Robsten...no longer?

Sigh...the Robsten fairytale romance has been shattered in the most unimaginable way possible.

A few days ago, reports from Us Weekly and People surfaced that Kristen had cheated on Rob with Rupert Sanders, the married director of SWATH (Snow White And The Huntsman). Ironically, his wife is Liberty Ross, who portrayed SW's mother in the movie.
A heartfelt apology statement by Kristen, followed by a similar one from Rupert appeared to be genuine, although some still doubt their authenticity.

Reactions from local fans:
http://www.divaasia.com/article/17772


Poor Rob
http://www.divaasia.com/article/17769


Should Rob forgive Kristen?
http://www.divaasia.com/article/17769



The Twi-universe was rocked....and not in a nice way.
This was NOT how things were supposed to be in the run-up to Breaking Dawn Part Two, due for release in November.
After all, Rob and Kris' love story have been the fuel for the Twilight franchise from the very first movie.
The account of how Rob auditioned for and got selected for the role of Edward is the stuff of legend and their chemistry on screen positively made the movie sizzle.
And yes, it was a pivotal aspect which converted me into a true Twi-Hard.
Off screen, they appeared to have the same sort of chemistry, although they have never admitted publicly to be a couple these past four years.
The fans, however, have had no doubt about their relationship and Kristen's apology, where she declared that she loved Rob appears to have vindicated all the beliefs and rumours that they were together.

According to reports, Rob is heartbroken and humiliated...understandably.
And is apparently not speaking to Kris but wants to have a man-to-man talk with Rupert.

My first reaction was: "Stupid girl! How could she cheat on Robert Pattinson??"
However, it's also entirely possible that this has been blown out of proportion, knowing how the media loves a scandal.
I can't say I'm entirely surprised about her indiscretions as she is still very young but also, we do not really know all the details and should not be too judgemental.
Rupert must also be held accountable, as he is older and should be wiser.

I've always felt that the world of a film set is totally surreal and emotions sometimes get the better of anyone, even the most steadfast.
Having said that, there are many celebrity couples whose relationships have withstood the tests and temptations of the trade.

The implications of this sorry saga are many.
There will be effects on all concerned, whether bad or good in some twisted way.

The biggest thing will of course be Breaking Dawn Part Two, at which Rob and Kristen are contractually obliged to promote and put forth the correct image.
If all had gone well viz Robsten is still Romantically Robsten,  it would have been the perfect ending and closure to the franchise.

But that happy scenario does not appear likely...for now.
However, there are at least three months before the promotional frenzy starts.
Anything can happen between now and then.

Truth to tell, if this had happened two years ago, I would have been utterly devastated as I was a HUGE Robstenator, following their story eagerly; there were fan pages and websites dedicated to Robsten.
But my fervour has worn off, and although I still like Rob very much, I've never been a big fan of Kristen, even as I loved her portrayal of Bella.

So this would not impact my looking forward to BD2, as it is the characters and story of Twilight which is the main attraction for me.
I also think we Twi-Hards owe it to Stephenie Meyer and all the rest of the cast and crew who have worked so hard to bring the movie to fruition, to support their efforts and make the final movie a success at the box office.
I, for one, can't wait to be part of a Twilight marathon, come November!

BRING IT!!!

SHAPE Run 2012

In an earlier post about my renewed interest in running, I mentioned that I had signed up for the 10k SHAPE Run:

http://fandomizfun.blogspot.sg/2012/04/on-road-again.html

Well, I did it!!

After a few months of somewhat haphazard training, the day finally dawned for the actual run on 15 July.
Having done 10k before, I knew I would and could last the distance....just not that fast.
But timing has never been my goal for all these organised runs, anyway.
To me, it's more important that I have fun and run at my own pace fairly comfortably without cramping up or panting breathlessly.
I also love looking out for nice scenery to snap a photo of along the way to document the journey, so to speak and keep it in my memory better.
That's what I did for the Stanchart 21k a few years back. :)

The day before the Run was very wet and gloomy but I just felt it was a good thing as it almost always means the next day will bring fine weather.
I was also deliberating at one point whether to go ahead with the event as I had developed a mild sore throat and nasal congestion a few days ago.
However, as I had missed last year's Run due to a bad bout of sinusitis, I was determined not to miss this year's and made sure I took my meds and got a little more rest and fluids in before the 15th.

Thankfully, I felt much better by Saturday evening and had a nice peaceful night watching Secret with my niece.

It has been more than a year since I participated in a mass run like that.
I got up at 5am the next day and went through the familiar routine of pinning on the race bib, preparing my waistbelt where I would stuff a water bottle, small towel and of course,my glasses!
I'm helpless without them when I need to use my phone!
Walkman at the ready; cap and sunglasses too.

