About the people you consider your friends…
Ask Josh!, Sharing March 13th, 2010
Everyone could use a hug :)
Today I consoled someone. Someone very important to me that’s helped me a lot. It was the first time I had ever seen her cry. And it was odd, because I’ve always considered her a strong person that’s been through a lot of challenges from birth.
I won’t say why, or who, but basically, she was upset that some of the people she considered friends just weren’t there for her, and didn’t treat her like she felt they used to. She felt alienated and alone, even at a party with a lot of people that she thought she knew. People that she thought she could call her friends.
I’ve told her the following, but perhaps this is worth sharing.
Not all this points reflect particularly well on humanity or my view on it, but I have come to accept a lot of these viewpoints and it has helped me.
Because I don’t need to further wonder why people can be so terrible sometimes, I just accept that they are what they are, and work around it.
As a quote from the movie Alexander goes: “Sometimes to expect the best from everyone is arrogance”
Here’s what I believe to be true. Your opinion may differ, your mileage may vary.
- Interaction is different in groups than individually. In groups, people feel the need to assert their importance more. Don’t feel too upset or confused if your “friends” who always seemed nice to you seem different in a different social setting (especially one where there are people they need to suck up too. This is closer to their true self, and they are not real friends.
- Appearances count. As shallow as it is, surface impressions can provoke certain reactions from people or gain certain benefits for you. Be assured that your real friends will love you for who you are, but to cast a wider net isn’t always a bad idea. After all, if you only mixed with non-hypocritical people with good intentions, there wouldn’t be enough people to throw a party, or hang out with.
- As you ascend, so will the people who do not want you to ascend, increase in number. If you are not a threat, if you do not somehow get something that they could have gotten (or that they believe they could have gotten), they will not hate you. John Mayer said something before along this lines “I find it odd that there are so many people who hate me for having dated some particular beautiful women. Like, they believe if I didn’t date those girls, they would have a chance”
- Your “friends” on Facebook, people who are on your blogroll, followers on Twitter may not always be the ones you can truly depend on. Accept the fact that you are interesting enough to follow, but real connections are rare.
- It is only possible to maintain a finite amount of connections in your lifetime, at any given time. 1-3 close friends. 10 people you could hang out with at least once a month. 100 shallow connections who may go out with you for drinks now and then. 200 people who may attend a group gathering or a party that you invite them too. 500 people who wouldn’t mind being in a photo with you. About 1000 who wouldn’t mind being seen at the same party as you. 20 million who don’t mind being in the same country as you. And about 5 billion who wouldn’t mind breathing the same air as you.
- The disparity between the people you want to call when you’re feeling upset and the people who will call you when they are feeling upset is not always mutual. Life is like that. Investing an amount of feelings or love towards a person does not always yield equity or reciprocation. In fact, it is usually the opposite in most cases.
- I forgot where I read this, but it always helps me. “Don’t put too much thought into either acceptance or rejection from someone.” They are after all, just another individual and are not a yardstick of how you should measure yourself.
- And finally. “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” - Quote from Dr Seuss
Good night, and good luck. It’s 4:42 AM, and it’s time to sleep. Another day awaits, with new battles to be fought. Ultimately, the war is not with the low ranking privates who think they are commanders, but the war is internal - your own assessment of people and how you choose to value, and plan your interactions with them and the assessing the emotions and information that you entrust them with.
Hi I’m Josh Lim and this is what I do all day.
Advertlets, Celebrities, Parties & Events, Personal Experiences, Sharing March 12th, 2010
If you read this blog sometimes you will think all I do is party. Actually, that’s only half true. Because it’s pointless for me to put pictures of me working at my desk. And, well, my work is pretty damn fun, despite the long hours. Here’s a few of the pictures I’ve taken in the course of “work” with Advertlets, the blog advertising company I founded. All these were in the past few days actually. Past few days have been pretty busy, but as the quote on one of my friends on Facebook says…“I’m too blessed to be stressed”.
This was at the Alice In Wonderland Tea Party at KLCC, we were invited by Disney to bring our bloggers cover the event. During the interview, I was asked “What is your version of Wonderland?”. I said “It’s probably like what I’m doing now, except with more money and cars”. As life is fun, but it would be more fun with an Audi TT. Hehe.
Earlier today, I met some actual Googlers including Stephanie Hsu, John Stona & Dinesh Jain. They are based in the Google Singapore and India offices. This was at the Google Analytics Masterclass. A lot of people attended, including the familiar faces you’ll see at SMCKL or Digital Wednesday. A mix of advertising agency people, bloggers, social media enthusiasts, programmers, and web & marketing people.
Trivia: Did you know that Google’s only fulltime employee in Malaysia, Hanson Toh (not pictured here) has a son named Josh? Yup just Josh, not Joshua. He was named after film stars Josh Harnett & Josh Duhamel. Josh is a good name for your son, btw. I’m just saying.
