iRiver IMP-550

finally, got it! S$299 at sim lim square. tis baby is e slimmest mp3 discman in e world (4 now) at 13.7mm. it is designed by inno, n 4 those who dunno iRiver, it is a south korean product. it has 55 hours of playback n 15 mins of shock resistance. it also has a fm tuner too.




there is a black design but out of stock. so no choice, i have 2 settle with silver instead. tis baby is onli 145g!!! e gd thing about tis model is dat u can recharge n discharge during playback too. e magnesium die-cast beauty is protected from shock n scratches.


i compare e thickness, or should i say e slimness with e Singapore $1 coin


e gumsticks, which r e slimmest batteries in e world as well i think, hehe!


i dunno whether tis baby has games 2 play on it. e previous model has it. e good thing is dat iRiver products r firmware upgradable. n they really upgrade e firmwares quite often, at least a few times annually, alwiz improving their products.


e salesman told me, "dun worrilah, ur pouch is black in colour, n ur discman is silver, got two colours! compare 2 e black model." at least he can think of some excuses why i should own e silver instead of black model, hehe! although a lame 1. well, need 2 give tis baby a 12-hour 1st time charge 2 give e batteries e sustained long life. n i hope tis baby gonna rock non-stop!!!

FOOTBALL: TOON ARMY MARCHES ON

with real madrid out of e champions league, there is onli newcastle utd left 4 me 2 support in europe competitions. it is quite a silent move 2 e semis now. haha! nvr really pay attention 2 their progress but wat do u know? they deserve some credits 4 moving thus far. their next match is at home 2 marseille, who knocked out inter milan. so it wun b easy 2 go into e finals. anywayz, it is oredi a veli proud achievement 4 newcastle 2 go tis far. sir bobby robson's 3 oldest seniors (perhaps) of shearer, speed n given all played in their parts 2 win e match 4 newcastle early tis morning. interestingly, 2 among e best goalies in e world, given n casillas r both under e teams i supported becoz of shearer n raul.

i just hope newcastle can go into e finals. looking at e clash of e other semi, it is apparently obvious dat valencia r e favs 2 enter e finals. if they dun, it must b becoz of some suspension or injury problems. they r oredi now top of e la liga. so i guess e UEFA Cup can give them some distractions 4 e final few matches 2 win e league. although i dun have faith in real madrid 2 win it now, looking at e remainding teams they need 2 play against, namely barcelona who have been unbeaten 4 months n e deportivo side dat superbly sent ac milan out of e champions league. with real's super scary defence, i can't imagine them going thru these matches with any wins.

i really hope perez get serious about getting a veli reliable top class center defender next season. i just can't imagine real madrid playing with opponents competiting who can score more goals on every match. in e champions league matches where 2 legs r 2 determine e aggregate of going thru e next round, u can't afford 2 give away too many away goals 2 ur opponents. u just can't sustain urself 2 e final like dat.

surprisingly, all e teams dat real lost 2 have players dat played a role in real madrid. starting with e defeat 2 zaragoza in e spanish cup final, they had milito, e player they rejected at e veli last minute becoz he did not pass e stupid medical standard of real madrid. then, real lost 2 a monaco side with loaned morientes contributing 2 goals 2 force real exit e champions league. then, they have their former player valdo in osasuna who sinked them 2 bring them down from e lead in e la liga. now, i think dat is enuf salt rubbed all over real madrid. interesting rite?

with ronaldo out, n raul still not really finding his form (wonder wat's e reason), i guess real wun have much power 2 go on, not like last season when they chase real sociedad like crazy until e veli last minute. n everyone should know e stupid beckham scandal which had come coincidentally at e most crucial moment. now, i begin 2 wonder whether it is beckham who made it up 2 cover his off form? haha!

JIM BRICKMAN

where r u jim brickman? i was searching half dead 4 jim brickman's love songs n lullaby music scores book as my fren 17 was interested 2 buy. i decided 2 check out e biggest american book store n biggest japanese book store in s'pore. borders n kinokuniya. interestingly both dun have stock n requiring me 2 order. i decided 2 look elsewhere. searching every possible piano stores in ngee ann city n s'pore plaza. finally i found e book at e music plaza at s'pore plaza. interestingly it is such a thin book n damn expensive! after confirming with 17, she decided it was too much n over her budget. hehe! oh well, maybe she can find better deals in m'sia next time.


started my journey at wheelock's place, where borders is situated.






