Tamaran Hill

The story is adapted from a novel and it is about a young girl trying to find out more about her past when she digs deep into the history of Tamaran Hill.

Liked the voice over narration, the animation sequences of the words flying and the mother singing as well as the old historic photographs! I felt that reality and fiction fused together at times.

Social Dilemma

This is a documentary on the impact of social media on the world.

Liked how the film physically showed what the artificial intelligence might look like in person! Didn't realize how entire nations like Myanmar and Hong Kong were affected by social media! The takeaway for me is to turn off notifications so that I still can enjoy my offline social life.

Internet Movie Database Link

Isadora's Children

The story is about four women trying to learn a dance created by a choreographer to commerorate her children who died in an accident.

The pace was a little bit slow but I liked the elegant dance movements and the different perspectives on how different people approach a subject: from a book, bouncing ideas with each other through conversations and personal experience.

Internet Movie Database Link

Rising Phoenix

This is a documentary about the Paralympics.

Liked the personal stories of the athletes and how different sports and different countries were featured!

Internet Movie Database Link

CSC E-Scrabble Competition 2020

The CSC E-Scrabble Competition is an annual event for organisations in the civil service to take part in a friendly game of Scrabble. It was held online on 12th Sep 2020 from 9.30am to 3.30pm. A total of 37 people from 8 organisations took part including two from MINDEF.

Here's my match report.

Game 1: Muhammed Farhan (MHA)
I bingoed with COSINES(78) and scored well with JET(33) while he scored well with UNFACE*(42), HOX(48) and HAZE(36).

Won 370-332. 1-0 spread +38

Game 2: Chan Andi Andy (PA)
I bingoed with FALTERS(78), EROTISE(72) and scored well with DJIN(36), LIKE(30) and MUX(37) while he scored well with ZA(33) and HOAX(39). I challenged his TORAN as I was not sure if it was valid but it turned out to be good.

Won 474-189. 2-0 spread +323

Game 3: Marlon Prudencio (LTA)
I got away with a phoney bingo TRELLERS*(61) and scored well with WALTZ(34), HUE(37) and QIN(44) while he bingoed with ELMIEST(90), CAREENED(63) and scored well with OK(38), JAILS(47) and RAND(31). Was quite surprised when he put down a phoney bingo FISHMEN* and I challenged it off successfully! Learned two new words, ELMIEST and SKEN.

Lost 374-438. 2-1 spread +259

Game 4: Joseph Tan (HDB)
I bingoed with sPoRTED(72) and scored well with DORY(36), PIS(31) and KIN(33) while he bingoed with RAVENOUS(72), HORSING(72), STEAMIE(70) and scored well with JEED(40), DEIL(31) and REZ(32). Played two phoneys that were challenged off: SHINT* and WINKIE*. Was considering between WINKIE* and WINKLE which would have scored 50 points but chose the wrong one in the end.

Lost 320-489. 2-2 spread +90

Game 5: Ramamoorthy Rajagopal (MHA)
I bingoed with HUNTERS(78) and scored well with SEZ(32) and MOA(31) while he bingoed with SILTIER(73), BLASTER(69) REPEALER(68) and scored well with HANKY(35), BIRD(32), QI(36) and JIG(30). He put down SLITIER* initially and I challenged it off but he put down the correct anagram on the next turn. Was surprised in the middle of the game when he passed his turn for no reason, then found out that he was trying to change tiles but accidentally pressed the pass button instead.

Lost 372-443. 2-3 spread +19

Game 6: Govinda Ghale (MHA)
I bingoed with cLEAVED(78), TrIAGES(75), ATTIRES(83) and scored well with HIVED(50), ZIG(43) and DEX(43) while he bingoed with UNNATIVE(72), INCASES(67) and scored well with MOW(33), QUIN(36) and ZEL(36). Was quite surprised that INCASE took an S back hook.

Won 496-403. 3-3 spread +112

Game 7: Muhammed Farhan (MHA)
Played Farhan again in the first king of the hill. I bingoed with GUITARS(73) and scored well with YOK(33), ZARFS(81), HON(30) and WUDS(30) while he bingoed with LEAVING(76) and scored well with JEE(30) and QUIT(46). Fatigue might have set in for him as he played OT* which was obviously no good and I challenged it off. That might have made a difference in who won the game as our scores were not too far apart.

Won 418-397. 4-3 spread +133

Game 8: Shahrul Kamal (SP)
I bingoed with TEEINGS(83) and scored well with ZEA(31) and HAIR(30) while he bingoed with COWARDS(86) and scored well with VEX(33), INJURE(63) and RETRY(38). Late in the game, I was 20 points behind and there were 5 tiles in the bag including possibly the Q. There were two I spots on the board and I blocked one of them, thinking he would play a Q on the other I spot. He played RETRY front hooking the Y to be CLAD instead and was ahead by 47 points. He was stuck with the Q though and I managed to outscore him by playing one or two tiles at a time while he passed several times.

Won 393-388. 5-3 spread +138

I managed to play with players in 5 different organisations. A pity I didn't have the chance to play with players in Ministry of Health and Ministry of Law. Final result was 12th placing out of 37. Not too bad in my opinion considering the number of mistakes I made. Hope next year will be an online competition again so that I can play in the comfort of my home!

High Score

This is a documentary about the video game industry, how it evolved from the arcade, to specialised console and then to the personal computer.

Liked the use of the nice cartoonish animation to tell parts of the story! Used to play Street Fighter II quite a bit when I was doing my National Service so it was quite nostalgic to see it on the screen.

Internet Movie Database Link