Advertlets also threw sponsored a night for industry friends (yes, the people that give Advertlets ad campaigns, and earn money for bloggers). It was called Digital Wednesday, it’s held every first Wednesday of the month for members of the Digital Media scene including agencies, clients and media planners. it was in conjunction with Advertlets 3rd Anniversary.
If you’re wondering why some of the people look familiar, here’s a breakdown: Josh (me), Jacy from Biotherm (one of our newest clients), Yvonne Sim (yes, FHM Girl Next Door 2010 came by t help us out with the event too!), James Chong, head honcho of Ruumz, Rebecca Saw (Advertlets), Hanie Hidayah (Advertlets).
You can read more about it here at ADOI Magazine:
Digital Wednesday is now the hottest party in town!
Advertlets Celebrates 3rd Anniversary, rocks Digital Wednesday!
Here’s another photo of what else happened that night. Together with our staff, we also invited Advertlets bloggers as well as blogger celebrities Andrea Fonseka and Belinda Chee to host the event.
And…Hello Kitty time!
This is the only photo you’ll see of me carrying a Hello Kitty bag, ever. Thanks so much to Elena Hong (she’s the girl in red with the nice hair) from Che Che New York for inviting me.
This was at the Mid Valley event for Alice in Wonderland. Heidi won a massive “Alice In Wonderland” book!
(The names in bold have blogged about the event too!)
Top Row: Heidi Tan, Dila Ariff, Rebecca Saw, Belinda Chee, Amanda Choe, Nasri Lian (UnseenTV), Hanie Hidayah
Bottom Row: Jeremy Choy, Justin Hee, Ridzuan Richie, Josh Lim, Thong Kai, Daniel Anthony
Part of my work also involves meeting beauty queens…
Advertlets is the online partner of Miss Universe Malaysia 2010, and this is basically one of a our various meetings with their glamorous team consisting of Mae, Jojo Lee, Andrea Fonseka (Miss Universe Malaysia 2004) & Eugenie. Go check out www.missuniversemalaysia.com.my
So that concludes it for now. Btw if you think this is fun, why not join us 
We’re currently looking for interns to help out in events, design & sales. Drop me a line (@joshlim) on Twitter if you’re interested.
And now for something completely different…
General, Sharing February 27th, 2010
Check out this pretty cute video These two girls want to go to Disneyland Hong Kong, and you can help them win. View it below, and if you think it’s good, rate it! (5 stars la of course) highest ratings win! Why should you? Because the girl in the polka dot dress is my sister, and she’s awesome. And the video was directed by my other sister. And yes, I am the oldest girl in my family.
Remember to rate it here yeah?
Bonus: If you like props, Owl City and plasticine:
Tags: cncjetset
English Translation of Utusan article on Rais Yatim’s statements on mixed marraige
Celebrities, Sharing February 26th, 2010
Based on this article on Utusan. Given that I frequently blog in BM and English, thought it’ll be good to translate this as this seems to be a new story with no versions in the English newspapers as of yet.
Original article here, translation below by Google Translate and refined/reworded by Josh Lim. And of course, see this post for more about the issue. And if anything, let me know if my translation is accurate.
Beware Of Mixed Marraiges
PUTRAJAYA 25 February - The young people, especially artistes/celebrities are reminded to think ‘thousands of times’ before having a mixed marraige because studies have shown that the success rate is only 3:10.
I Met Malaysia’s Biggest Twitter Celebrity, Rais Yatim! (#yorais, Maya Karin, mixed marraige and more)
Celebrities, Sharing February 26th, 2010
I recently went for a launch function where Communications, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim was the guest of “honor”. I use honor in quotes because er, well…why don’t you read Eu Veng’s blog for more details.
Okay, maybe I didn’t really meet him. No I didn’t get to talk to him. But as you can see I got close enough to take a picture. Hahaha.
Notice someone with male progressive baldness on the bottom right? Yes, it's him. Rais Yatim!
If you’ve been on Twitter and are following more than 10 Malaysians, chances are you’ve heard of the #yorais hashtag. Heck, the world has heard of it. It’s Malaysia’s second ever trending topic on Twitter. (Rais Yatim has Net users boiling, creates global sensation).
In short, Rais Yatim is “famous” on Twitter because of several things that he has said, and some unwise actions. As you can guess, these are unpopular opinions. These include:
- “Twitter and Facebook are tools of the west and can erode Malaysian culture”
- Making anti-communist statements just as PM Najib was visiting China. Not very smart for bi-lateral relations.
- Prying open a safe left by Tunku Abdul Rahman without informing the late Tunku’s children, or the person that discovered it.
- And most recently he mentioned “7 out of 10 mixed marraiges end in failure. Learn from that. Don’t marry white guys.” (Okay I am paraphrasing but that’s what he is clearly implying.)
To his credit, he has said some things that make sense. Check out the article, he talks about how religion has to be balanced in government schools, and how teachers in government schools need to be improved. And also, that local radio stations must play songs by local bands.
And well, possibily the most truthful one of all:
“Rais: Malaysians aware of online laws but just don’t obey them.”