It was a nice feeling to join the hordes of ladies in the pink SHAPE teeshirt along Nicholl Highway, where the Start and Finish points would be.

The organisers also introduced the Male Pacers for this year's Run, presumably to make it more interesting for the ladies. I have ambivalent feelings about them. On the one hand, they were really cute, especially this group with their funny headgear:

But then again, this was an all-women's Run and perhaps some ladies would not be comfortable having the guys alongside them.
And if pacers were needed, why not female ones?
Anyway, I did not even see them during the route.

It was certainly a sight to behold as the sea of pink started moving off when the race was flagged off at about 7:08am!

I jogged along, slowly but surely, finding a comfortable pace, with my fave retro hits blasting in my ears.
There's just something about 1980s music which is extremely conducive to running....for me at least.
Probably 'cos 80s music brings back so much good memories for me.

http://fandomizfun.blogspot.sg/2012/07/retro-rocks.html


Well, I didn't just concentrate on the music...I made sure to be aware of my surroundings and took in the lovely scenery of the Kallang Riverside park, the Singapore skyline, the biomes at the newly-opened Gardens By The Bay.

It got hotter as the run went on but there were enough water stations along the way.
There were also clear-cut directions but no distance markers.
I was a little disappointed at the latter but then realised that I actually preferred it that way as without the markers, I would just run on and on without being too stressed about the distance I was covering or the timing. :)

I came in at about 1 hour 35 mins, which was expected, given my pace and that I frequently stopped to take photos. :)

All in, I thoroughly enjoyed myself during the Run and the good feeling enabled me to endure the snaking queue for the collection of the runner's kit after that.
I passed the time listening to music, eating my banana and drinking the water provided.
Glad I had cap and sunglasses with me!

I went home, satisfied and treated myself to an egg-and-onion prata for breakfast. :))

Call Me TWI-MUM!!

Twilight-obsession began sometime after mid-2008 when I started reading the books but was only truly cemented after I watched the first movie in Dec 2008.
In an earlier post, I had mentioned that it was my son's reading of the first book which intrigued me and even up till I watched the movie, I was not really caught up in the pre-movie hype.

http://fandomizfun.blogspot.sg/2012/04/bitten.html

I even bought the movie companion for my son and as he was not in Singapore, I kept it on my bookshelf, unopened and unread.
Well, I remember walking into the movie without knowing what to expect and walking out of the theatre with only one thought on my mind:
"I MUST watch this AGAIN!!!"
(As it turned out, the movie also spawned an enormously popular franchise which made the actors and Stephenie Meyer into superstars literally overnight.)


Haha...I would eventually watch it five times in all; alone, with another son, with the TwiSg girls. ;)
There was no stopping the Twi-mania therafter.
Books, magazines, piano books, CDs, yadayadayada....
I made a whole new bunch of friends from Twilight Singapore, whose passion for the franchise go waaay beyond mine.
We had loads of fun online, especially when two of them went for the Twilight premiere in Tokyo; I remember being really excited about their updates, especially when they saw Robert Pattinson at Narita Airport!
They have also organised lots of interesting events for each movie and I'm looking forward to the Twilight marathon when Breaking Dawn Part 2 is released in November!!
Thank you so much, you amazing ladies for keeping the Twi-light aflame!!!

Here's the website for those who are keen to follow updates:

http://twilightsingapore.com/
 

I also discovered many other like-minded friends, some through unexpected ways from comments on Facebook or random conversations.
And Kinokuniya became a favourite haunt for all the books and magazines related to Twilight, when I realised how immensely up-to-date their stocks were....and which I'll showcase further below.
And I was even interviewed by a local women's magazine about the Twilight phenomenon and why Edward Cullen was such a beguiling character for the ladies, young and not-so-young. ;)


I now present the collection I've amassed over the past four years:

First came the books, which I bought from Borders. I love how creased and dog-eared they are...shows they've been well-read!

Then came the movie cover editions:

 The DVDs, CDs of the OSTs/scores, piano books and movie companions:

 
Official Guide to the Saga, Bree Tanner novella and Twilight graphic novels....note how beautifully the two covers form a composite!

 And there were lots of spin-off books:

Magazines galore!!

And merchandise like a teeshirt from another Twi-Mum, calendars and an Eclipse folder with Edward on one side and Jacob on the other!

Edit on 23 July 2012:

Thank you, Laura for sending me this beautiful board game!

Now awaiting BD2 stuff!!!

Retro rocks!

