International Shorts 1

Shanghai Love Market: A parent tried to find a girlfriend for their son through the match-making ads placed in a park in Shanghai. Liked the unexpected ending!

The Familiar: A young man explains what it takes to be an assistant to a vampire. Felt quite sad for the cute sales girl at the video shop.

Youche Harbor: A grandson tried to find the location of Youche Harbor in Taiwan where his grandfather was last seen many years ago by his grandmother. Nice scenery!

The Wonder Hospital: A person goes for a face make over at the hospital. Pretty abstract!

The Father: A father tried to make up for his family after being released from jail. Another abstract film that didn't explain a lot of things between the father and the son.

Derelict: A guard and a prisoner who broke out of jail tried to solve their personal grievances. Exciting chase in the beginning but the dialogue sequences towards the end were too long and hard to understand as it tried to convey a lot of background information.

The Mouse That Soared: A bird taught her adopted mouse how to fly but the mouse ended up in a circus accidentally. Liked this short the best as it is funny and sad at the same time!

Killer

The story is about how a young man is forced by circumstances to become a killer.

Liked the nice simple plot that explained the downward spiral of the young man! Was puzzled by the amount of time spent showing the professor trying to get out of the maze-like broadcasting station initially but realised that it served as a metaphor for the whole film in the end.

Internet Movie Database Link

Loves of a Blonde

The story is about how a Czech blonde girl tried to find love during the Communist rule in the sixties.

Great acting by the female lead! Liked the funny and sad moments of the film!

Internet Movie Database Link

High and Low

The story is about how a rich man became bankrupt after he tried to save his chauffeur's son who was kidnapped mistakenly.

Liked how the moral dilemma of the rich man was presented and how the police systematically found out the kidnapper's identity through various sources! They analysed the photos to identify witnesses, went on the ground to verify the line of sight from the phone booths to the rich man's house and even found out the type of trolley running past from the recorded sound!

Internet Movie Database Link

Iron Man 2

The story is about how Iron Man saved the world from the bad guys yet again.

Liked Scarlett Johansson's nice costume and sleek martial arts moves! I was quite impressed by how Tony Stark was able to interact with his computers using voice and gestures easily!

Internet Movie Database Link

Despicable Me

The story is about two villains, Gru and Vector, trying to outdo each other in terms of the bad things that they do. Gru adopted three young girls in the process as he wanted to infiltrate his enemy's place.

Liked the cute Gru's minion army, the flashback to Gru's childhood and the nice bedtime stories!

Internet Movie Database Link

Dragnet Girl

The story is about how the girlfriend of a gangster decided to get her boyfriend to change his ways after she befriended his subordinate's sister.

My impression of Tanaka Kinuyo, the actress who played the gangster's girlfriend, was usually that of a middle aged woman but she looked so young in this 1933 silent film! Liked the nice plot, the interesting characters and the exciting chase sequence towards the end!

Internet Movie Database Link

Scrabble Nationals 2011 (Day Two)

Game 6: vs Yong Jian Rong
Jian Rong is one of the young rising stars of Scrabble. I managed to beat him at last year's Nationals but he has improved tremendously since then. I had one bingo but he scored consistently to be ahead. The turning point came when I decided to try UNDATE down the triple word score lane and it turned out to be good when challenged!

New words learnt: UNDATE
My Bingos: LINTERS(70) Opp Bingos:
My Phoneys: LOM* Opp Phoneys: TABO*, TWINNERS*
My High Moves: UNDATE(32) Opp High Moves: FIZ(41), KETAS(43), WRIST(33), CAW(30)
W 383-364, +19. 5W 1L (Accum spread +342)

Game 7: vs Winston Gwee
Winston is one of the top few division B players. We had one bingo each but he scored much more consistently than me and was ahead by almost 100 points. He held for one or two minutes when I played QIS across the triple word score lane, back hooking the S to OVA before deciding to let it go. I found out later that OVAS* was no good!

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: LENDERS(65) Opp Bingos: SPICIER(66)
My Phoneys: BIVARIED*, OVAS*(43) Opp Phoneys: FAGO*(24), VIBER*
My High Moves: QIS(43) Opp High Moves: FA(30), JET(33), SAX(34), HOI(32), ZO(44)
L 355-437, -82. 5W 2L (Accum spread +260)

Game 8: vs Lam Guat Jane
Jane is a new player to the competitive Scrabble scene who just graduated from NTU. This game reminds me of last year's Causeway match with a pretty Thai girl. Think I got distracted when she smiled at me and my brain seemed to work less well. I also felt stressed when her boyfriend started to hover around her during the end game as it was lunch time and we were the last few to finish. Lost as I spent way too much time to find the bingo out of a EEHIRS? rack and didn't think through my end game stategy. I saw RESHINE but there was no place to put it, then I was deciding among REHIdES*, REHIrES and REHIvES*. I was tempted to put REHIvES* as I remembered UNHIVES was good but I was lucky that I guessed correctly in the end. There is an anagram for REHIvES* though.[4]

