Wednesday May 6, 2009

Trekkies show their loyalty in style at movie tie-in

By PRIYA MENON

TREKKIES are among the most die-hard fans out there and many would think nothing of paying as much as RM25,000 for a car registration number matching that of a starship from the series while other have even named their children after Star Tek characters.

Richard Si, 40, and his wife May Teoh, 32, are living proof of this. Si actually paid RM25,000 for the NCC 1701 registration (which is also the number of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek franchise) and the couple also meticulously timed (with the help of a gynaecologist) the birth of their daughter for Jan 17 at 1701.

Si’s son was christened Riker Si James Tee Kirk while his nine-month-old daughter bears the name Seven Si Kathryn Janeway after a character from Star Trek Voyager.

Diehard fans: Si and Teoh with their children Riker Si James Tee Kirk and Seven Si Kathryn Janeway showing off the car registration number that cost Si RM25,000.

“I am an extremist and have been in love with Star Trek ever since I did my dissertation for Network Computing on the USS Enterprise,” Si said.

When asked what he found so alluring in the Star Trek franchise, he replied that it was the moral behind each episode.

“It’s definitely not the action, it is the message. By naming my children from the series, I hope that they will learn to love the series and pick up good virtues as well,” he said.

Si was one of the Trekkies who gathered for the First Contact at Studio V event organised by the All Malaysian Bloggers Project 2009 at the Studio V in 1 Utama’s New Wing.

Some 80 bloggers and winners of the Red FM SMS took part in the whole day affair with activities that challenged their knowledge of the franchise.

Hands on: Visitors trying out the games portal at Studio V during the event.

Some fans took their passion a step further by dressing up as their favourite characters from Star Trek.

Cinema Online founder Chin Vinsen, 40, came complete with two costumes, one as the pointy-eared Spock complete with wig and another as the bald Captain Jean Luc Picard.

“I’ve always been a technical guy, so Spock’s character really inspired me but, when I began balding, I decided to shave it all off and become Captain Jean Luc Picard,” he said.

Vinsen added that at one point he even managed his business the way Picard handled his ship.

The participants were sent on a treasure hunt which saw them scurrying around the ground floor and lower ground floor hunting for clues.

Playing dress-up: Chin came prepared with two costumes. Here he is in the Spock outfit, complete with pointy ears and wig.

The die-hard Trekkies also had no problems when Red FM deejays JD and Dilly presented the Star Trek Trivia Challenge.

The winner of the trivia challenge was James Andrew Chong, 32, who has been a fan all his life. Chong walked away with a WiFi glow T-shirt that glows whenever it is in the vicinity of WiFi signals. He also won a crew uniform and limited edition posters of Spock and Kirk.

The climax of the event, however, was the pre-screening of the latest Star Trek movie that is due to be released on May 7.

Some 300 people, including the bloggers and participants from the event, were among the first people in the world to watch the movie.