Yeah, because you’re setting the rules right. How to obey stupid rules? Yo Rais, remember Samy Vellu increased the speed limit because Malaysians kept breaking them? Maybe you should take a cue from him.
But Rais Yatim saying things that make sense, is rare.
Anyway, the #yorais hashtag has recently become popular again, due to Rais’s recent comments on mixed marraiges. They can best be described as misinformed, which is ironic for a Minister of Information.
From Utusan Malaysia:
Menteri Penerangan, Komunikasi dan Kebudayaan, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim berkata, kajian ilmiah yang dilakukan oleh beberapa ahli sosiologi di negara ini antara 1995 hingga 1998 mendapati dalam setiap 10 perkahwinan campur, hanya tiga berjaya.
Malah, kata beliau, kegagalan perkahwinan campur amat ketara apabila melibatkan pasangan dari kalangan warga kulit putih atau mat saleh.
”Tetapi perkahwinan campur di Malaysia melibatkan si lelaki atau wanita dari kalangan bukan Islam yang kemudiannya memeluk Islam begitu berjaya berbanding kahwin campur dengan warga asing dari barat ini.
”Ini sudah jadi lumrah, jadi, orang muda termasuk kalangan artis boleh mengambil iktibar ini dan sekiranya mahu menelaah kajian ini yang turut dilengkapi dengan panduan, anda boleh mendapatkannya daripada bahagian pendaftaran perkahwinan sivil dari rekod simpanan syariah di Johor dan Wilayah Persekutuan,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia hari ini.
Rais ditanya pandangan beliau berhubung keretakan rumah tangga aktres Maya Karin, 31, yang dilaporkan sudah tidak sebumbung dengan suaminya.
Summary in English: Rais Yatim says that according to some sociology study, only 3 in 10 mixed marriages work. The rest fail. He says that it becomes worse if it is an ORANG PUTEH! (white man) Here’s where the statement gets funny: He says that other marriages are okay (to other races, who then embrace Islam because they married a Muslim), but the with the ORANG PUTEH BARAT (white people from the white west world) it doesn’t work. He then goes on to summarize that young people should take it as an example.
As an appropriate visual aid, here’s a picture of Maya Karin, to give you some context.
MAYA KARIN: RAIS YATIM DOES NOT WANT YOU TO MARRY THIS WOMAN!
Er, okay, now I need your focus back. Let me continue…
Here’s his thought process:
1. Maya Karin’s marriage is on the rocks.
2. Maya Karin is in a mixed marraige. (an Italian, Steven David Shorthose)
3. Thereby all mixed marriages will end in failure.
This makes as about much sense as this:
Logic Fallacy
Let’s say one thing. Maya Karin herself is the product of a mixed marraige.
Her parents are still together.
And well, Rais Yatim’s son, Dino Rais (probably named after Rais’s prehistoric pet that he had back then) is currently being sued for not performing his duties as a husband. Also, perhaps the fact that he divorced his wife BY SMS of all things might have something to do with it.
Perhaps he should talk to his son first about the sanctity of marriage before telling Malaysians who to marry.
It’s funny that that Rais Yatim didn’t think of a variety of other reasons why celebrity mixed marraiges fail in Malaysia:
- Celebrities are subject to a higher amount of media scrutiny than most. Buying groceries is tough enough, let alone sustaining a marriage.
- Converting to a religion for someone you love may not always work out well in the long run.
- An increasing amount of marriages in general are failing.
- Beautiful people have more options.
- The younger generation in general do not feel the need to stay in unhappy marraiges as much as their parents before them.
- The possibilities are endless!
Good luck Maya Karin. I hope things pan out well in your favour. It’s unfortunate that Rais Yatim capitalized on your distress to make an unsavory statement that Malaysians don’t agree with.
Let’s summarize this.
It seem that Rais Yatim is just jealous he didn’t get to marry Maya Karin.
Josh, you have to be “this rich” to date me…
Personal Experiences, Sharing February 24th, 2010
Here’s four stories. My stories. About relationships and money.
"Josh Meets The Temptress" - Photo by Juin Hoo
To give you some context, I consider myself fortunate, although I do not have a fortune.
I grew up in SS2, Petaling Jaya. Both my parents work. I’ve always had a maid when I used to stay with my parents. I got to finish my secondary school education, and further education overseas was an option that my parents could afford. Chose not to go though. You could say I’m comfortably middle class.
Maybe even upper middle class. But we live a humble existence. No one in my family drives a car over RM150,000. No expensive jewellry. Terrace house, not bungalow.
You know, the whole “I once cried because I had no shoes, but then I saw a man with no feet” proverb?
One person once remarked that my family must be doing very well to be able to live in SS2. I found it surprising, because I thought it was “normal” and knew of people that lived in much classier areas. It did help put things in context.
Then again, I know I could do better financially, seeing some of the more wealthy people around me that I see regularly, because I’ve also heard of the counter to that proverb: “I once cried because I had no shoes, but then I saw a man with so many shoes that he had no time to wear them all. Then I cried great heaving sobs until I could no longer walk”.
