing restriction at 18, so I only found out later when I raised the viewing restriction to 21. I remembered reverting it to 18 because I found it a hassle to have to repeatedly key in the PIN, but then I was stumped that the show disappeared from the platform. I thought it was removed and was crestfallen, but it turned out it's just a Disney+ feature to completely remove R21 shows from the library when the restriction is 18.

Anyway, I decided to give the show a try, starting with season 1. I am a horror genre fan, so this show was great for me and since I've already paid for Disney+ and there ain't more interesting shows to watch, this show is it.

The first season, in my opinion, was weak. Still entertaining, but not as great as season 2 - Asylum.

I wasn't aware this show was meant to be anthological. So to see some actors returning as different characters was great, because I love a lot of them. 

Season 2 is a lot more disturbing and a lot scarier and not involves extraterrestrial beings. But the core focus is on asylum and a disturbed psychologist. I especially love Sister Jude, my god why is Jessica Lange such a great and awesome actress? And I also like Evan Peters, this guy is extremely talented. I'm sad Jessica Lange had chosen to leave the show after season 4, which means I won't be seeing her soon. But I really love her performance. Lily Rabe as Sister Mary is also impressive - she is undeniably also a very talented actress.

I like the finale the best. I love it that the show producers decide to inject a little empathy and let Kit take care of Sister Jude, and by taking care of his kids, she partly repented for her role as an abuser. The last episode was emotional, in a very good way.

American Horror Story has been an impressive series so far, and season 11 seems to be on production. I may be almost a decade later to catch on with the show, but it has not disappointed and I'm absolutely glad I found it.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

I know a lot of Marvel fans give up after Endgame and thought whatever comes next wouldn't excite, but I hope I have the opportunity to tell them they're very dead wrong. Marvel still delivers, and it knows how to deliver. Sam Raimi directs the sequel to Doctor Strange titled as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with Dr Strange and Wanda being the two key characters in the film. It's too bad Wanda's the villain. I mean, I love Wanda, to see her play the villain role is a bit heartbreaking for him. And I think this is the first Marvel movie where a fellow Avenger turned rogue and evil. 

This movie wasted no time entering the main storyline. It began with Strange and Chavez in an alternate universe with that Strange dying, then it panned to our MCU Strange attending Christine's wedding when he witnessed mayhem and intervened. Immediately after that, he visited Wanda, found out she was the villain, and the two sides collided. 

I'll just say I like the movie. A little horror elements but nothing a horror fan like me couldn't handle. It's a little perplexing that Wanda's power has grown so much that she could single-handedly and rather effortlessly kill 5 members of the Illuminati. It had been said the strength of her chaos magic is tied to her emotion, and in this movie, she's extremely emotionally distraught, but still, it felt a little stretched, if not impossible, that she had grown so strong. If this Wanda existed in Infinity War, the movie would end when Thanos tried to get Vision's stone in London.

I like the movie. I like it a lot. The movie has drawn some mixed criticism but I would rate it very highly at 9.5/10. I like Wanda, and I like Dr Strange. I'm a little disappointed that Strange is portrayed as weaker than Wanda, but I suppose I could argue Strange had been holding back - he didn't seem to have a lot of difficulties overpowering his corrupted counterpart in the possession of the Darkhold.

Hoping to watch more Marvel movies! The multiverse has begun and it has been marvellous!

Penang, Part 1

In April 2022, I had the opportunity to return to Malaysia and WFH for a month, as a kind gesture by my company for foreign employees to go home after being apart due to covid-19 induced border closures. I took it and went back.

But the problem is, it becomes, surreal.

After being stuck in Singapore for two years, Singapore has sort of become my abode. Like it or not, once you've stayed in a place for a long time, it becomes home. You do not have to like your home, it's home.

Returning to Malaysia brings me subdued happiness and hope, a sense of escape from a rut, but that's it. I get to meet my parents and sister, and I get to return my hometown and visit some old places and eat some local food, but other than that, the excitement was less thrilling than I thought.

