Poison

The story is about a man who had to ask for help as he had a poisonous snake sleeping on his belly.

Quite amazed that the man could stay still for so long! I might have gone for the flick the blanket suggestion!

Internet Movie Database Link

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

The story is about how a rich spoilt man decided to do good deeds by building hospitals and orphanages around the world anonymously.

Thought it was too unbelievable for someone to see something blindfolded! The idea that a person's outlook in life could be changed through hard work is quite positive though!

Internet Movie Database Link

The Swan

The story is about the interaction between a young boy and two bullies that happened many years ago.

Liked the tense moments when the protagonist was tied down to the railway track and the extraordinary events that happened after they encountered the swan!

Internet Movie Database Link

Once Upon a Crime

The film combines a few fairy tales together such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and a hint of Wizard of Oz and Snow White together to form a detective story.

Liked how smart and observant Little Red Riding Hood was to figure out the real killer! All the gowns looked quite pretty too!

Internet Movie Database Link

An Artisan’s Legacy: Tsunekazu Nishioka

This is a documentary on a famous Japanese temple builder. He led a team of builders to rebuild several old temples in Japan.

Was impressed by how knowledgeable Nishioka was and how much dedication he showed towards his work! He sourced for trees from overseas and even made his own customised tools! I could understand the value of spending a lot of time to do a good job after watching this film!

Internet Movie Database Link

A Girl In My Room

The story is about how a man became friends with a female ghost in his house.

Liked the nice traditional costume worn by the ghost! I would have mistaken her for a normal girl too since she can go out in the day and be physically touched too.

Internet Movie Database Link

Follow the Light

The story is about a group of students in a school at the countryside that is closing down.

Liked the nice birds eye view of the rural scenery! Thought the mosaic drawing would look better if the individual portraits were smaller.

To be honest, I was half imagining a Melancholia type of ending when the students gathered at the window to see the light from outer space. That would tie in to the drawings done by the boy. Was also a bit disappointed that there were not more items at the school closing ceremony. Maybe the girl could have sung her song then?

Internet Movie Database Link

A Muse Never Drowns

The story is about the friendship among a group of Japanese art students. One of them painted a portrait of another girl while that girl did a sculpture of a boat using recycled materials.

Liked the interesting soundtrack when the girl was making the boat! Also liked the scene where the three girls were describing their fears to each other!

Hey! Our dear Don-chan

The story is about how three men looked after a baby who suddenly appeared at their doorstep.

Thought this was like a Japanese version of Three Men and a Baby except that it is slower paced! Learned a bit more about how actors auditioned for their roles. Was pleasantly surprised by the easter egg after the credits.

Internet Movie Database Link

Lonely Glory

The story is about how a family of four siblings coped after their parents passed away.

Liked the interaction among the siblings and how the youngest sister learned more about herself and her siblings as the film progressed! Almost thought that she would take over the shop but the open ending was pretty nice too!

Internet Movie Database Link

Wish Dragon

The story is about a young man's encounter with a dragon that grants its master three wishes.

Liked the front part of the movie that introduced the two good friends! Thought it was quite impossible for the young girl to not recognize her old friend though.

Internet Movie Database Link

Ballerina

The story is about two orphans pursuing their dreams after escaping from the orphanage.

Liked the amazing dance sequences and how Odette trained Felicie! She was like a kungfu master teaching her student!

Internet Movie Database Link

The Summit of the Gods

The story is about an avid mountain climber who is obsessed with climbing mountains and a journalist who tries to undercover the reason behind his obsession.

Liked the nice mountain scenery! Quite amazed by how they almost climbed vertically up the mountain through special boots!

Internet Movie Database Link

Aiko

The story is about a day in the life of a group of young Japanese who worked in a bakery.

Liked the insider view of the bakery and the interesting sound effects that don't quite match what is shown on the screen. The film reminds me a bit of Masculin Feminin by Godard where the young people were referred to as the children of Marx and Coca-Cola.

Internet Movie Database Link

House

The story is about what happened when seven friends visited an aunt's house during the summer vacation.

Liked the interesting special effects! Was quite worried that it would be super scary but it was not as bad as I imagined.

Internet Movie Database Link

List

The story is about a young woman making a list of things that she wanted to do at a hotel with her mum.

Liked how the director made a coherent plot based on the seemingly random list of things! The interaction among the three characters was pretty interesting too!

Internet Movie Database Link

Beijing Watermelon

The story is about how a Japanese grocer went beyond his means to help a group of poor Chinese students in the late 1980s.

