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By alvinology, May 17, 2012 10:43 am

Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (賽德克‧巴萊) is a 2011 Taiwanese historical drama epic film directed by Wei Te-Sheng (魏德聖) and produced by John Woo (吴宇森), based on the Wushe Incident in central Taiwan in 1930.

John Woo needs no introduction to movie buffs. Wei Te-Sheng is a rising star in the Taiwanese movie industry. His directorial debut, Cape No. 7 (海角七号) is the second top-selling film in Taiwan’s history and revived tourist interest in Taiwan’s Kenting region, which was featured in the movie.

Warriors of the Rainbow is divided into two parts; part 1 is called “太陽旗” (The Flag of Sun), and part 2 is called “彩虹橋” (The Bridge of Rainbow), both running at a total of up to four and half hours.

For international release, the film was cut to a two and a half hour single cut version.

I watched the original two parts movie while on a 17 hours flight return to and from Los Angeles – part 1 on my flight from Singapore and part 2 on my flight home from Los Angeles.

I love it!

The film depicts the Wushe Incident, which occurred near Cilai Mountain of Taiwan under Japanese rule. Mona Rudao, the movie protagonist, is the chief of Mahebu village of Seediq people.

With rage simmering over how the Japanese bullied his people over the years, Mona Rudao eventually led a group of 300 plus Seediq warriors against their Japanese oppressors.

Vastly outnumbered and with significantly poorer weapons, the Seediq warriors fought bravely to the end, facing the full might of the Japanese empire’s army.

The first part tells the story of a young Mona Rudao, respected and loved by his people for his bravery and hunting skills. It ended with the Seediq rebellion and slaughtering of over 130 Japanese folks.

The second part features the Japanese’s retribution and annihilation of Mona Rudao’s tribe.

Granted there were some pretty excessive violence and bloodshed; these were fundamental for the director to bring out the melancholic, yet gallant mood of tribal warfare.

The original music scores and soundtrack by Singaporean composer, Ricky Ho, were eerily memorable and haunting throughout the movie, adding more depth to the movie’s tribal elements.

Trailer:

The film was shown in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival and was selected as a contender for nomination for the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film in 2011 and was one of nine films shortlisted to advance to the next round of voting for nomination.

Warriors of the Rainbow is the most expensive production in Taiwanese cinema history and has also been compared to other tribal war movies like Braveheart (1995) and The Last of the Mohicans (1992) by the Taiwanese media.

I am not sure if this movie will be shown in Singapore or even whether if it will be shown in a single cut version or as two parts. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this movie as one of the must-watch Asian films for 2012!

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By alvinology, May 17, 2012 10:41 am

The Orange Lobster (龍虾世家) is a modern Chinese restaurant located in Orchard Central. Helmed by award-winning Chef Lau Siaw Dee, the restaurant believes in using the best ingredients to recreate otherwise simple, comfort food.

Their signature dishes include Lobster Porridge and also modern takes on traditional Chinese dishes such as the Sweet & Sour Kurobuta Pork and Salted Egg Crispy Lotus Root.

I tried both their lobster porridge and salted egg crispy lotus root during my visit – both are to-die-for delicious!

The concept of using expensive ingredient in simple, traditional Chinese dishes seems rather showy and one-dimensional at first, but once you sample the creations, you are likely to be impressed, just like I was.

From the ingredient used, dining at The Orange Lobster isn’t exactly cheap, but still good value for very good food.

If you are interested to visit, here’s their address and details:

Address: 181 Orchard Road, #08-09 Orchard Central
Tel: +65 6634 7318
Opening Hours: Mon–Fri, 11.30am–3.30pm, 6pm–11pm; Sat–Sun, 11.30am–11pm

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By alvinology, May 15, 2012 10:32 am

The Singapore Arts Festival is just round the corner, with programs starting from 18 May (this Friday) and running till 2 June 2012. More details are available via the official website.

The theme for this year is “Our Lost Poems”.

This year’s theme completes the trilogy started two editions ago for the Singapore Arts Festival: Between You and Me (2010), I Want to Remember (2011), Our Lost Poems (2012).

Our Lost Poems looks at myths, legends, wandering thoughts, reflections, lost riddles and hidden stories. It is a discovery of tales and aspirations that need to be told and retold. Stories that inspire us, legends that have deep cultural roots, and riddles that reveal the secrets of the world. This coming Festival finds us at a crossroad, waiting to reaffirm our sense of place in time as we uncover refreshing facets of ourselves:

Something ancient.

Something lost.

Something hidden.

Something new.

Over 16 extraordinary days, the festival invites us to encounter a stunning array of performances that will hopefully be close to our heart.

There is a good mix of both free and ticketed events and programs, suitable for audiences of all demographics.

Are you excited?

I am.

