I’m back in Singapore, for the shortest time in three years. Don’t know how many days exactly, but around five weeks to reconnect with the homeland. Already on the Singapore Airlines flight back from New York, I had an unprecedented warmup getting reacquainted with crass, unceremonious displays by Singaporeans.

Flanked by two ‘uncles’ showing suspicious signs of a mid-life crisis, they exhibited all the traditional traits of a Singaporean — letting lose foul athlete’s foot, scrunching down into the seat so that their knees are firmly weighed on the tray table for support, pushing back the seat even in meal times and take-off. The first six hours of the flight swiftly erased months (and months) of any longing I had for Singapore.

This year is also the first full return trip I’ve taken via Frankfurt. Previously I was flying the good flight on board the direct Newark route, enjoying the perks of executive economy. Although the direct route will no longer be an option for me in the future — as it’s going all business-class — I would desire it over the Frankfurt route anytime. Apart from the obvious benefits of comfort, flight time is much less, and I’m one of those who can spare the hassle of getting off and on the plane during a refueling stop.

Once the five week reunion is over, I’ll be heading back to NYC again. Will I go by via Frankfurt again? Nothing’s certain yet, but I’m seriously pondering all options right now, to find the next-best-thing to a direct flight from Singapore to New York.

For three years, the opportunities to follow live soccer matches week-in, week-out were few and very, very far between. Soccer can be considered child’s play to Americans, what with their own ‘big 4′ — American football, baseball, ice hockey and basketball — dominating the sport channels. But in this awesome spring in Michigan, I’m savoring live matches of Euro 2008. Even better, they’re not in the dead of night in Singapore time, but on breezy afternoons where heavy eyelids don’t threaten to get you ’sent off’ to your bed.

The quarter finals have been particularly scintillating. Mouth-watering five (!) goals for the Portugal/Germany match, and big favorites the Dutch getting their orange butts kicked by the Russians, whom were appearing in the quarterfinals for the first time since the fall of the USSR. Sadly I missed both the Turkey/Croatia thriller and the Red Army’s demolition of the Dutch. Then when I find the time to watch a match proper, Spain and Italy disappoint with a boring 0-0 display.

That said, the setup for the semi-finals is beyond most people’s wildest imagination. An underdog could go all the way (like Greece did four years ago), or it could be an old-timer stamping his foot on the grass. I’m already looking forward to the next match.

Before anyone starts flogging me for even daring to dedicate an entire post to this ‘let-down’ of a sci-fi movie, my only defense is I was 13 when the movie came out. It was the age when I had yet to hold a gun in my hands, and the whole man-vs-bug theme exonerated by a little game called Starcraft was still in every geekboy’s pre-puberty-sized head.

Today I found Starship Troopers hidden in the ‘free movies’ section of Comcast’s On Demand channel. Since I was waiting for my stomach to grumble for lunch, why not? Firstly, I couldn’t believe the last time I watched this gung-ho, kill-them-all action flick was close to 10 years ago. More importantly, I realized I understood the film better after multiple helpings, as well as its underlying themes.

Only the blind would not notice the gory violence in this film, as the bugs shred humans in all ways possible. Forget the Normandy scene in Saving Private Ryan; use this as ‘scare-ware‘ if you want to frighten out the wits of someone into going to war, or to simply demonstrate the consequences of war. And yet, as subtly brought across in the movie, sometimes war is necessary, when we have to defend that we believe to be worth our very lives. Merely primal instinct — man or bug.

But the biggest blow that struck me after two hours was how easily lives are extinguished in the fiery of war. Whole lives, built over decades, snuffed out in a split second. In the film, characters come and go; just as you’re building a relationship with them, someone gets killed and you wonder ‘what’s the point?’ Maybe that’s the whole message of the movie, and it galvanizes you to treasure those who are dearest. For a moment you’re emotionally charged with adrenaline for an intergalactic war, the next you’re plopped on your sofa in a safe world, slapped back to reality. Even if that reality is boring, at least it gives me irreplaceable time with loved ones.

Could it be me one day? Let’s hope not. Safety and stability over fame, any day.

Tribute for BBC Reporter 

Not many people know about Ann Arbor’s Hands-on Museum — mistakenly labeled as a kid’s science museum — but I can testify that college students can have a lot of fun learning cool trivia on geography, physics and much more. The best part? We get our hands dirty in the process.

Among the ‘experiments’ to play with are what you see here: artificially-constructed tornadoes, locking mechanisms, manipulations of light, and a simulated ice rock wall. The museum isn’t big, and even with four stories, the entire excursion can be completed comfortably in just over three hours.

