2025 - The Rundown

As another year draws to a close, I'm making an effort to post this entry because entertainment-wise, it was pretty spectacular. 😊

Favourite movies

How To Train Your Dragon

The live remake was almost identical scene-for-scene to the original animated film but still had me using up tissues, thanks to a soulful turn from the very talented Mason Thames, and a gorgeous CGI-rendered Toothless.

It also blew up the box office, grossing more than US$600 million globally. I'm so happy!

Weapons

As a hardcore horror fan who's frequently disappointed by movies that try too hard, this was a pleasant surprise.

Though the first half doesn't quite mesh with the second hour, things suddenly take a major turn and stress me out very effectively.

Now that Ari Aster ( Hereditary, Midsommar ) has gone off to do weird indie stuff, I'm glad others have taken up the mantle.

Nuremberg

This quiet film seems to have been overlooked by audiences, but since I've always been fascinated by WWII - especially the Holocaust - I found it extremely moving.

Aside from the stellar cast, the script stands out for its introspective observations about human nature, good vs evil, and how easily tyrants are made.

Other notable mentions:

F1

Despite being a predictable crowdpleaser, it also boasts a nuanced performance from Brad Pitt ( who looks AMAZING for his age omg ).

As someone who did track medical team cover twice for Singapore GP, it was certainly a nice trip down memory lane. 

Jurassic World: Rebirth

I held off watching this for a long time because I don't like Scarlett Johansson, but it turned out to be IMO one of the best in the Jurassic Park franchise ( after the original and first Jurassic World installment ).

Still not fully convinced Ms J is a badass dinosaur hunter, but I was most interested in Jonathan Bailey, who provided eye candy and deflected my attention from his co-star.

Love the action sequences which are spectacular.

Favourite TV shows

There were many, so this is a significantly condensed list.

Dexter: Original Sin and Dexter: Resurrection

By some strange but very happy coincidence, both series came out in the same year and I was ecstatic. 😊

Each was excellent in its own way, but Resurrection clearly won since it has a confirmed sequel while Original Sin wasn't renewed (argh!).

I've been such a huge fan of the Dexter universe for 19 years ( I've also read the novels ) and couldn't be happier to see Michael C. Hall gleefully chopping up villains again.

The Pitt

I agree that it's an ER rip off in a way, but the format is significantly different ( a single shift spread out over a season ) with details about the characters' personal drama kept to the bare minimum.

Emergency physicians everywhere - myself included - concur that it's the most realistic ER-based show ever made, and Noah Wyle anchors it with his calm reassuring presence.

Season 2 starts on 8 January. Looking forward to it!

The Studio

This farcical comedy won big at this year's Emmys and deserved every single award.

I love how it poked fun at Hollywood's over-the-top woke culture, with one episode dedicated to a casting nightmare storyline that had me in stitches.

Seth Rogen is absolutely hilarious, carrying the show with his frenetic energy and trademark nervous laughs.

Glad to hear that it's been renewed for a second season. Can't wait!

The Diplomat season 3

Definitely one of Netflix's crown jewels, I've been hooked since the premiere and S3 did not disappoint at all.

I'm constantly amazed by how the writers manage to make espionage and tradecraft entertaining. The dialogue speed is so fast, I regularly got lost even with subtitles turned on. 😅

The show is definitely buoyed by the perfect cast - Keri Russell with her Type A+++ personality, Rufus Sewell as her laid back but constantly scheming / interfering spouse.

S3's highlight was the addition of Aidan Turner as Kate's love interest. 

An actor I've been a fan of since his days in The Hobbit trilogy and Poldark, he had sizzling chemistry with Russell and spiced things up tremendously.

Not sure if he'll be back in S4, but I hope so!

All Her Fault

This had a slow burn but packed a real punch in the second half.

Glad I persisted till the finale because everything came together only in the last episode, which made the entire journey extremely satisfying.

If you decide to watch this, pay extra attention to the character played by Jake Lacy.

He isn't the lead but is actually very pivotal in multiple subplots. How his character's actions over the span of decades ( starting from childhood ) impact others and eventually lead to the shocking conclusion is a very ingenious twist. 

I salute the incredible writers.

The Beast In Me

Not super high quality but still very good.

The main draw for me was Matthew Rhys, whose career I've followed for 20 years, since 2006's Brothers and Sisters.

He's played a wide variety of roles but this is probably his darkest.

The plot sort of fell apart in the last few episodes, but I hung on just for him. Not a bad watch overall.

Notable mention:

The Day Of The Jackal

It came out in late 2024 but I saw it in early 2025 so I'll include it in the list.

One word: stupendous!

Having seen Eddie Redmayne in many films, this is by far his finest performance.

Who knew this gentle, affable redhead with the cute freckles could play such a cold, calculated assassin?

The production value is top notch, on par with what you get in 007 movies.

The superb script, supporting cast and directors also add to the high octane excitement.

Sadly, it was completely overlooked at the Emmys, getting only one nomination for cinematography. Unbelievable. 😵

Favourite books

I always try my best to read when I can, but this is becoming a losing battle due to age and decreasing energy levels.

Here're a few titles I enjoyed in the past 12 months.

Non-fiction

Lucky Loser by Michael Kosta

The clear winner, beating the rest hands down.

I know Kosta from Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, where he's a regular co-host and never fails to crack me up.

His memoir is exactly like him in tone and humour.

I didn't realize he was a tennis pro in his 20s before switching to standup comedy.

The stories he shares from both parts of his life are told with brutal yet hilarious honesty, with not a single dull moment.

I have a habit of flipping pages to speed things up, but not with this book! I read it from cover to cover.

Now that I know what he went through, I love him even more. 😊

Brain Rules for Aging Well by John Medina

This was a revelation, buoyed by Medina's breezy writing style which made even scientific facts easy to digest and retain.

Due to personal experience with close relatives who suffered from dementia, I have a major phobia of this condition, and regularly search for information on how to keep it at bay.

Brain Rules provides lots of practical tips backed by evidence, which I will make an effort to adopt.