I will be catching three performances (Ciudades Paralelas [Parallel Cities] Hotel – Hotel Maids, [兰芳记] Lan Fang Chronicles and Wind Up Bird Chronicle); of which I have a pair of exclusive tickets to giveaway for these two performances:

Hotel ibis, Warsaw (Photo Credit – Marta Pruska)

Ciudades Paralelas [Parallel Cities] Hotel – Hotel Maids [20th May, 7.30pm]

Parallel Cities (Hotel) is one of three programmes that showcase a side of Singapore not often noticed. In Hotel, you’ll be at Ibis Novena and will get to visit several installations within the rooms of the hotel, giving you some perspective on the hotel’s hidden workers – its chambermaids. This is the first time this project has been carried out in Asia and I am very much looking forward to experiencing this performance myself!

THE LAST DESCENDANT – LUO FU SHENG 最终的后裔 – 罗福生 / (CREDIT: STEFEN CHOW)

[兰芳记] Lan Fang Chronicles [20th May, 3.30pm]

Lan Fang Chronicles explores the stories behind the little known country called Lan Fang (perhaps better known now that our Minister Chan Chun Sing has made reference to it during his election rally). It will be held at Ying Foh Kuan/Shuan Long Shan, a small ancestral hall complete with graveyard located in the midst of HDB flats at Commonwealth. There will be installation exhibitions, making for pretty interesting photo opportunities and a comparison between Singapore and this eerily similar ancestor.

Video Preview:

Are you interested in attending either of these two performances?

Here’s how you can win a pair of free tickets to either Parallel Cities Hotel or Lan Fang Chronicles:

Just tweet me on Twitter @Alvinologist or message me on Facebook @Alvinology with a short note on why you deserve to get a pair of free tickets. State which performance you would like to attend in your note. I will pick the winners by this Thurs (17 May) and announce it on this blog.

I will be watching the performances on the same day, together with the two pairs of winners. Hence we can meet up and have a quick chat on the actual day. Send in your entries now!

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By alvinology, May 14, 2012 12:40 pm

If you have a craving for authentic thai food and do not want to spend a bomb at a fancy restaurant, Na Na Original Thai Food restaurant may just be the place for you.

The restaurant is located in Golden Mile Complex, Beach Road, which is like mini Thailand in Singapore where the Thai diaspora congregates. This adds a stamp of authenticity to the Thai food served as no taste bud can be more discerning than the Thai folks themselves.

I have dined there on two occasions, the first time with my parents and sister and the second time with Rachel. The bill came up to $60+ for 5 pax and $30+ for 2 pax respectively. Pretty reasonable considering how much we ordered, including beverages.

The service staff cannot really speak English, but the menu has images of all the dishes and is written in both Thai and English. Pointing will do the trick.

The restaurant sees a mix of both Thai and local customers. Business is pretty good on weekend, but the service is fast.

If you would like to visit the restaurant, it is located at Golden Mile Complex, 5001 Beach Road, #01-87.

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By alvinology, May 14, 2012 12:38 pm

Jack’s Place chain of restaurants has been around in Singapore for a long time. When I was still schooling and had limited pocket money, it was where I like to head to for a nice steak meal as the prices are pretty reasonable.

A little history about the restaurant chain’s heritage via their website:

It all started when Mr. Say Lip Hai arrived in Singapore from Hainan island and started as a cookboy with the British troops in Sembawang learning how to prepare the perfect roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. After learning the skills, he started his first restaurant, which was called Cola Restaurant and Bar. The restaurant served the British and Commonwealth troops and their families residing in Sembawang neighborhood.

Mr. Say Lip Hai’s break came when a British housewife tasted the steak prepared by him and suggested that he start a catering business in her husband’s pub in Killiney Road. Her husband’s name was Jack Hunt. Mr. Say agreed with the condition that he take over the whole operation leading to the birth of the famous Jack’s Place Steak House. Jack Hunt sold the business to Mr. Say in 1967.

And that’s how Jack’s Place got it’s name.

Rachel and I had lunch at Jack’s Place, Nex, a few weeks ago, with our baby Asher. The experience was still great. The staff were attentive and friendly.

We were pleased that the restaurant is baby-friendly and the prices on the menu still remain as reasonable as I recall.

Rachel and I ordered a sirloin steak and a ribeye steak lunch set respectively. The serving comes with a soup, garlic bread, coffee/tea and a desert item:

The presentation isn’t exactly the most fancy, but at just around $30+ for a two pax lunch, I think it’s really great value for money. There’s nothing much I can complain about. Besides, the steaks are pretty good!  :)

Here’s the details for the Nex branch:

Address: 23 Serangoon Central, #04-66 NEX Mall, Singapore
Tel: +65 6634 2433
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 10.30pm