And yes, although my surname is Lim, I am not related to either Lim Goh Tong or Lim Kok Wing. Here are the stories.
Read from it what you wish, but they are all true.
Story 1: Sex Drives
There was this time, 1-2 years ago. Simple story: Met this girl through a friend, she was pretty damn cute. Her name, demeanour, reminded me of a certain Asian Youtube star who does this really cute makeup tutorials. Things seemed to be going well, we seemed to be hitting things off on the phone, online etc, flirting in the clubs, etc. Then I picked her up for our first date in my car a few days later.
Would I get a dream girl to go with my dream car?
I didn’t see her much after that, not for lack of trying and I didn’t know why.
I was curious, so a few months later I talked to her friend. I found out through a friend that she’s used to dating guys with expensive cars and that “my car was the reason”. It seemed to be a pre-requisite of sorts.
Later on I found out that she was mad that her friend told me the reason (the friend eventually confessed to her that she told me), because it made her sound shallow.
But she did not give any other reason.
For some reason, I met one of her ex-boyfriends recently, a handsome chap, which she left for someone else recently too.
To her credit, she lives in a small place which can be best described as the outskirts of town. It’s far. Perhaps she was looking for a knight in a shiny white expensive car to rescue her from her humble existence. Not a boy in a Proton. I don’t blame her, but it was then easier to forget her given that she’ll judge me based on something like that.
My car, is a humble car la. It runs, it has tires and all windows are intact. And it’ll do for now.
As an entrepreneur, sometimes you have to make a decision that how people perceive you is less important than what you actually have (or will have in future). While the curious side of me wonders what is the minimum effective type of vehicle needed to date her (eg Civic can? Second hand Audi can? Above RM160,000 can?), knowing her reason, made it easier for me to just fuggedaboutit.
Suggested additional reading from this blog: The Mistress, The BMW and The Lesson.
Story 2: Ambition & Skill Of The 3 Ex-Boyfriends
This was her favourite soft toy. His name is Checkers. He is a little dog, not a bear.
5 years ago. I was but a young boy, albiet one with my own business.
She was an advertising account executive, older than me by a bit, a Subang girl, and sometime reality TV star. (There was a precursor to Malaysian Dreamgirl, similiar in concept).
She was also my longest-term ever girlfriend. While the relationship had its up and downs, I think deep down we really did love each other at some point.
She said this to me, which I still remember clearly:
“My first boyfriend, he no ambition but no skill, so I doubted he could go anywhere”.
“My second boyfriend, he had ambition but no skill, and after a while I lost faith”.
“And you, my third boyfriend, the reason I’m with you is because you seem to possess both”.
I remember taking her shopping often enough, but she ended up leaving me for a white expat living in designer condo in KL.
He was very much below her usual standards lookswise (I’ve seen her ex-boyfriends), so it doesn’t take too much to guess the reason why she traded me in for an older, fatter boyfriend.
To her credit, marriage and a “stable guy” was important to her. Last I heard she’s hit 30, not married, but in a relationship. But not with that expat guy.
Story 3: The Career Question From The Girl Across The Table
If you ask stupid questions, sometime buying me a drink helps.
12 years ago. Meeting a girl for the first time. It was at the then Chill Club in Phileo Damansara. Which was pretty happening in it’s day. I remember the conversation went this way, after a few words in:
Girl: So what do you do?
Me: I’m a freelance web designer. (this was true at the time).
Girl: Oh, so you don’t have a steady income?
Me: (I forgot what I said to this…but don’t blame me, hello what would you say to this?)
Girl: “said something, wasn’t too comfortable”
In retrospect, I should have said something like “Oh, so you don’t have any manners?”. But I remember not saying anything in particular, and I remember right after that (to her credit) she bought me a drink. I think she felt guilty for being rude. Especially because she was talking to me from across the table.
But it’s not too hard to see what she was thinking. She seemed interested (perhaps from a physical viewpoint - I used to be a lot fitter okay) - but it was pretty obvious that she was looking for someone with money, from what she inadvertedly blurted out. I didn’t bother asking for her number.
Suggested additional reading from this blog: Ask Josh! How Much Should Dating Cost Nowadays?
Story 4: The New Girl
Dear, I guess I don't need to give you a thousand of these right? :)
I met another girl recently in the past week. I think she’s special. The chemistry was pretty incredible. The way we met and what we discovered about each other seems beyond chance. And I think we’re gonna go out on our first date very soon. She said something to me that really made sense the first time she saw me.
Let’s say that even though she’s young, she’s experienced quite a bit of heartbreak. And despite what she’s been through in the the past, she strikes me as smart, funny and level-headed. She’s not conventionally pretty, but she is beautiful.
Here’s what she said to me:
“I want a rich guy. But I don’t want him to be rich yet when he meets me first”.
“I want to be with him as he grows rich”.
You know what? I can live with that.
Because honey, dammit, I want to be rich too in time as much as you want me to.
