Wednesday, June 23, 2010

BEE-LICIOUS!

You're craving for a good meal, dessert, some alcohol drinks, good music and at the same time you want to surf the web. Where do you go? Why, The Bee of course!

The Bee has a very "industrial" setting. Chalkboards for walls and the menu scribbled on them, light bulbs wrapped in thin metal wires, walls on the kitchen area are plain bricks and cement and the color theme is plain brown, gray and black, as dull as it may sound, it does not look dull at all. The whole color theme, industrial like setting and warm lighting keeps you cozy as the live acoustic performance serenade you while you enjoy your meal, drink and surf the web.

They have salads, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pastas, hot dogs, pies, nachos, snacks, cakes and home made ice cream. Their food are a fusion of sorts, for example they have a Chicken Katsu Burger which is a fusion of western and Japanese. Also if you've been looking for Churros in Malaysia, this is I would say the only place who serves them.

The last time I was there, I had their Chocolate Oreo Cake, it looked so packed with chocolate that I had to have one, was I deceived by it's appearance? No, it lived to up to my expectations, probably better. At first bite you would assume that it's going to be "super sweet" but it's not. It has just the right amount of sweetness to my surprise, the texture, ah, as you sink your teeth pass the moist chocolate layer, a spongy texture awaits, pass that you bite into crunchy pieces of oreo, and finally back into spongy softness. It was like a layer of breath taking surprise, it was like passing by heaven over and over again.

How much was it? It's RM9.80, for the portion and taste? totally worth it.

Should I repeat myself where you should go if you crave good food, dessert, alcohol drinks, good music and web surfing at the same time? I think not.

Nothing "Beets" The Bee.

Rating: 9/10

* * * *


-Jared Lee

Om Nom Nommers!

Yummy is what we describe all food as,
and as the Cookie Monster oh-so-famously said "Om Nom Nom Cookies!"

Here in Jaya One, PJ. We've discovered a quaint cafe. One we'd om nom nom to!


Name - Tappers. 
Location - Jaya One, Jalan University, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
5-G, Block D, Jaya One,
No. 72A, Jalan Universiti,
46200 PJ, Selangor.
Food - Western 
 
On our little visit, we were warmly and swiftly greeted by the staff. 
All seem to be foreign, but speak sufficient English and are very efficient.
*Do note, we visited during tea time.

Tappers is divided into 2 sections, the Outside (smoking area) and Inside (air con-ed/non smoking)

We took a seat at the outside and glanced over to see nostalgic photographs of the owners on the walls. 
A very nice touch, as the decor was very plain. Much like a cafe set in the middle of a plantation. Or perhaps, one looking over the plantation. Meanwhile, the food came! Ahh, they left me no time to complain or go "why so long.... hungry laaah"
 
Hint; that always happens when the kitchen is backed up. Not a good sign for a restaurant.

Alright, down to the FOOD!
 
We ordered : 1 ham and cheese sandwich.
                   : 1 honey lemon cold
 
Price: Sandwich - RM 4.50
Drink- RM 3.80

Ratings        : sandwich - 6/10
                   : honey lemon - 9/10
 
 
Verdict: We loved the sandwhich but rated it lower as it could have been more jam packed!
Loved the fact that it was so homey! It felt like momma made it with extra love. However, by using margarine instead of butter, the taste got a little oily and made it a taste more bland. 
The drink on the other hand! Oh gosh, I-do-not remember the last time people
were so generous with honey and did not water or weigh a drink down 
with excessive ice. Superb, and worth its price. 

We say: GO GO GO, they also have breakfast, lunch and dinner sets.
Prices are really affordable and worth it. 
 
Plus if you are a student, you get a 10% discount. You gotta love that! 
Next time you are around, check out the Soya Rice Chicken & Hainanese Chicken Rice.
Which apparently are house specials. 
 
Our rating :  8.5/10
 
 

No, not Lian Bee, its THE BEE

Though food should be its main avenue, I have to regard The Bee for its one of a kind décor. Stark amongst the pine themed contemporary furnitures stood an antique sofa chair on the main plateau, while somewhere on the countertop sat an antique dialer (which we can’t help but to point it to our friends and squeak a little delight)!
The place screams purrrrrr-fect for chilling out- the temperature is just so right! Open concept with a subtle hint of air conditioning exudes airiness that bathes you happy while you are enjoying your meal or simply yacking the afternoon away.
Upon revealing its menu, we find ourselves deciding between western, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, well basically fusions of all fusions. For the calorie calculators, you can always count on the healthy salads, wraps and sandwiches; for the glutton clan, good news: never-out-of-date, juicy, succulent burgers are just a call away!
Feeling ultra responsible for my waistline, I decided on the Roasted Pumpkin Couscous Salad. My salada looked so pretty when it arrived, but it tasted even more gorgeous than it looked. The golden pumpkin was not only roasted to perfection, it was also marinated with some sweet tangy sauce that just, just melts in your mouth, complete with that blissful frown on the face! Baked well, the pumpkin is just at the right hardness, strands of vegetable fibre adding even more interesting texture to it. The greens was nothing less than fresh and crisp, sprinkled with cider that tickles my taste bud pink. Thanks to the generous but tactful amount of olive oil, it was neither too soggy nor too dry, just the way I like it! Handful of golden couscous rice peeked behind and between the leaves, camouflaging peanut chunks that adds great munch to the salad. The salad in whole is refreshing and filling at the same time; crunchy, soft, crisp, tender, everything! Priced at RM12, I would say it is well worth the money.
Not to mention that the service they provide was efficient and polite, plus the presence of wi-fi and sufficient plug points certainly attract us folks to stay. On the other hand, The Bee as an individually owned restaurant is highly supportive of local art and music scene, as tickets to most art and music festivals are available for sale here. i.e: Klue Urbanscapes tickets! They also have live performance on selected nights, which I think certainly will pump up their guest rate.
p.s: If you happen to spot a girl at The Bee munching salad in the most unladylike manner, you can be assured that it’s me.