I feel so privileged to have partied in the era of 80s new wave, Brit pop, synth pop and dance music which is now so popularly known as Retro and is kept alive by Mambo Jambo Nites at Zouk, lots of airplay on radio stations which dedicate whole days and sometimes nights to these songs alone, and concerts like Retrolicious. Many of the singers and groups from those good old days are still performing and have popped by our shores quite frequently for fans to rock out nostalgically with.

Bananarama, Rick Astley, Belinda Carlisle, Human League, Howard Jones, Tears For Fears, Kylie Minogue, Johnny Hates Jazz, Spandau Ballet, Cyndi Lauper, Mike and The Mechanics, to name a few and Madonna is of course still going strong (although she has yet to come to Singapore).
There are simply too many for me to name them all and I have started compiling a list on my youtube channel, which has more than fifty songs and still counting.
Michael Jackson was also tremendously popular at that time and I saw how his style and looks evolved, at times with considerable alarm. It was really saddening when he passed on so suddenly and with so much more music that he could have given the world.

Where was I in the 80s?
In junior college and then on to Uni, where going for the Hops and Jams at the different faculties  ensured that I heard the latest hits and bopped along enthusiastically with youthful exuberance!
Actually, I still bop along happily after all these years!!
Those were great times in the Kent Ridge campus at the Central Admin atrium, where we had live bands performing in the earlier part of the evening (the Jam) followed by the dancing (the Hop).
And of course, the best thing was that it was all FOC!!!
Definitely very useful for poor not-earning undergrads!!

The radio was also a constant companion in those days. There was not the Internet as we know it now. And staying in the hostel for three years coupled with a very packed schedule meant I did not get to watch much TV, which is why I completely did not catch on to the MTV craze.
I only listened to the songs on the radio (and later on CDs) and it was only until recently that I've gotten more interested in music videos, partly due to my sons' viewing habits but mostly due to my Jay Chou fandom, as he is one artiste who believes wholeheartedly in producing a MV for almost every song on all his albums!


Those were also the days of vinyl records and cassette tapes. The latter was frustrating to have sometimes when the tape would got caught in the cassette player and become unwound and thus unplayable!
Vinyl records could also get scratched if not handled with care (not unlike CDs today).

Cassette tapes slowly gave way to CDs in the late 80s and I well remember how excited some of my friends were about these discs and would wax lyrical about how much better the sound was and go on buying sprees.
Indeed, my hubby also got caught up in the CD and audiophile craze, acquiring 'high-end' sound systems and all kinds of CDs, especially classical music but I think we've not listened to even half of what we bought...lol!
A frequent and favourite haunt was Dave Boo's Sembawang Music Centre. He was a pioneer in the CD business then. :)

I'm pretty certain 80s music will stand the test of time.
What with Glee remakes and people like me who refuse to be influenced by 90s music (but don't get me wrong...I do like the Backstreet Boys!), these songs hold a special place in my heart, mind and memory and simply put, they are so infectiously fun to sing and dance to and also to plug into when I'm running!


To end, here is my youtube list, which is still in the process of being added to:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL217D251EC6705420&feature=plcp

I will always LOVE these songs!!!

All By Myself...

I just came home from watching The Amazing Spiderman on a Tuesday night (when tickets are cheapest!)...alone but not feeling at all lonely.

People are often surprised when I tell them that I enjoy going to the cinema on my own...well, to be fair, I have a couple of friends who agree with me but, the vast majority apparently do not and cannot fathom how this can be so.

I did not always feel like that, though.
When I was much younger, watching a movie was definitely a social activity to be shared with friends, eating popcorn and chattering excitedly pre and post show.

But I got my first taste of flying solo when I got caught up in the first Lord Of The Rings movie. The Fellowship Of The Ring. It was fantastic on first viewing, what with its amazing music, storyline, special effects and cast...especially Orlando Bloom's Legolas.
I walked out of the theatre with only one thought on my mind: "I gotta watch this again!"
And that was exactly what I did a few days later...by myself...albeit a little apprehensively at first, but I discovered, to my tremendous delight, what a liberating experience it was!
I could just immerse myself wholeheartedly in the movie, indulging all my senses.
And I also realised that I prefer not to eat during a show as that activity distracts me from following the movie properly.

Ever since then, I have had no qualms whatsoever about going it alone...but it has usually been when I wanted to re-watch to get more out of the movie.
This happened with the other two LOTR movies, all the Twilight movies and a few of the Potter ones.
Admittedly, I'm very used to doing things on my own, a habit from primary schooldays when I was content to eat my lunch whilst absorbed in a book as I had to stay back to wait for my mother after school.

I guess I'm just happy in my own company. ;)