kinokuniya at ngee ann city was my next destination.










i tried tis robert piano which is situated on top of kino, but no luck too.


i went 2 s'pore plaza next 2 try my luck. yamaha music skool is my next destination which is just next 2 music plaza. i think they r related somehow since e design of e shops r quite similar.


tis is where i found e jim brickman book, but overpriced. so much 4 my jim brickman search. phew!

epSITE

e 1st digital imaging gallery in s'pore. sounds catchy rite? who wun go check out if it is just like 1 minute walk away? i was, hehe! i was in wheelock's place when i saw these ads sticking on e floor directing u 2 their gallery. since i had some time 2 spare, i went on 2 have a look! basically it is a display exhibition by tis jap photographer called ikuo nakamura. ok, i am a blur guy in terms of knowing e best photographers in e world so i really dunno how famous tis chap is. nevertheless, he took some really nice n breathtaking photos. pros of coz got some standard, if not, why exhibit? haha!













e theme is basically veli ocean n sea atmosphere. i love some of his children photos taken near e beaches. i think they r veli nicely taken 2 depict e scene at dat veli moment. there r some underwater photos too. do go n have a look if u like. epson took e opportunity 2 use their projectors 2 display some of e photos on e screens n glass panels 2 make e whole exhibition look more high tech. nice try i guess, makes it feel more interesting expecially since e projectors show slide shows of pics every few seconds.

4 more info, check out:
EPSON epSITE

EVERY LITTLE THING

i was doing some album shopping 4 my fren ah hung. he is looking 4 kim min jong n every little thing albums. i found e best of kim min jong, but i guess it is not e album he wanted. but i found 2/3 of e ELT albums he enquired. i searched basically some of e biggest music stores in ngee ann city, s'pore plaza, citylink n suntec city. finally decided e last choices 2 find r e 2 biggest music stores in s'pore, tower records n hmv.




i was so happy dat i found tis 1999 every best single album. it is a rare find.


as 4 e 2003 every best single albums, i onli manage 2 get part 2. part 1 is out of stock. actually i can order but it takes 2 weeks 2 a month, which is too late. i will b back 2 sibu by then. so i guess till i come back again next time. kim min jong's best album also no stock, need 2 order. oh well....next time i guess. i love do as infinity more than every little thing. some more i think tomiko van is more sexy n beautiful! she has e killer eyes n i love her voice too! n i love their guitars n their style of rock.


i bought myself tis album. it has been so long since i bought dance n techno compilation albums. well, just wan 2 buy 1 4 fun.

BIRD PET

ok, large amount of singaporean men, expecially those who r semi retired 2 grandpa age group have tis love of keeping birds as pets. hmmm, e hobby is so huge dat during weekends expecially, they will bring down their birds n gather. they just sit around n hook e cages on e poles provided, sit down n socialize. interesting rite? we nvr c such things in malaysia at least. k, i was going 2 yishun 2 take some stuff of mine from my uncle's place n decided 2 take photos 2 show how crazy they r with birds. there r people selling bird food too down there when e men sit around admiring each other's birds. most of e birds look so similar i had a hard time identifying them. i wonder how they can differentiate e birds n not take home e wrong bird. haha! but then again each of them have different cage designs n they even have numberings like parking lots 4 e interior hook points. so i guess people wun b too blur 2 mistakenly bring home other people's bird.








ok, people tell me dat e government dun wan people 2 play footie on e empty plot of land normally surrounded by e hdb blocks, e public housing of s'pore. thus, they purposely put lotsa poles 4 people 2 hang their bird cages, tis is e exterior outdoor version of e same concept. hehe! i wonder whether it is true. when i 1st saw e poles when i visited s'pore, i have no idea at all wat r they 4. i was wondering wat kinda flags they need 2 raise in such big amounts? haha! reminds me of e sibu united chinese association. they have alot of flag poles 2 raise up flags of different dialect groups n clans.

MOS BURGER!

