My Sister's Keeper

The movie, adapted from Jodi Picoult's bestseller with the same title, is about a family living with a cancer-stricken daughter, Kate. To keep Kate alive, her parents decided to conceive a 3rd child (Anna) through IVF to be a blood and bone marrow donor for her. Story begins when Anna, at the age of 11, decides to sue her parents for "medical emancipation" - legal rights to decisions about her own body.

Apart from the storyline, what I liked most is the way the story is told through a series of flashbacks and narrations. It allows viewers a glimpse into the character's thoughts and see the world through their perspectives. I thought the director's extensive close-up shots and eye-level focus on the characters worked well to draw viewers into the family's life.

For a poignant movie that is sure to pull at one's heartstrings, this one has equal doses of happy moments which kept me engaged through to the end. Overall, I loved the cast, the storyline and the filming - easily one of my favourite movies this year.

Note: Who would have guessed that Cameron Diaz, whose resume includes "The Sweetest Thing" and "Charlie's Angels", could play a convincing role as a dedicated loving mother of three?

Learned a new word today

Parasol n. (par-uh-sawl)
A lightweight umbrella used, esp. by women, as a sunshade.

- from dictionary.com

I never knew there exist a word especially for these umbrellas. Parasols will not sell itself in the place I grew up and live in where people actually want to get a tan from the scorching sun.

Evan Almighty

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

I must have subconsciously prayed for wisdom and intelligence lately, or else I wouldn't be having these "opportunities" sent down from the Big Guy in the form of torrential issues at work.

The road to wisdom...I'm half way there, my friend.

Advice from The Universe

"Great big, ear-to-ear, open mouth smiles, sluggishslacker, are responsible for far more sizzling romances, salary increases, life extensions, and calorie burning than your dentists, doctors, and financial planners will ever comprehend."

Show us your tonsils,
The Universe

Coincidentally, I was asked by a colleague a couple of weeks ago on why I sounded happy eventhough we had a big work problem on hand. And so, I explained my "Theory of happiness" to her, which is quite simple, really.

There are only two reasons for my happiness -
#1: Either because I'm genuinely happy; or
#2: Because I don't know what else to feel, and to be happy is easier than to sulk.

Some say a smile is a by-product of happiness, while another school of thought says that smiling could lead to one's happiness. My personal view is, it works both ways.

Henceforth, rain or shine, I shall smile to the world. And be happy. Always.

Random musings

You know the feeling when you slip against your bathroom tiles, and fall on your butt, almost breaking your finger along the way?

If you don't, it's the same feeling as stepping back in time onto the curb as the speeding car barely missed hitting you by an inch.

Your life has been spared.
It's some kind of great feeling that one should be thankful for.

The power of hindsight

The power of hindsight enable us to learn from our mistakes;
The power of foresight prevent us from repeating those mistakes.

Moments that take your breath away

Date: 2-Apr-2009
Time: 7:15pm
Location: Overhead bridge, Boon Lay Way


You had to be there to appreciate the view of the sunset - my Sony Ericsson camera-phone simply does no justice to it.

The Last Lecture

Hypothetically if you had one final lecture to deliver before dying, what would you speak on? That's the idea behind the "last lecture" series, a tradition in Carnegie Mellon University, meant to provide the speaker a moment to reflect on what truly matters in life. Randy Pausch, a computer science professor who was actually dying from pancreatic cancer, gave his lecture on "Achieving your Childhood Dreams", which was later published as a book.

In this book, Pausch shared his childhood stories and dreams, his principles, and lessons he's learned in an inspirational, touching and humorous way. Despite living out his last 3-6 months at the time the book was written, you could still sense his optimism and zest for life - and he does point out that he is not in a state of denial. Rather, I think it's a state of acceptance that enabled Pausch to truly live out everyday to the fullest and not let a single second go to waste worrying on things that cannot be changed.

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."

What I liked about the book is the way the stories are told, in an entertaining and not excessively sentimental way. You may have stumbled upon some of his philosophies elsewhere, but Pausch's sincerity in sharing his insights is evident in his delivery that you won't be bored re-discovering it again.

The Peter Principle

The Peter Principle states that every employee in a corporate hierarchy tends to rise to a plateau of incompetency. In this book, Dr. Laurence Peter takes the reader through the inadequacy of organizations as a result of promoting the competent employee to a higher position. It reveals employees' unhappiness due to feeling incompetent in their promoted position, and the harsh fact that organizations are kept functional by the many competent employees who have not crossed the threshold to be promoted, yet.

