Imprefection, miracles,life

Recently , i watched this korean show called goblin. No doubt a romantic, comical, melodrama in korean style. Yet one of the lines hit close to home. Miracles is defined as when special unexpected change happen to us usually when all hopes are lost. We pray to the deities , the divine for a miracle and after experiencing it once, we build our hopes that the miracles will be given again. Yet it shouldnt be that way. If miracles happen expectedly how is it still a miracle? It just give u the excuse to be lazy. I guess i was maybe still am banging hope on miracle without contributing any effort . I thought i learn a lesson but maybe it was just fear and momentarily realisation that blindly and proudly proclaiming that a miracle is goig to happen to me AGAIN was my biggest mistake contributing to my certain failures in life. It is hard to say "no i wont ask for a miracle again" but rather i learn that before i do so at least give your all. Everyday we experience the ups and downs and the fluctuation in feelings. It is a journey of learnings, failures, realisation, success and learning again. The crux is not only to never give up but learning from failures or the downside of life ...

Review + reflection on fantastic beast and where to find them !

Hellooo !:) Its been a long time and I am finally back. Today I went to watch: know, Fantastic beast and where to find them. For those who don't know, this movie is sort of a prequel to the harry potter series. The plot took place during the great gatsby era judging from the clothes the cast wore. It was way before voldermort caused chaos but peace was absent. Magic was still obscure but tigher rules exist. For example, it is a crime for a muggle and a non-muggle to get married or even interact.

This movie was directed by David Yates who had also directed 4 harry potter movies and this movie is as great as the other hp movies. For any harry potter fans out there i think there will be a tinge of nostalgia when the opening song is played. The graphics and effects are absolutely splendid. Some scenes are very comical, had a great time laughing. Overall no regrets just lamenting that JK Rowling should written more stories about the magical world.

Funny how we watch movies to temporary escape from the mundane life we live yet we prefer movies we can unconsciously relate to. Maybe my love for the HP series and this movie is because i can compare reality with fantasy. This movie made me feel although magic is beneficial. It should not exist. The technology we created is our kind of magic that do wonders. It made life simpler, convenient with entertainment. Kind of like how magic helped the wizarding world. However, like them we have our own version of voldermort and Grindelwald . We use technolgy to attack, to harm, to injure. We abuse the "magic" we have. Thus, imagine the catastrophe if magic and a wizarding world exist in addition to the mayhem present- politcal instability , corruption, terrorism etc.

Secondly, in their world, magical creatures were prohibited especially in the 1920s in America and were seen as being dangerous. Yet Newt show us how greatly misunderstood they are. Similarly, we are judging some things, animals or people as dangerous or useless even before we know them . In fact we label them. Sometimes all it takes is to be receptive and to learn. Hated just fuel more hate and increase the hostility. Whereas love, acceptance and bravery builds love and knits social bonds. Nevertheless, I am skeptical of happy endings and unlike movies, our society surpresses bravery and magnifies suspicion. I think it will be hard for us to find a Newt scamander or a porpentina or a jacob kwalski.

Lastly, Credence is similar to harry potter. Both seeking for love and acceptance from others. Both suffer from abuse. Yet one ends as a tragic while the other in triumph. Credence lack guidance and good friends which harry potter fortunately gets. This makes me wonder, if those who made mistakes and became bad would never have done their folly deeds if they had the proper guidance and care. Yet why some even with love and care, still go down the road of no return.

I have not had such thought evoking insights for quite awhile and I am estatic that Fantastic Beast gave me both entertainment and insights. Much appreciation for the cast, the director, producer, the staff and of course JK rowling!

Failures

When things do not go well, optimists often say " when one door closes, another will open." It is true there are endless of possibilities but when faced with failures especially ones that come as a shock, it is a daunting feat not to feel disappointed, lost, angry, dejected and face the mirror and say "It's okay, I am alright". Good friends will stick by to encourage and family will be there to support you. However, it takes time to recover. And before you do so, you need to often wear a mask of smiles and happiness to show that it's okay, I have already rebound back. Yet inside you are crumbling down. At times, lies are needed to cover up your failures for the fear of judgement from members of the society. Lies after lies it never ends. It gets so exhausting and the odds seems like it is never in your favor. All the bad things seem to happen all at once. I do not know if there will be a rainbow after the storm, nobody does. However, we can only hope and brace ourselves during the storm. It can rage over a long period time or it can be just a passing cloud. Nonetheless, it is crucial we "make it out alive". Failure is also another form of natural selection. One of it is between those who succeed and those who did not and the other is those who emerged and rebound from failure and those who continue to wallow in despair.

happy chinese new year

Happy Chinese New Year Eve ! Today we will be ushering in the fire monkey year and tomorrow the visiting , the feasting , the collection of hong bao (red packets with money ) start! Often you will meet people you didn't even know was your cousin or even related to you. Also, it is a time to catch up , boast about past year's achievements and lament about the things you didn't do. Most singles will dread this question from elders- when are you getting married ? Those married couple will be asked - when are you going to get a baby ? The list of questions asked is never ending and sometimes it gets annoying. However, most of the time new year is still enjoyable.
      
I remember having lots of fun during new year, getting various gifts and hong baos as i was the youngest in the family. Memories of me jumping around , playing with my cousins , eating chocolates and food that my mum would have stop me from eating on a normal day still brings a smile to my face when every time new year comes. Things change over the years and sad to say not everything remains the same. Family ties have weaken over the years, decorations and preparation becomes more and more simplified , lunar new year just feels like a holiday and it is less lively.