Liked the nice Chinese song and William Tell overture music sprinkled in the film! Was a bit puzzled why they didn't go physically to Beijing but realized the reason when I saw the date they were supposed to go.

Internet Movie Database Link

Children Who Draw

This is a documentary about art lessons in Japan during the 1950s.

Liked the nice art drawings and clay sculptures by the children! It was interesting to see how the childrens' drawings reflected how they were feeling that day!

Internet Movie Database Link

A Taxi Driver

The story is about how a Korean taxi driver drove a German journalist from Seoul to Gwangju to cover the Gwangju uprising in 1980.

Quite surprised that this was based on real events as it seemed unbelievable that the duo would make it safely to Gwangju and back! Great acting by Song Kang Ho as the taxi driver! I have seen him in many other Korean films!

Internet Movie Database Link

Stand by Me

The story is about how four friends went on an adventure to find the dead body of a stranger.

Liked the strong friendship among them and how they stood by each other in the face of danger, whether is it a train chasing after them, leeches biting them or bigger boys threatening them!

Internet Movie Database Link

The Wandering Earth

The story is about how the people in the world had to make earth wander out of its usual orbit and travel for many years to another place to save it from destruction.

Liked the final part of the film where everyone was trying their best to save the world! Most of the places looked quite similar though, so I couldn't tell them apart.

Internet Movie Database Link

The Menu

The story is about a group of diners having an expensive dinner at an island but many unexpected things happened along the way.

Liked the twists and turns in the film! I couldn't predict what would come next! I thought the bread dish was the most ridiculous!

Internet Movie Database Link

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

The story is about how a young girl travelled to New York with her cousin to abort her baby.

Liked the friendship between the cousins and the scene that explained what the title was all about!

Internet Movie Database Link

When Marnie Was There

The story is about how a shy little girl made friends with another little girl called Marnie.

Liked the friendship between the two girls! The final portion where they slowly revealed the identity of Marnie was pretty exciting in my opinion!

Internet Movie Database Link

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical

The story is about how a smart little girl survived studying in a school with a very fierce principal.

Liked the nice songs that blended well with the plot! Thought it was pretty interesting how fiction mixed with reality!

Internet Movie Database Link

Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's New Dinosaur

The story is about how Nobita tried to send his pet dinosaur back to the time where he belonged.

Liked how hard the dinosaur trained to learn how to fly! An exciting adventure!

Internet Movie Database Link

Dinosaur

The story is about how a dinosaur raised by lemurs trekked to a sanctuary after a meteorite shower destroyed his home.

Liked the realistic action sequences! Not really sure why the rest of the dinosaurs had to listen to the head dinosaur who just wanted to charge ahead.

Internet Movie Database Link

Shoplifters

The story is about a group of outcasts staying together as a family. Some of them shoplift to survive.

Liked the interrogation scene towards the end where we slowly figured out the relationship among the "family members"! I think they act more like a family than real families do!

Internet Movie Database Link

Our Little Sister

The story is based on a Japanese manga series called Umimachi Diary. It describes how a young girl came to live with her three older step sisters after her father passed away.

Liked the nice idyllic life at the countryside near the beach! My favorite part would be when the big sister and the little sister climbed up a hill and took turns to shout something towards the sea. I was surprised by what the little sister shouted but it made sense in retrospect.

Internet Movie Database Link

Home Alone

The story is about what happened when a little boy was accidentally left at home around Christmas while his family went on a holiday to Paris.

Liked the part where Kevin went to church and realized that his old neighbour was much friendlier than he thought! The rest of the plot was a little bit too unbelievable in my opinion. It will be an advanced challenge for a ten year old kid in an "Old Enough" episode.

Internet Movie Database Link

Kung Fu Panda 3

The story is about how a panda called Po helped to save the world from a supernatural villian together with his village of pandas and his kungfu buddies.

Liked the lesson that Po gave on drawing on each person's strengths! I could see how well they all worked together in the group battle scene!

Internet Movie Database Link

Winnie the Pooh

The story is about Winnie the Pooh and his friends helping to find Eeyore's tail.

Liked how the director incorporated pages of the book into the film! Very innovative! The message at the end is very uplifting too!

Internet Movie Database Link

Pinocchio

The story is about the adventures of a wooden puppet called Pinocchio.

Liked this film much better than the live action feature directed by Robert Zemeckis! Very well adapted to explain Gepetto's relationship with his son before he made Pinocchio and Pinocchio's friendship with his good friend Candlewick. The animation is amazing too!

Internet Movie Database Link

Beau Travail

The story is about a seargent in the French Legionnaire looking back at his military life overseas.