Guolu doing a dance.

Apparently the museum is rated one of the best places to have fun in Ann Arbor, so I’m quite baffled as to how some of my most loyal friends to Michigan haven’t heard of it. Well if you can take my word, then spending a relaxing afternoon making your fingers and mind work won’t be a disappointment. For information, check it out.

Oops that’s a random stranger.

Conquered one of the ‘big four’ — “Raptor”

My last roller coaster ride was so long ago I don’t even remember how old I was. But I do remember being scared shitless and vowed not to take such a ride again. See, that changed last weekend as the bunch of us took the two-hour drive to Cedar Point, renown (supposedly) to be one of the best roller coaster theme parks in the world.

Girls.

We spent the whole day there, from its opening at 10am, to its closing 12 hours later. I was initially dead-set not to take any big rides, but with Guolu encouraging me, I joined them for our first ride of the day. The fiendish ride turned out to be Raptor, a rather modern and looping thrill that didn’t bank on acceleration or free-falls to intimidate, but wicked corkscrew twists that ‘turned’ you out of this world.

Guys.

Weirdest of all, after stepping down from the ride, I realized I quite enjoyed it, even though granted I was nervous as our train inched slowly higher, leaving our legs dangling for the dead. Nevertheless, my heart doesn’t favor unnecessary stress — I sincerely believe getting a heart-attack in one of these rides is a very real, and scary, possibility. That would be my last major ride for the rest of the day (despite pleas from the rest to try more), but I’m glad I conquered one of the most highly rated rides in the whole park. For you speed-freaks out there, do make a point to visit Cedar Point if you can. One day I hope to completely obliterate the 17-second-30-storey ride Drag-ster (see below). I dare you too.

North Campus has never known to be a glamor stop among Michigan students. Despite its vastness, the land is occupied more by greenery and deers than school buildings and students. There’s only one dormitory (Bursley) and two apartment housing areas (Baits and Northwood) and amenities are scarce to say the least. Last I heard, Panda Express still has a kind of fortuitous monopoly over the students. Shopping space is at a ridiculously high premium so competitors can’t come in.

All that’s about to change over the next several (?) years as the University revealed a new plan for North Campus, as proposed and designed by students and faculty. Looks like we now know where all our exorbitant tuition fees are being invested in. We may not reap the benefits but it does bode exciting times ahead for Michigan. I would like to see nothing more than the school growing in potential and punch to keep up with the best tertiary institutions in the U.S.

To read more about the ‘new’ North Campus (with a map), go here.

When it comes to the big ‘A’ — Anime — I can be as picky as your mom’s annoying insistence to eat your greens. My consumption of anime is unlike the phalanxes of American comics I once devoured, instead it’s more like not wanting to turn back to canned peanuts after you’ve tasted the caviar. So I only watch what I’ve heard to be the best among countless hours of worthless animation.

If you’ve been following my exploits since this blog’s inception, then maybe you’ll recall the occasional wide-eyed exclamation of a great work of art. Because the age I came into Michigan was also roughly the time I discarded most prejudice against Anime and let it impress in all fairness. Forget Bleach or Naruto (unfortunately not all prejudices dissipate immediately), I’m referring to acclaimed series such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Honey & Clover (this link alludes to its conclusion).

Since Guolu’s quite an ‘A’ fan herself, we pounced on another highly rated series, titled “Darker Than Black.” Being only 25 episodes long, it immediately disqualifies itself as a lame show trying to drag its dead leg long after being shot. The mood is tense, and invariably grim, though I’m sure you must have guessed that already. Our main guy Hei (黑) is a ‘contractor’ who exhibits a unique and definitely-dangerous power. He’s not alone, as there is a whole legion of these ‘contractors’ who walk the earth; they came to exist after unexplained anomaly ‘gates’ appeared in South America and Japan.

Already spooked? We were too, after the first episode. The show arms itself with flashbacks to slowly reveal answers, but at the same time leaves enough suspense in the present to develop Hei’s character as well as his supporting cast. Sure there’s plenty of talking and scientific jargon to weed through, but when the action hits (and boy does it whip!), you’ll be breathing hard by the time it ends. The last five episodes tie in as one sweeping, final arc that will tie everything together. Don’t expect a fairy-tale ending, and if your heart is set to be awed, then you’ll be just as shocked with its conclusion as I was.

Think X-Men and X-files under the same roof, like Moulder and Scully having mutant powers. If you like both, then this is an ‘A’ ride you don’t want to miss.