Why People Commit Suicide

Recently, there has been a spate of suicide cases - with special attention being given to MBS for its preferred location. I asked - 'Why do people commit suicide? Why do they want to end their lives?' And I seemed to know the answer.

In general, we live - for a purpose. (Sometimes, we set several goals so that we can push ourselves to achieve more out of life.) But when that purpose starts to fade, one might find that there is no more meaning left to live for. Another reason is when there are no more solutions to solve one's problems. (The best example comes from Mediacorp dramas where an actor would commit suicde when he cannot find any further alternatives to pay off his huge outstanding debts.) Whilst suicie might not re-ignite the purpose nor provide the solution, it would definitely end one's suffering.

Bandung - a city or a drink

We went for a 5-day holiday to Bandung, Indonesia. When friends asked what's nice in Bandung, I quickly replied, ‘That sweet pink drink was the tastiest I had in my life’. Oh please, we did not even see the existence of such drinks during our Bandung stay. I wondered who came up with this name.

It seems uniquely Singapore. Afterall, I had the pleasure to play host to 3 Dutch consultants some time ago. After a meeting, I brought them to an air-conditioned food court. One asked – for the local specialities. Being the friendly Singaporean, I recommended food that were unique, such as chicken rice, laksa and fried kway teow. One of them bought the latter and commented on the wonderful taste. Of course, it tasted wonderful. I mean, anything cooked with excess oil would taste wonderful.

When it came to drinks, they asked me to buy – the local drinks. I bought chin chow, soya and bandung. To think that they were generally adventurous – was my mistake. They drank the chin chow and soya drinks. But none wanted to take the bandung. One said, ‘Anything pink – is not a food colour and it’s not edible’.

If what he said - makes sense, then Singaporeans definitely love drinking odd-coloured inedible drink that’s uniquely Singapore.

A Review of Carrcadin in Bandung

We stayed in Carrcadin Business and Entertainment Hotel for 4 nights. Amidst the limited range of hotels in tripadvisor, I chose what I thought was the most 'value-for-money' stay (SGD 91 per night). The several PLUS points of the hotel were:

(i) SPACIOUS ROOMS. The room has a study table, executive chair, coffee table and a sofa. Most hotels just have a study table and a chair - and yet it could have tight spaces with little space for maneuvering. Though I thought the spaciousness of the room be improved with more appropriate lighting.

(ii) PLENTIFUL TV CHANNELS. As we did not stay out late in town, our nights were spent watching interesting shows, from channels such as Animal Planet, HBO, Discovery Channel, etc. We covered numerous episodes of Desperate Housewives 8, US Masterchef, Amazing Race 20 and Spartacus.

(iii) UNDER-UTILISED HOTEL. I hate hotels that give us a crowded feel. For e.g., I don't have to fight for breakfast nor queue at the reception. Hence, it's a plus point for us, though it's probably something that hotel needs to work on. There was never a queue nor a wait when I had my breakfast or head to the reception counter.

(iv) CHEAP HOTEL FOOD. I know how expensive hotel food can be, but Carrcadin serves food that is value-for-money. We paid 60,000 Rp (SGD 8.45) for pasta and a drink at an hotel. Relatively cheap - considering that this is room service, but waiting time could be improved. It took 35 mins for pasta to be served. In addition, the food for their Friday night BBQ could be improved, in terms of BBQing their food to perfection. I rather they turned down the volume of their band and focus on their food. We received a couple of fishes that were not completely cooked. Then again, I can't complain much if I pay only 60,000 Rp (SGD 8.45) for the BBQ buffet, can I?

P/s: I have to remember that Agoda's hotel booking feature can be pretty-misleading. There was no confirmation page - to state the total price payable - before proceeding to charge to my credit card.

Snow White & the Hunstmen

We watched 'Snow White & the Huntsmen' in Bandung Indonesia. In many ways, this was a value-for-money film. Firstly, it costed only Rp 25,000 (SGD 3.50) - it's even cheaper than Johor Bahru's movie ticket price of MYR 14 (SGD 5.80). It's one-third the price of a movie ticket in Singapore, which means we can watch 3 movies in Indonesia for the price of 1.

Secondly, both the cineplex and its surrounding facilites are superb. The theatre was clean; seats were comfortable; the sound system was just right. The movie started rather on-time though, with little/no time allocated for advertisements. The cineplex was loated in Cihampelas Walk - a upbeat, modern four-storeyed shopping complex that allowed movie-goers to shop and eat.

Thirdly, the movie was worthy of being called a blockbuster. My favourite character was Queen Ravenna. With Charlize Theron acting in the role, she was able to act out the devious and yet calm character whilst showcasing her beauty. The movie was well-paced. The story built up into a climax where Snow White took command of the Duke's army and promised to defeat Ravenna by leading them into war. Through the Dwarves' assistance in opening the gates, the Duke's army managed to invade the Castle. Yet another showdown ensued - with a confrontation between Snow White and Queen Ravenna.

Joyful Reunion (飲食男女—好遠又好近)

I watched Joyful Reunion, which was billed as a sequel to Ang Lee’s ‘Eat Drink Man Woman'. The film relies on the same concept of mixing food and human relationships. The film's focus is on a narratively uneven tale about two families in China and Taiwan, delivered with a message of reunification.

I always appreciate films that deliver messages and leaves viewers in a state of reflection. But instead of reflecting, I thought the film was poorly directed that it leaves so many gaps - leaving me to ponder with the message of whether they could have done better.

The gaps are as such:
1. Set in modern-day China (with the use of iPhone 4), both characters, chef Tang Shizhe and Pai Ping, recalled about the past. The past should have occurred around 1940, as it was the start of war in China. With a difference of 72 years, shouldn't the characters be approximately 88 years old? Shouldn't these old people struggle to walk, rather than show that ability to dance in clubs?

2. Both Shizhe and Pai Ping have vastly different characters. Yet they were lovers when they were 16 years old. What made them like each other in the first place?

3. Both Wa’er and boyfriend, Chang Chuan  lived in different worlds. With no attempt to indulge us in their characters, we were not able to understand what was his initial character strength that attracted Wa'er?

4. There was no climax and no twist. There was also no need to guess the ending. Afterall, the title of the movie says it all. The entire plot has been summarised into 2 words, and all of us know the 2 words.

Well, I think I just became a harsh movie critic...