Liked the interesting exercises that the soldiers did, they looked like a blend of yoga and ballet poses! Not really sure what the sergeant was unhappy about though.

Internet Movie Database Link

Enola Holmes 2

The story is about the sister of Sherlock Holmes called Enola Holmes solving a case of a missing person.

Liked the exciting chase sequences and how observant Enola was in noticing the clues! Not quite convinced about the romance bit though as it seemed too abrupt.

Internet Movie Database Link

Turning Red

The story is about a young girl who turns into a red panda when she feels emotional.

Liked the nice family story! Didn't really like the parts relating to the boy band though.

Internet Movie Database Link

Pinocchio

The story is based on a children's book and it is about the adventures of a wooden puppet.

Liked the interesting adventures and was inspired to read the original book after that! Preferred the book as it had a lot more twists and turns! The blue fairy also had a much bigger role there.

Internet Movie Database Link

Ratatouille

The story is about a rat who loves to cook and helps an aspiring chef to cook delicious dishes in a restaurant.

Liked the friendship between the rat and the aspiring chef! Was also amazed at how well the whole rat clan worked together towards the end!

Internet Movie Database Link

Isle Of Dogs

The story is about how an island came to be filled with unwanted dogs.

Liked the nice quirky animation of the boy and the dogs! Also liked the interesting use of multiple languages!

Internet Movie Database Link

Soul

The story is about the adventures of a jazz musician when he travelled to the underworld to be reborn again.

Not really a fan of jazz, so couldn't quite appreciate the music. Liked the parts where the little brat was trying to find his niche in life and experiencing what life is all about!

Internet Movie Database Link

Inside Out

The story is about the emotions felt by a young girl called Riley after she moved to a new place with her family. We see what is happening around her and inside her head.

Liked the interesting world inside Riley's head and the adventures by Joy and Sadness! Learned that it is good to have a mix of joy and sadness!

Internet Movie Database Link

Drifting Home

The story is about a group of school children trapped in a magical "haunted" building that drifts around in the ocean.

Liked how the children worked together to survive! The back story of the mysterious boy and the two main protagonist was a bit hard for me to follow though.

Internet Movie Database Link

The Classroom of Youth

The story is about a group of young Korean students during the early sixties.

Liked the contrast between the family dynamics of the couple's family. Was a little bit shocked towards the end by the revelation of the secrets and was really puzzled by the ending but overall I still liked the film.

Internet Movie Database Link YouTube Link

Pom Poko

The story is about how a group of Japanese raccoon dogs fought over human to keep their land from being developed into a residential area.

Liked the interesting transformation skills of the Japanese raccoon dogs! Was quite surprised by the twist towards the end with the foxes!

Internet Movie Database Link

Belle

This is a modern remake of the Beauty and the Beast story set in the metaverse.

Liked the nice songs in the film! I preferred the real life part than the metaverse part of the story.

Internet Movie Database Link

CSC Online Scrabble Competition 2022

The CSC Online 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 21st May 2022 from 9.30am to 5.00pm. A total of 20 people from 6 organisations took part including one from MINDEF.

Here's my match report.

Game 1: Sharon Chia (HDB)

I had SLEIGHED (63) while she had ATEBRIN (75). Spotted FELTERS but missed finding the place to put it. Scored well with the big scoring tiles such as JIB (28), XU (27) and LUZ (48) to win. Bingos missed on examination: LARIATED, ENCALMED, CARINATE, HOLEYEST, DATURAS, FELTERS, ONDATRAS, ANTBIRDS, RHINITIS, OUTSTRIP and BRIQUETS. BRIQUETS might have turned the game around if she had played it as it would have scored 137 points.

Won 434-324. 1-0 spread +110
Link to game

Game 2: Noormah (PA)

I had BlOTTED (100) while she had pISCINAl (66+5). I challenged HERMA, pISCINAl and AMIRATE unsuccessfully, giving my opponent 15 points but high scores with XI (37) and EQUIp (42) helped me to win. Bingos missed on examination: MARINATE and DURATION.

Won 446-275. 2-0 spread +281
Link to game

Game 3: Toh Wei Bin (HDB)

After winning two games, I had the chance to meet the top seeded player from HDB. I had SITTErS (68) while he had VEINING (78) and FATUITY (80). Challenged his VERD, MUGFUL, WAWE/ABUNA, VEINING and OPEPE unsuccessfully and played phonies such as VERDS* and CORALESS* that were challenged off. Realised that I could have played OARLESS somewhere else instead. I could also have played SOLERAS down the TWS lane when FATUITY was put down but missed it. Bingos missed on examination: LESSORS, OARLESS, SOLERAS, CESTODES and COTTISES.

