Lessons from Wanted (spoiler warning)

I just caught the movie Wanted in the afternoon after some deliberation since it came out in the movies and I must say, it’s quite brilliant. There was some deliberation despite the A-list cast of Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy because one of my co-workers said it was all violence and Jolie-exhibitionism and no substance. I will hafta beg to differ.

Shot in the same graphic-novel-to-screen spirit as Sin City and 300, it exhibits the, well, graphic nature of such adaptations and contrary to so-and-so’s opinion, there IS a plot with a nice, heart-tugging twist in the end. The special effects were brilliant, especially when they back-traced the engraved bullet at the beginning and end of the film, with the same fashion no less, to emphasize the similarity of genius and skill of such an assassination method that can only come from father and son. Of course, the audience is treated to such a satisfying conclusion of the plot only at the grand finale, thus closing the movie nice and snug.

Point to note, the only scene Angelina showed skin was a conservatively brief fresh-out-of-shower shot from the back, which to me clearly displayed her intricate tattoos more than her bodily assets. Other than that and 2 scenes of inexplicit shagging affair, there was nothing really R21 about the whole film, except if you consider the violence of course. But then again recent movies (Saw I-III, Red Cliff and The Dark Knight etc) have treated us to such intense and senseless violence and gore that Wanted’s bloodiness should be considered art.

So what is the lesson learned, I hear you ask. Well, it is simply, don’t believe everything you hear. Or to quote my sociology lecturer who was interpreting a philosopher (I think it’s Karl Marx or Friedrich Engels), “Trust no one”. Ok the latter might be a bit extreme but the gist is that when it comes to films, appreciation is wildly subjective. And I should know that better than anyone because certain films I like don’t agree with everyone. And so.

If you apply this to other chapters in life, it is the same for

- interpersonal relationships: don’t believe what you hear about people whom you have no personal contact with. It could be malicious rumor, or the person in question may just be misunderstood.

- impressions of a city or country: people told me Bali was unsafe after the bombings but I went there for a scuba-diving trip, and nothing life-threatening happened. Also, it is by far the most beautiful and tranquil place I’ve been to so far. London, according to some people who have been there before, was said to have lost its charm but I was still mesmerized by the architecture and culture when I was there in March with my family. Plus people there still have much better manners than say, erm, people from an island below Malaysia. Oh, there’s also a lot of buzz about Asia, but I really want to visit Europe for its cultural diversity and of course, its food and fashion and castles and people, no matter the criticisms I hear from Europeans themselves.

- how I should live my life: people tell me what I should do to attain satisfaction from my career, that I’m too picky when it comes to men I date, or I should get married because it’s the best thing that can happen to a girl, but I think I am old enough to decide for myself what’s not or what is for me, yes? There’s a reason why my parents no longer interfere with what goes on in my professional and personal life. They respect and trust me to make my own decisions. That and they know I’m too stubborn to change my mind after I make a decision. And so I’m really grateful for that.

In a nutshell, listen to your heart, and trust your own opinion.

Afternoon Tea at Les Saveurs

As part of feeding my curiosity for Singapore’s latest chi chi venue for tea sipping crowds, I made a date with my Japanese expat wife friend cum ex-classmate Miwa to Les Saveurs at St Regis Singapore for their afternoon tea. Having done a market research for the afternoon tea served in various hotel lounges, Les Saveurs is charging one of the highest prices in town for their afternoon tea. I kept my fingers crossed that they’ll deliver satisfaction for the price they charge.

Miwa and I arrived at St Regis at 3:15pm, and the first thing I noticed was the number of staff on duty in the lobby area. Perhaps to make the place slightly more lively since there aren’t that many guests around? Anyway there was this handsome gentleman who approached us and led us to Les Saveurs for our afternoon tea.

I wonder what drove St Regis management to make their staff execute the curious standard of asking for the names of guests at the first point of contact for their F&B outlets because they never seem to remember my name after they use it once. Hmm. I was asked my name too at Astor Bar during my visit some time ago, soon after the opening of the hotel. No, in fact the hostess asked the names of all 4 guests at my table but she didn’t pass the information to her colleagues, nor did she return to my table to do some quality check. Perhaps she was trying to save herself the embarrassment of forgetting our names. The same thing happened today at Les Saveurs. Pointless, no?

Anyway, the grandeur of Les Saveurs showed clearly the amount of money invested in the decor. Beautiful chandeliers hanged from the ceiling, matching colours with the floral-themed 3-dimensional wall motifs and the furniture. Red white and gold. Both very mod and classic at the same time. Chinaware and silverware were polished and expensive-looking. I didn’t peek at the brands, a pity. The wait staff’s black and white uniform was nicely simple and understated, thankfully, before I got an overload of elaborateness. However, they could brush up a bit on the product knowledge. I merely asked about the a la carte prices of a cappucino and an iced tea and they took about 10-15mins to get back to me after “checking with their team leader”. Hmm. Hardly impressive, considering St Regis spent 3 months training guest-contact staff before they even opened. And it’s been months since opening day.

