UnDerEstiMated-OverEstiMating

Lately I’ve been commenting on all the movies that I’ve watched and considering the work load I have this semester, I can safely conclude I’m not bothered by it… Note to everyone, this is not the real me!! I always get 6 feet deep into my work since I’m a responsible person (ececece). Nope, it’s just my ego… Demanding I give my best in whatever. Abah raised me to be that kind of person. But for now, let’s give our focus on my latest movie trivia, Kingdom of Heaven.

Centred on the crusade era, it focused on the journey of Bailey (errr… I didn’t quite catch his name) son of Godfrey. Lost his child then the wife, overcome with grief, took her life. Those days, heads of suicide committers were severed from the body before burial. Still in grief, he was visited by his father (who he never knew existed) and was offered to journey to Jerusalem to claim his birth right as the son of a Baron (or some other kind of lordship). The local priest, who snucked into Bailey’s workshop (alaa ape term for blacksmith’s nye tmpt keje?) and overheard the conversation, jumped onto Bailey and said things about his wife’s suicide and sinning and not being in heaven (errr… I don’t remember exactly what was said but I do remember thinking that I would have slaughtered the priest if I were in Bailey’s shoes). And he did . Hunted by the powers that be, he tracked his father to take on his father’s offer. Since he committed a serious offence (the damn priest deserved it!!) a fight ensued between his father’s men and the soldiers ordered to catch him, causing plenty of casualties and his father’s subsequent death. As you’ll expect, the hero and the remaining men got away.

Fast forward further, he arrived in Jerusalem, met with the king (who’s a leper and dying), the king’s beautiful (err… bleh tahan laa) sister, her dayus (haha, term in English??) husband and the gang of corrupted lords of the king’s court. Under the king’s reign, Jerusalem thrived and people of different faith (Islam, Christianity and Jews  ape name agama diorg??) lived peacefully together. The gang of corrupted lords of the king’s court however disapproved of the kebebasan beragama, killing Arab caravans (read Muslims) at their will. The king tried to infuse his ideas of peaceful co-existence but no, since he’s sick and will die anytime soon, they refuted. Bailey’s concern was of the people’s well being, and definitely was disgusted at the lords.

Since Muslims were attacked, Saladin (ruler of Damascus) had to retaliate and got a peaceful settlement with the king; who unfortunately died not long after. With the new king installed, the lords attacked and ransacked Muslim caravans and homes, tempting war with Saladin. It would have been stupid to hold back, so Saladin took the decision to capture Jerusalem (which he did). Bailey took to the fore in defending Jerusalem because of his concern for the people and did all he could to have a peaceful settlement, which he succeeded. Since this event, Muslims and Christians and Jews are at war to hold claim onto the city.

Lessons? Its not really religion which motivates those plunderers to kill and fight for the Holy Land (and the rest of the world for that matter). Religion is just a tool to motivate the lesser people (err, in those self-interested plunderers minds) to sacrifice themselves for their lords’ interest. Man, there were scenes that I almost cried because I was so mad at those people. Selfish, self-centred and most importantly dim-witted powers that be. Damn them. Rot in hell. The wars were uncalled for and… more importantly was unnecessary. Kudos to Mr Scott for managing to balance the significance and accuracy of the religions portrayed. He walked on a fine line between being offensive and defensive. Kudos to his crew for a very brilliant screenplay, fantastic battle scenes (loved the gore!!). Kudos too for throwing my mind into a disconcerted state . Can’t seem to be rid of the thought that humans are the worst enemies for each other and that wealth and power is the ultimate goal of our existence. Not to say those are bad motivation factor, we just need time to stop and smell the roses once in a while. Life can’t only centre on impressing and oppressing other people!!

Me?? Need time out… Squash court, here I come!!

What makes a good song, a good song? Simply put, it DEPENDS on individual taste. A song’s relevance to a person. The way a song touches the heart of a person. The situation a person is in. Most cases, social conception, meaning what is acceptable to a whole group of community. If you’re aiming for the ‘in’ group, that would DEFINITELY close your mind towards songs which are considered unconventional to the general public. Which is a loss to you.

For me, the first criteria that makes a good song, is the lyrics. Boybands, pop princesses, artistes generated by so called reality tv shows… man… these people are cheap. Corny lines a bound. Play their songs a couple of times and you can basically figure out the lyrics. Never poetic. Mundane common pick up lines. The worst part of having a cheap lyric-based-song is the substance of the song. It doesn’t lend any character towards the song. The song is weak thus making it forgettable. It doesn’t leave an imprint on your memory.