Lost 259-568. 2-1 spread -28
Link to game

Game 4: Joseph Tan (HDB)

Met another player from HDB. Didn't play too well at the start where I phonied with REGATING*, WADE/JE* and WAIF/FLINK*. Was trailing by about 50 points when I decided to open up the board with GUE hoping to back hook it with some letter. He played SWAN opening up the rightmost TWS lane. I had AAEINER? and thought for a long time to decide if ARANEId or ARANIdE* was valid as I had phonied too many times. I managed to put the correct bingo down and was just able to pip my opponent by 10 points as he went overtime. Bingos missed on examination: PREBOARD, RAZORING, INERTIAE and INTWISTS.

Won 373-363. 3-1 spread -18
Link to game

Game 5: Abdillah (HDB)

Met yet another player from HDB as they sent a total of 9 players. Almost half the field were from HDB! None of us had any bingo for this game and I managed to win by scoring consistently with words like TZAR (42), FY (32), SCENT (40) and NAVE (44). Bingos missed on examination: TZARIST, GILLETS, CENTESIS and TEUCHTER.

Won 409-268. 4-1 spread +123
Link to game

Game 6: Marlon (LTA)

Was lucky to have two bingos early in the game, INDORSE (75) and RATIONS (69) while his ALLEGGRO* was challenged off. Played two phoneys though, HELI* and OWS* which made the score closer than necessary. Was deciding between WOS and OWS* that would play down the TWS lane but decided that OWS* looked more correct. I also chickened out of GUB/BOK as I forgot if GUB was valid and played GUT/TIK instead. Ended up with a small win as Marlon went over time. Bingos missed on examination: FRENUMS, TEAPOYS, ESTRIOL, HELICOID, TOILINET, DEVOTION and KILOBITS.

Won 372-338. 5-1 spread +157
Link to game

Game 7: Toh Wei Bin (HDB)

First KOTH round and I am playing the top seeded player again! I had LENSiNGS (77+5) and he had CENTONEL (62+5), RECOALED (84+5) and TREADER (76). I had two phoneys, BOLLET* and ORADS*/SWIPE and finished with a slightly better losing spread than before. Bingos missed on examination: LOBELETS, REFLUENT and ENNOBLERS.

Lost 324-558. 5-2 spread -77
Link to game

Game 8: Choo Kay Wei (HDB)

Last KOTH round and I must win to get into top 4. Had a pretty easy game as I had two bingos, REFUSEd (84) and UNROOFS (83) while my opponent had none. Thought for a long time to decide between UNROOFS and SUNROOF, but realised much later that both were valid. Bingos missed on examination: FEVEROUS, ELIXIRS, STRIGIL/GIRLIEST, STARLIT, UNSHORN and RELIGHTS.

Won 435-362. 6-2 spread -4
Link to game

I played with players from HDB, LTA and PA and was placed 3rd eventually. This was much better than I had expected and would definitely need to make fewer mistakes if I were to try to improve on this placing next year.

Keep on Walking: The Man and his Higher Course

This is a documentary about a famous Taiwanese director Li Hsing who directed many genres of movies.

Didn't know that the director was also involved in organising the Golden Horse Awards besides directing films! Learned a bit more about the director's personal life and a few more of his classic works through this documentary.

Mama

The story is based on the childhood memories of the director when her mother was about to give birth to another child.

Liked the nice countryside scenery and different sets of people ate together everytime! Not much of a plot but I learned a little bit of how people lived in the countryside then.

Internet Movie Database Link

Chinese Shortcuts: Online Shorts

The online shorts consist of three films: "The Poem of Pakistan" is about a Pakistani rediscovering his roots while living in Hong Kong, 念念烟城 is about a teenager going back to his late father's hometown and "賴桑の黑色喜劇" is about an experienced actor showing the newbies how things are done.

Liked the nice poems in "The Poem of Pakistan", the farm full of tomatoes in "念念烟城" and the enthusiasm of the experienced actor in "賴桑の黑色喜劇".

Angela's Christmas Wish

The story is about how Angela tried to get her father home from Australia back to Ireland for Christmas.

Liked how the film placed fathers as the central characters! A nice heartwarming short story to watch with your kids!

Internet Movie Database Link

Boyhood

The story is about a boy growing up from a child to a young adult who is just about to enter college.

Quite amazed by how the director spent 12 years making this movie to capture the protagonist growing up! Wonder if he'll make a companion piece called "Girlhood" in the future?

Internet Movie Database Link

Hi, Mom

The story is about a girl travelling back in time to meet her mum before she was born and her mum was still single.