I would rate them 4/5! 
And before you visit Uncle Google, The Bee is located at Jaya One, PJ.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

‘FAMOUS’ ENOUGH?

Wanting that quick bite but one that is worth your money and filling enough to last you throughout your tiring day? “FAMOUS AMOS” is the way to go! As you enter the store, an array of chocolate goodies and pastries will be waiting to great you. Even when you’re not yet at the store, one would definitely be able to smell the sweet chocolate aroma flowing through the air.  
 
As we entered the store, we were greeted with a warm presence and were asked whether he could assist us in anything. The store was very homey, tones of browns and oranges were painted on the walls which created a somewhat classical theme.
The store not only sold pastries, chocolate cookies and chocolates, but also colourful candies as well to their chocolate themed store.  Famous Amos had been around for quite some time and I now understand why. Their bake goods are ‘sinfully’ delicious but at the same time, you get your money’s worth and it fills your tummy.
I had the Blueberry Muffin which was really, really good. I don’t really fancy muffins but its appearance to me, when I was at the store, was very appealing. It was practically Golden Brown in colours with visible Blueberries. The moment I put in into my mouth, it just melted in my mouth. That was how soft the batter was! It tasted really good! It was crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. And for RM 4.50 for a muffin that good, I’d say it’s a steal! And this is coming from a person that doesn’t fancy muffins.
So, in conclusion, I definitely recommend going to this place for a quick treat or bite. But if you’re looking for a complete meal, then this place is not for you. But if you’re looking for a quick treat or bite and wants it to be filling, then yes, yes, and yes, please check this place out! No regrets whatsoever! And just to mention, just like its name, it’s already ‘famous’ and they have chains all over.  Try going to the one at Jaya One, Section 13.
                                                                                                                                                                       
Rating: 4 and a half stars out of 5 stars.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Eat korean, feel korean

Are you bored with your usual cuisine? Want to try something new that is spicy and sour served with either pork, chicken or beef? This is the place you should go!
“Annyeonghaseyo” is the first greeting you will get once you enter the restaurant. Yes, for today’s review the keyword is Korean cuisine. 


KimchiHaru is a Korean restaurant that offers contemporary dishes which grilling is not included. They serve you Korean beer and normal Korean dishes. You are able to enjoy it without getting yourself smelly after meal. 


The restaurant is decorated with simple tiny statues display on the wall, orange lighting, comfortable tables, sofas and chairs. With just a glance, you will feel that you are in a café instead of a restaurant. For K-pop fans, you will definitely enjoy this place because they provide live streaming TV on Korean’s music shows like Music Bank and Music Core. You can enjoy Korean food while watching and listening to your idol’s performance.

The menu contains clear visuals and prices of the foods they serve. It also includes the instruction on how to mix the rice together with sauce if the customer orders Bibimbap (mixed rice in Korean language), the main dish in KimchiHaru.


Bibimbap (mixed rice in Korean language), a popular Korean dish.

Picture (from bottom to top) :
Cheese Bibimbap – RM 18 (includes panchan, seaweed soup, ice peach tea)
Sardine Kimchi soup – RM16 (includes panchan, rice, ice peach tea)

For today’s review, my friend Cayman and me ordered two set lunches. The set lunch includes free ice peach tea, salad, kimchi and panchan ( the center of the picture).  This was the first time we eat Korean food and I would say we love it immediately. Eventhough it tastes very different from our local cuisine, but for people who love spicy and sour, this is the place for you.

Salad and kimchi are refillable except for panchan.

Just a reminder that KimchiHaru is non-halal restaurant.

Customers can enjoy 15% discount with spend above RM150 in a single bill, excluding alcoholic beverage

KimchiHaru offers “Free Kid's Meal” promotion with every main dish order or 15% OFF total bill for the Hong Leong bank card owners. The promotion ends at the end of 2010. What a good deal!

KimchiHaru main branch.
Address : No.13-LG1-Block D, Jaya One,
No.72A, Jalan Universiti, 46200 P.J, Selangor Malaysia
Tel : 03-7629-8020 | E-mail : kimchiharu.hq@gmail.com

KimchiHaru Puchong branch
Address : C-2-43A, IOI Boulevard,Jalan Kenari 5,
Bandar Puchong Jaya,47100 Puchong, Selangor
Tel : 03 8076 9020


RATE : ♥♥♥♥
( 1 - bad | 5 - good )


Sources:

2) http://www.kimchiharu.com/

By: Min Kim @ Otata

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

The Magical Closet.


With IACT now housed in a more spacious and bustling environment, the skeptical feeling one has when they first see the blue building is only a memory.

    But what lay beneath the lowly exterior was a culture that gave students many experiences and taught many lessons. Everything in the old campus including the stairs and the tiny discussion rooms had a story to tell.

    While each room in the old campus was a reminder of particular events, the small room assigned to the student council was a treasure trove of memories, stories and experiences. One could even liken it to a magical closet.

    Being a part of the newest group of student council members in mid 2008, my friends and I were introduced to the room in the months leading up to prom. The days saw members storing goodies donated by various organizations for door gifts, taking half-painted Styrofoam pieces to be decorated for the backdrop and putting it back again at the end of the day, and scouting for artifacts from the past year’s prom that could be reused.

    With an unending supply of Garnier Facial Wash stored in the room, an overwhelming smell of chemicals hit us whenever we opened the door. I clearly remember holding my breath each time I went in.

    Then came the day when we were to pack door gifts for the guests attending prom. Retrieving goodies with the seniors revealed a side of the magical closet that I later grew to love. Under the piles of crepe paper and ribbons were hats, masks, soft drinks, files with important documents, gold dust, paint and baskets all with a unique story to tell.