And I want to be marry and get old, fat and rich with you, or a girl who thinks like you, dear. Because then, that’ll be worth it.
Salad Is Better Than Chips / There Is Nothing wrong With Pornography
Sharing, Video February 14th, 2010
I don’t always post videos here, but when I do they’re pretty damn good. Been checking out quite some clips on Youtube recently (Streamyx is buffering pretty fast these days even with my Bittorrent client running at 85kB/s in the background!) and this is one of the best bits ever from Argumental.
Imagine “Whose Line Is it Anyway” mixed with your high school debate team (but less geeky) and you have Argumental. Here’s a clip from the show where they have to “flip-flop” - debate FOR a certain motion (in this case Salad Is Better Than Chips & There Is Nothing wrong With Pornography) - and then as soon as the buzzer goes off, they have to debate AGAINST it! Some very skilled comedic maneuvering going on here, and very entertaining. Here’s the clip:
Check back soon for more lol-ness. Happy CNY, and happy VD! (Isn’t it amazing how Valentine’s Day has the same acronym as Venereal Disease?)
Josh Lim Visits Zombieland!
Advertlets, Movies, Sharing, Zombies December 17th, 2009
As per the title above, someone asked me once why I refer to myself in third person. I replied, “well, sometimes Josh Lim does that”. But that’s besides the point.
Ahem. One thing that you might not know about me…is that I am a big zombie movie fan.
Here are some that I’ve seen/played (and this is just the ones I can remember off the top of my head)
Zombie Movies: 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Dawn Of The Dead (2005), Day Of the Dead (2008), Slither, The Signal, G.P 506 (Korean zombie movie), I Am Legend (which I did not really enjoy), Resident Evil 1, 2 & 3 & Sunshine (oops this is a spoiler if you haven’t watched the movie).
Zombie Movies with Shaky Camera Action (ala Cloverfield): REC (Spanish zombie movie), Quarantine (Hollywood remake of REC), Diary Of The Dead (this is one of the creepiest zombie movies I’ve seen).
Zombie Comedies: Black Sheep, Doghouse, Shaun Of The Dead and now…Zombieland!
Zombie Video Games: Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles, and of course, Left 4 Dead.
FYI: The zombie comedy is a subgenre of a subgenre. Horror > Zombie Movies > Zombie Comedies. You can also call it…a Zomedy!
Here’s a video of the Advertlets screening for Zombieland at Cineleisure Damansara, featuring a few Advertlets bloggers including myself:
I was very happy when Advertlets was given a chance to do a screening for Zombieland recently. Particularly I enjoy zombie movies because of one simple thing. whenever things get bad or I have a down point in life, I think about zombies…and imagine…it could be worse!
Zombieland movie poster
It’s also said that zombies are a reflection of society’s real world fears: overpopulation and fear of crowds.
I was particularly excited about seeing Zombieland due to the high Rottentomatoes.com score (a stunning 89%!). To give you an indicator, The Dark Knight scores about 94%, Star Trek (JJ Abrams remake) scores about 95%, District 9 scores 90% - which puts Zombieland in very good company. FYI, Rottentomatoes.com is a site that aggregates film critic commentary and ratings about movies.
I find myself agreeing with it about 70% of the time…most of the films I enjoy have high scores, though some (less than 10) that I thought were awesome had low scores. Either way it’s a good ‘filter’ for me to decide whether to watch a particular movie.
First off, if you’re a zombie movie aficionado…does it follow the “Zombie Rules” which were established by “The Father Of Zombie Movies, George Romero”? Yes it does! From (here)
1. Undead (meaning the zombie was at one point dead) (Check!)
2. Hunger for human flesh (Check!)
3. Impervious to non-lethal harm (Check!)
4. Killed only by destroying the brain (Even after severing the spinal column, Romero zombies’ heads still live. This rule has been broken by the “Return of the Living Dead” movies, which have terrible zombie ‘rules’ but are fun to watch.) (Check!)
5. Minimal mental processes (This rule seems to be the most malleable within the genre. The classic Romero-style zombies seem to be able to process only the information necessary for following and consuming live flesh, driven mostly on instinct alone, and are incapable of speech or complex thoughts. Outside of the Romero movies, it is not unusual to see this idea bent or broken for the sake of creating a more interesting monster. Still, ’smart’ zombies are very rare.) (Check!)
Rules are important. Because if you don’t somehow attempt to stick to the rules, you end up with films like Twilight, where sunlight makes vampires *sparkle* instead of die. Sigh. Makes them less creatures of the undead, and more My Little Pony than anything.
Btw I am with Team Edward, but I want to have Jacob’s body. lol.
Zombieland also introduces a set of rules (narrated by the main character) throughout the film and in the first 5 minutes of it for zombie survival.
Zombies in the back: "We want a ride too, rawr!"
I won’t spoil it all for you, but one of the rules is “Cardio” (Stay fit! The fatties will die first due to lack of speed), and also “Double Tap” (Make sure the zombie is dead for sure, don’t save your ammo as it could save your life!).