White Ivy by Susie Yang

I finally decided to read this years after seeing rave reviews in various publications.

The plot isn't exactly groundbreaking, and the ending left me rather disappointed, but Yang has a beautiful - almost hypnotic - style which I find rare among younger writers.

It's the only fiction title in my favourite books list ( after I powered through a number of novels ), so consider it a great compliment. 

My Next Breath by Jeremy Renner

I started on this recently but am already profoundly moved by it.

As a longtime fan of his work, reading a firsthand account of his harrowing snowplow accident was traumatizing, even with my 20-year background in emergency medicine.

This is also a testament to how powerful the writing is - though fashioned as a flowing narrative, Renner chooses his words carefully, ensuring maximum impact when it matters.

I've taken a break to read some lighter fare for now ( yes, it's that distressing ), but will be sure to return to it soon.

Mr. Renner, I am really really glad you're still with us, and doing so well. 😊

Megathreats by Nouriel Roubini

I read this because I was curious about our collective future.

It's very sobering - and likely triggering for those with underlying anxiety issues - but I think it's important for everyone to understand the numerous perils we constantly face, instead of existing in a bubble of blissful ignorance.

That said, it's also extremely depressing that most of the world's problems are beyond our control, and we're essentially hurtling towards an unavoidable self-destructive end.

I just hope I won't be around when that happens, haha.

Favourite stage shows

I'm ending off with the biggest highlights of the year.

It was nothing short of epic! 😁

La La Land - Live in Concert

This was the very first time it was held in Singapore, with 3 shows that sold out very quickly.

The best part, of course, was composer Justin Hurwitz's presence as conductor, which made it unbelievably poignant.

Sitting in the beautiful Esplanade Theatre with fellow fans as his Oscar-winning score soared above us and the movie played on the big screen was an out-of-body experience!

The icing on the cake was my brief meet-and-greet with Justin after the show, during which we had a short chat and I presented him with a custom-made poster to commemorate his visit to Singapore.

A very lovely gentleman; hope to see him back here soon for more performances of his work. 😊

Phantom of the Opera

Another first for me - I watched it twice in 2 weeks.

After some initial concern about the casting of Ben Forster, I ended up crowning him my favourite Phantom so far ( I've seen 6 different productions - 4 in Singapore and 2 on Broadway ).

Ben's vocals aren't as impressive as a few of the other actors I've heard, but he more than makes up for it with raw emotion and superb acting.

It was also such a pleasure to meet him at the stage door after the second show. Another very lovely gentleman. 😊

Jimmy Yang

After watching his clips on social media and his specials on Prime, I was thrilled to finally see him on stage in person.

He was absolutely on fire that night - not a single recycled joke, and lots of side-splitting stories we could all relate to.

I definitely rank him on par with Trevor Noah.

Jerry Seinfeld and Ronnie Chieng cannot compare.

Come back soon, Jimmy!

Adam Kay

This was so funny I laughed till I cried.

This Is Going To Hurt is the funniest book I've ever read, and I wondered how it would translate to a stage show.

Adam's routine was ingenious - a combination of deadpan readings of selected book passages, interspersed with wacky medicine-themed ditties.

Greatly appreciate the chance to meet him and get a cherished autograph post-show. He was deeply grateful when I told him how much I love his book. 😊

The Script

It was my second time watching this terrific Irish band, and my first time in the front row woohoo!

These guys never disappoint, and I got lucky again when lead singer Danny O'Donoghue strolled past and gave me a high five. ( He did this at the previous concert I attended, but I was in the tiered section. )

Wow, this turned out to be a lengthy post!

Guess it's been an eventful year.

Will be even more exciting in 2026 - already have SIX shows lined up, 5 in the first quarter alone.

Looking forward to all the catharsis. 😄

I rarely have time to blog, so when I post something, it's significant.

The recent 3rd season of Netflix's The Diplomat was superb, but even that didn't spur me to write ( maybe at a later date haha ).

I decided to watch All Her Fault ( on HBO MAX ) mainly because of the cast.

Sarah Snook is from my favourite series, Succession.

Jake Lacy - I've seen on multiple series like The White Lotus, A Friend Of The Family and Apples Don't Fall.

Dakota Fanning has had a long, successful career in film and TV since childhood.

The trailer was compelling, but once you start watching, you will realize that the story is much more than just a missing child case.

As the plot unfolds, deep rifts in the characters' relationships surface, and certain people's true natures are revealed.

The ensemble meshes really well, which is a testament to the spot-on casting. 

Snook is a great actress in her own right, but doesn't get to do much most of the time, aside from being distressed or shocked.

Fanning adds a nice calm tone to the tense atmosphere, though she also has a few unpleasant scenes with her on-screen spouse.

Michael Pena is a standout as Detective Alcaras. Most well-known for his comedic turns in the Ant-Man films, or relegated to supporting roles in other shows, he finally has a chance to shine in All Her Fault.

Kudos to the writers for fleshing out his character beautifully. Without revealing spoilers, I'll just say that Alcaras' personal background plays a vital part in how he handles the investigation and its eventual outcome.

I was impressed by Pena's sensitive yet strong performance, which affected me profoundly. I hope this opens the door to more opportunities, and a well-deserved Emmy nomination.

I will end this post with comments about Jake Lacy, who plays Snook's on-screen husband, Peter Irvine.

Lacy first caught my attention in season 1 of The White Lotus (2021), in which he played a major a-hole.

He played another deplorable villain in A Friend Of The Family ( a paedophile, beat that ).

Although Lacy isn't credited as the lead, I think Peter is actually the most pivotal character in the series.

I wish I could elaborate but it would ruin the viewing experience.

Most importantly, every scene in every episode counts, even if certain parts are a bit slow.

This became clear in the finale, when all the loose ends came together.

It was IMMENSELY satisfying. :)

Lacy's fantastic portrayal made this possible.

He's perfected the art of playing douchebags, but always manages to infuse the roles with humour and desperation, which also humanizes them. 