    With a smile on their faces, the seniors would hold up different things telling us about those days when they had to do a dance together and how they had to rush from a graduation ceremony to the prom. It was like artifacts holding a great deal of history. More importantly, these were the stories that inspired us juniors to keep moving forward when times were rough.

    Before we knew it, the 2008 prom was over and we breathed a sigh of relief. The student council family was closer than ever despite the disagreements and pressure. It was soon time to revisit our little room. Placing all the bits and pieces of décor and goodies left over from the prom, we were proud to be adding to the history of student council and our beloved college. Closing the door behind us, we longed for the day when we could in turn, sift through the treasures and pass on stories and experiences to those who would take over student council.

    The following year, student council was to undergo a revamp and IACT announced its move to a new, bigger and better campus. The coming days were filled we uncertainty as we didn’t really know what to expect.

    The day came when members were called to help clean out our little space and pack up what we could bring over to the new campus. It was a bitter sweet moment really. Many things were to be thrown away while others were distributed among us. We each took home a box of Garnier facial wash.

    It has now been a year since that day and much of the treasure we kept is now in small cupboards in the new student council and audio-visual room which we share with other students of the college. Of course, it isn’t the same and it will probably never be. 

    But these are the memories of the little room which held so much history and experiences that will stay with me for years to come and I’m glad to say that the whiff of Garnier facial wash that hits me each time I open a new tube till today, helps me relive those times which I truly miss. Funny, isn’t it?

Susanna Ng (DMC09)

Room 2

It was a love-hate relationship with Room 2. Mostly hate. There were no acceptable toilets near the room, it smelled horrendously like moss and you had to climb three flights of narrow stairs to get to it. I had always wished we would get other rooms allocated for our classes but we almost always ended up in Room 2. Once we even returned drenched from a sudden downpour only to find out the room was flooded due to a hole in a pipe.

Generally speaking, I didn’t mind the three flights of stairs most of the time; it was fun watching classmates trying to survive the climb and particularly when they were carrying heavy laptops with them. And please, everyone knows offering to help would just take the fun out of everything.

The mossy smell was overwhelming at times but bearable during others, sometimes it’d be drowned out altogether by the smell of food brought back from the coffee shop down the street. But the fact of the matter is that room 2 was small and at times a little cramped. The air felt so stagnant in that room and the mossy smell only made it worse – the actual moss growing near the pipe certainly didn’t help either.

The day room 2 got flooded was interesting, it had been sunny skies one minute and a sudden heavy downpour the next. By the time I dragged my drenched self back to class with Alvina in tow (equally drenched), there was already a miniature river forming in the room springing from a hole in the pipe against the wall. Needless to say we were evacuated.

I will not go into further detail about the conditions of the toilets available near Room 2 as I believe Jared already has (refer below to the unfortunately titled My Shitting Sanctuary).

However, no matter how disgruntled I may be with room 2, it did hold many memories for me. My first ever college presentation was held in that room, I completed LoccoRocco there (hey it’s cute, I don’t care what anyone says!) and I somehow remember watching Cinderella there as well. Those experiences are all pretty blah standing on their own, what made them unique was the people I shared them with.

Rachelle 

Anecdotes of a Lavatory

Gone were the days where we could do our "business" and appreciate the vast open space of our college's toilets at the same time. With IACT relocated to a new premise, students who had the privilege to experience both campuses can only reminisce the extension of our once expansive lavatories.

Call it weird if you like but one particular space that I missed most in the college's old grounds is the toilet situated along the corridor of the library. That lavatory in particular was rather spacious as it was big enough to fit eight people at one go, not to mention the fact that it was well ventilated. Despite its space, the toilet's flush system always seemed to have a knack of breaking down. Students had to open up the cover to pull a chain in order to flush their remains down the toilet bowl. Aside from that, creaks from its aged hinges can also be heard evidently whenever the door swung open as it was quite battered and old.

With all that in mind, one would think why in the world would I miss such a place but the truth is, this lavatory held some sentimental memories I had of IACT's Damansara Uptown campus. One of them punctiliously was the time when my classmates and I had to film a short movie as part of an assignment for Video Production class. I had to act as one of the victims in my group's murder mystery film where the murderer were to take my life away in that capacious toilet. With that, I was required to lie on the toilet floor in order to act out the grim fate of my character. The lavatory's flooring was pretty wet at that moment hence it was quite revolting to sleep on it. My classmates were rather sympathetic with my situation so they scrunched up newspapers to act as a mat but even so, it was traumatizing to place my head on that damp floor not to mention the fact that I was greeted by an unknown greenish-blackish substance which was growing at the bottom of the toilet bowl.

Another fond memory this toilet held was also during the time of filming. Farah was my character's enemy, therefore she was required to barge into the lavatory to give me a piece of her mind. However, instead of doing so, we could not stop cracking up every time she slammed open the door. It was funny in the sense that we were laughing hysterically for no apparent reason.

This place definitely held many bittersweet memories that will constantly remind me about some of the experiences I went through at the college's old campus. It may not be perfect but all in all, these are the little things that colours my journey as a college student in which I will never forget.

Lizzie - DMC09

Student Sanctuary

It was not so much a place to just hand in your assignments as it was a ‘chill out’ lounge for students, but to many of us, the Student Center or better known as the Clinic was more of a sanctuary.

With the sofas and a mini see-through coffee table in the middle of the room, it wasn’t surprising to see students rushing for assignments sitting on the carpeted floor with their laptops on the glass table using a piece of the assignment sheet as a mouse pad.

That, or the fact that some of us just found the sofas extremely comfortable – to the point that we could use our bags as pillows when we take naps on it. Okay fine, I admit, that was probably just me.

