Jolly Jolly

A lack of updates has plagued this blog for quite some time now. Well, if you are cyberstalking me via this blog to get updates about my life, it should be painfully obvious now that this may not be the best way =) However, I shall nevertheless try to sate your appetite for me.

The Blue Mansion and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs are both excellent shows. The former for its wit and style, while the latter for its cheery and fun-loving disposition. I can’t wait to catch Evangelion 2.0 and hopefully the third installment of 20th Century Boys!

A 3-metre white nylon rope which is not really that white any more, a fragment of a memory of a youthful me. The coincidence of a colleague’s son taking up the same CCA as me when I was in secondary school some thirteen years ago. I can only surmise what he needs the rope for and I hope it serves him well. My other hope is for it to be returned to me when his need of its use is over.

Have you ever had that moment in your life that you embarked on something but did not have a concrete purpose in mind for your actions? Have you ever had that moment come back to you when you complete that something but still have no concrete purpose? I suppose I am qualified to say I have had such a moment for the reply I gave to the question of "Why?", was a sheepish "For fun". It really was and still is, for the fun of it…

我走向魔幻季节 原来那么快乐

"I walk towards the magical season and realise just how happy I can be."

Fans of comic books and American science fiction television and movies must make that pilgrimage to Comic-Con at least once in their lifetime. Okay, granted it should be just about comics as gleaned from the convention’s name but one just cannot deny the major screenings and previews there! I was there in San Diego this year.

This photo says it all!

Existence

Wow, that was some entry I wrote just the Sunday past. A blog entry on the blogging of the entry itself. The banality of it, if not apparent, should nevertheless be not lost upon you.

A simple online search with the correct search terms will yield you the tracks that comprise the game I have been quoting from for the past few months. Well, since March of 2009 to be exact. A quick run-through will show that excluding this entry, I have used up twenty-one titles. But of course the previous was a rhetoric since no one would have done as mentioned and I have promptly provided the statistics for the purpose of my following illustration anyway. That is, the options for my entry titles are running out if I continue my trend.

For the most part of it, there is a reason why I write the stuff I do or feel compelled to blog certain parts of my life. There are also those almost-completely random moments. The content materialises before I decide what is the best title to plug it as chosen from my repertoire representing the "theme" for that month. Actually I am rather proud to say I haven’t had a moment where I did not blog due to a lack of available titles or that I titled an entry randomly. Well, at least not yet anyway…

Three paragraphs later, I tell you there is a reason to this. There is a reason I name this post "Existence".

Colliding Worlds as taken from an old entry

Standing at the traffic junction, one look at the sky obscured by clouds and hues of grey and one look at the cars whizzing by, one wonders what the next course of action he should take. The storm is gathering; he is pressed to make a move. The traffic does not stop; it’s one side or the other. The centre of the crossroads is not a place for him to consider. Take one or the other but not the best of both worlds.

It’s not a suicidal thought when one asks oneself why there is this compelling need to live out the rest of his or her life. There are so many factors to life. As for me, I think I have pretty much categorised this entry under all the possible factors to be considered. The "why" and the enigma pervades, engulfing reason, thought, logic, identity and self.

From the real world, to the waking world, to the digital realm where it manifests in writing. Perhaps a mere banal entry, perhaps more. Such might be explained to be rooted in some Freudian sub-conscious theories, yet theories abound, where doth the remedies lie and what be your take on all this, my reader?

I stand at the junction waiting, continuing this wait for that which eludes me…

* The title is a reference to Assassins Theme from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Holy Orders?

When does one cross the line, from devotion into fanaticism?

Third movie of May for me is book-to-film adaptation, Angels and Demons. I have only had a glimpse of the novel into its first hundred pages or less and therefore the movie was very like a new story for me with nothing much to compare to. This is usually good since there’s a tendency for me to favour the original works over its screen adaptations.

Star Trek still beats out this movie though I must say I enjoyed it more than X-Men Origins: Wolverine. An intense thriller set within a tight timeframe, it’s no wonder Dan Brown’s blend of fact and fiction is such a draw what with the beautiful architecture and compelling lore referenced in the film. Science versus religion featured prominently as the theme and while I was very taken to wanting to believe the references made, I ended up marvelling how Brown cleverly twisted and used existent icons and facts for story-telling purposes.