For me, this induces an interesting mix of feelings when his characters get their just deserts.

On one hand, you feel damn good about it, but there's an additional element of sympathy because even the bad things he did make sense in a way.

I definitely hope Lacy will get an Emmy nomination for this. I think it's his best work to date.

Rating for All Her Fault: 9/10

One of my faves for 2025. Do not miss!

Review - Dexter: Resurrection

The series started on 11 July, but I chose to wait until after the finale before posting my review.

Dexter is one of my all-time favourite TV shows, and it still has a very large and loyal following after 2 decades.

The 2021 sequel, New Blood, wasn't great ( I blame the setting - some small ulu town in the dead of winter ) but luckily, the production team decided to take another chance.

The gamble appears to have paid off abundantly, judging from the rapturous response from fans and critics.

On IMDb, it has a rating of 9.2/10 from 68,000 viewers.

It's also currently #1 on the site's list of most popular TV shows.

After yet another near death experience, Dexter Morgan returns and ends up in New York City, mainly to find his son and protect him from the NYPD who are eyeing him as a suspect in an unsolved murder.

Numerous twists and turns abound, with Dexter landing within the inner circle of billionaire Leon Prater ( a devilish Peter Dinklage ), whose philanthropic endeavours hide his true passion - the collection of serial killers.

A tense cat-and-mouse game ensues, as Dexter's moral code drives him to pick off the killers one by one, while Leon and his right-hand woman, Charley ( Uma Thurman ), dig deeper into his background, eventually discovering his real identity and the existence of his son.

Additional stress is contributed by 2 NYPD detectives, as well as the original series' Angel Batista - the latter convinced that Dexter is the real Bay Harbour Butcher.

To be clear, there are quite a few gaps in the plot which I won't discuss in detail since they're essentially spoilers.

But one thing that really needs to be said is that in this age of advanced technology and CCTVs everywhere, it's illogical for Dexter and Harrison to escape detection multiple times.

However, the writers make up for such lapses through a few pretty ingenious storylines, one of which involves the Gemini Killer. 

It's another spoiler so I won't ruin the fun. But it became a global sensation and I saw countless posts on my social media feed for a few weeks.

Performances-wise, most are excellent, with standouts from Jack Alcott ( Harrison ) and Dinklage.

I was already impressed by Alcott in New Blood, but he has a much stronger story arc in Resurrection, with more screen time, and truly shines.

Due to his youthful boyish looks, he appears 10 years younger than his actual age of 29. 

But since he's almost 30, there's a definite maturity in his acting which adds to his chemistry with Michael C. Hall and Harrison's character development.

The final episode, which features a nail-biting confrontation between Dexter, Harrison and Leon, drew a beautifully nuanced turn from Alcott. 

Dinklage is another pleasant surprise.

It would've been easy to go OTT with the Prater role, but he kept things nicely under control, becoming unhinged only in the finale.

But as always, MCH is the MVP of this series.

He was born to play Dexter, and seems to get more intense with each new season.

This reaches new heights in Resurrection during each kill, as he vents his rage and hatred upon the villains before extinguishing their lives.

It's both terrifying and immensely satisfying. :)

This season is also especially significant because I've met both MCH and Dinklage in person.

The former was a stage door meet-and-greet after his Broadway play, The Realistic Joneses, in 2014.

In short, I was extremely flustered, my mum ended up telling him how much I love Dexter, he smiled appreciatively, signed my playbill then posed for a lovely wefie. :)

For Dinklage, it was at an X-Men: Days of Future Past promo event in Singapore, also in 2014.

It was very fleeting, as he walked down the line of fans outside Shaw House.

I held out a magazine with a photograph of him in the film. He briefly glanced at it, signed and moved on without saying a word.

But I was still very thrilled haha. Tyrion Lannister, man! :)

My overall rating for Resurrection is 8/10, dampened only by the plot holes ( which I can't ignore ), and one particularly irritating character - Detective Claudette Wallace, played by Kadia Saraf. 

She's written as some type of savant, but I can't stand her speech pattern ( she opens her mouth minimally and over-articulates ) and mannerisms ( abnormally serious and dour ).

But it's a full 10/10 for MCH, Dinklage and Alcott.

So glad this came out during my milestone birthday year. Thank you! :)

How To Train Your Dragon 2025

This was the movie I most wanted to see this year - a live action remake of my favourite animated film, which was released in 2010.

The publicity campaign started ramping up a few months ago, which is when I got a good look at the cast, CGI dragons and various scenes.

And I knew immediately that this was going to be a hit.

3 weeks after opening, it has grossed $464 million worldwide, and is still going strong, thanks to the upcoming 4 July holiday. 

I watched it 2 days after returning from my travels.The movie was so good, I forgot all about my jet lag and exhaustion for 2 hours.

With a $150 million budget, the production value is superb, especially the dragons which are beautifully rendered.

The most important character - Toothless, of course - is absolutely flawless in every way!

The supporting cast - including Gerard Butler and Nico Parker - are great, but the film entirely hinges on Mason Thames' performance as Hiccup.

And he does an AMAZING job.

Kudos to director Dean Deblois for selecting him from a pool of more than 300 hopefuls.

Mason fits the role perfectly, and watching Hiccup evolve from a mousey, awkward wallflower to a full-fledged hero was thrilling.

Maron's scenes with Toothless are also a testament to his acting skills. I watched behind-the-scenes footage of him interacting with puppets for these sequences, yet he's able to display such raw emotion, tugging at our heartstrings and making us reach for our tissues.

He impressed me so much that I rewatched Black Phone ( I saw it a few years ago but didn't like it ).

This round, just for Mason alone, it was time well spent.

HTTYD 2 is already in the works, with rumous that Cate Blanchett may play Valka, Hiccup's mother. ( She voiced the character in the 2014 animated version. )

Crossing my fingers that it will happen!

I'm also now a big Mason Thames fan, even more so after he revealed he loves River Phoenix and Pacific Rim - like me!

Hope he'll continue to make sound career choices and do well in the industry. 