Story wise, the closest in terms of synopsis/story for Zombieland will most likely be Shaun of The Dead, one of the more recent zombie comedies. But Zombieland succeeds where Shaun of the Dead fails, namely:
- The romance in the story is not overplayed
- Genuine tension, zombies are actually menacing
- Comedy is sharp, doesn’t rely too much on uncomfortable moments
- Scale: With a budget of $24 million, Zombieland covers enough locations (from living room, to Hollywood, to a carnival, to grocery stores) to be very enjoyable. This could have made a great video game.
- Emotional scenes are used to good effect
- Zombieland is educational! Some of the tips are really useful should there ever be a zombie outbreak in Kuala Lumpur
- Awesome zombie killing action!
Which means - if you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead, you’ll probably enjoy Zombieland as well. If you didn’t enjoy Shaun Of The Dead, you’ll probably enjoy Zombieland instead.
A scene from Zombieland which you will not see in Malaysian cinemas. ZOMBIE STRIPPERS!
Plot-wise, it’s relatively simple : Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg, who also starred in a movie called Adventureland [seriously!]) is a loner who has managed to survive the zombie apocalypse, who meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), who meets other survivors : Wichita (Emma Stone from ‘Superbad’) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). They team up, and fight zombies! (Don’t let this put you off - it’s the character interactions and zombie action that make such a thin plot workable).
Emma Stone is a hot chick, and a good reason to watch Zombieland too!
Despite being starred by relative unknowns, you get the feeling that they are very well casted in their respective well-written roles, and all four of them seem “necessary” to the movie. There’s also a cameo role by a certain Hollywood actor (playing himself), that fits perfectly into the movie.
Pace-wise, the film is tightly paced at about an hour and 20 minutes (at most, I think 10 minutes could have been edited) and it is consistently funny - which is good, because some zombie movies fall into the trap of having lots of action then long, slow periods of emotional stuff.
Above all, the movie is fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously while remaining respectful of zombie movie “rules”. The ending sets itself up for a good sequel, AND YES! (I just Googled this) A sequel to Zombieland HAS BEEN CONFIRMED and it’s GOING TO BE in 3D!
ZOMBIELAND ZOMEDY ZUMMARY:
Pros:
- Good use of text overlays for the opening credits and throughout the movie (the text is a star in it’s own right).
- A first for zombie movies: offing a zombie with a banjo.
- Well casted actors that fit their roles
- Cameo appearance by surprise actor
- Stands up to repeat viewings (I watched it twice, and still laughed at the funny parts).
Cons:
- No chainsaw usage in the film (but there’s one in the movie poster!)
- No video game to accompany the movie (seriously, I would play a Zombieland game!)
If you like this, you’ll probably enjoy Zombieland: Playing Left 4 Dead, watching Zombie movies in general, or can stomach horror and enjoy American comedies. (Or if you enjoyed the Jason Statham film, Crank, or Jason Statham films in general).
Watch? Should you watch it? A definite yes. This is probably one of the best zombie movies for 2009. I’m looking forward to World War Z and Jonah Hex in 2010 though!
JOSH LIM, BUDAK CINA YANG HIDUP BERANI UNTUK GAGAL!
Advertlets, Bahasa MALAYSIA, General, Sharing December 4th, 2009
Wah, ada peraduan kot. Boleh menang RM500 wei! Sebagai seorang Cina yang lebih fasih bertutur dalam Bahasa Malaysia daripada Bahasa Cina (saya tahu, teruk betul, pengkhianat bangsa,kacang lupakan kulit, dll), saya mengambil peluang untuk menyertai peraduan ini untuk meningkatkan kemahiran menulis dalam BM dan juga kegagahan ilmu sihir SEO saya. Saya mendapat tahu contest “HIDUP BERANI UNTUK GAGAL” ini dari Zul’s Blog (http://zulseffort.blogspot.com). Btw Zul, terima kasih kerana menyokong Advertlets! Peraduan ini dianjurkan oleh DenaiHati.
Contest ini berjaya dianjurkan atas sokongan sponsor yang sentiasa bermurah hati iaitu DSGClicks, Berani Gagal Network, One Malaysia Blogshops, Anisha Online Mall dan Saudacare.
(Kalau you dapat tahu peraduan ini dari blog saya, dan nak sertai, sila letak “Josh Lim (josh.my), itu budak yang hemsem sekali yang beritahu saya tentang peraduan HIDUP BERANI UNTUK GAGAL ini” dalam entri blog anda!)
(Saya tak tahu jika saya layak untuk menyertai peraduan ini kerana dibuka kepada “Satu Dunia Melayu”. Saya bukan berbangsa Melayu. Saya 1JoshLim, 1BudakCina dari 1Malaysia. Tapi saya Google-kan “Satu Dunia Melayu”, dan nampaknya ia ialah “satu dunia agung yang meliputi Indonesia, Brunei, Filipina”. Wadefak! Tak tahu wei…)
Image from voidboi on Flickr. Creative Commons image.