Then again, there were far worse things done at the clinic (but in a way, amusing things). Apparently, there had been many occasions in which college couples were caught making out on the sofas. Thinking that they were all alone, it turned out that, well, they weren’t.

Honestly, I do wish I had managed to spot some of the ‘action’ myself. Not that I’d have done anything about it, I just think it would’ve been a good, funny experience.

Another recurrent experience that I wouldn’t forget though, was the zapping plant that sat quietly and seemingly innocent at the corner of the Clinic. There was this thing about the old campus of IACT that it was freakishly easy to create static.

At first, we realized it was between two individuals as they brushed off against each other. Then it was between our palms to the door knobs. And as it got worse and more frequent, we found out that event the plants in college were ‘zapping’ us.

But all in all, one of the best things about the Clinic was not about the untold stories, the pain from the zaps or that it was a relaxing place to rest or do your work. It was about the company that was almost usually there with you. All the stories shared and memories made together.

They could’ve been your classmates, group members for discussions or even the lecturers. But when we are all down there, nothing else really mattered and it was each other’s company that made all the difference.

The Clinic was essentially a place of bonding, a place where everyone knew who the person next and opposite to him or her was. And that was what the college campus back in Damansara Uptown was all about for a long time to many of us.

By Jc Lam 

The Clinic

Mentioning ‘The Clinic’ would raise a few eyebrows among the new students as they enroll into IACT. ‘A college that actually provides medical facilities? Cool! No other colleges have this facility and now I can tell my friends about it!’

As the noisy door creaks open, a turn to the right would be an out-of-place clinic inspired counter with a round cut-out window, a chair, receipt books and stationeries. What you would not expect is that behind the window lies the IACT staff workplace where the tables are filled with paper notes, personal table decorations and more papers. Usually quiet during class hours, the grey carpet, sofas and the dim light makes the place depressing.

The counter window is used as a form of communication with the staffs and the students. Just like how a clinic operates when dealing with patients, the system is the same in IACT except that the patients are the students. On the right side of counter lies a black post box where the students can ‘post’ their assignments to their lecturers which is usually abandoned unless Kim is not there to take in the assignments.

Stepped on, slept on and even food spilled onto the grey fabric of the sofas did not deter the students from hanging out at this little corner of The Clinic even though the sofas smelled funny. One of the fun things in The Clinic is that all kinds of music were played from the students’ laptop, which sometimes gets criticized by others for their choice of music. Occasionally, gossips by students can be heard by unintentional eavesdropping as students talk and laugh loudly. The fragrant aroma of the food from the Chinese stall down the road makes stomach grumble when food is brought into The Clinic. Especially after class hours, students will be seen bustling in and out of The Clinic, waiting for their transport and bidding their farewells at the end of the day.

The Clinic was a popular spot for students working on individual and group assignments. Students are seen cracking their heads working on their designs, presentation slides and even brainstorm sessions. Typing away on their laptops to finish their assignments before The Clinic closes at 6pm, the adrenaline rush to race against time is heats up the atmosphere.

The Clinic holds many memories even though IACT has moved to a new campus. That comfortable yet depressing space, adios.

Li Chuen
DMC09

Expedite's My Classroom

Looking back at my first three semesters in the old IACT College, I would start to reminiscence on how life was at the time, when we were studying there. The old IACT College located at Damansara Uptown were full of nostalgic memories and one vivid one which I can never seem to forget would be spending countless hours in Expedite, a small, humble printing shop located on the same block as our college.

Okay, Expedite is obviously not part of our college, but I consider it to be an unofficial one; and many IACT students would agree with me too. This is due to the fact that the old IACT College never had any form of coloured printing facilities and/or services to be used, and so, it was the only solution for us to go to when we had to finish up our assignments.

There was this particular time back in Semester 3, where the students of DMC08 & 09 were required to design their very own A2 poster. This seemed to be a simple task at first until our lecturer instructed us to have at least 30 pictures of ourselves that were to be fitted it in that A2 poster.

It was not an unusual thing for us students, to complete our assignments last minute and so, on the 30th of June 2009, which was the date of our assignment deadline, half of the class was in Expedite!

Some students were busy editing their assignments, while others were doing their last few finishing touches on their graphic work. In the meantime, whoever finishes their assignment first would have to start queuing up in order to get their A2 posters printed out before the 6pm closing deadline on that day.

Soon, it was already 6pm, and there were still a few of us who have not submitted our assignments to Ms Kim, and it felt like the remaining of us would pull off an all nighter.
Fortunately for us, the Boss of Expedite, Mr Ram Lee, was quite friendly and as far as I remembered, he always tried to help us with any of our graphic assignments.







My A2 poster with 33 pictures of myself Photoshop-ed into one.
 
Although Expedite closes at 8pm, they stayed and waited for us for an extra hour until all of us finished our assignments and had it printed out. Fortunately for us, the old IACT College would still be opened at the time as they had night classes, so we had a chance to hand in our assignments through the administrative persons who would still be there at the time.



Until this day, I am still thankful to Expedite for all their help in all our printing work as well as giving us student discounts!

-Abdullah-
DMC09 

The one and only Room 2

The most memorable space in IACT College is none other than Room 2. It brings back a lot of memories especially for IAA 69 and DMC 08 students. Almost all the students from that class have different memories of that room. Perhaps the common memory would be the long flight of staircases. No elevator was provided back then and students had to climb all the way to the third floor. Beyond that, there are other memories for the students from that class.

It was 10 minutes before my first class begin that day. I looked into my college’s map and it gave me a big disappointment to know that it was located at the top floor. The staircase was narrow and I had to give way to the people who were walking from the other direction. Since I enrolled into IACT College alone, I never expected to meet familiar people. I was surprised at the moment I opened the door because I heard someone was calling my name. Joanne Lee Seok Chin is IAA69 students and also my classmate! I was not alone anymore!