So anyway let’s zoom in on one of the main highlights of the day. The food.

Tea was prepared in the middle of the restaurant where there’s a station with all the varieties of teas and a hot water dispenser. Great to give a bit of showmanship and to cut down on time spent on travelling to and fro between service and back areas. Scones (raisin and plain) and sandwiches (cucumber, chicken ham and quail egg mayonnaise) were served on a 2-tiered stand. Pastries were displayed on an impressive buffet table with over 20 items.

And there’s a curious hot food section in the menu in which you could choose from one of the following options: chicken quiche, prawn and veg dim sum, chicken curry puff or chicken satay. When served the portions were sampling sized and taste-wise, to be honest they were nothing interesting. I had the quiche and Miwa had the curry puff (2 small ones) and we both agreed that they didn’t go well with the theme and feel of the afternoon tea, the portion was too meagre and they weren’t great. if anything, they only added evidence that there wasn’t thought in menu planning and food preparation lacked quality and innovation.

The same went for the scones, which came with cream and raspberry sauce. I’m used to Four Season’s freshly baked, warm-centred scones with strawberry jam (with whole strawberries) and fresh clotted cream. The scones I had today tasted a bit stale, and quite frankly the jam, slightly disappointing.

The items which I really liked were the dark chocolate mousse cake, the strawberry macaroons and the mango and raspberry tarts. The mango tart was very special indeed; an initial glance at it would make you wonder what was the small mountain of yellow spheres all about. Lightly sweetened custard was hiding under the fresh balls of mangos, which were held in the crust, which was crunchy and sweet. Delectable.
The pastry portions were pretty big considering how many varieties there were. I would recommend sharing for all the items or you’ll be too stuffed to try everything, especially if you’re the type who wants to try everything in a buffet.

I also ordered a cappucino, not great froth, but at least they didn’t overheat the milk. At this point may I emphasize that, while not an expert, I expect coffee to be prepared the way I ordered it. I love Starbucks for this because I can get the purrrrfect hazelnut latte there. And if I’m dissatisfied with it on a rare occasion, they’re always happy to prepare another one for me. Lurve the service.

Back in St Regis, the service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive, so nothing much to complain there. I could tell the staff was trying their best to come up with the best possible answer when faced with a query – effort duly noted – so thumbs up for that. However I must say again they really need to brush up on their confidence when conversing with guests, and product knowledge. Very important.

In conclusion, for SGD45++ (or SGD50++ with half a glass – I say half because they really only fill up half the champagne flute – of Moet and Chandon 2000 vintage rose), I felt that I was paying more for the St Regis brand and the ambience rather than the food. In Miwa’s words, to compete in Singapore, food quality counts the most, so they better improve on the recipe.

A list that you might be interested in….

Ok, I know this is totally narcissistic and unnecessary. But here’s a list of my favourites, as well as stuff that I’m lusting after. Metaphorically. And I said stuff. Nuff said. Hehehe.

Favourite Family Guy character – Stewie… there couldn’t be any other, really.

Favourite Simpsons character – Mr Burns!! Excellent….

Favourite Perfumes – Stella McCartney’s signature perfume, Bvlgari Au the Rouge, Burberry London & Brit, L’occitane Cherry Blossom, Calvin Klein Truth, Loewe’s I Loewe You, still searching for more great scents…
Favourite things to do when I’m alone – Read a good book, watch a good movie, have a relaxing massage (with a really reserved therapist, I hate those who try to chat with me when I’m lying face down, almost naked), discover a new restaurant, stone out to good music at home or play random pieces on my piano!

Things that vex me – People with no common sense & low EQ, Singapore in general (I neeeed to get out of here ASAP), parents who embarrass their kids in public, waiting, etc. This is is very tiring to think. Lol.

Things that I can’t resist – Perfumes, earrings (esp chandelier earrings!!), gooood food (not necessarily expensive fare), hot men wearing irresistible cologne in dark suits (ok maybe this one shouldn’t be listed as a ‘thing’), a good book, spa holidays, Stella McCartney / Marc Jacobs collections, Esprit shades (I’m low maintenance), Carl’s Jr strawberry milkshakes…. and a hazelnut latte from Starbucks.

What I’ll spend on if I had the money….
- fly around the world in business class (not first class because I’ll save the balance for hotels)
- an Omega watch
- shopping sprees in Victoria Secrets on a weekly basis
- visit my friends in NZ Wellington, Washington DC, Seoul, Scotland, Vancouver Island and Sweden all the time (you know who you are, my lovelies)
- donate generously and regularly to UNIFEM
- take my family on holidays (and of course my parents and grandma are flying first class)
- to do my Master of Arts in Gastronomy
- be a fervent supporter of Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs and maybe Chanel
- donate ridiculous amounts to political parties I like in Malaysia
- host exclusive by-invitation-only parties complete with air tickets & hotel room keys slotted in the invites
I’m still working on this list… hahaha.

Gee, I”m tired out by this entry!! I’ll update more when inspiration hits me. Haha.