A thinking man’s action movie is a tagline that wouldn’t do Munich justice. If movies could take personality tests, it would be a choleric/melancholic.
The movie develops in a linear path, give and take the requisite flashbacks to that fateful terrorist attack. It’s a very straightforward movie. No arty pretense to it – typically Spielberg. But its beauty lies in the encapsulation of the inner workings of the characters’ minds.
The passions of both sides are disconcerting for me. They place such immense value on “having a home on earth”. The people are willing to kill and destroy lives just for a few “stone huts and olive trees”. But it does make me wonder why I just don’t care. I simply don’t. Is the apathy a young Singaporean’s failing? Or is it just me? Or maybe it would take a catastrophe or an earth-shaking event to move my patriotism. We don’t have much history behind us. The Israelis had thousands of years of bondage and oppression behind them. The Palestinians have history compounded with indignation. Maybe their history is more tied to their land… their sense of belonging is entrenched in the soil of their forefathers. But we are a migrant people. And are these my excuses?
All the blood that is spilt does not achieve any concrete effect. It merely sends a message, as was admitted by the terrorists in the movie. No one attack can do much in the greater scheme of things. Right after key players are eradicated, new angrier ones arise in their place. Poignantly, this brought a sense of hopelessness and futility in the midst of all that faith and belief. In the end, Eric Bana’s character doesn’t come out of the situation determined and victorious. He becomes destroyed…
Probably one of the best movies I've seen in some time...
Monday, February 27, 2006
The art of forgetting
It’s been a few weeks since it all exploded in one big poof of smoke. That anticlimax moment, a sudden revelation at the futility of it all. I thought I was resigned to and accepted it and I thought I had moved on. Weeks after, I’ve been meeting and making new friends, expanding my social circle, as though to replace this one that I had just lost.
But suddenly last night, it all came rushing back to me. I simply have not forgotten. There were no scars, no anger, trauma, emotional ties. No sadness, hate, love, remorse, guilt, heartbreak. But there was regret. A what if that will never come to fruition.
But suddenly last night, it all came rushing back to me. I simply have not forgotten. There were no scars, no anger, trauma, emotional ties. No sadness, hate, love, remorse, guilt, heartbreak. But there was regret. A what if that will never come to fruition.
My Good Week
I’m actually sitting in the office typing this. The past week was a whirl of work, work and more work. Now that I’ve handed it in, I find myself suddenly void of work. What a great way to start my Monday!
Despite the work, the past week has been pleasant… The hours stuck in the office were long, but I thrive on change. Moving up to the 27th floor surrounded by documents wasn’t as bleak as I thought it would be. There were new people to talk to, new people to lunch with, in between meeting with old friends for lunch.
On Tuesday, I checked out the nice Italian place at Ocean Towers with the IP bunch for lunch – Marc, Geri, Jessica and Tim. Except for Marc, I don’t really talk very much to the rest on a usual basis. So that was refreshing. The company and the food was great. (The antipasti was really good!) And then discovered a really nice coffee nook at OCBC Centre called Leo's, courtesy of Jessica. They have really really good coffee. Not diluted, but strong and not too acidic. Hmm… must expand my lunch avenues since I’m going to be working here for quite a while. And must expand my repertoire of lunch kakis. It would be nice to meet up with all the different friends working here for lunch. It’s actually sad that I work here with so many others, but we just don’t bother or don’t have enough time to meet up. Lunch has become a hurried affair in the litigation department. We dabao and do quick lunches in the office now. There’s just so much work.
On Wednesday, I actually walked all the way beyond Far East Square to Sushi Tei to meet Weihao and Darrell. Heh, I think someone had a craving… I’ve never bothered to walk all that way before. So much for saving money for the weekends instead!
The weekends passed by in a blur – a busy blur. Met up with FS for our tete a tete at Kovan’s HK Café. It’s really not bad. I would rate their milk tea above the HK Café at Upper East Coast, which is a tad too sweet. But I think I prefer the French toast at the latter better. Had a pretty good long chat about things. The next day, I met up with Kevin and Pam for Crystal Jade lunch, followed by Munich and then met up with Zach for the treat I always meant to give him for his birthday.
We went to Menotti’s… I’m a big foodie, and warm chocolate cake always takes a special place in my heart… hahaha. The pollo panini was excellent. Paninis remind me of Paris, because I ate so many paninis when I was there. It’s the cheapest way to settle dinner in France when you’re broke. Although paninis made for depressing dinners when I was there, it always brings back fond memories whenever I order it back home. Call it romanticizing the past if you will. I’m a sentimentalist. Pardon the digression, but I only realized just how much of a sentimentalist I am when I saw what my friends filled up for me in my own johari window. I didn’t think to call myself one, but my friends did. And upon reflection(ps, I’m ‘reflective’ too!), I realise that it’s true. I remember the past a tad too vividly, and I treasure fond memories. That can sometimes be dangerous.