The IAA69 and DMC08 students were getting along fine during their first class. All thanks to the lecturer-in-charge, Mr Tan who taught us Mass Communication subject. The classmates agreed Mr Tan is funny and outgoing person. He always provides us with cool Ah Beng jokes and examples in case we did not understand with his explanation. We have never seen such person as a lecturer before in our lives.

The other memorable memory from Room 2 was related to Soon Jun and Alex. It was pretty funny yet sad to see Soon Jun’s laptop fell because of Alex. Alex was passing by and he tripped on Soon Jun’s adapter. Ended up, the laptop imbalanced and it fell to the ground. Everyone was laughing at first and pitied his laptop next.

Effective on 2009, IACT College moved to Jaya One. It is nice to use elevator instead of staircases now. Still, I miss Room 2 from the old IACT College. Can we go back there now?

-Min Kim/Otata-
Classroom Joy


Memories are defined as moments that happened that you will never forget. Why a classroom some might ask? We might think that classrooms are only for studying and listening to lectures but sometimes there are interesting moments you might regretfully miss. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages. The space that holds the vivid memories for me in the old IACT is Room 1.

I am a lazy person when I was in my younger age. Young teenagers love to have fun and I, being one, would tend to have more fun and not go to classes as it was classified as “boring” in my dictionary. However Room 1 seemed to be the only class I attended most of my lectures. The companions were always interesting and fun in their own certain ways and the lecturers were being themselves, particularly one, always trying to crack jokes while teaching but failed, but in some ways it managed to made the whole class cheerful.

Room 1 is also seen to be the biggest class in the old IACT and the space always felt like home. It is big enough to fit the whole class with students without complaints. Room 1 always felt comfortable as the environment always gives inner strength to feel fresh instead of the usual lapse of concentration. The first class I had in the old campus was also Room 1 so it wouldn’t be surprising my most fond memory is also in that particular room.

Looking back and staring blankly at the wall thinking of those fond memories, it just felt like yesterday that I was still having classes back at the old campus. Many things had certainly changed. Many of us are now chasing different career paths and the schedules are different now for all of us in the new campus. Even though the bond has shaken but definitely not the memories, which would always hold a special place in my heart.



Alex Yip

The Memories of Room 2

Twas a sunny day in IACT, Damansara Utama but then the sky had a sudden change in shifts and in came the thundering storm. As with all humans, we retreated for shelter. We of DMC 08, 09 retreated to Room 2. Everything seemed as it should, or did it?

The rain came pouring hard. As Room 2 was on the highest floor the sound of rain and thunder was somehow the loudest. At that time something we could never have expected was about to happen. But, what? To whom?.... And why?

Rushing back into IACT from a nearby cupcake shop named Wondermilk, this author recalls her experience on that day. As the sky turned grey a fellow classmate, Li Chuen and I rushed back to the comforting shelter of IACT. We hated that Room 2 was four flights of stairs UP, but at least it was shelter from the rain.

Anyway, we climbed up those treacherous stairs, and reached Room 2. Smiles all around? Think again. We were back so early no one else was in except Abdullah. For some odd reason he was not eating pizza With Abdullah, that is odd(include context).. So we took our places and had a little chit chat whilst waiting for our fellow classmates to get in. After about 20 minutes of so, they came trotting in, each more soaked that the next. Literally! Some even looked like they took a dip in the drains. Okay, disgusting as when it floods, rats float but yes, they really were soaked to the bone.

To help things, we switched off the air conditioning so that Room 2 wouldn’t turn into a giant refrigerator. However, after settling down, a tiny leak sprung from behind the fire extinguisher… and then another and another and before we knew it, there was a tiny river formed, running to meet its “brothers”. Meng Yoe was our lecturer at the time, even he was astonished; and class had hardly started, but we had to evacuate. The room was getting a little too wet, and the kakak couldn’t exactly save us with the small pail she was using. Class got cancelled that day and we ended up in the foyer. When we got down, more classmates came in, these one’s more soaked than those “swimmers”. We told them what had happened and had a good laugh.

That really made my day. For the memories of Room 2 will always be vividly embedded in my mind.

Memoirs of Room 8

Memories which were held closely to my heart till this very day happened specifically at room 8. Till this very day, I clearly cherish and remember the people that were present. The sound of people talking and laughing is still distinct to me. It was the final day in our first semester but an awesome beginning to an unforgettable friendship. It was a party held for a dear lecturer that we loved and appreciated for all his teachings and ‘Ah Beng’ jokes.

Camera flashes everywhere; scandalous dancing, fast food, and a singing session were prepared by both the talented and untalented. The highlights of the day were definitely the dance. It was a lap dance that was given by one boy to another boy. The singing session was also one to remember as we sang along to the strumming of a guitar but there were points where lyrics went missing as it was not known.

The day was ended emotionally with all of us presenting a small token to our beloved lecturer and with him bidding us ‘adieu’ in the form of a speech. We took more pictures as a group; an all girls group picture, and an all boys group picture. All in all, it was definite one to remember.


Written by
Alvina Tai
(DMC09)

Stinky but memorable

Room Nine, a stinky smell comes to my mind when I think about it. This is the room that I can hardly forget as this was where I spent my very first Semester the most, having to endure the smelly scent that traveled with the wind into the room.

The toilet, just along the corridor was often badly maintained. It had a broken flush, stained toilet bowls and lack of water supply. It was a terrible place anyone would want to settle their urge. Despite the damp and smelly conditions, many would still get their business done in there, contributing more to the critical environment.

Having to bear the smell that lingered in the room, it never kills the lively and exciting atmosphere my friend and I had. To compensate even more, we are pleased that our lecturer is not the typical strict, unreasonable and unfriendly person. It was a total opposite! She was a joyous, fun, patient and helpful lecturer anyone could ask for. For over a decade of being a student, never have I encountered such a lecturer that actually lit up the spirit of the students. Positive learning medium was encouraged along with some funny moments that never failed to spark out a lot of laughter.