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: REHIrES(86) Opp Bingos: TERRAIN(82)
My Phoneys: DAT* Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: JAB(32), QUOTA(54) Opp High Moves: SINCE(40)
L 377-390, -13. 5W 3L (Accum spread +247)

Game 9: vs Valli
Valli is the organiser and a well seasoned division B player from MOE. My worst game so far in this competition as I kept challenging her good words while she bingoed and scored consistently.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: RECODING(73), WANIEST(72)
My Phoneys: HAIRIED* Opp Phoneys: BRATING*
My High Moves: EQUIPE(51), FIN(33), ZO(37) Opp High Moves: VARY(37), QUINS(66)
L 331-490, -159. 5W 4L (Accum spread +88)

Game 10: vs Peter Yu
Peter Yu is another well seasoned division B player. One of my easiest games as I bingoed and scored consistently. I even bingoed out before him even though he also had a bingo rack at the end. I wrote the result slip wrongly as I copied the score without considering his 18 points worth of unplayed tiles. Not sure if it had any impact on the subsequent pairings but luckily it did not affect the final rankings.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: DANGLER(74), RATTANS(78) Opp Bingos:
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: SEIZE(58) Opp High Moves: SOX(30)
W 431-264, +167. 6W 4L (Accum spread +255)

Game 11: vs Seow Kai Yuan
Kai Yuan is a new player to the competitive Scrabble scene who is the boyfriend of Jane. He scored very consistently and won despite being outbingoed two to one.

New words learnt: DUAN
My Bingos: NEGATERS(64), DILATORS(58) Opp Bingos: FORESTS(82)
My Phoneys: JUGG* Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: QAT(30) Opp High Moves: HO(41), DEPOT(30), RIZA(39)
L 359-414, -55. 6W 5L (Accum spread +200)

Game 12: vs Shanthikumar
Shanthikumar is a seasoned division B player who just picked up the game again after stopping for three years since 2008. I was very lucky in this game as I had all the S. I outbingoed him two to one and managed to close the board every time he wanted to open up. I probably should have played a bingo that started with S instead rather than TENDeRS as there was a possibility that he could bingo with a nine-timer.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: SNOOTED(82), TENDeRS(73) Opp Bingos: INTENDS(65)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: INTERING*
My High Moves: XI(40), COMBS(31) Opp High Moves: HUH(32), JO(30)
W 455-328, +127. 7W 5L (Accum spread +327)

Finished the tournament with 7 wins and 5th position. Felt pretty good as 75% of my games were against players in the top half of the group unlike previous years where I struggled at the bottom half. Hope to do better next year!

Quiz answers (highlight to see clearly)

[4] SHRIEVE

Scrabble Nationals 2011 (Day One)

This year's Nationals is once again held at Toa Payoh West CC.

Here's my match report, with quizzes marked with [number] and the answers given at the end of the report.

Game 1: vs Chua Wei Yang
Wei Yang is a student from St Joseph's Institution. I won pretty easily despite his two bingos as he was fishing and exchanging tiles frequently. He looked quite disappointed after the game. Hope he would still continue to play in future tournaments!

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: STEADIED(59), SEARING(62)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: TOX*
My High Moves: YEP(37), PIQUED(84), JUT(38) Opp High Moves: -
W 477-297, +180. 1W 0L (Accum spread +180)

Game 2: vs Tan Mun Ri
Mun Ri is the top rated player in this division. Her word knowledge was very good and she played many words that I did not know like BIALI and ETAPE. I played TAPE just below the triple word score lane as I thought there were no front hooks and she scored with REGO(30) front hooking her E to it!

New words learnt: BIALI, ETAPE
My Bingos: DEASOILS(73) Opp Bingos: SAILORS(67)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: QUIOT*
My High Moves: GOX(32), ZO(31) Opp High Moves: BIALI(32), UNLIKE(30), HM(30), REGO(30)
L 365-377, -12. 1W 1L (Accum spread +168)

Game 3: vs Gavin Ng Teck Boon
Gavin is a student from Victoria Junior College. He claimed to be out of practice with his heavy school workload. I had two bingos early on with TROOPERS(76) and LOANINGS(70) but he kept scoring consistently to be not far behind. Saw the third bingo out of a EIINSTU[1] rack but chickened out of it and played UNIT instead.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: TROOPERS(76), LOANINGS(70) Opp Bingos:
My Phoneys: BROM*, BROMS* Opp Phoneys: YEE*, TENCE*
My High Moves: HOY(30), VIED(41) Opp High Moves: NEW(30), AFLAJ(30), CITY(32), RAIDS(32), HUIA(30), OX(56), WIZ(35)
W 436-344, +92. 2W 1L (Accum spread +260)

