Bond - Shaken and Stirred

For a person who values memories, I don't really remember very much of my childhood. Certain images stand out, of course but these are vague and fleeting.

Running to meet Kelvin's Kindergarten schoolbus is one. I can still recall the rush of excitement that would well up when I heard the distinctive sound of the green-ish schoolbus. I had never been lonely before that, you see, we were practically twins and did everything together. But he had to go to Kindergarten and thus it began...the separation of our lives.

Anyways... the other memory is of an excited Daddy coming home with a whole bunch of musty-smelling, dark-covered books. He had stumbled onto a second-hand book sale and had bought me half a dozen or so. I was as excited as he expected and only vaguely heard Mummy's background rumbling on whether such adult-looking books would be "appropriate". As it turned out they were not. But by then (I was anywhere between 8-11, can't remember exactly), my god-fearing parents had let me read the Bible from cover to cover. There was really nothing more popular fiction could "teach" me.

One of those books was Ian Flemming's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which remains to this day the only Bond BOOK I recall reading, and what a read it was. There was a tortured heroine who walked resolutely into the sea. There was this wonderful, HUMAN being who was also one of the world's top spies. There were villains who were not mere cardboard cutouts. There was action galore.

For years after that I would go to see the Bond movies and search for the Bond I had read. Roger Moore smirked too much. Sean Connery was gorgeous but had no heart (and contrary to popular opinion the real Bond, the Bond of the books, had a heart). Timothy Dalton went by in a blur. Pierce Brosnan was too polished but in my opinion came the closest. I had never even seen OHMSS with George Lazenby, though it remains my favourite Bond book, so am not able to pronounce on the merits of Lazenby as Bond.

And then suddenly, he was here. My Bond, Ian Flemming's Bond. I wish Flemming could have seen him (he never liked Sean Connery, actually).

Addendum : So we finally got 50 tickets (yes it is a record, I thought there were 70 for Charlie and Chocolate Factory but on further recollection it was 40). Bond girls were allocated, and some sportingly turned up suitably attired...(why do people listen to my crazy ideas? - it's a mystery).

A new Bond era begins.

I hope they re-do OHMSS!

Archana - Domino (the one played by Kim Basinger in Never Say Never Again)

Deepti - Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Riggs - On Her Majesty's Secret Service) - Bond's fave Bond girl

Divya - Jinx ( Halle Berry - Die Another Day)

Eh Wrong Movie? Jinx with Dr. Evil

Adeline - Wai Lin ( Michelle Yeoh - Tomorrow Never Dies) - 'cos she kicks ass!

Rebecca - Paula Kaplan (Martine Beswick, Thunderball)

Arjoo - Vesper Lynd (Eva Green - Casino Royale)

Jayeeta - Solitaire (Jane Seymour - Live and Let Die)

Anna - Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen - Goldeneye)

For a Former Russian Agent, Xenia Onatopp Should Know Better Than To Reveal Her Secret Weapon Cache.

Malini - Octopussy (Maud Adams - Octopussy)

Ira - Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman - Goldfinger)

Jean - Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress - Dr. No)

Siti - Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto - Licence To Kill)

M Should Know Better - Hobnobbing With A Chinese Agent and A Former Russian Agent Indeed!

All Hail The New Blond Bond!

The Further Adventures of America's Next Top Model 2025

As a future member of the international elite jet-setting community, it is important to train in all forms of social etiquette

Talk about a fast learner!

Future Multi-Million Dollar Product Endorsement Contract From Macdonald's

Who can resist that smile?

One for the Portfolio - Find The Belle!

My Tarot Card

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

JR's Dream

We are all ... uhh ... rather special in some way or another (bear with me, as I write this, I am thinking I am nuts!). There are 4 of us living in a large flat. But it is not really an apartment building - bit like a 2-storey shophouse with shops down the front. Could be anywhere - the surroundings are semi-urban and not particularly striking. Taller buildings and apartments can be seen out of the window, couple of trees as well, some folks walking on the road, an odd bicycle. A couple of cars parked.

Light into the apartment seems to be filtering in mainly from the large balcony and window, otherwise the flat is old but neat and sparsely furnished.

You have just come in that morning from somewhere. "Sunita! It's great to see you back! When did you get out ?" I exclaim, and give you a warm hug.

"Like that lah", you respond, and squirm out of my hug, expressing discomfort on your face. You are wearing this T-shirt and pyjamas, and looking thoroughly lepak. You walk up to the dining table, and pick up some fruit to eat.