All this unforgettable moments still remain fresh in my mind and by thinking about it still puts a smile on my face.
IACT’s Clinic, a Previous Hideout for Students

Students talking and laughing aloud, that is usually heard at the clinic of IACT College. A common gathering place among the students, whether it is for group discussions or just a mere hangout area.

The space of the clinic isn’t that big but it is connected to the counseling area and the students’ gallery, a place where glamorous artworks are displayed. Many students are eager to earn the bragging rights. After all, there aren’t many slots for artworks to be displayed.

Walking in to the students’ centre, the first impression was the lack of furniture in there. Students can be seen sitting on the floor or some even on others’ lap. If a visitor enters here, the atmosphere in here will portray a fun yet professional learning environment.

However, if a certain class had an assignment deadline to meet, students can be seen rushing to complete their assignments and handing it over to Ms.Kim before 5pm. Failure to do so will result in marks being deducted and once that happens, emotional faces can be seen.

Lecturers of IACT College are friendly and approachable. Just when lecturers don’t have classes to lecture, they can be seen interacting with students. This is a situation that can rarely be seen in other colleges. If you observe the interaction, it is as though the college became a second home for the students.

Dress code was never stressed enough. Being inside the clinic is like a forbidden zone for those who don’t abide with the IACT’s dress code. Staffs of IACT will give verbal warnings to those who commit this “crime”.

Kai-Loon
DMC10

The corners of my feelings

It was a gloomy and quiet atmosphere in the morning as I sat on a chair in a corner of a room. The chair was not the most comfortable of chairs but it filled my needs to aid my aching legs after a long walk. The walls were filled with notes, papers, and posters as the only source of light came from the laptop I was using. A rather peculiar table I was using had a weird shape, imagine a half circle/rectangle table top fitted with 1 leg.

The space I was in seem to resemble a clinic, the ones you would see when you go see a doctor. A long narrow corridor with a hole big enough to pass things through, a passage like how clinics pass their medicine to the patients. A corridor filled with sofas and a long rectangular short table, and the table where I was sitting was a small space at the corner of the room. That small space was my home for the last 1 and a half years, always overlooking a notice board hung on the wall that belonged to CREACTIVE, the college’s student advertising agency.

One would ask why this small corner would be my home all this while? Everyday, I would always come to college early as the sunrise as I had to hitch a ride in my mom’s car when she goes to work every morning. Every morning being in that corner was always an exciting one, even on days where I had no class. Work was always around the corner, especially if you joined a club, good experience nonetheless but a whole lot of work. If you were in CREACTIVE, work is never-ending, I repeat never-ending! With my laptop open, I am constantly busy with work related to CREACTIVE, and yes I am a part of that club.

Never a dull moment I would say, never a dull moment as people would constantly be in and out of the room. Observing became a habit for me as I mostly look on towards the new juniors, seniors, as they flood in and out of the room. It is interesting to see their attitudes, characteristics and personalities come to light in that room.

Ah… the most memorable room for me indeed, hundreds of hours just sitting on that chair doing endless amounts of CREACTIVE work. I miss the space, the comfortable atmosphere and the sounds of hustle and bustle of people parading through the room always talking a decibel higher than normal, but most of all I miss the feeling of having a family bond that I had with the people there in that atmosphere. It was the one thing that IACT College had lost after we had shifted.

My Shitting Sanctuary

These four walls which confines a plant in a pot, a pipe, a sink, an air freshener, sometimes a newspaper or magazine, and most importantly, a what used to be white toilet bowl which then turned beige. This special space was located near the old IACT’s library. It was one of its kind- no other space of the same genre could beat this one, that I am very very sure of.

It was there when I was down- down with some pain and something desperately wanted to go down that beige contraption which used to be white in color. It consumed my sweat, tears, and the different hues of bodily fluids. As I sat there on my beige coloured throne, the sound of cars passing by came through the window, and if I was lucky, some cooling wind will blow in to ease the pain, to assist the battle. My ally, the lemon scented air freshener fights off the evil aura which the brown, sometimes dark brown and sometimes black creature emanates. A magazine or newspaper would somehow be there.It is like a bonus power in a video game. With it you know you can overcome any enemy that comes along, but like most bonuses it has a time limit.

I miss this special space. This special space with more space compared to many other space of the same genre. So spacious, so airy, and so “nose comforting”. I miss the knocks on the door, knowing that there are other individuals who needed this space to fight their impending battles, I miss it because I knew I had the ability to stall their battles while I sat back and enjoy mine. I miss the times when we fought together, the number of battles that we won, and the running of water against the lower parts after each successful fight.

Yes I miss it, compared to the new small narrow spaces of that genre in this new campus, I miss it, my one and only shitting sanctuary.

-Jared Lee

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Sleepless Beauty


Film: Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
Director: Nicky Phelan
Written and Performed by Kathleen O’Rourke
Rating: 4/5



Hailing all the way from Ireland, Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty is a 6 minutes animated film. The plot revolves around a deranged grandmother telling her already traumatized grandchild a bedtime story. Living up to its title, Granny O’Grimm managed to tell her version of the Sleeping Beauty, twisting the supposed fairy tale into dark-overemotional proportions. Taking its viewers for a ride, the character managed to shed a fascinatingly realistic light into the classic tale with a mixture of dark humor. The animation did not only succeed in focusing the world’s attention to Kathleen O’Rourke, it also managed to land a nomination for the Best Animated Short Film in this year’s Oscars.

The Good
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty used a creative blend of 2D and 3D animation to make sure its audience eyes were glued to the screen throughout the film. Apart from that, the creative team skillfully used a wide palate of colors enabling the viewers to follow the feel of the plot with ease. Granny O’Grimm herself manages to steal many hearts as being one of the best emotionally loaded character to appear on animation in a while.