My flight was 11am something. I initially bought MAS, but stupid Malaysia Airlines rescheduled my flight to another day and that would mean I would waste a day's leave, so I cancelled it and got it refunded. No thanks because I opted for the expensive fee that specifically allowed a refund without a fee, but I couldn't get a refund for insurance. I then bought AirAsia.

I went to the airport early because I feared the procedure to check covid-19 documents would take a lot time. I reached the airport about 3 hours before flight time, so about time the check-in luggage counter opened. 

It actually wasn't too much a hassle. The ground crew checked whether mySejahtera had been downloaded and whether the traveller's card was already filled, and then checked whether a pre-departure test was done. Once they are cleared, everything was smooth. 

I then shopped around at Jewel and T1, found nothing of interest, and went in to T1 and waited.

Then I boarded the flight. And flew.

Touching down in Penang, I felt, home. It's been a while. Because I'd taken a Pontian wanton mee at T1 (only shop operating at 9am) and took Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak on flight (which was a bit disappointing, food wasn't thawed properly and the taste was a bit bland, I'm not sure why, I've taken it many times, this time it felt disappointing), so I did not take any more lunch that day.

Criminal: UK - Alex

 Criminal: UK is a masterpiece that must be renewed. Netflix simply must. This is an incredibly emotionally powerful and psychologically thrilling series that is unrivalled and Netflix simply must seize this opportunity to continue producing this series, especially when it's rating is through the roof at the moment.

One particular episode I like is Season 2 Episode 2 'Alex' (in case you aren't aware, all episodes are named after the name of the accused). This happens to also be the most controversial episode of the series, and I won't go into the details because then it would be spoilers.

The episode begins with a 6-minute long monologue by Alex (played by Kit Harington) that is very masterfully scripted and played. But as the episode drags on, I thought it was decent, average, until the last 7 minutes. The highlight of this episode is actually at the ending - the 7 minutes of extremely emotionally authentic and powerful speech delivered by Alex.

If you haven't watched this show, I highly recommend it. It's really, really good.

Criminal: UK

This is one mind-blowingly top-quality crime drama ever produced in the history, in my opinion.

Criminal: UK is part of the Criminal franchise on Netflix. Like all UK drama, it is fairly short and compact with only 3 to 4 episodes per season. Criminal:UK is about a team of trained specialists that are expert in psychology who attempt to get information from otherwise extremely uncooperative suspects to solve crimes that ordinary police couldn't. This is a psychology-themed series. The entire show is set only within the interview/interrogation room, the hallway outside the room and the elevator. That's it. Throughout the 46 minutes of an episode, it's just talking between the interrogator and the suspect and the lawyers. There are no actions, no labs, nothing. Just talking.

But it's how simplistic this show is that's fascinating. Just characters talking to each other in a confined room, and yet you'll find yourself very absorbed and 46 minutes would fly back quickly without your noticing. The series focuses on psychology and the character's raw emotions (which must be eulogised and should earn them many awards) to deliver the content and power, and that's how this show is so special. It's good. It's really good. You very rarely can find a show that could do this - just characters sitting down and not moving and you'll still be engaged.

The psychology is awesome. The narrative is awesome. The acting is awesome. The show itself is pure jem. If you like crime drama, give this show a try - it's a different breed, but you'll hardly be disappointed. Unless you like an action kind, then this is not your cup of tea. But give it a try, it's good. It's really good.

The Contractor

I first saw the poster of this movie in Marymount MRT, I then did an online search and found out this is a movie about an involuntarily discharged army becoming a private contractor to foot the expenditure of his family. I've been hesitating for days whether this is worth the movie ticket to watch in the cinema, but in the end, I decided I deserve a treat so I bought a 9.50pm ticket on a weekday night to watch. Well, as the trailer honestly revealed, things went awry and he rebelled and became the target of the mission instead. 

Come to think of it, if I were to relook at the trailer and the plot of the story, this is, as the name of the movie suggests, a movie about 'the contractor'. It's not a thriller or suspense movie, it's not even an action-packed movie. The trailer of the movie or the synopsis released never suggested that the protagonist uncovered some sinister plot; nor was it anywhere mentioned a betrayal of any kind. 

