Great Movie

Just watched a DVD on the movie "Crash". Its a really great movie on racial discrimation and I think there are really good things to take away from this movie. Crash has a storyline over a 24-hour period that begins at the end with a car accident at a crime scene where a young man has been shot. Ria (Jennifer Esposito) and Graham (Don Cheadle) exit the car, as Ria commences a verbal battle with an Asian lady and Graham approaches the crime scene. This opening is a little taste of what is to come, as several different characters bump into each other by accident. Each time two characters cross paths for whatever reason a new story emerges while it also affects the next story, as if the person was following his or her fate.


Crash (Widescreen Edition)

Bank Account in UK

I have been told on how hard it is for a foreigner to set up a bank account in UK. They usually require previous bank statements, uk home address etc and takes up to a month to set it up. Following a tip from a friend, I realised that it is possible to open a uk bank accout from your home country. I opened my HSBC UK account at the HSBC International Banking Center at Claymore Plaza, Singapore. This saves me a lot of hassle cos I would have a bank account up and running by the time I go to UK. I also need to bring a lot less cash!

LBS reading list

There are so many books and with this much amount of time of my hands. I thought I might just start with the easier ones i.e. the novels. Been hearing about Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis for some time (the "BSD"!) and its is really good read. Do read it if you have the time. Its about sales and trading at the Salomon Brothers.

Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street

Getting a laptop

For those who are keen to get a laptop, the best place to get it is in Singapore, not UK (read: v expensive). There are a couple of places to get it in Singapore, the more famous one being Funan Center (more upmarket) and Sim Lim Square (prepare for some bargaining;some might not be too comfortable with this place). The best time to buy laptops will be during the quarterly IT shows where there are bargains to pick up (prices are not a lot cheaper but they certainly throw in a lot more freebies i.e. more RAM, free thumbdrive etc). Look out for Straits Times Specials and CNET Asia which have a pretty good writeup prior to each event. But I recently discovered a even better bargain. If you have friends who are still studying at the local universities (NUS, NTU or SMU), you might want to ask them to help get you a laptop. Prices are significantly cheaper (the model I am eyeing is $400 cheaper + free extended international warranty to 3 years!).