Finally, don't forget John Powell's iconic film score, which gets updated for the remake.

I listened to the 2010 version repeatedly when I was in Iceland.

The combination of Celtic style music with beautiful scenery made me incredibly happy. :)

If you haven't watched the movie yet, it's still screening at cineplexes, so catch it ASAP.

The Most Awesome Trip Ever

This took place a few weeks ago, but I couldn't find the time to write until now.

2025 is a milestone year for me because I turned 50 in June.

I didn't want just my birthday month to be special, but to celebrate the entire year as a whole.

The first 5 months were already amazing, with events like La La Land In Concert, Adam Kay's This Is Going To Hurt, and my favourite musical of all time, The Phantom Of The Opera, not to mention meet and greets with Justin Hurwitz, Kay and Ben Forster. 

Iceland had been on my bucket list for quite a while, but I was always hesitant to go because of concerns about the weather and physical activity level.

The option to do an easy tour was available, but I felt that it would dilute the experience.

So in mid-2024, I took the plunge, booked an intense 7-day itinerary, and prepped by building up my stamina with various exercise routines.

The result: an epic, unforgettable week in the most gorgeous country I've ever seen, and the perfect setting for an important time of my life.

The trip had a rocky start.

On the morning of day 1, I followed the tour company's instruction to be at the pick-up location "by XX time", but the mini-bus didn't arrive until 45 minutes later.

And thanks to a strange policy about tour vehicles not being allowed to pick passengers up directly from hotels, I had to walk 10 minutes to an unsheltered bus-stop with my large suitcase and 2 bags.

This wouldn't have been problematic, except that morning, there was a hurricane-like wind whipping through Reykjavik at 45-50km/hr; and since I weigh less than 50kg, it almost blew me off my feet multiple times.

The 5 degrees Celsius temperature and wind chill factor added to the misery. Despite wearing appropriate attire, my teeth started to chatter and I seriously questioned my life choices haha.

Fortunately, an Indian man was at the same bus-stop waiting for another tour, so we struck up a conversation and kept each other company, even laughing at the absurdity of our situation.

Once that was over, the rest of the tour proceeded smoothly.

We had a full capacity of 18 travellers with an international mix ( USA, Australia, etc. ) mostly middle-aged to elderly, and a few going solo like me, including an American lady in her 70s.

It turned out to be a great group - friendly and caring, experienced and considerate.

Everyone kept to the tight time schedule and nobody made a fuss about anything.

Best of all, I clicked with a Malaysian-Chinese lady from Sydney - now we're friends on Facebook. :)

As for Iceland itself, words alone don't do it justice, but if you follow my social media accounts, you would've seen the spectacular photos and videos I posted.

I've travelled extensively for the past 25 years, including to countries with jaw-dropping scenery like New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway.

NZ was at the top of this list for 22 years before it was finally dethroned by Iceland.

Although it was technically the start of the summer season, daily temperatures remained at an average of 0-5 degrees Celsius.

I've never been a fan of cold weather so the first couple of days were a bit rough, but I soon acclimatized and that's when I really started to enjoy the tour.

The best way to describe Iceland is "NZ on steroids" haha.

The places I mentioned above share some similarities in terms of scenery ( majestic mountains and glaciers, gorgeous coasts, beautiful lakes ), but Icelandic nature is truly next level with an otherworldly quality.

The itinerary was also thoughtfully curated, with a distinct theme each day.

One focused on waterfalls, one had glaciers and the nearby glacier lagoon, another took us to volcanic craters, lava fields and geothermal parks.

I did a whale watching cruise and saw a whale surface just a few metres from our boat; I completed an epic 4-hour glacier hike ( so glad I trained hard for this! ); I saw wild puffins in their natural cliffside habitat ( bonus stop not on the itinerary! ); I hiked to the top of a dormant volcano, and got up close to adorable Icelandic horses at a farm.

I also enjoyed the 24-hour bright skies ( no sunset while I was there ) and wide variety of weather - aside from day 1's crazy winds, there was transient hale, snow and rain. 

When we passed through the northern region, we were surrounded by endless vistas of snow. 

It was magical. :)

The Icelandic people were also very welcoming, and the food was consistently above average to excellent, though pricey.

Best of all, tourist numbers are still much smaller compared to other nations.

The southern part had the most people, while other regions were pretty much deserted.

Coming from noisy and overcrowded Singapore, that was like heaven to me.

It didn't hit me at the time, but on hindsight, I would say that Iceland is now #1 on the list of places I've been to so far ( #2 Paris, #3 New York City ).

Will I go back one day? Very likely, and only during summer. 

I won't survive anything below zero degrees for sure. 

Conclusion:

Go to Iceland at least once in your life.

If you're fit enough, do all the physically demanding stuff which will greatly enrich the experience.

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The second leg of the trip was spent in Paris, with 2 days in Normandy.

I first visited France in 2010 - did a panoramic tour and completely fell in love with it.

I returned to Paris in 2017, and it is still my favourite city ( from a tourist's perspective of course ).

Paris was an absolute must for me for this milestone birthday, and suffice to say, my week spent there was marvelous.

Much has changed since 2017 - I noticed a lot more security and barricades at major landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur and Saint Chapelle.

Many places were also under construction - e.g. the Notre-Dame cathedral, where only the front facade was unobstructed.

This caused me great sadness because I remember back in 2010, I was able to take a leisurely 360-degree stroll around it to admire its incredible architecture.

But what struck me most were the horrendous crowds everywhere.

Compared to 8 years ago, the number of tourists has skyrocketed, though still tolerable compared to cities like Tokyo and Bangkok. ( Bangkok gave me nausea and headache. )

I'm glad that at least those in Paris have remained civil - no pushing / cutting queues / rudeness, even from the notorious PRCs.

The worst of it occurred at the Louvre, specifically in the room with the Mona Lisa.

I describe it as "controlled chaos" - I slowly oozed my way to the front, snapped a few quick photos then spent the rest of my time at other exhibits.