This is a movie about 'the contractor'. I repeat. This is a movie about 'the contractor'. It's not a primarily thriller or action film, it's a story about 'the contractor'. The movie started off slow, but once he picked up the private contract, it picked up a little pace, but it sadly tapered off after the Berlin chase which then led to a not-very-surprising reveal and a quite anti-climatic ending.

Overall, I kinda enjoy the movie and the story, but I guess I went to watch it with too high an expectation so I am a bit disappointed. There could have been a lot more action/combat scenes. Seriously, the combat in this movie is sorely lacking, which is why I said this is not an action movie. This is a movie that relies heavily on Chris Pine's handsome face to sell because the focus is really entirely on his character. 

I would rate it 6/10 for what I consider extreme lack of action scene that's unbecoming of a film in this genre, but give it a little generously above average mark because of Chris Pine's performance and the details - the camouflage, the escape details, the dodging etc - seem pretty meticulous. This might be a forgettable film for many. For me, it's just alright. Don't expect it to be anything like James Bond or Jason Bourne, and you might enjoy it.

Covid-19

 So recently I just contracted covid-19! 

It started with Saturday, since morning I felt a very unusually scratchy throat but I had no other symptoms. And because I'm a sufferer from the unfortunately evil hayfever, a scratchy throat isn't terribly too uncommon for me so I thought it was a result of my sinus allergy which did blow up the night before. I bought a peppermint honey tea and went out for a walk as usual. Then, at night, there was a sudden flare up of fever and headache, and I suspected it was covid-19. Quickly, I did an ART, which yielded negative result. I thus presumed it was my allergy acting out again, so I used my nasal spray, took one Telfast, went to sleep, and thankfully I woke up the next day much better, except again with a persistent scratchy throat but not as scratchy as the day before.

I thought it wasn't anything, so I resumed my normal activities and I even went to Labrador Park for a breeze.

The next day was Monday. I still had a scratchy throat though it had become milder. But other than that, I had no indication whatsoever I was otherwise ill. So I went to office, bought a sandwich, ate in the office maskless, and attended a meeting. After the virtual meeting, I wanted to take off my mask, but I was thinking, hey, there's a covid kit in front of me, and I had a scratchy throat, why not just be safe? So I did the test.

And safe it was.

Looked at it, the fluid wasn't done flowing the strip and the T line had appeared, indicating very strong virus presence.

I texted my boss, packed my stuff speedily and hightailed it to the clinic. I was extremely nervous and guilty because I was already in the office for an hour plus. I could feel the stare and confusion in the others' eyes when I was rushing to leave, and my messages blew up on the way to the clinic.

Thanks, guy for the concern, and sorry for the risk.

Anyway, I went to the clinic and I told the nurse I tested positive on a rapid test. She told me it was a two hours wait and then rather nonchalantly told me to 'go eat first'. Ya, you heard right. I was momentarily stunned too, but yes that's what the nurse told me.

I returned to my home instead, which was nearby. I visited a nearer clinic rather than the usual I went to because this was the closest I could go without taking public transport and it was a very shiny 11am Monday morning. I returned an hour and a half later, and yet I still needed to wait for almost an hour. I didn't expect I needed to wait this long more so I went without a bottle of water and nastily my throat began to irritate more and more. No choice, I went down to the supermarket and grabbed a bottle of peppermint honey tea again and went back to resume the wait. Oops. Sorry, not my intention to be a superspreader there's no vending machine nearby I had no choice!

Anyway, when I met the doctor and told him I had only a mild dry and scratchy throat, he took a peek into my throat and said 'not so bad'. As I had no other symptoms, I guessed he became wary and sceptical than I did contract covid-19, and began to ask whether I did the test properly and whether I waited too long to see the lines appeared, to which I replied no and I took a photo. He did the swab for me himself, and as expected, it yielded positive result.

I was given 5 days MC so basically one week off. Yay.

But for me, covid-19 was better than a flu. I had only a scratchy throat, and it wasn't enough sore enough to stop me from eating chilli. On the second day though I had a bout of incredibly intolerable runny nose, but upon realising that the mucous looked unusually white and watery I then suspected it wasn't covid-19 but rather my allergy, so I deployed my nasal spray again and I got an instant relief - I suffered half a day for a symptom I mistaken as covid-19. But, on the same day, I did experience extreme fatigue - I literally slept half a day. I left my bed and my head hurt like hell, so I just resumed sleeping and I slept till the evening. It's 16 hours plus in total.