ANYWAYS, untuk entri saya: Walaupun telah mengasaskan Advertlets yang kini akan menjadi 3 tahun pada March 2010, dan saya telah bekerja dalam bidang web untuk lebih dari 8 tahun dan telah membuat projek dan kempen periklanan untuk pelanggan tempatan dan seluruh dunia, saya tidak menggelar diri sebagai seorang yang telah berjaya dalam kehidupan. Tunggu 4 tahun lagi la (at least, untuk Phase 1 complete, masih ada Phase 2, Phase 3…) Perjuangan saya masih belum selesai. Dan, saya telah gagal beberapa kali dalam kehidupan - tapi, tak putus asa. Tahu tak, bila saya seorang belia muda, saya cuba mendapat pekerjaan di McDonald’s? McDonald’s pun tak mahu saya! FAIL betul.
Namun, kerap kali saya ditanya oleh belia muda…apakah yang penting untuk berjaya dalam kehidupan? Saya kerap kata: “Selagi anda belum mati, selagi anda tidak terperangkap dalam najis dadah, selagi anda tidak hamil luar nikah dan terpaksa tamat pekerjaan untuk mengasuh anak, tak ada banyak-banyak yang boleh menghalang anda! Dan juga, kalau kamu belum 25 tahun lagi jangan risau terlalu banyak! Masih ada banyak peluang untuk anda.”
Saya ada cerita yang berinspirasi untuk dikongsi berdasarkan “HIDUP BERANI UNTUK GAGAL“.
Adakah kamu Mat Rempit? Okay, you lihat kat kamu punya kapchai - adalah ia berjenama Honda? Ada tak perkataan “Boon Siew Motor / Boon Siew Honda” di sana? Tahu tak anda siapa Boon Siew? Si Boon Siew adalah imigren/pendatang dari Negara China yang datang ke Penang, Malaysia untuk mencari pendapatan. Bila dia mula berkerja, dia seorang mekanik yang hanya menjana pendapatan $3 sebulan. Betul! Adalah dikataka bahawa sifu dia mengetuk kepala dia apabila dia buat salah. Pada umur 18, Boon Siew membeli 11 buah bas menggunakan $2,000. Selepas tu, dia memperbaiki bas itu, dan menjual ia untuk harga $12,000! Pandai giler.
Tapi, pada 1942 orang Jepun curi dia punya wang! Namun begitu, dia tak putus asa. Selepas Perang Dunia Kedua, dan orang Jepun telah dibelasah teruk dan telah dikalah, dia bermula menjual basikal, tayar dan aksesori motorsikal, dan selepas itu, dia menjual kereta terpakai, transportasi dan bas. Dan dalam 1950, dia bermula penerokaan dalam bidang hartanah di Penang. Boon Siew meninggal dunia pada 1995, tetapi empayar dia makin membesar.
Jika seorang pendatang kuli dari Cina yang tidak berpengalaman boleh jadi tauke kaya dan orang besar dari titis peluh dia sendiri, apa lagi anda, yang telah diasuh dalam rumah yang ada internet, yang ada makanan cukup dan tidak diketuk di kepala kerap-kerap? Selain itu, Jepun takkan menyerang Malaysia lagi, oleh itu jangan risau wang yang anda susah payah bekerja untuk dapat anda dicuri oleh orang Jepun! Kerja keras, jadilah orang berguna kepada bangsa dan negara, berusaha, dan anda akan berjaya! (Kalau tak berjaya pun, tak susah untuk menjana pendapatan RM1500-RM2000 sebulan la).
Post ini ditulis oleh Josh Lim pada lewat malam menggunakan keyboard Apple yang seksi, sistem komputer PC lama yang menggunakan Windows XP, dan menggunakan broadband Streamyx yang pantas sekali! Sekian, terima kasih banyak-banyak, kawan-kawan kecil!
Does the ability to appreciate decrease with experience?
Sharing November 20th, 2009
So I figure: my brain works, I eat food, watch films, have an opinion on them, and I have a blog and I can write on it!
Not much to do with the post, but it's a nice picture, isn't it? :)
Recently, I had an experience that made me think, I should blog more about food. After all, I do know some decent places (and some bad ones), so it’ll probably be good to share. More posts on this topic soon
And also, something that brought up the point of this post. I’m usually not very fussy about food - there are only about 2-3 things that I specifically hate eating. And back in my college days, I ate chicken rice everyday for 3 months. I still can eat chicken rice (or Yoshinoya) if it’s still around everyday. But recently I’ve been visiting some interesting food places, and developing my food palate (thanks in part to Rebecca) and came to the stunning realization that was I was having, sucks. It’s been a while since I found something I didn’t like.
However I’ll like to ask you what you think of this - I have a feeling that the more you experience something and start to dissect it critically (whether good or bad), it becomes harder to appreciate things that aren’t “high level” or “top quality” according to your developed taste? When you start to evaluate things so critically, does it become much harder to find things that you enjoy?