Liked the warm mother daughter relationship! Think most parents would want their kids to be healthy and happy like what the mum said! Was pretty impressed by the twist at the end!

Internet Movie Database Link

Asakusa Kid

The story is about Japanese director, Takeshi Kitano's relationship with his teacher who taught him how to be a comedian.

Liked how hardworking and talented Kitano is! Was impressed by how he incorporated comedy in his daily life like what his master preached!

Internet Movie Database Link

The House

The movie consists of three short segments about the same house but with different characters.

The first segment was the strangest! Can't quite understand what was going on with the house but the baby was really good at climbing up and down! The second segment was the most disgusting with all the bugs! The third segment taught me that sometimes we should learn to let go and start afresh.

Internet Movie Database Link

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

The story is about how a boy who loves making haiku poems became friends with a girl who is a social influencer.

Liked the cosy atmosphere at the day care center! The haiku poems were quite nicely crafted!

Internet Movie Database Link

The Farewell

This is based on a real story where a grandma's family who were living overseas came back to China to visit her as she had terminal illness. The grandma didn't know about it and they used a grandson's wedding as an excuse to gather.

Was really surprised that it was based on a real story as I thought it was quite unbelievable! Great acting by the lead actress!

Internet Movie Database Link

Love in a Puff

This is a love story about two people who met when they were smoking in the smoking box.

Liked the interesting interview segments that were interspersed in the film! The lead actress was pretty charming despite saying swear words occasionally.

Internet Movie Database Link

Stand By Me Doraemon 2

This movie is based on a Japanese manga Doraemon. Doraemon is a robot cat who has travelled from the future to be friends with Nobita to ensure he has found happiness before it can go back. In this sequel, he is intent on fulfilling his grandmother's wish.

The travelling back and forth in time reminded me a bit of "Back to the Future II"! The grandmother is my favorite character! She is not fazed by anything that she sees and hears and also gave excellent advice to Nobita at the end!

Internet Movie Database Link

Over the Moon

The story is about a young girl flying to the moon to find Chang E after learning that her widowed dad intends to remarry.

Liked the nice friendly sibling relationship between the young girl and her future step brother! The moon setting looked quite futuristic!

Internet Movie Database Link

Whisper of the Heart

The story is about a girl who is an aspiring writer falling in love with a boy who wants to be a violin maker.

This felt a bit like "Only Yesterday" with only the childhood segments. Both films also have English songs sung in Japanese! I liked the Shizuku character as she felt like a nice girl-next-door character who is trying to find her way in life!

Internet Movie Database Link

Dangal

The story is about a father training her daughters to be world class wrestlers so that they can win medals for India.

Liked the nice songs and the father daughter relationship in the film! Didn't like the parts with the coach who was depicted as evil for no reason. The director also tried too hard to make the match exciting by making it an almost impossible task for Geeta to come from behind.

Internet Movie Database Link

Mulan

The story is about a girl who went to the Army in ancient China to fight against foreign invaders by disguising herself as a man.

Liked the nice songs and the great problem solving skills of Mulan! I also liked the warm father daughter relationship!

Internet Movie Database Link

A Dog's Journey

The story is about a loyal dog that remembers its purpose to protect its owner's granddaughter even after going through several deaths and rebirths as a different dog.

Liked the nice heartwarming plot! The two main characters were really likable too! The evil side characters were a little bit of a caricature though and the part where the granddaughter walked away normally after a car accident didn't quite make sense.

Internet Movie Database Link

Found

This is a documentary about three cousins going back to China to find out more about their past. They were abandoned by their parents in China and adopted by Americans.

Liked the strong bond among the cousins and their journey to search for their identity! The potential sister of Chloe really looked like her! Can't really blame the father from doubting the report!

Internet Movie Database Link

Lovers Are Wet

The story is about how a young man who worked in a cinema at a small town befriended a strange couple.

Liked the folk song sang by the protagonist. The film was a bit abstract for me though.

Internet Movie Database Link

Night of the Felines

The story is about a group of women working in a Turkish Bath in Tokyo, focusing on a love triangle relationship of one of the women.

The film felt a bit like a mix of "Streets of Shame" and "When a Woman Ascends the Stairs". The love triangle relationship was the strangest one that I have ever seen!

Internet Movie Database Link

Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist

This is a documentary on a Japanese animation director, Satoshi Kon. He is well known for blurring the lines of dream and reality in his films.

It was great to hear that so many directors admired him and were influenced by him! Was pretty surprised to learn that the voice actress for Mimi in "Perfect Blue" was a former idol! Would love to catch "Paranoia Agent" if I have the chance!