But on the third day onwards I had become rather symptomless. The scratchy throat had begun to fade though still present, I had no more runny or blocked nose, but I did suffer a very mild throat irritation that caused some cough but it was surreptitious rather than persistent. So I fully utilised my MC and spent all the time watching all the shows and reading all the books I wanted.

The most painful experience had got to be the home quarantine. Singapore mandated that anybody who tested positive must self-isolate for at least 72 hours, after that the patient might self-test with an ART and if they got a negative result, they could exit self-isolation; but if the results continue to be positive, they should resume self-isolation until Day 7, which they were allowed to leave even if they still tested positive.

The self-isolation was rather torturous. I had a landlord and housemate so I had to be careful not to expose them to the virus, so I largely confined myself to my room and if needed to, I wore a mask outside my room. I had to rely entirely on delivery, which was incredibly expensive and set my budget back a hundred dollars this month. My aunty graciously brought me a lunch one day together with fruits and soothing drinks, while my landlord was very kind enough to cook me a meal for a number of days, for which I am eternally grateful.

Covid-19, for me, was not a very serious disease, but the toll on the mind was large. The self-isolation was quite bad, and I tested negative only one day 6, so I had been confined to my room for 6 days. Upon getting my negative result, I danced for a minute, and I straight leapt out, took in a few deep breaths of fresh air, and went to buy my groceries. It's extremely sweet to be outside and free again.

Do What You Want By Lady Gaga Ft. R.Kelly (Lyrics With Music)

As one of the comments in the video said, 'we must protect this problematic classic at all cost'.

If you don't know what happens, basically this is a song Lady Gaga collaborated with R.Kelly in 2016, and was a big hit and critically acclaimed. But R.Kelly got embroiled in many sex scandals and was convicted and remain incarcerated today, so Lady Gaga regretted working with a sex predator and so had this song pulled from all platforms so that R.Kelly can't earn a single cent from this collaboration.

Well, if the aim is to deprive R.Kelly from legally earning money from this work, I guess a pirated version works. I mean, I'm sorry, but this version is way, way much more superior than the one with Cristina Aguilera.

American Horror Story, Season 1

 Ya, ya, I'm again a decade late.

Anyway, I just recently watched this series, and it blew my mind! Okay, I thought it would be much more sinister and scary, but turns out the show didn't focus on the origin but rather what the spirits do to the occupants. Which is fine, although I would have loved knowing what causes the house to be haunted to begin with. There are about 13 episodes, but each of them is good. Not exactly anthological, but each episode has its own story arc that is fascinating. I'm a bit disappointed to know they die in the house and haunt away any potential buyers though - sounds a bit of a stretch, other spirits might deter them from doing so? 

Anyway, lovely show. Finished in 3 days. Rating: 9/10

Midnight Mass

 This is a very Christian-themed show, which I wasn't aware of before I started watching.

The first episode began with Riley Fylnn killing a girl while driving intoxicated, briefly showing him in jail, and quickly proceed to showing him returning to the island he came from.

I thought he thus plays a very pivotal role in the series, but as it turns out he isn't the main character. Just a side character that is given unjustified screentime.

But that's fine. It's just a peculiar introduction.

The series role focuses on the father claiming to be replacing Monsignor Pruitt temporarily while he was incapacitated on the mainland. Then, as the series goes on, more sinister elements began to surface, until a vampire/angel appears, and until Bev that b*tch gets on my nerve.

I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed this show. As a non-Christian, the Christianity elements in this show bore and confound me. Then the religious fervour of a town to such questionable fault is disturbing. Then, we have a sheriff who is a Muslim, an odd one out amongst the town population, and his son whose faith was shaken and began to drift away from Islam to Christianity.

The show has some good elements - the return of the kids to his faith after being led astray is extremely admirable. Bev shows how delusional some religious fanatics can be, and while Monsignor Pruitt was responsible for bringing the devil to the island, he was also one of those who righteously attempted to put an end to it. 