Overtourism has taken its toll on the Parisians, as evidenced by a strike by the Louvre's exhausted staff 2 days after my visit, and another by taxi drivers the day after my arrival.

( I feel immensely lucky to have escaped both. )

The government / authorities obviously aren't doing enough - no doubt because they're reaping billions from the influx - but it isn't just affecting the Parisians, but fellow tourists like me too.

One of the things I love most about travelling is interacting with the locals and soaking in their culture.

This is impossible when foreigners outnumber residents and entire cities become overcommercialized.

Normandy was similar, with small towns swarming with tour groups, and nothing but shops and restaurants in every direction.

I ended up shopping only at a bakery at Saint-Malo which sold unusual biscuits. Most of the other stores had almost identical souvenirs.

The 2-day tour had only 20 travellers, but everyone was very pleasant, and I especially enjoyed our overnight stay which included a group dinner.

I sat with a married couple from Brazil and a young ex-Marine from the U.S who was solo like me.

The former work at a company that manages Brazil's most popular YouTube pop culture channel, while the latter shared fascinating insights about how the U.S. military functions and its close relationship with Trump and the GOP.

Although the American didn't say outright that he's a Republican, based on his remarks, it was clear that he voted for Trump; and to his credit, he was very amused by our questions and comments about POTUS and his minions, giving us patient and diplomatic answers.

He was quite good-looking too, but sadly, we only spoke that one time and didn't exchange contact information. :)

Multiple friends have complained to me about their bad encounters in France.

While such incidents have been reported by many tourists, I personally have never had this problem.

In fact, the numerous wonderful and memorable interactions my mum and I had with the locals during our first trip in 2010 ( we went to lots of places outside Paris, including Nice, Provence, Avignon and Lyon ) were what made us love the French so much.

I remember an elderly Frenchman at a street market in Lyon who spoke minimal English and communicated with us through gestures.

He asked where we're from - when I said Singapore, he used his hands to draw the 3 towers of Marina Bay Sands hotel.

Upon recognizing the shape, I smiled and replied, "Casino!"

"Oui oui! Casino!" And the 3 of us laughed heartily.

Ahhh, j'aime la france! :)

Last but not least, I still find the French the most gorgeous people I've seen so far - another reason I keep going back haha.

But it isn't just good looks - they also possess what I call an old-world charm, especially in terms of manners.

As a solo traveller who took many long walks around Paris, I directly interacted with its residents on a regular basis ( these exclude shops, restaurants and hotels ).

At the Cimetière de Passy, I asked a handsome young Frenchman if he knew where Claude Debussy's grave is.

He didn't, but was delightfully apologetic about it, and wished me "good luck!" before we parted ways.

On another day, I spent time at the Seine, watching boats pass as I strolled along the bank.

Some of them had French schoolchildren on board, who waved and shouted "Bonjour!", and I gamely waved back.

At one of the public restrooms, I met a group of French schoolgirls ( aged around 9-10 ). I wasn't sure if they were queueing for the cubicles but they didn't understand English when I spoke to them. In the end, they giggled and politely moved to the side for me. 

Why can't kids in Singapore be like this??

Alas, it will be another 7-8 years before I return... sigh!

That's it for this entry.

Thanks for reading. :)

A Tribute To Film Composers

This entry is entirely inspired by my recent attendance of La La Land in Concert at the Esplanade Theatre 2 weeks ago, a performance which had the amazing Justin Hurwitz himself conducting the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra.

So thank you, Justin, for spurring me to write. :)

( More details about the show in the second half of this post. )

I've probably waxed lyrical about movie music intermittently on my blog, but not in a dedicated post, which is a pity because it's been such an integral part of my life.

My earliest memories of beautiful soundtracks are Superman, Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, all scored by the greatest film composer of all time, John Williams.

I wasn't even old enough to attend school yet and already knew the themes by heart.

My mum started me on piano lessons at around the same time, which cemented my love for music, but I also realized that my strongest affinity was for film soundtracks - classical and otherwise.

Over the years, she introduced me to musicals as well - Rodgers & Hammerstein, Gigi, and stars like Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse.

I then discovered other film composers like John Barry ( Out of Africa, Dances With Wolves, Indecent Proposal ), Thomas Newman ( Scent of a Woman, American Beauty ), John Powell ( How To Train Your Dragon, the Jason Bourne series ), Hans Zimmer ( Gladiator, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, Inception ), Dario Marianelli ( Pride & Prejudice, Atonement ) and Alexandre Desplat ( The Painted Veil, Little Women ).

Let's not forget luminaries like Disney's Alan Menken, whose work on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and Tangled still move me tremendously.

In my 20s and 30s, I contemplated attending overseas concerts featuring a few of my favourite composers ( John Williams was at the top of the list ), but somehow the stars didn't align.

Hans Zimmer was in Singapore for an F1 race-related concert in 2019, but I didn't go because the venue wasn't optimal.

So my next best option was to attend movie-themed local concerts, mostly by the SSO Pops, Orchestra of the Music Makers and Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, at the Esplanade and Marina Bay Sands.

The John Williams 90th Birthday Concert Gala at MBS in July 2022 was a major highlight.

I also recall attending 2 consecutive performances by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra at the Esplanade maybe 10-15 years ago ( I went for both nights because they had completely different repertoires ). They were spectacular. :)

The above preamble is meant to illustrate my lifelong and very deep love for movie music, to give you a better understanding of how the La La Land in Concert experience affected me.

I was blown away by the film in December 2016 - you can read my review here.

I was definitely excited about Justin's presence at the show, but the event itself far exceeded my expectations.

As I listened to the soaring melodies, watching the scenes on the big screen as Justin waved his baton, the reality of being able to share this with the actual composer sank in.

It was a combination of surreal and poignant, and the feeling was completely overwhelming because this was the culmination of decades of what I would describe as a great passion for this genre, though sadly from afar.

That night, when I was able to personally witness the music's creator leading an orchestra on stage, that distance finally dissipated, resulting in an unprecedented level of euphoria. 