The basic assumption behind this principle is that employees are promoted based on their competency in their current position, and not based on the capability to take on higher responsibilities that comes along with a promotion. The Peter Principle is weaken the moment this assumption is removed. Hence, although this book provides a different insight into the evolution of hierarchies, we should not be particularly concern over this if we are able to work around it.

Nihon-ei ikimas!

I finally entangled myself from the procrastination web and made plans to go to Japan. A plan remains a plan until you make the first move. And I'm already one step ahead of that - the air ticket has been purchased. I'm now fully committed to the plan.

Siem Reap, however, has been put on hold. But all is good.

Now, I just need to brush up on my Nihongo, at an insane speed, so that I can say "wakarimas" more than "wakarimasen" when I attempt to speak to the locals in Japan.

Why do you care what other people think?

I have not heard of Richard Feynman until I saw this book in the library. "What do you care what other people think" provides a brief glimpse into the life of this intriguing intellect. Feynman's recollection of his relationship with his wife was exceptionally poignant and endearing, punctuated with amusing moments. In fact, I found his wife equally as intriguing a character as he is.

I enjoyed the 1st half of the book more than the second, which were on his work on the commission to investigate the "Challenger" disaster. It covered details which were too technical for my liking - for instance, several chapters were dedicated to the "O-ring" (which in my mind is no larger than a 20 cents coin, but I stand corrected) that couldn't return to its original form immediately when exposed to environment below a certain temperature. There's only so much one can take on rocket science before calling it quits!

This book is still worth your time, if only for the stories he tells in the beginning. And "what do you care what other people think?" - that, I think, is a pretty good advice.

He's just not that into you

"He's just not that into you" could easily be renamed "She's just not that into you" with a switch of the characters' genders. This book-made-into-a-big-screen-Hollywood-movie shows us that when it comes to matters of the heart, despite what the writers want us to believe, men and women are equal. Both sexes stand equal chance of being the s*cker in a relationship.

I didn't find this movie very entertaining even with its all-star ensemble. Although the director did a good job weaving the multiple storylines together, it seems to be lacking in substance and novelty. The movie is too simple and straightforward to the point that it does not generate a sense of anticipation to where it was heading.

My only take-away from from this movie is that if ever I meet an exception in a man like Ben Affleck's character, I'll hold on to him. No "ifs", no "buts".

"I need to, I have to, do what makes you happy for me to stand a chance at all to be happy." - Neil Jones

Things to do before I die

#1. Solve Rubik's cube in under a minute.

#2. Go on an unplanned vacation.

#3. Build a piece of furniture.

#4. Figure out if I dream in colors or in black and white.

#5. Speak Japanese and Norwegian.

#6. Live for a year in any European countrysides.

#7. Watch sunrise from a hilltop (or mountaintop).

#8. Explore a foreign country in an RV.

List to be continued...

Look for a star

If you're looking for a star, you shouldn't be watching this movie. But if you don't mind the search, you won't be disappointed.

The movie starts off very entertaining, with lots of funny moments and witty lines, but loses momentum half-way through. I think that's the biggest mistake often made in movies. Most writers start off with a great plot which they fail to sustain through to the ending, leaving the audience dissatisfied. I did feel slightly short-changed when the 3 different love stories was conveniently lumped together to make for a quick exit, but overall, I'm there for the ride - I enjoyed it while it lasted.

"You're happier if you can be silly." I agree with that a 100%.

Plato and a platypus walk into a bar...

Dimitri: "If Atlas holds up the world, what holds up Atlas?"
Tasso: "Atlas stands on the back of a turtle."
"But what does the turtle stand on?"
"Another turtle."
"And what does that turtle stand on?"
"My dear Dimitri, it's turtles all the way down!"

You don't have to have much background on philosophy (I may be wrong here since I did take take a module on moral ethics in university) to enjoy this book, but having a sense of humour is a pre-requisite. I'd say it's an easy read - every section starts off with mind-boggling theories (makes you wonder if some humans do tend to think too much!) that stimulates the mind, and ends with jokes that cracks one up. Highly recommended if you are interested in a crash course in philosophy.

Underworld: Rise of the lycans

I hereby declare Michael Sheen, as Lucian, to be the next Viggo Mortensen, as Aragorn, in Lord of the Rings - both looked better dirty and unshaven. Unfortunately, I only took notice of him in the final (no?) of the trilogy - not that I cared so much about the actors (I watched the 2nd and 3rd installments of Lord of the Rings because of the beautiful scenery, and I believe there are more people like me then they care to admit).