Game 4: vs Arul
Arul is a masters player whose rating recently dropped for him to play in division B. I had two bingos, one more than him, but he scored consistently to be always just a few points ahead. I think the turning point came when I got rid of the Q and scored with my Z with BEZ(33). Was very happy with my BEZ find as I had a terrible rack in the end: BEUVZ and two other one pointer tiles.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: ROTATES(68), RESITES(72) Opp Bingos: RECANTER(74)
My Phoneys: UNSWIRL* Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: BEZ(33) Opp High Moves: GRAM(30), HAJ(32), NIX(44)
W 382-370, +12. 3W 1L (Accum spread +272)

Game 5: vs Serene
Serene is a masters player who was famous for her defensive style. I was leading at the start with an early bingo, so her usual tactic did not work too well. Towards the end of the game, I chickened out of two potential bingos as I was unsure of them: one with a GGINRSU rack that had to end with the S[2] and another with a AEGINOS rack that had to make use of a floating B on the board[3].

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: BAITERS(76) Opp Bingos:
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: BEENO*
My High Moves: AWA(33), ZIP(58), EASING(32) Opp High Moves: JOR(40), SOH(36)
W 375-324, +51. 4W 1L (Accum spread +323)

Finished day 1 with 4 wins and 1 loss.

Quiz answers (highlight to see clearly)

[1] UNITIES, UNITISE
[2] URGINGS
[3] BEGONIAS

Monsoon Wedding

The story is about an Indian wedding in Delhi.

Liked the nice Indian songs and the street scenes with the people working and playing in the rain as it was monsoon season!

Internet Movie Database Link

City of Pirates

The story is about the nightmarish dreams of a young woman who lived near the sea.

Liked the beautiful scenery and the special lighting effects! Didn't quite understand the plot though.

Internet Movie Database Link

The Days After

The story is about how a couple, whose first son died when he was one years old, came to believe that he was reincarnated as a boy who mysteriously appeared at their home.

Liked the nice traditional Japanese home and the young mother looked quite pretty! It would be interesting to see the other episodes of this TV series!

Internet Movie Database Link

Strawberry Shortcakes

The story is adapted from a comic about four women searching for their purpose in life.

Liked some of the funny moments but the overall mood was a bit too pessimistic. It was interesting how the writer split different aspects of an ordinary woman: the innocent girl, the career woman, the faithful girlfriend and the passionate lover into four characters!

Internet Movie Database Link

Where Chimneys are Seen

The story is about life in a rural neighborhood near Tokyo. A couple suddenly found themselves with an abandoned baby and one of their tenants decided to help them to trace his parents.

Liked the nice voice of Takamine Hideko as an announcer and the interesting phenomenon of the vanishing chimneys!

Internet Movie Database Link

Immortal Love

The story is about how landowners exploited their tenant farmers seen through the eyes of a tenant farmer's daughter who was forced to marry the young master after being raped by him.

Liked the epic plot that spanned many years and how everything tied together very nicely in the end!

Internet Movie Database Link

The Munakata Sisters

The story is about how traditional values clashed with the modern way of doing things seen through the eyes of two sisters.

Liked Takamine Hideko's comical facial expression and her cheeky behaviour towards her elder sister's ex-lover! Was quite upset by the elder sister's husband who was a good-for-nothing!

Internet Movie Database Link

Yearning

The story is about a young widow who spent much of her life looking after her mother-in-law's provision shop and her relationship with her younger brother-in-law.

Great acting by the actress! Liked the parts that showed the widow and brother-in-law working hard together for the shop!

Internet Movie Database Link

Hideko, the Bus Conductress

The story is about a bus conductress thinking of ways to save her bus company from going out of business together with the driver.

I had wanted to see this film after watching Takamine Hideko as a bus conductress in Lightning at the 2002 Japanese Film Festival, so I was very happy that this film was part of the 2011 Japanese Film Festival line up! Liked the interesting adventures on the bus and the nice voice of the bus conductress!

Internet Movie Database Link

Poetry

The story is about an old woman, who is slowly losing her memory, learning how to write a poem while having to deal with her delinquent grandson.

Liked the interesting screenplay and the great acting by the actress! The poems recited by the different people sounded very nice!

Internet Movie Database Link

Ajantrik

The story is about the close relationship between a quirky taxi driver and his car.

Liked the great sound effects and the interesting taxi trips across the country! Quite sad for the old car in the end though.

Internet Movie Database Link