Justin's impressive list of accomplishments ( 4 Oscar nominations with 2 wins, 4 Golden Globe wins, 5 Grammy nominations with 2 wins ) and the sweeping-romantic-musical style of La La Land ( a personal favourite ) also heightened the intensity of the experience.

Hopefully, this won't be the only such concert I ever attend ( event organizers, please step up and bring more film composers to Singapore ), but it has the distinction of being the first, and the way my memory works, this will be branded into my brain cells forever. :)

Last but not least, I reiterate my immeasurable gratitude to Justin for doing meet-and-greets after every performance.

Although these aren't unique to Singapore, M&G decisions are entirely up to each artist, and in my personal opinion, anyone this famous who consciously and diligently does them deserves a medal.

On the final night of the concert series ( 3 shows in total ), I can imagine how exhausted he must have been ( don't forget the jet lag ). The line stretched from the foyer to the basement ( I know 'cos I deliberately chose to be last in the queue ), and took at least 90 minutes to clear.

Being a mature adult who's met my fair share of celebrities in various moods, I didn't expect him to be chatty, so I did most of the talking while he listened patiently and responded intermittently. He looked fatigued but never stopped smiling, so a big thumbs up for that!

I'm glad I was able to commission a custom made poster for him, thanks to the 3 months' advance notice since my ticket automatically included an M&G. Hope he likes it. :)

4 years ago when the whole world was in lockdown mode, I replaced my old piano and curated a collection of film music scores to play. Recently, I added selected pieces from La La Land to the set. It's a pasttime that really elevates my happy chemicals. 

The Hurwitz Concerts company replied to my comment on Instagram, promising to bring their shows back to Singapore ( yes!! ). On my wish list - that Justin will return to conduct music from all his movies. That would be truly awesome. 

This post is long overdue and cathartic! Thanks for reading and please leave a comment. :)

The 2024 Rundown - Favourite Stage Shows

Here we go!

Starting with this list first since there's no event scheduled till 2025.

( p.s. all photos were taken by me )

#5: Taylor Swift - National Stadium, March 2024

I don't consider myself a Swiftie, but felt compelled to see her at least once in my life, and a 3-plus hour concert was the best time to do it.

Tay-Tay did not disappoint, displaying lots of energy and showmanship, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

Kudos to the fans as well, for their infectious enthusiasm and consideration for others.

The latter was most evident at the Stadium MRT station, where everyone obediently followed the ushers' instructions so we could enter safely.

#4: Trevor Noah - Star Theatre, June 2024

Didn't manage to take any photos for this one, but he was nothing short of incredible, performing 3 sell-out shows.

I last saw him in 2019 ( laughed till I cried ).

This time round, he was equally funny, though I didn't shed any tears haha.

One of the best parts of his shows is his keen observation of local culture.

He did this 5 years ago and stuck to the same formula, with terrific results.

I also enjoyed his jokes about Trump, but the highlight was the impromptu segment, where the audience lobbed random questions and received witty replies.

Watching him during my birthday week was a huge bonus!

Hope it won't take another 5 years for him to return.

#3: Ed Sheeran - National Stadium, February 2024

Thanks to a friend's amazing luck, I was in the 4th row - the closest I've ever been to Ed - and it completely altered the experience.

The previous time I watched him at the Indoor Stadium was already magical.

But this show gave me a high that lasted for weeks.

Compared to Taylor's performance which had lots of bells and whistles, Ed stayed his minimalist self, which I feel greatly enhanced the performance.

Together with his trusty looper machine, a 360-degree rotating stage and intermittent pyrotechnics, he had everyone under his spell.

#2: OneRepublic - The Padang, September 2024

Their F1 gig was a late announcement, and to be honest, I was initially hesitant about going 'cos my last Padang show was 7 years ago and I've reached that age where standing in a sweaty crowd for hours is no longer appealing.

But go I did, after finding a friend/colleague and fellow 1R fan to accompany me.

Compared to their 2017 F1 concert, this seemed more tame, or maybe the people around me just weren't as effusive.

The last 30 minutes, however, took a sharp turn when the skies opened up and a heavy downpour began.

While some started leaving, most - myself included - braved the rain and stayed on.

The sudden change in weather also had a major effect on Ryan Tedder, whose energy level spiked, causing him to jump off the stage and mingle with those nearby.

This photo is definitely one of my favourites this year, effectively conveying our euphoria. 

It was also a memorable first for me, i.e. the first time I watched an outdoor concert in the rain. I got thoroughly drenched, but doing this with OneRepublic was absolutely perfect. :)

#1: Take That - Star Theatre, October 2024

Why did this trio take the top spot, despite not being superstars and attracting fewer than 5000 fans?

I have a LONG history with these guys.

First, TT is my all-time favourite boy band.

Second, I'm still a fan, which makes it 32 years and counting ( their debut album came out in 1992 ).

Third, this was only the second time I managed to watch them on stage.

The first show was around 20 years ago at the Indoor Stadium.

They returned once or twice but I abstained 'cos I didn't like the venues.

This concert was a wonderful reunion for all of us.

The large number of Brits in the audience made a huge difference, as their energy and deafening screams got us locals revved up.

Everyone was on their feet from the first minute and the screams continued until the encore.

I was a little sad that Jason and Robbie were absent, but Gary, Howard and Mark more than made up for it.

They've aged beautifully - slim, full heads of thick hair, still boyish - and their physical fitness enabled them to reproduce dance moves from early uptempo hits like Pray and Relight My Fire.

I was in the 5th row with excellent close-up views. Unfortunately, I didn't muster the courage to go right up to the front to see if I could get a handshake or high-five.

I'm notoriously bad at remembering lyrics, but had zero problem recalling those for TT songs. Belting along with my idols was so cathartic!

The early '90s were a fabulous period of my life ( that and the entire '80s ).

Really hope they'll come back soon.

More rundowns to follow at a later date. Thanks for reading! 

Trying Again

As 2024 comes to a close, I realize it's been 3 years since my last blog entry.

