Star Wars - Rogue One

Walker of Rogue One

Watched Star Wars Rogue One yesterday night.

As a person who had watched every episode of Star Wars since 1977, I find Rogue One enjoyable. Memorable parts include:-

(1) Darth Vader who was dead in Part 6 was alive in Rogue One. Love it when he uses the light saber
(2) All the familiar original X-wing and Tie fighters. Space fights scene was good. The use of aiming mechanism onboard Tie fighters is a reminiscence of the same used in A New Hope.
(3) Director made the security facility (internal) in Scariff looks like the original Star Wars Death Star
(4) The original storm troopers
(5) The original star ship and fleet
(6) The original Imperial walkers (from Empire Strikes Back)
(7) Admiral Ackbar and its space ship
(8) The connection with Star Wars A New Hope where the last part of Rogue One is the beginning of A New Hope. Awesome connection.
(9) A relatively simple story

What I hope can be improved:
(1) Digital animated actor like Princess Leia and Tarkin is unreal, but good effort. Rogue One use of animation (or rather the less use of it) is still better than Star Wars Part 1 (The Phantom Menace) battle droid, which is totally artificial. The K2 unit seems realistic enough but could not recall the presence of K2 unit in A New Hope.
(2) Why would the top of the security facility has openings that allows human size droid or person to go through. Isn't that a security breach? Ventilation duct should not be opened in the first place.
(3) Strange that Rogue One is multi-racial but A New Hope does not reflect that. Obviously for commercial reason.
(4) There are birds on another planet far far away from Earth? Most of the Planets are quite earth like other than Darth Vader Planet Mustafar.
(5) The storm troopers vehicle on Planet Jedha is basically an earthly tank. Could have been more creative in imagination. Something which Star Wars Part 4 to 6 had achieved.

Lastly, Rest in Peace Carrie Fisher (aka Princess Leia).

Messerschmitt Me 262 Plastic Model

Me262 Plastic Model

Real Life Me262 from Deutsche Museum

Painted in accordance to the colours found in the real Me 262 at Munich Deutsche Museum. The colours could be off due to poor recognition of colours from Tamiya paint palette.  The plastic model is from Revell which I bought it from a souvenir shop in Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim in 2015. However, it has one defect, the box does not enclose a decal of the German airplane. The other issue is that the plastic is not balance on its wheels, it is more heavy and rotate about its rear. I like the design of this plane which is so unique of its era and even from today perspective. It looks like a shark.

Braised Duck Rice at Zion Riverside Food Centre

Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap and Braised Duck

Big Bowl of Rice Flat

Zion Road Hawker Centre

There are 3 stalls at Zion Riverside Food Centre selling duck and kway chap specialties. The stall with the longest queue is usually Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap and Braised Duck ( 文通记 ). The queue will include foreigners who are attracted usually to braised duck rice or noodle.

I ordered the duck and kway chap mix for 2 persons which cost S$9 + S$1.50 (3 bowls of rice flat at 50 cents each). The bowl is bigger than many other kway chap stalls that I have eaten. The gravy that was poured over the duck and kway chap mix was generous and tasty.  Many of other stalls gravy tasted salty but this stall gravy has an unique taste which I like. The duck meat was also cut in thin pieces which made it easier to chew and blend well with the gravy.  Overall, I would consider Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap very good.

There are 2 downsides. Firstly, the tau pok was not that good as it was not soaked in the gravy for too long which made the texture harder than those soft ones commonly available. But some patrons may like it that way. Secondly, the gravy has MSG which I could feel the thirst in my mouth after consumption.

Zion Riverside Food Centre is a nicely located hawker centre next to a beautiful river located in a prime location. The only problem is its difficulty to find a parking lot during peak hours.