Overall, quite an okay show.

MCU, Phase 4 Series, So Far

 No thanks to Disney+, I've finished all MCU phase 4 series thus far.

Let's kick it off with the first, WandaVision. As the first entry, WandaVision bears the heaviest responsibility to deliver the best as the expectations were the highest. But it did not disappoint. I admit the first episode got me confused as I had no idea what direction the series was heading. I knew something ain't right when Hart choked and his wife reacted like a robot gone haywire, churning out inaccurate response to a situation not initially programmed into it. But as the episode went on, it ended with a credit roll and it scrolled out to show that it seemed to occur in a virtual world. In any case, as more episodes were released, more mysteries were answered, and I must say they were very brilliantly crafted. Wonderful series with wonderful storylines. My rating: 8/10

The next in line would be The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This series is more down to earth, more grounded in nature, and contain a lot more political elements that make the series a little incongruous. There aren't really any superheroes, but there are super-soldiers, created from scientifically-manufactured serum. It started with Sam forgoing becoming Captain America, and the first episode ended with John Walker inheriting it, and it went on to becoming him being an ass. Sam and Bucky had some rocky relationships, but they mended it and formed a partnership/brotherhood that ended with Sam becoming both the Falcon and Captain America. I dislike the 'one world, one people' theme, and I resent that the show is a lot more political and much more filler. But otherwise, it's still a pretty enjoyable film, but Sam as a Captain America felt, weird. I would be very curious what Walker next plot would be, and what's Sharon role in MCU would be. My rating: 7/10.

Loki wasted no time getting into the main storyline. Immediately after his escape in Endgame, he became a variant that chose a divergent path from what was charted, and was captivated by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a new authority from a different dimension that made its charming entrance with infinitely vast implications to the MCU. The first episode began with Loki being interrogated by Mobius, surrendering to the fact that TVA is real, and bonding with Mobius. Then we learnt that a new, devious threat to the existence of TVA is actually another variant of Loki that has been slaughtering the TVA's enforcers, and we then learnt this Loki is a female and her name is Sylvie, and she and Loki had a spark. Yes, let that sink in a little, both Loki had a spark, a new level of narcissism. Nonetheless, MCU made this disgustingly charming. Yet this spark created a whole new level of threat to the TVA. I would say Loki is among the strongest series, the story was fascinating, the theme was unique, and TVA is just a force to be reckoned with that we'll probably visit in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. My rating: 9/10. I hated the cliffhanger, please bring in season 2 quick.

Then the next would be Hawkeye. I never really like Hawkeye/Clint Barton, because he just wasn't somebody who was very uniquely interesting for me. The producers probably knew Clint had very little room for exploration, so they introduced Kate Bishop. Hawkeye isn't about Clint Barton, it's about the character Hawkeye, and anybody can be Hawkeye, and in this series it's Kate Bishop. There are two Hawkeyes in this series. I hated Kate Bishop, I thought the series focused too much on her than Clint, until Yelana comes into the picture and bonded with her, and their interactions completely changed how I viewed this series. I love Yelena - she's a very wonderful woman and extremely charming assassin, and their sisterly bond is extremely lovely to watch. But other than that, I think this series is the weakest among the four that has been released so far (except What If?). No menacing villains, no character growth other than Kate, and Eleanor is just Lorrain Warren without her supernatural power and I don't quite like her. I would definitely love to see Kate and Yelena together much more in the future! My rating: 6/10, I would have rated it 4 were it not for Yelana and Kate.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer

MCU movies officially become another thing for me to look forward to, in addition to every upcoming public holidays.

Phase 4 seems like it'll be working very well!

Eternals

This has been touted as a flop because it underwhelms. Since it has been released on Disney+, I watched it.

I find the characters Eternals interesting. They don't seem to be as powerful as some of the Avengers, but they are an interesting bunch.

About one hour into the film, I get why people are saying this movie underwhelms. Okay. Too many characters. Too many origins. There's an overabundance of individual stories and why they went separate ways, before the story re-deviates and refocuses on Tiamut. 