There're a few reasons I haven't written for so long - fatigue being the main one, a combination of work and hormones.

Much has also happened since 2021.

The COVID pandemic finally ended, borders opened up and the world ( kind of ) returned to normal. I started travelling solo on a regular basis, and my social circle opened up tremendously because I no longer have caregiving duties.

A milestone birthday is coming up, which might be why I decided to revive this site.

Despite not being a fan of labels, I'm making an exception and calling 2025 "my year of celebration and adventure".

Already have an overseas trip to 2 countries booked - one that I'll be visiting for the first time and includes quite a bit of physical exertion, and another which I've been to before but love immensely, hence why I want to be there for this special occasion.

Am now contemplating a second trip in late 2025, also with an intense itinerary ( this is becoming one of my travel preferences haha ).

Anyway, another post will follow at the end of December, with a list of my favourite movies / series / books / concerts and other memorable events from 2024.

I hope my regular readers will return, and do post your comments to let me know your thoughts.

Till next time!

Review: Succession season 3

I've followed this series since its first season in 2018, but this is only my second blog post about it, despite its big Emmy wins last year for a spectacular season 2.

It just crossed the halfway mark for season 3, and I can safely say it's going to surpass Dexter as my favourite TV show.

That's how terrific it is.

Sadly, no one in my social circles watches it, but there's a great fan club on Facebook, and we have the best time dissecting each new episode and delving deep into past storylines.

For the uninitiated, Succession is about the fictional Roy family, which owns a business empire called Waystar/Royco.

Primarily a media industry player, it also runs cruises and parks.

The head of the family is Logan, who has four children - Connor, Kendall, Siobhan and Roman.

Connor is a slacker who spends his time and allowance on frivolous pursuits; Kendall and Roman help dad with the business; Siobhan spent seasons 1 and 2 running a U.S. Presidential candidate's campaign, before being recruited for the family business in season 3.

The main arc of the show is the power struggle between Logan and Kendall, as the latter tries repeatedly to wrestle control of the company from a man he views as out of touch, as well as physically and mentally frail.

But there're also lots of subplots, mostly involving sibling rivalry, scheming and law-breaking.

It's impossible for me go into specific details because every episode is so jam-packed with memorable and shocking events, it makes my head spin.

And season 3 is even more unbelievable, with episodes 3 and 5 destined for eternal greatness. 

I've already watched seasons 1 and 2 twice, and am currently rewatching all the current season's episodes just to make sure I don't miss anything.

One of its greatest attributes is the writing.

Aside from the numerous twists and turns in the story, Succession's trademark is its wit, or more accurately, its unapologetically vulgar and politically incorrect humour.

In the current climate of tiresome tip-toeing around everything like it's a ticking time bomb, it's a breath of fresh air to hear people saying what they really think, even if it's clearly offensive.

To have a better understanding of Succession's essence, I recommend this compilation of clips from the show. 

No surprise that my favourite comedy series of all time is Seinfeld, which also skewers political sensitivities with glee.

Another of the show's strengths is its characters.

The Roy family is what I call a paradox. 

Every single member is nasty and self-serving in his/her own way, but we still love them.

In one episode, Logan's brother says they're "a nest of vipers" who will "wrap themselves around you and suffocate you".

But in the FB fan group, there're different teams rooting for various characters. ( FYI, I'm Team Kendall. :))

Maintaining this fine balance for 3 seasons is no small feat, and major kudos to the writers for achieving something that most cannot.

The magic ingredient, of course, is weakness.

Even the most vile being in the universe has one, and the Roys are no exception.

All of them suffer from hubris, resulting in lack of insight, bad decisions and a variety of disasters.

But each sibling also demonstrates insecurity and fear at one point or another, and vies for Logan's attention and approval like it's The Hunger Games.

If the parent-child relationship isn't warped enough, season 3 has the siblings turning on one another, with an exceptionally brutal exchange between Kendall and Siobhan.

Last but not least, the cast.

I can't begin to describe how amazing all the actors are, but my favourites are Jeremy Strong and Matthew MacFadyen.

Jeremy plays Kendall, aka the son who's constantly locked in an epic battle with his terrifying father.

From the very first episode of season 1, I knew Jeremy was really special, and my instinct turned out to be 100% correct when he won the Emmy for best actor in a drama series last year.

Kendall is, in my opinion, the most complex character in the show - deeply flawed and occasionally deplorable, but somehow likable and worth rooting for. 

He has good intentions but often fails miserably in the execution phase. He wants to dethrone Logan and become CEO, but is so thin-skinned he hides in a dark room and wallows in despair when Siobhan issues a press statement about his drug habits.

He sometimes says or does the craziest, stupidest thing, then in the next moment, gives a brilliant speech at a congressional hearing and saves a vital business deal from imploding.

His relationship with Logan is nail-bitingly unstable, with the latter having the upper hand most of the time.

Many fans - myself included - hope Kendall will finally get what he wants this season.

Apologies for digressing.

I described Kendall in great detail to illustrate what a complex character he is, and how challenging it is to portray him.

It's a testament to Jeremy's immense talent that we're able to see and feel Kendall's emotional turmoil, and most importantly, become invested in his journey and fervently hope he succeeds.

Matthew plays a more peripheral character, i.e. Tom Wambsgans, Siobhan's fiance and later husband.

Tom isn't a nice guy at all, and naturally elicits a lot of negative comments on the fan group.

But this is exactly why he's worthy of special mention.

Even though Tom is technically a minor character, he's been given a disproportionately large number of unforgettable scenes and lines.

And Matthew pounces on every opportunity by hamming it up and burning every moment into our brains.

What's even more fun is the fact that Matthew's British and most well-known for his role as the dour, uptight Mr. Darcy in 2005's Pride & Prejudice.

I'm always amused by the stark contrast, and awed by his versatility.

Another fun fact about the cast is the freedom they're given to improvise the dialogue.

I found out about this in a few interviews, and it definitely adds more flavour to the viewing experience!