Ever since my grandma passed away , cousins became distant ,  meetings became lesser , family is no longer closely knitted. I still anticipate new year and hong baos but every year i will still have a tinge of regret that things are no longer the same.  Sometimes i wonder , can family put down all grudges with time , let all unhappiness end with those who have left the world , let it be buried six feet under ground? New year = new resolutions . So, similarly new lunar, new hope :) I really wish that families and in laws will become close again and that everyone of us can be happy and healthy.

I hope everyone out there will have new hopes and wishes on this new lunar monkey year :)
恭喜发财 ，猴年大吉 ，事事顺利：）

Choices

People always lament about their undesirable situations but it doesn't occur to them that if you don't like something, u should change it. Don't say you don't have other options . Don't say you cannot. Don't say i have no choice. We are often what we are today because of the choices we made yesterday. There is a famous quote " Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future but today is a gift that's why it is called present. Today is a present for us to change the future, for us to be one step closer to be what you want to be:)

Sometimes i am scared to make choices because i am afraid of the unknown and missed opportunities because i never make the first step. Sometimes i made choices that i knew was wrong and feel great when i get away with it but i feel like crap when i land into trouble because of my "reckless" decisions. Not all the time your choices are going to be correct . You make mistakes to learn, to rediscover who you are, to make better choices in future:)

Similarly in life there will be times you made decisions that sets you on a wrong path but don't forget that you have a choice to turn make back. Don't say it is too late but rather ask can i do to change. Don't give up on life even when everything seems bleak! THINK! and you will most probably find a way out. Because our innate survival skills comes out when we are cornered.

Ever heard of this story ? Imagine you are being kidnapped by a serial killer and he offers you two slips of paper and ask you to choose one. If you choose the slip that says you can live, he will release you . If you choose the other one that say you have to die, he will kill you. Under the circumstance that you know none of the slips say you can live because of his cunning nature, which one will you choose to survive? What will you do?

There is a way to live if you try. Think , change by making a choice.

Dreams

We all have our dreams and wishes, some go to all extents to get what they want, some just dream without doing anything. Dreamers who make their fantasy into reality are called successful people - Jack Ma , Steve Jobs , Justin Bieber just to name a few. In a world with more than 7 billion people dreams get fulfilled but also get crushed every single day. One person seems so small and insignificant as compared to the other 7 billion people yet at times the strength and the will of one person is all it takes to invoke a change, to break the monotonous routine of life. Lee Kuan Yew, one of the forefather of Singapore united Singapore in many ways, his faith in a small island , his determination, his persistence, his legacy, his death, made Singapore , strengthen Singapore and united Singapore. He like many of us was human, was a boy with dreams fueled with passion and will power. However, what made him different was how he turn the seemingly impossible to opportunities that have yet to be discovered and to me that's how he make Singapore prosper. I remember someone told me that if you follow the foot steps of successful people you might achieve something but if you venture out to a path that has to trodden on, you will be successful. Nonetheless,the drawbacks is there is no warning of what is ahead.  Failure is a given but it all depends on how you turn an obstacle into an opportunity.When one door closes another open, things always happen for a reason. Mentality is the crux. I still wake up feeling in doubt and empty about my future and dreams but i do know that i do not want to blindly chase and follow the path that many successful people have tread on. It will be hard but at least to me it will be worth it.

 ~ Society does not allow failure and the sad truth is that successful people often build their  achievements on the failure of others yet failure is the key to success~

Happy endings?

Recently, my friends and i watch the movie - Our Times< 我们的少女时代> . Few years ago there was this craze over 《那些年我们一起追女孩》and everyone if not most was sad and heartbroken about the ending.  Both movies had invoke a warm and sweet feeling in our hearts and bring us back to our childhood, to the times where results seems to matter most. Some reminisce about their first love, some wish to experience such dramatic, heartwarming and romantic relationship at least once in their life while some just keep gasping at how hot the main leads look. Different feelings and different emotions are stirred. This also means the films are successful because, everyone who watched feel something for it. 《那些年》made a deeper impression in heart as it is more relatable, the emotions feels genuine and the ending reflect the sad truth of life . However, not trying to spoil anything but in my two cents worth of opinion, this movie is too cliche and too unrealistic for my liking. There is something lacking about this movie. The chemistry isn't there and it feels too scripted and predictable. Plus by using older actors to portray the grown up characters makes it hard for the viewer to feel "awww at least they met again " but rather who the hell are they, then finally understanding that they are the grown up versions. However, i have to say that there are some parts that got to my heart and surrounded it with honey. Overall, it is still a good romantic comedy movie especially for those who are a sucker for romance :)
          
On a side note, this movie got me wondering....happy endings are good which is why it is highly desirable in both the digital realm and real life. However, why do people never make the effort to create the happy ending they desire in their own life in any aspect. Everyone hopes that every relationship , every marriage , every friendship will have a happy ending but the problem is did you even try to create and maintain a happy ending ? Lovers break up because of a plethora of reasons-too bored of each other , the other half does not do special events, he/she is not the one etc... Love needs to be nurtured , love helps both parties to growth and it needs effort. Before you complain about not having a happy ending, ask yourself did you make the effort to choose your significant half every day over other girls or guys , did you make the effort to help each other become a better person they were than the day before , did you try ? I am no expert in love or relationship but all i know is our happy endings can only be written by us , we cannot dictate external factors but at least we should try. If film makers know that the way to break box office record is to write happy endings then why don't we aim to write our own happy endings to have a successful and meaningful life and relationships~
                 

~Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.

ANN LANDERS                               :)