mrbrown.com

See What Show: Brotherhood of Blades

My buddies and I watched Brotherhood of Blades (绣春刀) in Penang because we were bored (hey you can only have six meals a day before you run out of space for awesome hawker food).

Also, movie tickets in Malaysia are so much cheaper than Singapore.

Didn't know a single Chinese actor or actress there but the made-in-China movie was not bad. Great fight scenes and a conspiracy plot that was actually easy to follow.

The story is about three sworn brothers-in-arms in the Ming Dynasty, who are lowly Imperial Assassins (kind of like Black Ops grunts) in over their heads with political intrigue, conspiracies and evil plots.

The women in the movie were generally 花瓶, to look cute or helpless, which was annoying. And sometimes, the acting was over the top.

Once in a while, you see a lost-looking extra who is supposed to be an elite soldier looking like an clueless recruit just out of BMT.

Still, production values remained generally high. Sometimes the show gets a little too violent for my taste.

The Chinese language used in the dialogue was cheem, flowery and beautiful, even to someone like me, whose Chinese isn't that great. Still, I was thankful for English subtitles.

When in Penang…

One must always take photos with its icons.

Tech Blog of the Year leh

Wow, thanks Stuff Singapore! And readers of Stuff Singapore!

You Shall Not Pass

A well-dressed middle-aged man wearing a lanyard with ID knocked on my door.

"Hello, we are conducting spalling concrete works over the weekend and we are here to do a pre-inspection."

"May I see your authorization letter? Are you from HDB?" I asked.

"Er, we are a private contractor."

"My home is fine, thanks."

Nice try, dude.

New tourist attraction at Bukit Batok

Bukit Batok has a new tourist attraction: Gardens by the Rats.

That may explain why these people have gathered to watch 22 men try to catch them all.

The infestation was blamed on residents feeding the stray dogs which apparently led to the rats coming out to eat the leftovers.

If this were an opposition ward, the authorities would probably blame the town council.

People feed stray dogs in other estates all the time, why rats don't come out like this leh?

My youngest daughter, when she saw the Bukit Batok rats in the news video, went "Awwwww!"

I blame Disney.

Maybe they can throw a tent around the Bukit Batok area and start a rat circus. Call it Cirque du 鼠 Leh.

[photos via TODAY]

Let's rename the most useless taxi app in the world, made by the LTA

The response to the most useless taxi app in the world, made by the Land Transport Authority, was swift. The app lets you see the cabs in your vicinity, but cannot be used to book any of them.

The app is named Taxi-Taxi@SG, and the tagline is, without any self-irony, "Taxi Taxi, where are you?"

I suggested that my readers #RenameTaxiAppByLTA and here were some suggestions.

1. @mrbrown: SeeTaxi #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

2. @mrbrown: WhatTaxi #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

3. @mrbrown: CrapTaxi #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

4. @mrbrown: LookNotBookTaxi #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

5. @mrbrown: OohBlur #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

6. Jermyn Wee: TaxiGoWhere #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

7. @avalon: KuaTaxi #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

8. @mrbrown: TaxiNoEnough #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

9. @omgitsjy: TaxSee #renametaxiappbylta

10. @Geoffreeeyy: BoTaxi #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

11. @lupcheong: 德不到士 #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

12. @lupcheong: No Cab for Cutie #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

13. @dead_cockroach: #NinjaTaxi? #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

14. @st_meow: CatchNoCab #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

15. @mrbrown: TaxiKosong #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

16. @mrbrown: ChangingShift #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

17. @munchykinss: YouWaitLongLong #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

18. @lupcheong: Flipbird #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

19. @northernstarlit: Turn Up For What #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

20. @DanielFoodDiary: NotVeryEasyTaxi #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

21. @funkshin: Dude, Where's my Cab? #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

22. @miyagi: AngryNoWhere #RenameTaxiAppByLTA

LTA launches App of the Year

LTA launches a taxi app that lets you see available taxis around you… but does not let you book taxis. Slow clap.

LTA Can't-Book-a-Taxi taxi app: "Hey look, another available taxi you can't book! Hey look, another available taxi you can't book! Hey look, another available taxi you can't book!"

Isn't it fun to monitor taxi movement, folks?

LTA statement: "With this information, commuters can better decide whether to continue waiting for a taxi on the street, walk to a location with more available taxis, book a taxi instead, or make alternative transport arrangements."

Yeah right.

I suggest that LTA takes this app to the back of the barn and shoot it, to put it out of its misery.

Unibrow Minion brown

Saw this in my Camera Roll the other day. That's not a good look for me.

Mind the Bird

Someone spotted this pigeon in the MRT today. Maybe it decided that Joo Koon was too far to fly to. After all, it's a 鸟不生蛋的地方…

[via Reddit and Imgur]

Unless you're referring to Dr Christmas Jones

I like Christmas and all but I'm not sure I'm ready to take it to the next level.

[via HWZ forum user AlmondShell]

mrbrown goes to Japan (as seen on the Tom Bihn blog)

Kumoba-ike Pond (雲場池), also nicknamed Swan Lake.

My photos (and a packing video) from a recent Japan trip is on the Tom Bihn blog (I am just a huge fan of their bags and there is no commercial arrangemment). Go look.

Tom Bihn blog: mrbrown goes to Japan

Tom Bihn blog: Packing the Co-Pilot and Synapse 19 for 9 Days in Japan

I am trying to catch up on my travel updates and photo editing, so rest assured, more photos and posts to come. Especially want to share the lovely Airbnb places I stayed while in Japan. Here is a peek at the lovely cottage we stayed in at Karuizawa.

Here is the backyard…

I know. It is gorgeous. We were there just as autumn turned into winter and the leaves were in striking red, and the weather cool and lovely.

Who is your daddy and what does he do?

Came back from vacation and went to the office today. Found some new Nerf guns sent to me. Come with me if you want to live.

(Thanks, Hasbro!)

Thou shalt take the little packets of sugar

Over breakfast in the hotel room, I said to the wife: "Do you want some sugar with that tea? I have some sugar packets I saved from the restaurant and plane."

Oh. My. Gosh. I have become my mummy.

Not this mummy…

Not only that, during the entire trip, I was making a checklist of things I must add to my travel packing list, like 2-in-1 coffee, instant noodles, and the little thingie that boils water in a cup.

I actually found leftover 2-in-1 coffee in side pocket of my luggage, because we borrowed mom's medium-sized suitcase. I remember thinking to myself, "Bless her, now I have coffee to drink in the cold Paris morning."

There were also leftover disposable travel toothbrush/toothpaste sets in there, and a foldable shopping bag which was useful for my trips to the laundromat.

A foldable shopping bag is also essential when you go to the supermarket (they charge €0.15 for a miserable plastic bag that breaks easily). I know exactly which one I plan to buy, the Tom Bihn shop bag .

And when you travel with small children, you also save packets of ketchup and mayo from the McD's. Also useful, plastic cutlery.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to run out and buy some milk at the Paris provision shop. I don't know what they call that here in France, Le Chahp Feau Peau?

By the way, that's not my hotel room above. It's Napolean III's apartment at the Lourve and somewhat above my budget.