It really makes me wonder how many of the best lines were scripted versus off the cuff, and whether any of the latter changed the trajectory of the plot.

Succession season 4 was confirmed in late October, so we'll be seeing more of the Roys ( hopefully in late 2022 - please don't make us wait too long! ).

If you enjoyed this post, please watch the show!

Review: Midnight Mass

I've been trying to figure out how to write a proper review without including any spoiler, and my conclusion is that it's impossible. 

So if you haven't seen this yet, are planning to do so, and don't want to know the details beforehand, PLEASE STOP READING NOW. 

Mdinight Mass comes from Mike Flanagan, who helmed the excellent The Haunting of Hill House and the okay-only The Haunting of Bly Manor. 

That alone is a big clue regarding this series' genre and theme. 

The first episode started off very slowly, taking its time to introduce characters with nothing much else occurring. 

Episode 2 was equally leisurely, with only some excitement in the last 10 minutes, when a "miracle" takes place. 

Things start cooking from episode 3 onwards, and considering my high threshold for surprises, Flanagan did not disappoint. 

In a nutshell, an elderly priest from a small town takes a trip to the Middle East, gets lost, ends up in a cave and meets - I kid you not - a vampire. He gets bitten, the vamp feeds him its blood in return, the priest becomes young again, returns to the town and bring the vamp with him. 

The priest then uses the vampire blood during communion, resulting in a few "miracles" - e.g. a paralyzed girl gets up and walks, a sickly old lady becomes healthy again. 

Problems arise when the priest and a few religious fanatics decide to "bless" the entire town with immortality by feeding everyone a cocktail of poison and vampire blood, calling the creature an angel and carrying out mass murder during Easter to celebrate Christ's resurrection. 

Are you still with me? ;) 

It sound totally nuts when you read it, but kudos to Flanagan for being able to weave these ideas into something actually coherent and compelling. 

Factors contributing to this: 

1. Correct pacing 

I mentioned how slowly the story moves, which turns out to be advantageous. 

It helps to stage the shocking scenes further apart initially, before escalating in the last couple of episodes. There's a lot of dialogue in between the scary parts, most of which involve theological discussions / debates, which interest me greatly because I've been on both sides of religion ( former Christian turned atheist ). 

2. Great writing 

Compared to Flanagan's previous The Haunting... series, Midnight Mass definitely has the best script. And that's considering the very high bar set by Hill House. 

My most important advice to viewers is to be patient, and to pay close attention. The former because the story builds up gradually, the latter because every line of dialogue has significance. 

I was particularly drawn to the theological themes, which cover many Bible chapters and verses, with differing opinions from multiple characters. 

Some topics are perennial ( i.e. if God exists, why does he allow bad things to happen? Why doesn't he save the innocent? ), others new to me ( e.g. how to interpret Hebrews 9:14 correctly ). 

The Hebrews verse is especially interesting: "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" 

In the show, the characters use this to justify murder, the same way they call the vampire an angel, even though I'm sure they know it's evil and an abomination. 

What's also interesting is that the most devout of the Christians is the one who ends up twisting scripture to suit her own agenda. 

I found this the most significant element of the series, as it highlights the mentality of quite a large number of pious people ( in all religions, not just Christianity ). 

I was a devout Christian for about 15 years before I decided it wasn't for me. During that time, I encountered many church members whose beliefs and behaviour irritated, disgusted and shocked me.

For example, one woman claimed she resurrected a dead person, even though no one else witnessed the incident and she never brought this person to church to give a testimony. This same woman also convinced a young couple to refuse surgery for their child who had heart disease, telling them an operation was against God's will, that God would heal their child as long as they prayer fervently. The child died, and the couple left the church. No formal complaint or police report was ever filed. 

At another church, my cell group leader claimed sole credit when one of the members conceived after trying for many years, even though many of us prayed for her over a prolonged period of time. The CGL's exact comment was, "Oh, I prayed for her, that's why she got pregnant." 

So what are the rest of us - completely useless? 

There're many other examples of bad Christians but I won't write about them here. I think you get the general idea. That said, even though I've left the church and don't believe in the existence of any God, I have close friends from different religions, but they're not preachy or self-righteous. We even engage in healthy debates from time to time, so one's religious affiliation ( or lack of ) isn't a factor where friendship is concerned. Rather, it's your character. 

I've often been told that Christians are far from perfect, that I shouldn't judge the religion by its followers. My switch to atheism is multifactorial. Disillusion is a major component, but I think I've just never been fully invested, with a half-in half-out perspective of the Bible, which to this day doesn't really interest me that much. 

Apologies for the rant. Moving on... 

3. The cast ... is absolutely stellar. 

The biggest standout is Hamish Linklater, who plays the aforementioned priest. He isn't a very prominent actor but this role was made for him. 

He appears in many scenes, many of which are physically and emotionally demanding, and he nails every single one. 

Whether fervently preaching a sermon, orchestrating a miracle, quietly counselling a recovering alcoholic, or licking a dying man's blood off the floor ( I'm not kidding ) - he gives it everything he's got. 

I expect Golden Globe and Emmy nominations in 2022. Don't disappoint me please! 

There are of course plot holes here and there. 

Why is there only one vampire? Why is the transformation variable? ( You can become a vamp just by drinking its blood, but others turn after being killed by it first. Huh? ) How come the priest-vampire can handle the Bible, holy water, the crucifix and communion wafers? If the paralyzed girl and old lady became healthy after drinking vampire blood, why didn't they turn into full vampires? 

Another blemish is the final episode, in which the entire town is burned down, leaving only a church recreation centre for all the vampires to take refuge in after sunrise. So when one of the non-vamps torches the centre, everyone gets screwed. 

This was just plain stupid. 

Luckily it's at the end of the show, otherwise I might've stopped watching. 

So my final rating is 8/10. 

Worth watching, but quite out there so won't be to everyone's liking. 

Would be interesting to find out if Flanagan's Catholic / Christian / an atheist. Will find a few online articles to read when I have time.