One pollo panini and soffiato later (Zach had the scallop tagliatelle and riccioto), we stumbled out of Menotti’s. And I was suddenly weighed down by this immense fatigue. It just dawned on me that no matter how precious weekends were, no matter how I tried to maximize my time and pack in as much friend time as I can within those precious 48 hours or so, it will catch up with my body soon. I can’t keep moving.
I have to learn to be still. Something I also picked up the weekend before at the Tabernacle. And for the past few months, I’ve been moving in a blur, a constant kinetic motion. Never resting, never pausing to appreciate the futility of this constant meeting up, this continuing cycle of weekdays and weekends. Always doing, never thinking Why. Should I stay home and catch up on my reading instead? Or catch up on my downloaded shows? But does that not belong to the kinetic category albeit in a more sedentary fashion?
And then I realize, what am I going to do in my stillness, even if I learnt to rest and learnt to appreciate alone time. I’m not used to it anymore. What if my thoughts awash me and I return to those bleak days?
p.s. Must run off all the food I've been eating all week...
Despite the work, the past week has been pleasant… The hours stuck in the office were long, but I thrive on change. Moving up to the 27th floor surrounded by documents wasn’t as bleak as I thought it would be. There were new people to talk to, new people to lunch with, in between meeting with old friends for lunch.
On Tuesday, I checked out the nice Italian place at Ocean Towers with the IP bunch for lunch – Marc, Geri, Jessica and Tim. Except for Marc, I don’t really talk very much to the rest on a usual basis. So that was refreshing. The company and the food was great. (The antipasti was really good!) And then discovered a really nice coffee nook at OCBC Centre called Leo's, courtesy of Jessica. They have really really good coffee. Not diluted, but strong and not too acidic. Hmm… must expand my lunch avenues since I’m going to be working here for quite a while. And must expand my repertoire of lunch kakis. It would be nice to meet up with all the different friends working here for lunch. It’s actually sad that I work here with so many others, but we just don’t bother or don’t have enough time to meet up. Lunch has become a hurried affair in the litigation department. We dabao and do quick lunches in the office now. There’s just so much work.
On Wednesday, I actually walked all the way beyond Far East Square to Sushi Tei to meet Weihao and Darrell. Heh, I think someone had a craving… I’ve never bothered to walk all that way before. So much for saving money for the weekends instead!
The weekends passed by in a blur – a busy blur. Met up with FS for our tete a tete at Kovan’s HK Café. It’s really not bad. I would rate their milk tea above the HK Café at Upper East Coast, which is a tad too sweet. But I think I prefer the French toast at the latter better. Had a pretty good long chat about things. The next day, I met up with Kevin and Pam for Crystal Jade lunch, followed by Munich and then met up with Zach for the treat I always meant to give him for his birthday.
We went to Menotti’s… I’m a big foodie, and warm chocolate cake always takes a special place in my heart… hahaha. The pollo panini was excellent. Paninis remind me of Paris, because I ate so many paninis when I was there. It’s the cheapest way to settle dinner in France when you’re broke. Although paninis made for depressing dinners when I was there, it always brings back fond memories whenever I order it back home. Call it romanticizing the past if you will. I’m a sentimentalist. Pardon the digression, but I only realized just how much of a sentimentalist I am when I saw what my friends filled up for me in my own johari window. I didn’t think to call myself one, but my friends did. And upon reflection(ps, I’m ‘reflective’ too!), I realise that it’s true. I remember the past a tad too vividly, and I treasure fond memories. That can sometimes be dangerous.
One pollo panini and soffiato later (Zach had the scallop tagliatelle and riccioto), we stumbled out of Menotti’s. And I was suddenly weighed down by this immense fatigue. It just dawned on me that no matter how precious weekends were, no matter how I tried to maximize my time and pack in as much friend time as I can within those precious 48 hours or so, it will catch up with my body soon. I can’t keep moving.
I have to learn to be still. Something I also picked up the weekend before at the Tabernacle. And for the past few months, I’ve been moving in a blur, a constant kinetic motion. Never resting, never pausing to appreciate the futility of this constant meeting up, this continuing cycle of weekdays and weekends. Always doing, never thinking Why. Should I stay home and catch up on my reading instead? Or catch up on my downloaded shows? But does that not belong to the kinetic category albeit in a more sedentary fashion?