I like Sersi. I like Thena. And I like Ikaris. All other Eternals are quite a boring bunch, maybe also except Phastos. Gilgamesh vs Shang-chi? Bad timing, Shang-chi makes his fight looks like a baby throwing tantrum when he's denied his dessert.

The first half of the movie was boring, the pace was painfully slow. But the second picked up pace, and I liked it. The visuals in this movie are wonderful. When Arishem explained to Sersi the purpose of the Eternals and about their origins, the visual effects and directions were simply mind-blowing. But I concur with the majority critics' opinions: the non-linear form of story-telling is very distracting and undercut the movie a little.

But otherwise, I've quite enjoyed the movie. It's not as good as other Marvel movies, but if this isn't a Marvel movie, I would still rate it pretty favourably. It's better than Iron Man 2, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home, and Ant-Man. But ya, seems like it's at bottom 20% for me.

I would put it 7.5/10. I do still recommend people watching it, and I'm quite looking forward to watching the sequel, and how the characters in this movie will cross path with the other Avengers.

Booster Shots

Singapore says everybody who has completed the full vaccination regime has to receive a booster shot five months after completion, else they'll be considered unvaccinated if no boosters are received within 270 days. Needless to say, without that criteria, I would have got a booster anyway. It's not like it cost money - it was free. Nonetheless, Singapore's study shows that Moderna vaccine is more superior than Pfizer, which is an already very superior vaccine. The results is that many people, being a typical kiasu Singaporean, want Moderna as the booster even if they received Pfizer. For me, I got Moderna, both doses. The CC I went had since shut, but thankfully a new centre opens in Bishan, so I got my booster in Bishan. Yes, I stick to Moderna. Lots of people I know switched to Moderna. Moderna is more robust, with many who had no effects from it suffering from debilitating side effects after boosters, particularly for those who received full Pfizer doses earlier. For me? Well, I think the first dose drove my immune system into overdrive. This booster shot hit me milder than the 2nd dose - I literally had no side effects, except a little, subtly swollen lymph nodes, and perhaps fatigue (but I blamed it on a Monday blue). Otherwise, no chills, no fever, no palpitations, no ache, no pain, nadda. Booster for me was a swim. Anyway, hopefully this is the last - this has got to stop, it's getting ridiculous.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

 Ever since I subscribed Disney+, and to be able to watch Spider-Man: No Way Home, I have since tried to watch all MCU movies, starting from Iron Man. Iron Man is surprisingly entertaining, and to be frank I'm a bit shocked to find out it was released about 15 years ago. But I've since finished
all phase 1 and phase 2 movies. My favourite, though, is Guardians of The Galaxy, and it's not just because it was the movie I first watched in 2014, but because it's just funny, entertaining and it has a balance of dark and humour, which is atypical of a superhero film. Yet it delivers the superhero ingredients with touching tones with marvellous skills, and that's why it's my number 1 movies. The Avengers is fine, Captain America is fine, but I still like this the best. Will be starting phase 3 soon.

Slasher, Season 3

After a disappointing season 2, I was actually hesitant about watching season 3. Season 2 was very boring, and the characters were just uninteresting. We all knew they were guilty of murder, the main question in season 2 was who outside the group knew.

In season 3, we knew the residents of an apartment all were somehow guilty of nonchalance and non-responsiveness towards a murder that occurred in their building, which also led to the suicide of another resident. But the question in season 3 isn't so much about who knew they, but rather - why? 

I thought season 2 was already very gory, but man, season 3 took it up a few notches.

But season 3 is in entirety a great improvement from season 2. It hasn't been boring a single time. I think what made season 2 boring was that the characters all came from a similar background - a group of sinners, and a group of teenagers. What made them different simply were their family background. In season 3, it's about the residents of an apartment - gays, cheaters, gamers, students etc. It's just a mix of very different characters and that's why it made the story-telling so intriguing and mesmerising.

But the gore, though, I don't advise people to watch season 3 while eating. I had a little hard time swallowing food while watching.

The story in season 3 is solid, and the suspense is interesting. It's even better than Scream. But, unfortunately, season 4 isn't produced by Netflix and is not on Netflix. Which is a shame, because I really wish to watch it.