1 of my most fav. jap fast food chain apart from yoshinoya. they have nice n delicious food. i was out yesterday so i decided 2 dine at mos burger. there r limited outlets here in s'pore so whenever i c 1 n near mealtime, i will grab it! i dined at e 1 at ngee ann city near takashimaya.




e menu of burgers n side dishes u can try here. burgers r generally smaller size compare 2 burger king, mcdonald's n kfc, unless u r comparing e small burgers.






i ordered e mos burger set with some garlic lemon mussels. i love mussels. i chose e peach drink.


e interior of e burger, i ordered with lotsa cheese.


mussels...yum!


here's e interior details, hehe!


they have tis natural theme thing, like mountain, sun, ocean, stuff like dat. look at e size of their french fries. yes, i am telling u dat they have gigantic french fries. they taste more like home made french fries with more potato flavour compare 2 those deep fried ones from other fast food outlets. dat's e difference. i love it more, taste more natural.


e straw has e ocean theme on it, obviously 2 represent water.


yoshinoya is of coz famous 4 their thin sliced beef rice bowl. dat's their trademark dish. it is situated just opposite mos burger at taka. i love other servings of chicken n salmon too. remember during e mad cow disease early tis year dat yoshinoya japan had 2 limit its beef dishes? apparently they use 100% US beef, n finally japan had 2 resort 2 using aussie n nz beef. but i dunno how much it affected e chains in s'pore. when i passed by, i still c e beef dishes on e menu. some more e mad cow disease had calmed down 4 a few weeks oredi.






the outlet in singapore plaza shopping centre, smaller but with nicer interior deco. feels more jap.

FOOTBALL: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SHOCKING WEEK!!!

i just finished watching depor thrashing ac milan 4-0. i was speechless watching 1 of e incredible comebacks of all time. perhaps in footie history! but it was really so shocking, tis is even more shocking than e defeat of real madrid at e hands of monaco. i was on e phone with my fren, ah hung, a milan fan yesterday noon. he told me he had some serious worri heading e match early tis morning. i told him 2 relax expecially looking at e veli solid milan defence. i told him no way it would give away so many goals even if they dun score any. 2nite, milan's defence was so weak under e pressure dat it must b e worst performance of maldini, nesta, pancaro n cafu 4 a long long time. many had compared tis milan side as e best ever with e side of e late 1980s n early 1990s during e reign of gullit, rijkaard, ancelotti, maldini n van basten. but i guess they have 2 wait another year 2 justify dat.

as 4 real madrid, as a fan, i'm soli 2 say dat they deserve 2 go out sooner or later. they r veli veli weak defensively, probably e weakest among all e best teams in europe. albacete played real madrid b4 e match against monaco n i can tell u they played like a bunch of lousy 3rd division boys. e passings r like shit, e defence is alwiz shaky n they almost lost it. i wun b surprised if they finish e season empty handed. raul, my idol seemed 2 finally scoring but not enuf 2 get his team out. casillas is e person real should thank 4 their achievements thus far. they may even have more lousier season if not 4 his brilliance guarding e goal. real should seriously think of how 2 strengthen their defence next season. there is no reason 2 purchase more attacking powers. n dun blame e exit on beckham either, he was also playing like a bunch of boys from 3rd division with e likes of figo, zidance, raul n ronaldo dat day with albacete. i dunno wat happened in monaco but i'm sure their performance must b as terrible as e 1 facing albacete.

looking at arsenal's exit was another shock too much tis week. chelsea may b a side with e most expensive assembly of players in footie history but they seemed 2 b underperforming e whole season with e amount of money spent on e squad. i was watching e match until halftime b4 i slept when reyes scored dat goal by halftime. i thought e match should b alrite. n real was drawn 1-1 at dat time. i guess real will b in deep shit thinking of how morientes contributed 2 e exit of their team from e champions league.

as 4 ac milan, i am still speechless. depor was in good form 2nite. their passing had been really smooth, e defence really solid n valeron is e mastermind there with luque n fran came in later 2 spice up e team. but 2 me, valeron is e man of e match, he was phenomenal, if zidane is e wizard of real madrid, he is e wizard of depor. e denfence line of andrade, manuel pablo, naybet n romero was really doing well 2 cut down kaka, shevchenko, tomasson n inzaghi later. mauro silva, sergio n victor r also in great form. in fact, e whole team r on song 2nite, not 2 mention pandiani alwiz looking dangerous up front. i think e intro of rui costa late in e 2nd half was e time when depor's goal was threatened e most. but apart from dat, depor had marked kaka really well 2nite 2 prevent e wizard of milan 2 b effective.

as 4 porto, they stood proud after getting man utd out n now will meet depor with confidence. chelsea will meet morientes' loan team, monaco, e top scorer as i understand so far in e champions league campaign tis season. things will get more interesting when e semis r approaching. now, it looks like depor n chelsea r e favs. but dun count porto n monaco out just yet. spain still has some pride knowing at least there is 1 representative in e semis.