And then I realize, what am I going to do in my stillness, even if I learnt to rest and learnt to appreciate alone time. I’m not used to it anymore. What if my thoughts awash me and I return to those bleak days?
p.s. Must run off all the food I've been eating all week...
Friday, February 24, 2006
Monday, February 20, 2006
Beauty
I still can't figure out the criteria by which guys measure and mark out the girls they think are hot. I for one think guys have bad taste, or at least the ones I know have bad taste... Just went out with Zach today. As usual, he keeps pointing out random girls and marking them out as hot. Is "hot" an objective universal criteria? Or is it determined by the cultural norms? For one, most of the girls he picked out look sweet, skinny, and VERY YOUNG. I'm convinced he's a closet paedophile.. hahahahaha. All of that, I'm ashamed to say, look like the typical generic sweet Singaporean girl.
Girls, on the other hand, use a different scale by which to gauge beauty. But I don't think there's a fixed standard. Food for thought. But I'm too tired to go through this now.
Girls, on the other hand, use a different scale by which to gauge beauty. But I don't think there's a fixed standard. Food for thought. But I'm too tired to go through this now.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Saturday
The weekend flew by once again. But I'm trying to make every minute count, which usually ends up with me getting sleep-deprived and going into the office on Monday morning with a very bad grace.
Saturday was spent in Sentosa with the Barnabas Club Touch Kids leaders at a highly technical map-reading version of Amazing Race. It wasn't so bad... I managed to get some sun, which is a really refreshing change! I'm still curious as to why skin-whitening products are popping out everywhere. Tanned skin can be really nice too! White skin can make one look pasty and unhealthy. Unfortunately my tan has disappeared proportionate to the time I spend in the office and indoors in church on weekends...
I headed down to the Tabernacle after Sentosa... spent 3 fruitful hours in the chapel. I laid out an agenda, hoping to seek out the answers to some of the things that have been plaguing me. But it was funny how the moment I planted myself inside the outer courts, I was confronted with a note that said, "seek communion with God, come with no agenda". OK, point taken.
I came out with a reminder from Exodus 14: The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." I have been seeking and seeking and getting really indignant at the lack of answers, the constant wondering and the angst... And at the end of it, God is actually telling me to just stop fretting and to let Him work instead. I really didn't think of that.
My 3 hours just flew by. It really didn't seem that long. The only clue was that I was getting thirsty and cold. But I was encouraged and touched when Yating suddenly appeared when I emerged, having waited for me for 3 hrs... Hehe thanks so much!!!!
Saturday was spent in Sentosa with the Barnabas Club Touch Kids leaders at a highly technical map-reading version of Amazing Race. It wasn't so bad... I managed to get some sun, which is a really refreshing change! I'm still curious as to why skin-whitening products are popping out everywhere. Tanned skin can be really nice too! White skin can make one look pasty and unhealthy. Unfortunately my tan has disappeared proportionate to the time I spend in the office and indoors in church on weekends...
I headed down to the Tabernacle after Sentosa... spent 3 fruitful hours in the chapel. I laid out an agenda, hoping to seek out the answers to some of the things that have been plaguing me. But it was funny how the moment I planted myself inside the outer courts, I was confronted with a note that said, "seek communion with God, come with no agenda". OK, point taken.
I came out with a reminder from Exodus 14: The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." I have been seeking and seeking and getting really indignant at the lack of answers, the constant wondering and the angst... And at the end of it, God is actually telling me to just stop fretting and to let Him work instead. I really didn't think of that.
My 3 hours just flew by. It really didn't seem that long. The only clue was that I was getting thirsty and cold. But I was encouraged and touched when Yating suddenly appeared when I emerged, having waited for me for 3 hrs... Hehe thanks so much!!!!
Monday, February 13, 2006
Hebrews - Love
Part of the essence of God's love is to Rejoice when others Rejoice, to Weep when others Weep. It may not be innate. It may not be natural. But we can always try to aspire. Thank God.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
I'm starting to live for the weekends, particularly Fridays and Saturdays, when the days are entirely mine and I'm not accountable to anyone as to how I spend my time. Weekdays are exhausting. I'm always on the ball, always conscious of how I should conduct myself, but I like to think I'm starting to understand a little bit more what is expected of me.
Just when I think I'm getting slightly better job-wise, I'm starting to wonder why my personal life is starting to fall apart, piece by piece. Doubts resurfacing, the lows are coming back. Right now, the people I can confide in are far away. There is no time to meet up with them anymore. Is this what loneliness feels like? Maybe it's the lack of sleep talking. The friends are changing. The people I used to confide in have slipped away. I hope it's not just the weak threads of nostalgia that are binding us... I really hope there was more to it, especially since I put so much faith in these ties once.