Some bits of the plot slipped through the cracks, though forgivably as they were minor points. The motives behind some of the actions of some of the characters were never truly made clear or implied but I guess that’s an inherent fault in a compressed plot. The casting and acting were not too bad. Ayelet Zurer’s character Vittoria Vetra was great eye-candy and Tom Hanks’s Robert Langdon who constantly amazed the audience with his knowledge and tenacity as the professor of symbology. I would have to say my favourite actor of all present was Ewan McGregor as the Camerlengo. That man is truly multi-faceted, able to bring out the nuances of the character’s passion, turmoil and bits of devilry with his facial expressions and lines.

I wonder if Terminator Salvation will be a worthwhile movie to catch next…

* The title is a reference to the background theme of Robo-Ky from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Pride And Glory

It’s confessions time again! I am no Trekkie! Like a certain manga adaptation before, that did not stop me from catching the excellent work of J. J. Abrams’s Star Trek =)

John Cho as the landmark Asian of Star Trek fame, Hikaru Sulu, was awesome! Anton Yelchin was a riot with his accent, portraying Pavel Chekov. Zoe Saldana proved her worth in what was basically an all-boys film. The best move made has got to be the brilliant choice of getting Leonard Nimoy to reprise his role as Spock! It’s akin to a signal this film is officially endorsed by the old guard. The ensemble felt strong as a whole, fresh and non-alienating though they were basically a re-cast of an older ensemble. But I just don’t get how I managed to miss Winona Ryder’s role in the film!

I must say the plot was very refreshing, giving a nice reboot to the series without minimal disruption to the already-present continuity. Action and character establishment were adequate and satisfying, providing nice insights to why Kirk and Spock come to be the way they are. Granted it is a science fiction show, one does have to bear with the space jargon once in a while. Sure, more could have been done but this first foray was very well-balanced in terms of its story and character development. While I understand I may not speak for the fan community, I sincerely believe they will have little complaints about this prequel.

If Ryan Reynolds’s stint as Deadpool on X-Men Origins: Wolverine can warrant the studio’s green light for a spin-off, tell me someone sitting high up in the chain of command is smart enough to order a sequel for Star Trek. Yes, I’m implying you must and should catch Star Trek over Wolverine, even if you are a Marvel fan or if you are not a Trekkie.

Why can’t Hollywood produce more of such quality fare when they make films with gratuitous explosions and action?

* The title is a reference to the background theme of Kliff from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Meet Again

Friday out with five friends to Johor Bahru, specifically Johor Bahru City Square. Friday night in with seven friends for an overnight mahjong session. All in a day’s, and night’s, efforts, all with friends from CSC. I wonder if there’s a word, a word for making good friends who get together over the years after all the fun and party that brought them together has finished and to continually construct memories together henceforth, as though that dream had never stopped.

May is the month of movies with much exciting stuff that I had been looking forward to, coming to the theatres. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, J. J. Abrams’s Star Trek, film adaptation of Dan Brown’s Angels And Demons and the set-in-the-future prequel-sequel that is Terminator Salvation. Junhui, Renhong, Joo Chuan, Yun Cai, Denise and I caught Wolverine for RM11 per person which was really not a bad deal for a movie on a public holiday.

The show was passable so long as you gloss over the various characters introduced. My personal gripe would have to be Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool. He was so much less than what I had expected. Perhaps this exemplifies an instance a comic-book character that works so well on pages breaking the fourth wall and bantering while kicking the hell out of his enemies, should just remain on the pages. Wade Wilson rocks but I don’t know if the big screen is ready for him, or will ever be for that matter. Overall, the film is passable for slightly over one-and-a-half hours of entertainment.

I would not consider my day trip to Johor to be some form of overseas travel since all we did was confine ourselves to a shopping mall, without any sightseeing of the surrounding areas. The mahjong session saw the six of us joined by Xi Qian and Yiwen for a 2-table overnight session. We played till dawn broke! I haven’t had such a draining overnight game for some time. I think I’ll need a lot more time to recharge before embarking on something like that any time soon.

This long weekend I had hoped to be at some destination away from the shores of Singapore. But I guess, so long as one is with the company of friends, anywhere is fine =)

* The title is a reference to the background theme of Justice from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Feedback

The deeper connections between a movie and a life-long question.
If effects were to be brought about by causes…

… then how are we supposed to know whether or not we have already doomed ourselves to nothing more?