The Bad
The weakest aspect of this short film would most probably be its plot. Despite the great use of characters and animation, the plot leaves a short trail of question marks at the end. Many felt as if there was no firm ground on where the story stands and did not appreciate the mysteries that both director and writer tried to instill into their audience.

Verdict
Overall, Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty holds a never before seen Irish potential in the short animated film arena and is a must-watch. Even though it did not win the Oscars, it still managed to win the hearts of many. Al though first timers should keep their expectation on a thoroughly explained plot low, the characters and animation are still strong enough to sweep you off your chairs.


Farah Ashraff.

Granny O'Grimm's Distorted Tale

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty is an Oscar nominated Irish short film written and performed by Kathleen O’Rourke and directed by Nicky Phelan.

The animation centers on a grandmother – Granny O’Grimm – telling her visibly freaked out granddaughter a warped and overly personal interpretation of the classic fairy tale ‘Sleeping Beauty’.

Granny O’Grimm gets more erratic as she narrates, inserting her own hilariously twisted views on society while being completely oblivious to her granddaughters growing terror.

This short is enjoyable because fairy tales are about as shallow as it gets so it’s always interesting (and most of the time funny) to watch social commentary woven into them to dispel that shallowness.

Although it’s along the lines of Shrek it’s much cruder in a sense – definitely not meant for kids, but it will put a smile on your face.

Rachelle

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty film is a dark and twisted version of the fairytale, Sleeping Beauty. Directed by Nicky Phelan, produced by Darragh O'Connell and written/voiced by Kathleen O'Rourke, the Irish animated film was nominated for the Best Animated Short Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.

The interesting part of this film is the values it relates to life and also in the modern 21st century. She mentioned that beauty does not take you very far in life, which is true (brains are important!). The definition of beauty was also touched in the film. Slim figures, long legs and big boobs are the 'ideal' model portrayed to women in this era. I was quite entertained by Granny O'Grimm's antics and her exaggerated expressions.

Granny O'Grimm tells the story as if that she's the Elderly Fairy itself. It portrays her as a person who is revengeful and does not easily forgive and forget. In this film, it is as if Granny O'Grimm characteristics and personality is represented by the general perception of the senior citizens where they are old, cranky and slightly off in the head.

This film content is clearly not suitable for children but watch this if you’re looking for a good laugh!

Li Chuen
DMC09

For The Love Of An Octopus

People do crazy things in the name of love. But who would’ve ever thought that even octopuses would too!

Oktapodi is a 2007 French computer-animated short film about two love stricken octopuses (an orange male and a pink female) who are separated from one another when a chef comes to collect the female. In despair, the male gives chase as the chef drives off and a battle between human and octopus supremacy breaks lose on the roads of a small Greek village. Will the octopuses succeed in this adventure?

Well, you’d have to watch it to find out.

One reason why this film is fairly entertaining is due to the clever use of colours and the designs present in the film – mainly the two octopuses. You can’t help but feel for the two sea creatures as the directors manage to instill emotions through the eyes and (partial) facial movement of the octopuses face. Even at the beginning, you can tell how in love the couple is.

On the other hand, however, you’d need to push aside your conscience to be able to fully enjoy this film as it does turn out to be a tad sadistic while all the misfortunes happen to the octopuses, as those are the primary humour in the film.

If you are able to do so, though, you’d find yourself surprised at how enjoyable this two minute film can be. Definitely worth giving a watch!

-by Jc-

OCTOPI (2007)

Taking over Oscar short film award in 2009, Oktapodi, a 2 minute computer animated film from France is about two Octopi who fall in love in the fish tank in Greece. It runs headfirst into disaster when the female Octopi is snatched by the humans and being brought into a truck – to be made food. Never one to be daunted, the male Octopi jumps out the tank to save his other half. Determines to save her from the jaw of death, he clamp to the beeline of the truck. His efforts then propel both Octopi to a wild journey through the village. In land and water they struggle for love.

This fast moving story is full of emotions right from the very start. Eventhough it is without narration, the animation successfully tells the story of the Octopi who would die for love. The characters are so full of life, including the truck driver himself. What is more interesting is that the viewers will be constantly excited and looking forward along the whole film. It is funny and cute.

Octopi is fun to be watched, but it lasts short. The ending is pretty interesting, however it ends soon where it begins. It could be made longer, and if it is, they could be the next Pixar competitor.

This animation is flawless, but more voice overs would be catchy. The viewers will be able to communicate with the characters more and undertsnad the emotions being potrayed better. Overall, Octopi, a short film made in year 2007 deserves the Oscar and let’s hope they come up with more animation for us!

FILZAH SOBRI (DMC10)
for feature writing

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty (full film) review

Granny O’Grimm, strange and somehow spiteful in nature loves telling bed time stories in her own notch to her terrified granddaughter. The story goes like this.. Little Sleeping Beauty was born to the world, and the many beautiful fairies were excitingly planning a christening party for the little one. Imagined or not, the old crippled fairy was not invited to the party because she is old, crippled and very ugly. Enormous rage sets upon her and the only way for a little relief was to teach the youth and beauty obsessed beings a good ol’ lesson.

The film is a nice breakaway if compared to the typical Sleeping Beauty story, it might be pretty dense at times, but it has managed to bring out the essential vengeful emotions immaculately. The ambiguous, twisted way of story telling is also a plus point in making the story highly captivating.

If at all, the film should go a little longer. Perhaps it is the peculiar way of story telling that makes me crave for a longer entertainment, but the ending of the Sleeping Beauty story was a little too abrupt to put a nice seal on the tumultuous build up along the way.

I do recommend highly the film to anyone who loves a little break from mainstream broils.

