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Tuesday, December 28, 2004

All I wanted for Xmas was my Ultimate Matrix Box Set but I got taxed for it.

Was in Singapore for Xmas. My first time to experience Xmas in such grand scale. Took the Senandung Malam train again on Thursday nite (23 Dec). Reached Sg in the morning. Checked in to Holiday Inn ParkView, in Orchard Road area. The Music

Wasting no time, I went around music shops in Orchard Road like a butterfly, flying from flower to flower. At the end my bag was filled with the following titles: The Ultimate Matrix – 10 DVDs box set (Matrix trilogy and then some) Britney Spears - Greatest Hit: My Prerogative DVD (My eyes almost popped out watching Britney steaming up my tv screen with Toxic karaoke video. She was practically naked underneath those strategically placed diamond studs with whatever left of her decency covered by the karaoke lyrics.) Kylie – I Believe in You CD Single (very Erasure-ish, very 80’s hummable tune) Brandy – Who is She 2U CD Maxi Single (one of my fave R&B songstress) Hilary Duff – Fly CD Single (This is an impulse buy…I regretted it) Josh Groban – Live at The Greek (1 CD + 1 DVD) (Great voice, bad hair dude) Stephanie Sun’s The Moment (2 CD greatest Hits + 1 VCD) Dolly Parton – Live & Well (2 CDs) (No…This is not for me. It’s for a friend) I, Robot (Will Smith) VCD Yesterday Once More (Sammi Chang & Andy Lau) VCD Ashes of Time (Wong Kar Wai directed) VCD The Movies

In between the shopping, managed to watch 3 movies, all sequels. (Warning: Spoilers)

1) Blade 3 – Trinity : Crappy storyline, even crappier lines for the actors. I like the first and sequel but this one sucks. The vampire villain is not even menacing – looks a lot like a weak cousin of the Predator. Not even Wesley Snipe can save this bloody (pardon the pun) movie. 2) Meet The Fockers – Hilarious. I enjoyed it very much. I felt like I was the only one laughing out loud in the cinema. Was it me or the Singaporeans? 3) Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason. Hilarious but sometimes I just wanna give that Bee-shit Jones (as the Thai pronounced it) as good slap for not knowing how lucky she was having a wonderful guy who cares very much for her. Stoopid woman! Happy ending with great soundtrack. The Xmas

The Good: Colourful lights. Great atmosphere. Caroling. Cute girls with Santa hats and cutesy raindeer horns on their heads. Dancing Xmas trees. The Bad: Traffic. Hordes of people. I think the whole population of Singapore flooded to Orchard on Xmas eve. Human stampede risk at its highest. The Ugly: Colour String and fake snow spray war. Spraying each other with fake snow from aerosol cans equal Xmas fun? I just don’t get it.

The Tax (Insert Expletive here!)

At the Tanjong Pagar KTM check point I was told to open up my bag for custom inspection. Insert Expletive here! Previously, I could go pass the checkpoint with no problem. This time a custom officer named Lau insisted I open up my bags for a thorough inspection. (Insert expletive here!). He took out my DVD box set and all my CDs and told me that he had to tax me SGD 60. (Insert expletive here). What? 30% Tax? That would be RM144! I didn’t know of such tax! Puaka cekik darah! I told him that I didn’t have that much money. I flipped through the notes in my wallet…All I had was SGD 30. He agreed to take it. I tried to “bargain” it down to 20 but that son of a biyatch won’t budge. (Insert expletive here!). It was horrible. At last, with trembling hands I hand over my money. Puaka Cekik Darah! (Expletive! Expletive! Expletive) This ranks as the worst Xmas I have ever had. All I wanted for Xmas was my Ultimate Matrix Box Set but I got taxed for it.

CLICK HERE FOR THE AMAZING SINGAPORE XMAS PICTURES

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