Like for example, a film critic who can’t watch and enjoy teen comedies.
(Btw some good recent ones - Harold & Kumar Go To Guantanamo Bay, Sex Drive, I Love You Beth Cooper)
Or a food blogger who can’t enjoy eating McDonald’s or fast food outlets.
(Btw fast food wise, best fries are McDonald’s the best burgers are from Burger King, and the best chicken is from KFC, best mashed potatoes from Popeye’s).
Ideally, I’ll probably like to be able to appreciate finer things without losing touch with the pedestrian and the normal.
It’s a weird thing to think about, but it’s something I do think about often.
Some thoughts at 3:48 am. Signing off, Josh Lim.
I met Hannah Tan for dinner and she told me that…
Advertlets, General, Parties & Events, Sharing November 16th, 2009
Josh Lim, Hannah Tan. I'm the one on the left that's not a cute celebrity.
So recently I met Hannah Tan for dinner in Bangsar…yeah I know what you’re going to say “pics or it didn’t happen!”. Got pics. Here. Nah. Pics from Hannah’s blog actually
So anyway for those of you that don’t know who Hannah Tan is - she’s a model, emcee, and artiste. Also, Malaysia’s Sexiest Woman 2006 with brains to boot - she has a degree in Computer Science. She’s also recently invaded Japan, being one of the first few (if not the first) Malaysian to produce and debut an album in Japan. RM6 mil deal wei!
She’s also the driving force behind the H-Factor Creative Youth Workshops that were held last year. Advertlets was a media sponsor for the event, and I must say that personally I think the event turned out very well.
So, here’s what Hannah told me…
Hannah Tan. Pics from FHM Singapore
She’s Having A Christmas Concert!
She’s having a special charity concert together with other local artistes to benefit disadvantaged children this December 20th in Genting Highlands. Keep that date free, because Hannah Tan asked you to! We’ll be working out an arrangement for you bloggers to get to go, perhaps even arrange a bus to all go up together!
PS: This concert hasn’t been announced yet officially, but she says it’s okay for me to post this up
She’s starring in a new movie, coming out soon!
From left: Carmen Soo, Hannah Tan, Daphne Iking. Pic from Rebecca
Also, Hannah has a new movie coming out called “My Spy“, where she plays the lead. It also stars super-celebrity Advertlets blogger Daphne Iking, as well as Carmen Soo, AC Mizal and Maria Farida.
You can check out some exclusive behind the scenes pictures over at Rebecca’s blog. And yup, we’re going to get tickets for you to watch when the time comes, of course.
So that’s it for now. Stay tuned here and this other blog for details over the next few weeks!
Lady Gaga’s New ‘Bad Romance’ Video Is Weird, Has Lots Of Product Placements…
Sharing November 11th, 2009
Lady Gaga’s new video is out, and no surprise, it’s effing weird.
According to Lady Gaga: “There’s this one shot in the video where I get kidnapped by supermodels. I’m washing away my sins and they shove vodka down my throat to drug me up before they sell me off to the Russian mafia.”
The funny thing - when you view the video, it’s actually weirder than her description.
As a song though, the ‘ohhh’ and ‘rarara’ bits at the beginning are more than a bit stupid, but it gives way to a nice 80’s beat and vocal style remniscent of ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’. But probably closer to the Marilyn Manson version than the Eurythmics version.
But either way, this isn’t about Lady Gaga’s music, or her career. Though I would say I enjoyed about 68% of the song and video.
Nope, this is about…product placements! Can you guess how many product placements were squeezed into one video? For fun, watch the video first before reading the rest of the post…
Watch it below:
Anyway, here they are, I had fun spotting them!
Product placements in ‘Bad Romance’ by Lady Gaga:
Parrot by Starck ($1600)
(0:11)
Nemiroff Vodka ($50)
(0:16, 02:28, implied throughout video in glasses)
Heartbeats by Lady Gaga ($99.95)
(0:24, 0:30, 0:34, 1:12, various times in video)
Carerra ‘Safari’ Sunglasses ($ unknown)
(03:56)
HP Envy ‘Beats Limited Edition’ by Monster ($2,299)
(2:44)
(There’s also a Nintendo Wii controller at (02.43), but it’s probably not a paid placement.)
In total, there are about 8 placements for 5 products, each between 1-4 seconds in a 5-minute video!
You’ll probably see a lot more of this as record sales continue to drop and artistes continue to find other ways to make money around their music, instead of directly from the music. Am I against product placement? Not as long as it’s not too intrusive and it’s interesting (I might consider buying the headphones in the vid) - the format of a music video usually only allows for 1-3 seconds at a time anyway, but the scary thought you have to think is this - will there be a future where all music videos will be this weird, so as to accomodate product placements more easily? As brands can’t fit as smoothly in grassy fields, normal-looking living rooms or plain white backgrounds. Everything will look like weird stuff from Japan!
Oh, and look out for the surprise ending of Lady Gaga sitting on a bed a burnt out skeleton! Really.
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