Anyway, it's hard to take Bill Nighy seriously in this movie if you've watched "Love, Actually". You can't help thinking if he'll break into his Christmas No.1 hit every now and then, especially if you have a brother sitting next to you who feels the need to remind you of it.

Do not disappoint.

Dear Mr. President,

I only caught the final part of your inaugural celebration, at Lincoln Memorial, on tv today. And I was awed.

Thousands of people standing in the cold (was it also raining?) on a Tuesday morning, singing to the-only-official-thanksgiving-song-I-know - ...and this is your land, and this is my land..., to welcome you as their president, their beacon of light. It was a remarkable sight. It was also a reflection of the expectations your people, and many others who were not among the crowd, have of you.

Frankly, I'm not a follower of the US presidential elections and I was never interested in politics. I've not heard or read any of your speeches or tuned-in to any pre-election debates. The one article I've read on you is that you offered to buy ice creams for the photographers/reporters who followed you all the way to Hawaii during your family vacation. And with that simple gesture, I'm swayed to believe that you're a good guy. I may be apathetic on the US political state of affairs, but I'm rooting for you to succeed - because you're that good guy. And like 99% of the movies I've seen and books I've read, the good guy always triumphs.

Today, with your inauguration into office, millions of people in your nation (and other nations) are resting their faith upon your shoulders - not because they have to, but because you promised them hope. You promised change. And now the world looks to you to live up to what you've promised.

Do not disappoint.

Regards,
Sluggishslacker

The Righteous Men

"Well, what makes us different from each other is not the designer shirt we wear on an expensive suit, something on the outside. What makes us different from each other is what's inside: our true selves, our souls. That's what shines out. If the outside becomes irrelevant, if we all look the same, then people can truly start to see the inside."


Rating: 2.5/5
It's over-rated as "the biggest challenger to Dan Brown's crown" - I think Dan Brown can go to sleep each night knowing his crown will be safe.

Yes man

Yes Man was quite a good laugh, but Bruce Almighty remains my favourite Jim Carrey comedy. Funnily enough, as much as I like Jim Carrey (in Liar Liar, The Truman Show, The Majestic), I find Zooey Deschanel's character more likable in this show. She sings in a band that wears seahorses on their heads (?!) to a loyal audience of 6 (?), and teaches on photography while jogging - I can just see the question marks floating above your heads right now if you haven't watch the movie... But it's also the orginality of the character and, of course, her idiosyncracies, that makes her lovable.

After this movie, one thing I'd put in my life's to-do list is to go on an unplanned vacation to a "first-flight-out" destination. That'd be really exciting.

"The world's a playground. You know that when you are a kid, but somewhere along the way, everyone forgets it.

A perfect day

A love story of a down-to-earth guy, from a small town, who acheives fame when the novel he wrote becomes a best seller; and how he gets swept away from his family and the simple life he led.

1. Never promise on what you cannot deliver. But if you must, do whatever it takes to deliver on the promise.

2. Be thankful each day for loved ones around you. Don't ever take them for granted.

3. In the face of an argument, take a deep breath, pause, then take a step back. Anger and frustration causes you to say things you will regret.

4. Never trust a guy who walks up to you, out of the blue, to tell you that you only have a few days more to live. But remind yourself of point (1) and (2) if that happens.

Seven pounds

Stranger: Why me?
Ben: Because you're a good person, even when you think no one is looking.

I caught the trailer for seven pounds - and that set me up with very high expectations which the movie did not live up to. It's still a nice watch overall, although I'd have liked it better if the plot was not revealed too early into the movie.

Take-away lessons - to live my life so that I am worthy of that pound of flesh if the time comes.

Ip Man

There are 3 things I love about this movie:

1. The protagonist - his charismatic, upright and unassuming character reminds me of the lovable Atticus Finch in "To kill a mocking bird".

2. The kungfu - it's by far the most graceful martial art I've seen in movies.

3. The couple - the subtle, unspoken love between them speaks volume.

It's a "must-watch" movie. Enough said.

Norwegian wood

This is the first Japanese book (translated into English) I've read, and what strikes me as surprising is the sexual openness of the Japanese culture - the detachment of love from sex. As much as I cannot relate with the pain or dilemma the protagonist go through, and fully grasp the complication in the love story, I guess there are some tragedies in life that simply triggers the introspective side of oneself. And when that happens, one starts seeking answers to questions that are unanswerable and everything appears more complex then they actually are.

Memorable quotes from the book -
"Only the dead stay seventeen forever."
"Better to be a first-class matchbox than a second-class match."