Movie 2009.01.17 - Kung Fu Panda

I've already watched Kung Fu Panda on TV, but it's so good we have to watch it again. This time on outdoor cinema at The Overflow. WHQ and I got to Olympic Park half an hour before the movie starts. Guess what? The whole place if filled with cars. The 2-hour parking areas are full. The 1-hour parking areas are full. The nearby carparks are full. The Barinas and Echos and Yarises and Minis had it good because they were able to park in places where they're not supposed to park. And the Overflow area is overflowing with people. We didn't see this with The Spiderwick Chronicles.

I was really tempted to give this a pass. My brother called and convinced us to come along, saying that they've already reserved a good spot. On second thought, I also wanted to meet my sister's friend, so we stayed. In the end, it was worth it. The movie is as funny as the first time I watched it. Even my brother was laughing out loud.

Movie 2009.01.16 - The Spiderwick Chronicles

Another not-so-good movie. I like my movies to stick to one theme - fantasy, family, feel-good, drama, suspense; not all of them at the same time. And that is what this movie is trying to be.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is about a bunch of kids who discovered a field guide to fairies, compiled by their great-grandfather or something. Soon after, they start seeing magical creatures who try to protect them and the book. They are also being constantly harassed by monsters and goblins, who want the book so that their ogre boss can take over the fairies.

At one critical junction, when the kids where being chased by Mulgarath inside their home, one of the kids threw away the book out into the lawn. Mulgarath changed into a raven and chased after the book, where he is promptly eaten by Hogsqueal, a good hobgoblin.

Movie 2009.01.14 - 2001: Space Odyssey

I have to admit that watching 2001: Space Odyssey was a unique experience. But "greatest movie of all time"? I don't think so. For one, it's trying too hard to be an art film. When the movie first started, you have like 3 minutes of nothing. (Insert picture of Earth rising over Moon, and cue the Thus Spake Zarathustra theme.) Then pictures and pictures of landscapes and vistas of Africa. The sequence showing the human-like apes discovering the jet-black monolith and learning how to use tools is awesome though. I had a hard time figuring out whether the apes are real or not. Magnificent acting.

Considering the film was made in 1968, the special effects and outer space sequences are very good. You've got a spaceship on a Jupiter mission, astronauts doing space walks, space pod chasing space pod. Really nicely done, unlike the new Star Wars episodes. I didn't get the last scene though - a baby fetus inside a glowing bubble, floating in outer space, looking at Earth.

Get Me to the Church on Time

WHQ is attending Mass from 9am to 10am, and we're supposed to have a chat with Father John afterward. I got delayed a bit. By the time I got to the church at 10:10am, WHQ and her mom has just about finished talking to him. Anyway, Father John took note of the wedding date, and said he'll talk to us soon. Went to Westfield Burwood to buy some dishes for lunch, then spent most of the day working on the layout and design and the text of the invitation. Afternoon, we went to Officeworks to buy a Canon Pixma MX310 to replace the defective Epson printer. (Print, scan, copy, and fax - what more can you ask for?) By the end of the day, we have a proper working invitation, complete with envelope.

The Pamanhikan

WHQ and I have been engaged for nearly a month now. When her Mom came back from overseas, she "suggested" that me and my parents drop by for a visit. Uh-oh, I've been to WHQ's house lots of times, so I guess the visit is more for the parents. Do I hear "pamanhikan"?

Don't bother looking the word up in the dictionary because it's in Tagalog. It's a Filipino tradition (from the Spanish?) where the groom's family visits the bride's family to officially ask for her hand (and the person that goes with it) in marriage. I was really surprised when this was first mentioned because all along I thought just the engagement is enough. It's not like we had a formal engagement, but I did pop the question, and she said yes, and all the parents knew about this. On second thought, it's not a bad idea since the parent's haven't really met each other.

So what happens during a pamanhikan? Do I have to make the marriage proposal again? Should my dad talk to her parents? Should we bring along chickens and cows and offer them as gifts? Should I stay behind afterwards and mow their lawn? I really have no idea, but this is what we did. I, my parents and my brother (even number) set out to WHQ's house with a Michel's cake and some fruits. There, introductions were made and everybody sat down in the living room. There were some initial confusion as to who is supposed to serve the cake and tea to whom, but eventually, everybody had a share. The parents talked about "normal" topics about adjusting to life in Sydney, the weather, etc. Slowly, (or was it suddenly?), the topic shifted to the wedding date, church arrangements, where to have the reception, color motifs, etc. As it is already nearing lunchtime, we decided to continue the discussion over yum cha at the Crystal Seafood Restaurant.

And so ended the pamanhikan. Whew!

Not one to waste time, we pressed on to Parklea Markets after lunch to buy envelopes and stationery for the wedding invitation. Not an easy job, considering there are so many types and colors of envelopes and papers. Worse, WHQ can't decide whether to go for gold or green or purple or cream. Took her about an hour or so, but she managed to buy something.