Hope, faith, belief and promises no matter the bleakness.
If maintaining the above constitutes a cause…

… then does it necessary follow that our wishes and desires would be granted?

* The title is a reference to Main Opening Theme from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Awe Of She

If you so happen to be bummed out when it comes to making a choice on DVD purchase or rental, I recommend The Devil Wears Prada.

The Original

It’s confession time! I have never read a single chapter from the classic manga, DRAGON BALL. Neither have I followed the Mandarin-dubbed anime when it was showing on local screens during the nineties. That didn’t stop me from catching Dragonball Evolution =)

Boom Town Blues

Watchmen was a great show, compounded by the fact I had not read the visual novel prior to the watch. After the critically-acclaimed but personally-disappointing The Lord Of The Rings, I think it’s best if I start with the summary that is the movie before opening my eyes to the written work.

KTV on a Friday night is expensive. Yet the price was made worth by the company, and not forgetting the sashimi that was part of the singing and buffet package. More to work than just the 9-to-5 routine, the co-workers in our project teams. In fact the group of us all came from different departments, the common thread being we somehow knew each other from the same session of Orientation Module we attended for new-hires. If there were a cap of fortunes for work, I am indeed blessed to have been able to put quite a number of feathers in it. I don’t know about the future but as of this entry, I think the kind of people one is able to interact and hang out with at one’s workplace can really make or break one’s experience and morale. Ah, the words of a newbie to the working force.

Yet for all the triumphs listed above, what is it that has been persistently gnawing at my psyche for the past few days, forcing my thoughts?

* The title is a reference to Ending Theme 2 from the game Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

A Solitude That Asks Nothing In Return

Solo Tuesday movie night continues in the month of March with the romantic comedy He’s Just Not That Into You, featuring a stellar ensemble cast which was part of the reason why I wanted to catch it. I haven’t seen a romantic comedy in a while so that’s another push factor. A certain local cinema operator has discounted prices for its tickets on Tuesdays for its members, which explains the choice of date. Solo nights are merely the result of my inertia to ask people out for movies after work. If you don’t want to read potential spoilers about the movie, I suggest you cease reading this entry from here on.

Boogie Wonderland

What fuels prejudice and what does prejudice fuel? Perhaps the film Milk will be able to shed some light on the answers.

The events of the biographical film took place just a decade before my birth. It was kind of astounding to absorb the fact the fight for gay rights was something so close in time and that thirty years down, issues persist. It’s kind of telling of the times we and our predecessors live in, when one’s personal choices no longer becomes personal and other members of society step in to intervene, placing labels on one’s sexual preference, finding ways and means to correct this so-called "blight".

For the uninformed, Proposition 8 was recently passed in California, eliminating same-sex marriages. The question begs whether we have regressed from the times of 1978 when Harvey Milk and aides led a successful campaign to overturn Proposition 6 which would otherwise have banned homosexuals and proponents of gay rights from working in public schools. With the previous year’s hoo-ha over female and black presidential candidates, I wonder if there will ever be a day for a gay president.

Closer to home, there was the 377A-issue. I must admit I am pretty shallow when it comes to analysing this sort of things. "Family unit", "social structure", "God", are some of the words used in factors I hear asking for laws to be kept in place to criminalise homosexual activities. To me, that is the equivalence of criminalising homosexuality. Perhaps this shallowness prevents me from seeing the detrimental nature of guys entering lifelong commitments with other guys and girls going down on other girls. Sometimes it does make me ponder, "Why only clamp down on this lifestyle choice and not others?"

When there are camps of people, prejudice arises. Sometimes people lighten up a bit, like in the case of George Takei’s response to Tim Hardaway. But most of the time, it’s like a silent battle is ongoing, hitting stones and corners everywhere waiting to burst into the spotlight in a surely ugly manner, like the case of Isaiah Washington versus T. R. Knight. I guess homosexuality must have some major impacts on the individual and/or community level to warrant such a big concern. Short of turning this blog entry into an essay, I shall be succinct and get to the bottomline: I don’t get it.

Here, I leave you with a quote from the late Harvey Milk which I find to be apt in summing up his convictions: "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door".

* The title is a reference to the song by Earth, Wind & Fire.