Oktapodi 2007





Oktapodi(2007) OSCAR 2009 Nominated Short Film

Being nominated in the Academy Awards 2009 as the best animated short film, Imagina 2008 best show animation, just to name a few, Oktapodi definitely gained its fame with its cute three minutes long animation.

This short film talks about a pair of loving octopus and their journey when the lady octopus was caught and sold to a man, the remaining one fight its way to rescue her. Throughout the film, you'll see the octopus bounce his way through in chasing for the van that had his lover. Although this is a no dialogue short film, it is still a recommended one, for the characters were animated in full expressions and the music that blends well to suit the pace of the animation.

This fast paced animation is nice to watch but three minutes ain't long enough. The ending part gives viewers rooms for imaginations and a lot might be hoping for the next episode of Oktapodi!

Seow Li (DMC10)

Granny from Hell?

Have you ever wondered how your bedtime stories would end up if it was told by your bitter, disgruntled old grandmother? Wonder no more as this Oscar nominated short film titled Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty, portrays exactly that when and old woman tells her own interpretation of a story to her granddaughter, with such strong emotions.

The scary potrayal of Granny O'Grimm

This short film definitely had graphics in a class of its own as the attention to detail was quite clear throughout this film. The drawing style in the story sequence had good colour composition to go with it and it made the viewing experience really pleasurable.

The colours used showed great depth in graphic details

However, the ending of this short film was rather disappointing, although it had an interesting catch phrase by the old grandmother in the end. Still, it was kind of a let down when compared to the whole bulk of the story.

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty would be a short film you would rather watch in between breaks of a cartoon. On the other hand, there is a potential of making more sequels to do with other bedtime stories Granny O’Grimm would tell to her terror-stricken granddaughter.

Rating: 6/10
Film: Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
Director: Nick Phelan

-Abdullah Izzudin-
DMC09

Oktapodi Love Story

Oktapodi is about a love story of two octopuses that were for sale at the fish shop who were both in love. Yes Octopuses! They were separated as the female was taken out to be sold and the male gets out of the aquarium to save the love of his life. They then fought for their lives to get back together again. Will they succeed?

Oktapodi is a 2007 French computer-animated short film which was a graduation film created at Gobelins L'ecole de L'image. It was directed by 6 of them. It didn't lose your attention as it was definitely entertaining throughout the 2 minutes. It was humorous, short and sweet. It is a unique and no ordinary film. Everyone should watch it and I would be sure you would like it!

There really isn't a bad thing to say about this movie as I think it was a pretty good short animation film. Oktapodi was well received and won a number awards including a nomination for Best Short Film (Animated) for the 81st Academy Awards.

-Jacqueline-
DMC10

Oktapodi Review



A short animated film about 2 octopuses which are in love with each other. Yes you read that right. And how the female is taken away and the male goes out of the aquarium to rescue his lover. As typical as it may sound, it was done with just the right amount of humor and excitement to keep us entertained throughout the 2 minutes animation.

Here's what that makes it not so typical, the 2 main characters are octopus, and the villain's a man. We've seen good guys take on the forms of robots, fishes and other odd beings but I have never seen an octopus being the "good guy" in a film as they usually are the villain. What makes the film interesting is that there's not a pause which makes you feel that a particular scene is draggy nor does it kills your attention.

There is not much to critique, this animation is short and sweet and if you were to look at it from a technical point of view, the animation, camera angles, and transitions were nicely done.

This video is definitely worth your 2 minutes of attention.

Rating:














Jared Lee :D

Granny Turns Ugly


Granny O'Grim's Sleeping Beauty is a short animated film directed by Nicky Phelan and produced by Darragh O'Connel. The story was written by Kathleen O'Rourke. The story focuses on the granny herself, who seems like a sweet and caring nanny but when her granddaughter showed a terrified face as she was about to tell a bedtime story, we could all already expect the kind of story that would be told. It was her very own version of Sleeping Beauty.

What I find interesting about this short animated film is the beautiful CGI that made it pleasant for my eyes. I also liked the fact that the the beginning of the film kept me interested to find out more on what this story is about.

Although the beautiful CGI was really good, I think it would be better if they did the 2D part a little better. Funny segments didn't sounded funny at all. As this film was categorized as a comedy, the granny was yelling at the kid most of the time as she was telling the story. Children who watches this might end up being afraid of their grandmothers as well.

In short, I find the pros of this film not being able to make up for the cons. Suggestion, do not set high expectations for this film. You might like this, or maybe not.

By: Kai-Loon

Review on short video

Synopsis
Oktapodi (2007) is a French computer animated short film that originated as a graduate student project from Gobelins L E'cole de L I'mage. The story is about a pair of octopuses saving each other from a restaurant cook. The beginning of the film shows the supplier grabbed and weigh in the female (pink) octopus and kept it in the truck. The middle part of the video displays the process on saving the male (orange) octopus.

The male octopus went out from the aquarium, determined to save the female octopus. At the end of the video, the male octopus was grabbed by a seagull bird, is time for the female octopus to save the male octopus.

Interesting
The characters in this video looked lively and cute. The octopuses are behaving like humans. This makes the story became interesting because the characters showed a lot of expressions. The beginning of the video quite catchy and contained a small climax (eg: The female octopus was grab out from the scene).

A lot of real-life action scenes inserted in this video like punching and chopping for example.

This video shows the octopuses are stubborn, and this act might giving a hint to the viewers that there will be 2nd part for this video (?)

What's not so good
The video contained inappropiate contents for some viewers especially children. The scenes of punching and slashing the octopus are bad influence for children. The children might want to try it for fun since there were no blood stains in the video.

Suggestion
Everything is okay to me, in terms of graphics and how the characters reacted. I think it would be much better if the chopping octopus scene can be replaced by other elements. Direct showing it into the video can bring bad influence to certain viewers.

Ng Min Kim
DMC08