Internet Movie Database Link

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish

This is a story about a young man who loved the sea and two women falling in love with him. One of them is a handicapped woman called Josee.

Liked how Josee modified the mermaid fairy tale to describe her situation in the library! A pretty apt film to watch shortly after the Paralympics games!

Internet Movie Database Link

Misha and the Wolves

This is a documentary about a woman called Misha who recounted a fantastic childhood adventure to her neighbours and friends that later became a bestseller book.

Liked the interesting twists and turns in the documentary! The perspectives from the different experts and friends helped to shed light on the person the protagonist really was!

Internet Movie Database Link

Stand By Me Doraemon

This movie is based on a Japanese manga Doraemon. Doraemon is a robot cat who has travelled from the future to be friends with Nobita to ensure he has found happiness before it can go back.

Was a little bit disturbed over the use of the giant egg gadget to win over Shizuka but I realized that it was meant to set up for what was to come next; Nobita to prove that he is worthy through his own merit. I was moved by his determination to be less dependent on Doraemon towards the end!

Internet Movie Database Link

ciNE65 MMA 2021 (Winning Films)

There were 12 winning films at the ciNE65 movie makers award 2021. They explore and express the Singapore Identity by telling us what Singapore means to us through film with "Stronger Together" as this year's theme.

Liked "Knock Knock!" the best as it shows the nasty and nice encounters of a hearing impaired delivery man! "Siti" comes in a close second as a heartwarming film that describes how the helper knew her employer much better than the employer's daughter and was treated as part of the family in the end. I also liked the light hearted "Ala-mask!", "Little Miss Mischief" and "Whirling Gears"!

YouTube Playlist

The Diam Diam Era 2

This is a sequel to "The Diam Diam Era" and it is about how people grew up in Singapore during the 1980s seen through one extended family.

Thought the director didn't paint a very good picture of the opposition parties. Especially didn't like the supposedly English educated chairman. Glad that the cousins made up in the end!

Internet Movie Database Link

The Diam Diam Era

The story is about how people grew up in Singapore during the 1980s seen through one extended family.

Liked the familiar old Singapore sights and sounds! Really brought back old memories! A little bit sad that the Xinyao singer was just a pretty vase with very little spoken lines.

Internet Movie Database Link

CSC Online Scrabble Competition 2021

The CSC Online 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 5th June 2021 from 9.30am to 3.30pm. A total of 34 people from 7 organisations took part including three from MINDEF.

Here's my match report.

Game 1: Choo Kay Wei (HDB)
I scored well with ZOA(38) and QuOTES(51) to win the game but could have scored even more. First, I chickened out from front hooking my S to an existing CAG on the board only to have my opponent play it later. Then I had the chance to play LAITIES but back hooked the S to an existing NE on the board. It got challenged off but I wasn't sure which was the phoney so didn't play LAITIES again when I had another chance to play it.

Won 360-274. 1-0 spread +86

Game 2: Khaili (MHA)
I bingoed with TINNIER(70), OUTSPEED(76) and scored well with QIN(39), CANDY(36), ZOS(36) and KA(40) while he bingoed with SOWABLE(68), SCARIER(72), INNATELY(62) and MALTESE(77) and scored well with HAM(36). Gave my opponent extra 15 points for challenging SOWABLE, GOBO and MALTESE.

Lost 423-469. 1-1 spread +40

Game 3: Daniel Lam (PA)
I bingoed with GREATER(73), SELLERs(68) and scored well with ZAS(46) and VILLA(32) while he scored well with FAYED(33) and HM(40).

Won 413-308. 2-1 spread +145

Game 4: Govinda Ghale (MHA)
I bingoed with OUTSIDER(62) and scored well with SECO(38) while he bingoed with AWAITeD(78), LAUDERS(76) and scored well with QUIZ(48), GOURDY(44), JINGLER(46) and CABs(36). Didn't do well as I also mistakenly front hooked an E to QUIZ instead of S and phoneyed with OARSLINE* hoping that it woud be good.

Lost 308-474. 2-2 spread -21

Game 5: Cecilia Koh (HDB)
I bingoed with AStERIA(70) and scored well with SLAW(34) and PLEDGE(36) while she scored well with EX(38) and ZOs(43). Must be getting a little bit tired as I challenged simple words like HEIR. Thought it should be spelled HIER*.

Won 395-341. 3-2 spread +33

Game 6: Rosan (MHA)
Didn't manage to play with Rosan as he had urgent work to do, so I was given a bye.

