The cost of silence

When I looks back at the history of the world, I can't help but realise that the history of Mankind is marked forever by conflict. Wars are fought for so many reasons. The clash of ideas, the clash or religion (more wars have been fought over religion then any other reason), the desire of conquest, the clash of cultures and numerous other reasons.

Some wars we understand. Some we can even agree that it was a war that was needed to be fought. Some wars have no meaning at all. No one knows why it was fought but all we know is that it was fought. The price that is paid is never paid by the people who made the decisions to fight it. The price of war is the bore by the families and the loved ones of those who have died doing their duty to their flag.

War is pain. Nothing good comes out of war but yet we cannot stop fighting. One conflict after another. Everyday we read the news, we watch our television sets. People die. But we don't care. We become numb to the news. We forget the pain that a single death causes. We tell ourselves it had nothing to do with us. Why do we do this?

Maybe its because the blood that is being spilt today has something to do with us? Maybe we are to blame for all this. Today we are becoming more and more afraid to speak up. Growing up in Singapore, we were taught to not speak up against the government or else we'll get into trouble. The fear of punishment was put into us at an early age. But someone of us never could accept it. I couldn't. I guess that's why I have never felt comfortable growing up. I have so much I want to say but often no idea at all how to say it.

Everyone who has something good to add to this world should find a way to do it. Maybe its about time for me to do that. Because the price for keeping silent might one day prove to be too much to pay. I guess I'm rumbling a bit today...I'm just having one of those days when I got tons on my mind and nothing to really tie it all together.

Movie Review: Fantasic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

I watched the first Fantastic 4 and the only thing I liked about it was Jessica Alba. But this second one was different: It had Jessica Alba. And it had the Silver Surfer. Well...that's about it. There wasn't really anything wrong with the film. But as compared with the rest of the other comic book movies, it was just to clean. Too much for the kids.

The lack of a darkness of it makes it a nice fun show for kids but not something that I enjoyed. But like I said, there was nothing wrong with the film in the end.

I have always liked the Silver Surfer. For as long as I remembered, he was the first superhero that I knew of as a kid so to see him on screen was exciting. The story itself was simple if somewhat boring and expected. The CGI and animation work was good but that in itself can't carry a film. It's something you would enjoy if you were a kid but sadly it wasn't something I enjoyed. 4/10.

Sick

Fever...Flu...Fever...my whole weekend. I hate it when I am sick. I feel so out of it. Everything seems warped. Like you entered some weird dimension. Everything seems so out of place.

But the good thing about being sick. Pills! I love pills! It seems to make me feel better. I sound like a drug addict...

Anyway, back to bed.

Movie Review: Blades of Glory

I have never been a big fan of slap stick style comedies like Blades of Glory; well, not enough to actually go watch it at a cinema. I normally wait for the DVD to be released. But I was having a pretty bad week this past week and so I decided I needed to have a laugh. And so I went to watch Blades. To my surprise...I enjoyed it...

It was just a movie that you go out there, sit down, switch off for a few hours and enjoy yourself and have a few laughs. The jokes were crude but never distasteful and the gags just worked so well within this genre of movies. Throw into the mix Jon Heder and Will Ferell and you got yourself a nice funny night out. Its worth it if you were not having a great day! I give it a 7.5/10.

Off the beaten track

I do not know why I do what I do some times. Often I look at my life and ask myself why did I make the decisions to follow the path that I have taken. I went away from doing things that most people in Singapore would to follow a path that is filled with uncertainties. Most people would look at doing something that would ensure them a good stable job with great prospects.

But I've never saw it that way. I've always gone where my passion has drove me and so often, I would end up in places I never thought for a moment I could ever be in. Right now as I am coming to the end of my post graduate studies; the next chapter of my life awaits. Looking for a job back home in Singapore in an area where I love is a lot harder then I would wish to admit to myself. Part of me is afraid and part of me is excited.

I want so much to work in a museum. To be surrounded by art and history. To be around things that speak from the deeps of time's eternal past. The present is a difficult place to live in, the future looks bleak and filled with fear. The past seems to be the most comfortable place but one cannot stay there. The past is like a place where you can visit but you can never stay. It's like art; it holds you, comforts you, inspires you and then sends you away to the present. You cannot stay but you are always welcomed back.

I'm actually thinking right now about doing more studies. Probably part time once I get a job. And once again, when faced with this idea, I find myself walking away from the well beaten track; towards the path less taken and once again, I find myself excited by the prospects of an unknown journey towards the fulfilment of a dreamer's dream.

A decade past...

I just realised that its been 10 years since this year since I left my secondary school. What made me remember was the fact that I had a dream about my sec school days last night. Technically it will be 10 years at the end of the year but I'm not going to really care.

It's amazing how time files. In what seems like a short time, 10 years has moved past. Sometimes it still feel likes I never left. I do not really know how much has actually changed in that time. Being out of touch with almost all of the people I went to school with doesn't help at all. Its like those 4 years of my life never happened. Or rather it happened to someone else and I'm just remembering those years on his behalf.

Sometimes you wonder if it would be possible to bring some of those years back. To redo some of the mistakes of your past. Or even to go through it again so that you'd end up somewhere else instead. But Time flows on despite the efforts of Man. So I guess memories is what we will really be left with.

I would not say that those 4 years were the most important of my life but I will say that without those years, I would not be where I am today. And in many-a-ways, I am happy with where my life is today. I think if I had taken some of the other pathways opened to me in those days, I would be a very different person.

I think the thing I missed most about those years were my teachers. I know a lot of teachers today who are my peers and believe me when I say this, those teachers were the old school ones. People who really were passionate about what they did. Not like some of the teachers of today who are doing it more because they don't have anything else better to do. Those teachers choose to be teachers despite the ability to do other things. And sometimes I think I never took the time out to really thank them for all the advice and inspiration that they gave to me during those formative years.

10 years on, older and (hopefully) wiser, you begin to remember the things that happen in those years and put them in the context of life itself. And once you take the time to do so, you really wish that time could stand still, just to saviour and breath in those moments once more. But alas, tempus fugit.

Movie Review: Hot Fuzz

I like British comedy. They have dry wit and humour that I really enjoy. Maybe it because my own humour is about like that too, which sadly isn't something that many people in my own country enjoy. In fact, most of the people I know don't dig this kind of humour. But I like it.

And that's why I really enjoyed watching Hot Fuzz. It's by the same writing team that did Shaun of the Dead, another movie I really liked. They take the same zaniness that was done to Zombie flicks in Shaun of the Dead and put it into your all guns blazing police/action movie. For those who enjoy Shaun, you'll find yourself laughing at all the homages to that film that is in this film. Hint: Listen for a very familiar tune in the pub scenes.

The movie takes everything you'd expect from your clinched action movies and puts it into over drive. The result is one amazingly funny movie. Adding to that a cast of really great Brit actors/actress, and a whole list of cameos. This is one of those films you just go into the cinema and enjoy yourself. Escapism at its best. I don't really have anything else I can say about this except that if you need a laugh, this is the movie for you. It's a 9/10 from me.