All of a sudden, there is a lot of dry lightning outside, and the cars that are parked start shaking around. A dismisses this as a freak thunderstorm, and I am not too sure about that, but I say OK. You can't be bothered - you curl up in an easy-chair and start reading a book, munching on your fruit.

And then, the grill bars on the balcony start creaking and there is lots more lightning. Cars start floating up. And I scream "He is here! What is he here for ? What the hell does he want?"
The awful realisation dawns on me as I look at you. "He wants you", I whisper. And you look up and say "Who ? What ?"

And A scratches his head. "Whatever for ?"

The bars on the balcony grill are being ripped from their moorings in the concrete. With an awful crash they break free as if some invisible hand has wrenched them out and thrown them away, and then a man floats in, all dressed in blue and black and purple, with his entire posse of henchmen behind him.

"Magneto!" I scream, and throw myself joyfully at him, and he gives me a warm hug and asks me how I am.

"Very good. What's up ?" I ask, as he seats himself at the dining table, and takes out some papers from somewhere. His buddies are all at various corners of the flat now, just hanging around and not doing anything but pretending to be bored, while watching and waiting.

"Nothing much ... just thought I would come by and see how you all were doing. Ah, I see Netto is around - and how are you, my dear ?"

You are watching Magneto with a bit of wonder. "OK lah!"

I am getting really uneasy now. "Look Magneto, she is off-limits OK?"

"Really now!"

"All right, now look. I am very happy to see you and I am glad you came by, but for some reason, your goons are annoying me. And I promise you that if you touch Netto in any way, why, I'll .... OWWWW!" I scream as the metal claws on my knuckles get stuck merely an inch outside and it feels like someone is pushing knives into my palm.

"Relax!" Magneto booms. The goons are all looking rather interested now that I am in agony. "I ain't gonna touch your precious Sunita. I am here to stay!"

And suddenly the pain is gone and the relief swamps over me, as my claws retract silently and sullenly. The sweat breaks out in rivulets on my face, as I rub my sore knuckles.

"I want a new place to stay, and you are right in the centre of the city! If we can just expand the area downstairs, we will have a good thing going, right ?" Magneto winks.

"Er-uh ... sure. But what's wrong with your current place?"

"Too far, my boy, too far. Right you lot, go down and check out the place." Magneto commands his goons who immediately disappear to harass the folks downstairs.

You wander over. "Ah Magneto, so what else you doing nowadays ?"

He looks at you with twinkling eyes and a dazzling grandfatherly smile. "Oh, the usual. Now then, have you started harnessing your powers properly ?"

You yawn. "Aiyoh, what's there to harness ? I don't really care, man. I am just lepaking now."

And then I wake up.

BY JR

Save Me - Aimee Mann

You look like a perfect fit
For a girl in need of a tourniquet
But can you save me
Come on and save me
If you could save me
From the ranks of the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
Cause I can tell
You know what it's like
The long farewell of the hunger strike
But can you save me
Come on and save me
If you could save me
From the ranks of the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
You struck me dumb like radium
Like Peter Pan or Superman
You will come to save me
C'mon and save me
If you could save me
From the ranks of the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
Cept the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
But the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
C'mon and save me
Why don't you save me
If you could save me
From the ranks of the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
Except the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
Except the freaks who could never love anyone

A Tale Of Two Weddings

It was the best of times, the very best of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of passion, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Love, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of beauty, we had everything before us, every single thing, we were all going direct to Heaven, in fact we were already in heaven.

Wedding 1 - Sunita & Robin

In one of those strange quirks of fate, Robin , my junior from Port Dickson High School meets, loves and marries that adorable bundle of energy and my namesake - Sunita.

There were tons of related functions - Here Sunita and Robin's moms start off the Sangeet which was the night before the wedding.

Everyone joins in!

Sunita dancing up a storm at the Sangeet...

...and before the temple ceremony the next morning.

Before God and Before Man - I do Thee Wed

Le Grand Entrance at the Wedding Lunch

Bale! Bale!

Ole!

Bale! Bale! + Ole! = Bole! Bole!

In Love We Trust

Wedding 2 : Esther and Alfred

Today I Marry My Best Friend

Our bond complete, it hath no end,

We share one soul, we share one heart,

A perfect time - a perfect start.

With these rings we share together,

Love so close to last forever,

This special day - two special hearts,

Let nothing keep this love apart.