Won 150-75. 4-2 spread +108

Game 7: Koh Jing Xuan (MINDEF)
I bingoed with SLeNDER(71), WEARIER(83), OVERlOAD(63) and scored well with AFTER(36), OF(33) and OK(36) while he bingoed with BOTANISE(89) and scored well with QI(31), INJECT(32), ZEST(58) and DIXIE(32).

Won 439-378. 5-2 spread +169

Game 8: Sharon Chia (HDB)
I bingoed with ANnUItY(66) and scored well with FAVOR(30), KART(31) and LUZ(46) while she bingoed with LAPSERS(72), CASTERS(84) and scored well with DEX(37). My phoneys with GOW* and TAUTIER* also got challenged off. Was really lucky as I was trailing my opponent since her first bingo but just overtook her by a little bit by bingoing out.

Won 388-347. 6-2 spread +210

I played with players from HDB, MHA, PA and also with my own team mate! Won all my games with HDB but lost 2 out of 3 games with MHA. Final result was 5th placing out of 34. 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!

Like the Dyer's Hand

This is a documentary of a Chinese literature scholar, Ms Yeh Chia-ying who taught in universities around the world.

Not really a fan of Chinese poetry but the film gave me a peek on the minds of literature scholars! I think writing poetry probably helps to exercise the brain as the protagonist looked very sharp despite her old age.

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All About ING

The story is about how a family coped with the father's terminal illness of liver cancer.

Liked how the film was told from the perspectives of the mother, the son and the father! Gave me a better understanding of what everybody was thinking about.

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The Good Daughter

This is a documentary about the life of a Vietnamese woman who married a Taiwanese man to help her family escape poverty.

Liked how the film gave a balanced view of what everyone thought of the situation: the mother-in-law, the husband, the wife and the wife's family.

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Little Big Women

The story revolves around the wife, the daughters and the mistress of a man who died early in the film.

Liked how the film slowly revealed what happened in the past through flashbacks and casual conversations!

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Classmates Minus

The story is about the lives of four middle aged men who were good friends since high school. They are in different jobs: a director, an insurance agent, a paper house maker and a temp worker.

Liked the voice over narration that gave the film a distinctive Taiwanese flavour through its language. Was a little bit surprised by the ending.

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Fresh Wave Short Film Showcase

The short film showcase consisted of three films from Hong Kong: "The Bridge", "busydoingnothing" and "Eternal Sunshine". "The Bridge" is about a family who lives in different places such as Hong Kong, Hainan Island and Shenzhen but gathered for an ancestral ceremony. "busydoing nothing" is about a young woman working at a thrift shop. "Eternal Sunshine" is about how an old woman looked after his autistic son.

Liked the relaxed lifestyle at the countryside in "The Bridge", the interesting encounters at the shop in "busydoing nothing" and the heartwarming mother and son relationship in "Eternal Sunshine". Gained a glimpse on what are on the minds of Hong Kong people from these short films.

Singin' in the Rain

The story is about how a movie company transitioned from silent films to sound films.

Learned about this film from the MIT Open Courseware, The Film Experience Course. Liked the nice songs and exciting dance choreography! The plot was interesting too! Didn't know there were so many technical challenges involved!

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MIT OCW The Film Experience Lecture 12: The Musical (continued)

A Tale of Three Sisters

The story is about how three sisters from a small village longed to live in the city by becoming nannies to rich people's children.

Quite slow moving but I liked the nice mountain scenery and the love among the sisters! The husband turned out to be smarter than I had expected!

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It Happened One Night

The story is about a rich girl falling in love with a young man while running away from home.

Learned about this film from the MIT Open Courseware, The Film Experience Course. Liked the intense verbal exchanges between the couple and the adventures that they went through! Thought the director did a good job in creating an ending without the presence of the female lead!

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MIT OCW The Film Experience Lecture 8: The Work of Movies; Capra & Hawks

A Family Tour

The story is about a family touring Taiwan under unique circumstances. The grandmother is in a tour group while the couple and their child followed her around in a cab.

Liked how the film tried to explain how mainland Chinese, Hongkongers and Taiwanese have different ways of thinking due to their background! Didn't realise it was partly inspired by the director's own story until I checked out the reviews!

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The General

The story is about a train called "The General" that was stolen during the American civil war.

Learned about this film from the MIT Open Courseware, The Film Experience Course. Liked the nice storyline and the exciting stunts performed by Keaton! Was really surprised when he stuffed his girlfriend in the sack and got her to remove the carriage pin while in the sack! She was not just a beautiful vase as I had imagined!

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MIT OCW The Film Experience Lecture 2: Keaton

7 Letters

This is an anthology of seven short films by seven different directors to celebrate SG50.