Anyway, on a positive note, Wala's was wonderful as usual. Jack was stellar, Ray was magnetic. They played Jason Mraz and Matchbox Twenty and Five for Fighting... There was good company, good wine and good food after. Definitely reignited my excitement over the upcoming Jason Mraz concert. There was the climax of the week, the saving grace that made the week great.
The TOUCH KIDZ skit went smoothly too. It's amazing how I tried to approach it like any other performance - learning my lines, making sure my cues were right, ensuring there was interaction with my fellow actors - but in the end, all was tossed to the wind by the response of the audience. Our young 10-12 yr olds responded so violently and so passionately to the simple storyline unfolding on the stage. It really struck me how simple their young minds are now, and it gave me one further peek into these mindsets. Has it been so long, that I've forgotten what it felt like to be at that age? The voice were yelling at the male character not to give in and apologise, the girls were slightly more passive, but they were reacting indignantly to the boys. Hope the ultimate message of love and forgiveness actually reached our target audience!!!
Just when I think I'm getting slightly better job-wise, I'm starting to wonder why my personal life is starting to fall apart, piece by piece. Doubts resurfacing, the lows are coming back. Right now, the people I can confide in are far away. There is no time to meet up with them anymore. Is this what loneliness feels like? Maybe it's the lack of sleep talking. The friends are changing. The people I used to confide in have slipped away. I hope it's not just the weak threads of nostalgia that are binding us... I really hope there was more to it, especially since I put so much faith in these ties once.
Anyway, on a positive note, Wala's was wonderful as usual. Jack was stellar, Ray was magnetic. They played Jason Mraz and Matchbox Twenty and Five for Fighting... There was good company, good wine and good food after. Definitely reignited my excitement over the upcoming Jason Mraz concert. There was the climax of the week, the saving grace that made the week great.
The TOUCH KIDZ skit went smoothly too. It's amazing how I tried to approach it like any other performance - learning my lines, making sure my cues were right, ensuring there was interaction with my fellow actors - but in the end, all was tossed to the wind by the response of the audience. Our young 10-12 yr olds responded so violently and so passionately to the simple storyline unfolding on the stage. It really struck me how simple their young minds are now, and it gave me one further peek into these mindsets. Has it been so long, that I've forgotten what it felt like to be at that age? The voice were yelling at the male character not to give in and apologise, the girls were slightly more passive, but they were reacting indignantly to the boys. Hope the ultimate message of love and forgiveness actually reached our target audience!!!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Work week
Monday - Worked and brought work home. Worked some more
Tuesday - Came to work at 8am. Worked till 11pm. Had a marathon lecture organised for all the pupils. Caught the fireworks at 930pm.
Wednesday - Worked. Was treated by my boss. Left at 1030. Caught the fireworks again.
Yup I really wanted to whine. But the week is getting better.
Tuesday - Came to work at 8am. Worked till 11pm. Had a marathon lecture organised for all the pupils. Caught the fireworks at 930pm.
Wednesday - Worked. Was treated by my boss. Left at 1030. Caught the fireworks again.
Yup I really wanted to whine. But the week is getting better.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Right Brain/Left Brain
Brain Lateralization Test Results |
| Right Brain (58%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain. Left Brain (32%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain |
personality tests by similarminds.com
Yar.
The Scotland Yard is truly Scottish!!! - Post-Matchpoint Ruminations
Matchpoint is really very refreshing. A quiet beginning - the scenes almost detached, clipped, chartering the rise of the protagonist. It is a very steady, pragmatic, easy ascent into London high society for Chris. Almost too easy. There must be something to make him slip. As the show weaves on, his life starts to fray... In the later half of the movie, even the pace of the movie and the pacing of the scenes become more harried and more drawn out, thus mirroring his thought process. The good life or love? Soon, he would convince himself that it is a battle more of love v lust.
Initially, what seemed like a really stereotypical movie of a complex love story was turned on its head by brilliant direction and abrupt twists and turns. The rise and fall of the protagonist was akin to that of a Shakespearean tragic hero. A modern day Macbeth.
There's something about Jonathan Rhys Meyers' face that reminds me of a painting I once saw in the Louvre. Very Jacques Louis David. No, I actually can't place the artist. I even have a specific painting in mind, but I can't place the artist. But I remember how the light cast a dark shadow across one side of the face, and the other side is bathed in light. Very brooding. And it's amazing how so normal a man could look so majestic with the right paint, the right light. Jonathan Rhys Meyers also possesses the Mediterranean/Italian man charm. He can carry off a Prada outfit like he was born to be in on the cover of a magazine. And he doesn't even have the best bod to begin with.