Melbourne - Day Four

Today is reserved for Philip Island. My brother reckons we have enough time, so we drove to the Docklands precint first. Lots of spaces but not enough shops. Lunch at the food court, then off to the Shrine of Remembrance. By 2:30pm, we were on our way to the Philip Island Nature Park. More traffic on the road. Got to Philip Island around 5pm already. We were told that the penguin parade starts around 7:30pm, so we went to see The Nobbies first. Supposed to have lots of seals lounging about on the Seal Rocks, but we didn't see any. We did get to see the Nobbies Blowhole at the end of the boardwalk though. The wind is blowing hard, there are strong waves smashing into the rocks, which made the blowhole all the more spectacular.

By 6pm, we were parked at the Philip Island Nature Park. It was a very good parking spot, too. Right at the first exit. Then we noticed that our car is very low on fuel. I know there's a petrol station a few kilometers down the road. Instead of waiting till the end of the penguin parade, might as well top up now. We were gone for only about half an hour. By the time we came back, all the parking lots were full, and we had to park in an open grassy lot with hundreds of other cars. Worse, we got to the stands late. Fortunately, a group moved away, and gave us their seats.

Took a while for the little penguins to come wading in. Those guys were really small and hard to spot amidst the rocks and the pigeons standing around. As more and more penguins filed in, even my parents were able to see them. On our way back to the Visitor Centre, you can see the little penguins wandering about, calling out, and looking for their little holes. Worth the long wait, the cold winds, and the entrance fee.

Melbourne - Day Three

For today, the plan is to visit the Twelve Apostles via the Great Ocean Road. Made a quick detour to the Queen Victoria Market for some Sunday shopping. Mom bought a crystal flower for her altar, while I bought an egg-shaped jewelry case for GF. Had some snacks, then started our drive to Port Campbell. Traffic is quite bad. Seems like everyone else on the road is taking the Great Ocean Road. Stopped by a town called Anglesea for lunch.

By 3pm, we're still on Great Ocean Road, and nowhere near the Twelve Apostles. Took a short detour to check out the Spit Point Lighthouse. After some quick picture-taking, we're back on the road. Got to Port Campbell National Park around 4pm. Half an hour later, we're done with the Apostles. The place is super windy and freezing cold. In our haste to get back to the city, we got caught speeding by a hidden police car. No wonder very few people is using that long narrow stretch of road. Got back to our hotel around midnight already. No one is in the mood for dinner, so we just bought some takeaway chicken wraps from Hungry Jacks.

Melbourne - Day Two

Today's agenda is simply to explore the city. Had a quick breakfast at our serviced apartment, then off we go. First stop is the Carlton Gardens. Took some photographs of the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building. It was completed in 1880 in time for the Melbourne International Exhibition. It also holds the distinction of being the first building in Australia to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Nearby is the Melbourne Musuem. Entry to the museum is free for seniors. Next stop is the Victorian Parliament House for more picture taking. Nearby are St. Peter's Anglican Church with a statue of Christ on a cross at a street corner and St. Patrick's Cathedral where photography is not allowed. This I found out too late. We then walked down to Russell Street, and had lunch at a Chinese restaurant.

We made our way along Flinders to St. Paul's Cathedral, where we waited for the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle. Lots of other people had the same idea. Half an hour later, the hop-on hop-off bus took us to the Docklands shopping centres with the Southern Star Observation Wheel, Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Aquarium, the Shrine of Remembrance, Royal Botanic Garden, Chinatown, etc. We got off at the Arts Centre, and spent some time at the National Gallery of Victoria. Very similar in atmosphere to the Art Gallery of NSW. We walked along the Yarra River promenade, and had snacks at the Southbridge. Stayed around Crown Casino a bit to watch their hourly(?) Christmas show in the lobby.

From there, we caught a tram to bring us back to Parliament House, where we parked our car in the morning. Drove to St. Kilda Beach for a look-see. By the time we finished touring the nearby Luna Park, we didn't want to see the beach anymore. The wind picked up, and it started getting very very cold. So back to the car we went and back to the hotel where we had pizzas and chicken wings delivered for dinner.

Melbourne - Day One

First day on our road trip to Melbourne is pretty uneventful. We left Sydney around 7:15am. My brother and I were driving, and we took turns at the wheel every two hours. First stop is at Gosford, where the Big Merino is. Breakfast at McDonald's. Next stop is at Goubourn. Lunch at Hungry Jack's and a full tank of petrol for the car. We had a short stop at this town called Holwich. The sign says "Holbrook Submarine Town", so I had to stop and look for the submarine. The town is quite small, and the submarine is parked right beside the main road. I don't think we're anywhere near the coast. No idea how the submarine ended up here. Would've liked to check out the sub, but it's pretty hot out in the open, and everyone's in a hurry to reach Melbourne, so we drove on.

Got to Melbourne around 5:30pm. First thing I noticed are the many flyovers and exits and the toll charges that go along with them. Checked in at Quest on Dorcas (right beside Royal Botanic Gardens), then drove straight to the CBD. The good thing about Melbourne is that the place is always alive and kicking. Many of the shops were already closed, but there's still lots of people about. Dinner is at the Yoyogi Japanese Cafe. Strangely enough, the owner and all the staff are Chinese. Today being Boxing Day, we went to David Jones (and Myer) for some late-night window-shopping.