It’s my first time attending the Borneo Cultural Festival Sibu, which is held once a year for one week or more. My boy has been talking about it for years ago but I never had the chance to fly to Sibu during mid year.

This year I’m here in this town, must attend it else next year(s) might not have the chance already. But.. my boy has been extremely busy since the opening of the festival. When he has free time, the weather is playing with us (read: raining), and we have to postpone until last Monday. Pfiuh.

Since the name contains the word cultural, I was expecting some culture related stuffs. Yes, there is but not that much compare to the F&B booths. It’s more to a combination of fun fair + food fair + trade fair to me. Selling breads, drinks, weight loss pills, travel agent, English tuition, Maggi, Milo, etc.

Probably we went at the wrong time, hence less cultural performance. Aside from not cultural enough, the festival is quite an interesting one. If only we can have it to replace the current small night market. Open during weekend will do.

The first month of 2010 hasn’t ended yet and I already have so many first time story, from first time buying clothes online to first time getting my own business card and looking forward to my first Orange NJ dental implants visit. And recently I just had my first time burst out crying in the cinema (worse than when I watched Money No Enough 2 back in 2008). It is Tiger woohoo!, Malaysia 1st Chinese New Year movie, that brings such a heartwarming effect.

Synopsis of Tiger woohoo!
‘Woohoo’ (tiger dance) is a tradition practiced in a small village (Beserah, Kuantan) during a prayer ceremony every 60 years. As the only elder who knows “Woohoo” can no longer perform, his filial granddaughter put up a misleading advertisement which in turn attracts five youngsters from different backgrounds – bad-tempered bank security man Ah Beng, indecisive Char Kuey Teow hawker Ah Huat, effeminate designer Rain, university student Bobby and smart alec Alan – to be trained as ‘woohoo’ players. After some tough training, they finally look like a formidable team. However, few days before the anticipated festival day, the only ‘tiger head”‘is accidentally destroyed by the mischievous kids in the village.

We watched the movie on Wednesday hence the discounted price – RM7

First touching scene is when they have a family dinner. The ahbui asks his Grandpa why he keeps on smiling and Grandpa says because he is able to have dinner together with them (sth like that). Ahbui says,”But we aren’t eating any delicious expensive foods.”

I burst into tears immediately. The kind of crying moment that I had when sending my family to the airport (after my wedding ceremony in Sibu). It reminds me of how I used to have dinner together with Mum and bro, and how I’ve taken that family moment for granted. Then I remembered few weeks ago my Mum told me that she had dinner alone at Fountain cause my bro had extra tuition class. Having dinner alone outside is the thing that one will least look forward to after a long tiring day. I felt awful for not being able to accompany her.

Second touching scene is when the 4 little girls refuse to go back home cause they made mistake and the mother is very upset with them. Then their father looks for them and tells the story of how their mum used to be very skinny, talked also so soft one until she had the 4 daughters, that’s when she started to yell at them cause they are naughty. Whoa, so touching.

Anyway, back to the movie. We already anticipated to face the crowds like when we went for Avatar, but it turn up the opposite way. We were the second and third person to go in the theater. No queue and no brutal pushing. The audience was half than when we watched Avatar. Not sure if it’s because school holiday is over or because it’s local movie.

But whatever, this movie is a must watch! It has daily life stories that people can connect one. Sort of like Jack Neo’s movie, full with humor and life’s message. I wonder when my beloved country Indonesia can produce such movie with essence (or we already have it but I don’t know?), instead of movie with dirty humor, love story, and horror with weird title such as Hantu Puncak Datang Bulan – wtf? sounds like the ghost can have monthly period one. -__-”

We went to watch Avatar on yesterday night, cause Wednesday is movie day or something like that, where ticket price is cheaper (RM6) than usual (RM9) – price varies depends on cinemas.

The queue at ticket counter

Being a small town (not yet a city), Sibu has two cinemas only if I not mistaken; Star Cineplex at its own building and King’s Trioplex at Premier Hotel & shopping complex.

The cinema here still uses manual ticketing system. Movie’s show-time is sticked on the movie poster instead of showing it on a TV screen. Seat number is written at the back of the ticket (N14 at the above picture) and show-time is written manually too (8.30 at the above picture). Quite old-school if compare to cinemas in Medan.

The cinema’s snack and drink counter.

The sound system and the screen is not bad. But, the toilet inside the theater is quite dirty and they definitely need to change the broken sinks with copper sinks. Besides, the seat is quite small and not so comfortable while leg’s area isn’t spacious enough. Those aren’t big deal as I still can tolerate it.

What can’t be tolerated is the brutal way of how the audiences pushing each other just to get into the theater. They are like hungry people who are fighting for free foods inside. The scene was so scary. Seriously, the way the people here queue is worse than Medanese way!

Despite that, we still have a good time. It’s our first time watching movie together in cinema here, so obviously we are keeping the tickets for memory sake.

The TV in my home has been left untouched since Astro went off air. There goes the time when we (my Mum, bro and I) ‘fight’ over our slot – who will watch now and so on. We are sort of lack of entertainment now.

I know, we have 10 local channels but… we don’t like most of the programs especially local drama or we called it sinetron. The story and the setting is just too hyperbolic. Most of the time the stepmother is oh so cruel and can ask the stepdaughter to sleep on outdoor furniture covers even on the rainy day blablabla. Ugh.

Good thing, I can feed my need to watch Taiwan Idol drama online. Goes back to the college time when I had no TV but only laptop and internet. Anyway, I watch You’re My Destiny (aka: Fated to Love You / Ming Zhong Zhu Ding Wo Ai Ni) at mysoju. It is available at Youtube too.

And oh, you gotta listen to the soundtrack. It is so… happy la la la…

Normally after dinner, you can find me sitting in front of my computer, either do work or play mini game. This explains my flat *ss. But recently, you will find me sitting in front of TV watching ‘Cinderella story’ / Taiwan drama on Astro Shuang Xing.

The drama title is You’re My Destiny (aka: Fated to Love You / Ming Zhong Zhu Ding Wo Ai Ni), starring Ethan Ruan as Ji Cun Xi and Joe Chen (Chen Qiao En) as Chen Xin Yi.

The story of You’re My Destiny (aka: Fated to Love You) goes like this:

A really unfashionable working class girl Chen Xin Yi has the desire to tie down her handsome boyfriend to be with her. Due to certain reasons, her boyfriend gets her to go on a love cruise and she started to ponder on how to lose her virginity and tie down her boyfriend. Xin Yi ended up taking cold medicine which made her drowsy and went into Ji Cun Xi‘s room.

Ethan Ruan as Ji Cun Xi. While I saw him wearing sunglasses at the first episode, I thought he is Ming Dao. -__-”

Ji Cun Xi is the sole male heir to his family’s company and has been in love with his girlfriend, Anna, for a long time. He planned to propose to Anna on the boat but she didn’t turn up on the cruise, cause she went to catch her ballerina dream at New York and promised him to come back 2 years later.

The main cast

An island owner added drugs into Cun Xi’s drink and Cun Xi became disorientated and returned to his own room. Xin Yi and Cun Xi end up having a one night stand. Xin Yi later finds out that she’s pregnant and Cun Xi’s grandmother forces them to get married. Will a couple forced to marry for the sake of their unborn child find love with each other?

I just watched 3 episodes. There is total 24 episodes if I not mistaken. Can’t wait to watch the 4th episode. I might just start to watch it online.