Everything about the movie spoke of care and precision. The innuendoes in the jokes are so scathing that they blast you in the face. (Spoiler alert: Watch out for the joke about being shell-shocked) And it was so sad when the perfect British lady tried to make a sexual pun on how his tennis serve was "hard" and it just turned out really really lame. But when Scarlett Johanssen made a ball reference, things just heated up for him. Watch out also for the paintings hanging in the gallery as the characters pace through the exhibits. Their significance is also in the subtext.
Woody Allen's gift in this show at least was to highlight the stereotypes and celebrate it. The hot-blooded white trash American v well-groomed upper class British lady comparison was a tad old, but hey, it works. How about the many very cold, very polite dinnertable conversations the upper class British had about "how tragic" were the numerous famines and earthquakes and murders that were happening around the world. Similarly, lovemaking in the rain? In the countryside? puh-lease. But it was done with panache, tongue in cheek. Even the Scotland Yard were 2 Scottish men!!!
Love v Lust... how does one tell sometimes? In his case I believe it was the latter. But he led an existence dependent on this Emotion, this Feeling that he had believed was Love. It took such a major event to make him realise the truth. And when revelation comes, so many in its path suffer. Scarlett Johansson's character, Nola, was like a sacrificial lamb in his path to enlightenment.
Affluence v Sticking to one's principles and Living one's life for oneself - Another scary thing about this theme in the movie was that no matter how strongly I felt towards the latter, every time a scene unfolded with a beautiful model home or a gorgeous mahogany library laden with antiques and vintage books, I started to covet. No matter how convicted I am that I will choose the latter, inevitably, unconsciously, I am naturally drawn to what is beautiful and perfect. That is the lifestyle I covet. I will not go to those ends to seek it, but it will always be something I yearn for...
Initially, what seemed like a really stereotypical movie of a complex love story was turned on its head by brilliant direction and abrupt twists and turns. The rise and fall of the protagonist was akin to that of a Shakespearean tragic hero. A modern day Macbeth.
There's something about Jonathan Rhys Meyers' face that reminds me of a painting I once saw in the Louvre. Very Jacques Louis David. No, I actually can't place the artist. I even have a specific painting in mind, but I can't place the artist. But I remember how the light cast a dark shadow across one side of the face, and the other side is bathed in light. Very brooding. And it's amazing how so normal a man could look so majestic with the right paint, the right light. Jonathan Rhys Meyers also possesses the Mediterranean/Italian man charm. He can carry off a Prada outfit like he was born to be in on the cover of a magazine. And he doesn't even have the best bod to begin with.
Everything about the movie spoke of care and precision. The innuendoes in the jokes are so scathing that they blast you in the face. (Spoiler alert: Watch out for the joke about being shell-shocked) And it was so sad when the perfect British lady tried to make a sexual pun on how his tennis serve was "hard" and it just turned out really really lame. But when Scarlett Johanssen made a ball reference, things just heated up for him. Watch out also for the paintings hanging in the gallery as the characters pace through the exhibits. Their significance is also in the subtext.
Woody Allen's gift in this show at least was to highlight the stereotypes and celebrate it. The hot-blooded white trash American v well-groomed upper class British lady comparison was a tad old, but hey, it works. How about the many very cold, very polite dinnertable conversations the upper class British had about "how tragic" were the numerous famines and earthquakes and murders that were happening around the world. Similarly, lovemaking in the rain? In the countryside? puh-lease. But it was done with panache, tongue in cheek. Even the Scotland Yard were 2 Scottish men!!!
Love v Lust... how does one tell sometimes? In his case I believe it was the latter. But he led an existence dependent on this Emotion, this Feeling that he had believed was Love. It took such a major event to make him realise the truth. And when revelation comes, so many in its path suffer. Scarlett Johansson's character, Nola, was like a sacrificial lamb in his path to enlightenment.
Affluence v Sticking to one's principles and Living one's life for oneself - Another scary thing about this theme in the movie was that no matter how strongly I felt towards the latter, every time a scene unfolded with a beautiful model home or a gorgeous mahogany library laden with antiques and vintage books, I started to covet. No matter how convicted I am that I will choose the latter, inevitably, unconsciously, I am naturally drawn to what is beautiful and perfect. That is the lifestyle I covet. I will not go to those ends to seek it, but it will always be something I yearn for...
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