Liked the scary monster in "Cinema", the mischevious kids in "That Girl", the tense family relationship in "The Flame", the friendly neighbour in "Bunga Sayang", the quest to find out about one's past in "Pineapple Town", the nice voice over narration in "Parting" and the historical pictures of Singapore in "GPS".

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That Girl in Pinafore

The story is about the hopes and dreams of a group of young people who loved Xinyao.

Liked the nice music that went along with story very well! The plot on the other hand didn't really make sense towards the end but I thought it was still a good effort by the director who brought us back to Singapore in the 90s!

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Mirai

The story is about a family that consists of father, mother, a big brother and a baby sister. The big brother does not really like his little sister as his parents pay more attention to her now.

Liked the fantasy sequences involving different characters from the past and future! The ending was really well done as it joins all the dots to form the overall picture!

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Blue Hour

The story is about a woman's journey back to her hometown with her best friend.

Liked the theme of family love and rediscovering one's purpose in life!

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Talentime

The story is about the lives of people from different races in Malaysia. Some of them are participants of a Talentime show in school.

Liked the nice songs and how the director showed that it was possible to live harmoniously with each other although some could still be prejudiced against others!

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Mental

This is a documentary about people with mental illness.

Gained an understanding of the clinic's daily operations and what the patients were going through! Most of them are just normal human beings like the rest of us. I especially liked the poetry by one of the patients towards the end!

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Yellow Cat

The story is about a man who dreams of building a movie theatre together with a girl he met. He stole money from an influential guy and had to hide from him and his gang.

Liked how the film was divided into chapters with a paper drawing of what we might expect! It probably has some reference to the film "Le Samourai" so would want to check it out if I have the chance to see the similarities.

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SGIFF Shorts

Wanted to watch some short films during the Singapore International Film Festival, so I picked the following 10 films as a bundle.

• Singapore Films: "New Born", "Here is Not There", "Rocketship", "Nursery Rhymes"
• Animation: "Sexy Sushi", "Water Melon Please"
• Video Essays: "Her Five Lives", "Casting a Spell to Alter Reality"
• Asian Films: "Judy Free", "Sunrise in My Mind"

Liked the great acting by the female lead in "New Born", the dramatic twist in "Here is Not There", the little boy's efforts to bring the family together in "Rocketship" and the nice songs in "Nursery Rhymes".

Both "Sexy Sushi" and "Water Melon Please" were a little abstract and touched on some existential issues.

Learnt about the history of Uzbek films in "Her Five Lives" and appreciated Hou Hsiao Hsien's films better with "Casting a Spell to Alter Reality".

Liked the special effect to make the father figure fuzzy in "Judy Free" and the chit chat in "Sunrise in My Mind".

A Balance

This is a story about a documentary director who covers scandals and what happens when she is about to be involved in one herself.

Liked the moral dilemmas presented in the film! Is it better to tell the truth and risk getting shamed by society or be burdened with having to tell lies the rest of your life and potentially harming others? Not really sure if the lead actress made the right choice in the end.

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Slalom

This is a story about an athlete who skis and her relationship with her coach and family.

Great acting by the lead actress! Realized it is not so easy to spot a possible offender as it may happen suddenly under specific circumstances.

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Sementara

This is a documentary on the sights and sounds in Singapore during its SG50 celebrations.

Liked the scenes with people from different religions and cultures! Learned more about people from all walks of life from the interviews!

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Moving On

The story is about a family trying to move on in their lives in their own ways.

The pace was a little slow at the start but I appreciated the film more after all the characters were introduced. Liked the nice family atmosphere of them eating together and the grandson showing off his dance! The old song that the grandfather listened to was quite nice too!

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The House Of Us

The story is about a little girl trying to bring her family together through cooking and planning a family trip. She made friends with two girls who are even younger than her by chance.

Liked the happier moments when the three girls played together! Thought some parts were not very logical such as the mother's reaction towards the milk incident, the little girl refusing to answer her calls and the fear towards a man sleeping in his cart but I still enjoyed the film.

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From Victoria Street to Ang Mo Kio

This is a film about the history of the CHIJ St Nicholas school. It has a dramatized story, interviews with former students and principals as well as documentary footages. I liked the depiction of the old school compound with the creaky staircase and the naturally well ventilated classroom space! I also liked to hear the fond memories of the interviewees and to learn about the history of our education system through the documentary clips!

Our Time Machine

This is a documentary about a son making a puppet theatre show as a tribute to his father.

Liked the interesting concept but also wondered if it was worth spending so much time and money on the project! The puppet handlers were pretty skillful in my opinion!

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