Then there’s the musical aspect of the song. One of the reasons I love to plug my ears with earphones is to… somewhat ‘taste’ the beats, the guitar rhythm, the play of the bass, the sweetness of a flute, the definitive thuds of the drums, the richness of the bonang (one of the gamelan instruments)… Somewhat transporting me out of the mundane scenario that I’m facing day in day out. Simply to enjoy the different layers of sounds intertwined to make a distinguishable song. Love to look out for the interjections from subtle sounding instruments It gives me a degree of satisfaction to ‘taste’ the hidden parts of the song’s melody. So wonderful, so colourful. Techno-generated sounds do not give the satifaction that I seek. Take for instance Westlife, they so love to produce the same beats throughout the length of the same song. Simply helps in me dozing off =P

Voice. Hell. How can Britney Spears survive all this while? (sket nye senang jwpn… she’s selling sex not her musical talents… forgot she has none). Even the frog’s calls after a good downpour is more melodic and pleasant to the ears than her voice. Love strong voices which carry the meaning of the lyrics. Hehe… Switchfoot is one example. Most of their songs, I have to admit suck, but those that are worth the listen, are addictive. You can relate to its lyircs, the music projects the song’s intention effortlessly and the lead singer’s voice are full of the song’s mood.

My taste? Hehe, someone pinpoint it down sarcastically as complicatedly jiwang =P Somewhat true in the sense that I listen to plenty types of genre but only some will satisfy my ears and other senses. Melodic + poetic. Sweet + charming. Disarming even. Songs from Mak and Abah’s era (haha tergelak aku dgr spesis lagu yg Abah layan) up til now. Mostly are derivatives of the rock genre. Some are down right melodramatic, others are pretty lame but has a catchy feel to it. A touch of jazz, some orchestral union, hardcore fusion, velvety feel of the gamelan sound (seriously khayal~~), rock and roll… The works. Never really liked a song because the whole world is under the song’s spell. Heh. Individualistic. Never group me into a common herd… you’ll never be able to =P

Whatever it is, music is such a board and open subject that whatever thoughts I’ve inscribe here shouldn’t be taken to heart. =P (lala dah ngantuk x reti nk end camne~~) Your the wonder in everything thats wonderful. Believe that.

Hard search for the mp3 but well worth it. Really interesting lyrics, somewhat a story of a guy trying to woo a girl… which ended disasterously… the cause?? His STUPID MOUTH hahahaha besh2

My Stupid Mouth - John Mayer -

my stupid mouth has got me in trouble
I said too much again
to a date over dinner yesterday
and I could see she was offended
she said "well anyway"
just dying for a subject change
oh, another social casualty
score one more for me
how could I forget
mama said "think before speaking"
no filter in my head
oh, what’s a boy to do?
I guess he better find one soon
we bit our lips
she looked out the window
rolling tiny balls of napkin paper
I played a quick game of chess
with the salt and pepper shaker
and I could see clearly
an indelible line was drawn
between what was good, what just slipped out
and what went wrong
oh, another social casualty
score one more for me
how could I forget
mama said "think before speaking"
No filter in my head
oh, what’s a boy to do?
I guess he better find one soon
I’m never speaking up again
it only hurts me
I’d rather be a mystery than she desert me
oh, I’m never speaking up again
starting now
one more thing
why is it my fault?
so maybe I try too hard
but it’s all because of this desire
I just want to be liked; I just want to be funny
look like the joke’s on me
so call me Captain Backfire
oh, another social casualty
score one more for me
how could I forget
mama said "think before speaking"
no filter in my head
oh, what’s a boy to do?
I guess he better find one soon
I’m never speaking up again
it only hurts me
I’d rather be a mystery than she desert me
oh, I’m never speaking up again
I’m never speaking up again
I’m never speaking up again
starting now

additional lyrics and intro/outros
so I faked an attitude
hell with you, take it or leave me
but the me she couldn’t see
was wishing that I had
thirty something seconds back
———–
No I was not listening, sorry missed it babe
Come around again
I said yes my head is swirling
Welcome to my world, it’s population 1
You can’t come
So take it or leave it
That’s just who I am
It might be hard to believe it
But you know that you’ve got to understand

Credit goes to Belle =D authored by Amelia Chun with the appropriate title of Falling in Love.

Probably everyone who is learning English knows the expression "I love you" but there are many other ways of expressing your feelings in English. You could be fond of someone- have an emotional feeling not quite as strong as love. Or you could be taken with someone, or have a soft spot for them, meaning you like them a lot.

If you feel emotions like this for a particular person, you could be falling in love - starting to love someone. If these feelings grow stronger, you may end up thinking the world of someone - admiring and caring for them a lot.

If someone takes your breath away, you feel so attracted to him or her that you find it difficult to breathe because you are so amazed and excited.

If you’re hooked on someone, you’re very much in love with him or her. You could be smitten with someone, you find him or her so attractive that you are, or seem to be, in love. If you fancy someone, you are strongly attracted to him or her. If you’re mad, crazy or nuts about someone, you like or love them a lot. You could be head over heels in love with them - very much in love with them indeed.

If any of these expressions could describe you, then you probably have fallen in love! But beware! Shakespeare wrote: "The course of true love never did run smooth." This means that being in love can be difficult and sometimes you may think you’re in love when you’re not.

If someone turns your head, they make you quite excited and confused, which is not always a good thing. If you have a crush on someone, you have a strong feeling of love or attraction that doesn’t last very long. Being infatuated is similar. This is passionate feeling of love where you cannot think clearly or sensibly - and is often short-lived emotion. It can end with you falling out of love - realizing that you no longer love that special person. Now you know about falling in love - BBC English.

ONE of d best story book I’ve ever read my entire life =D reread it again & again since… err… bile Ika kakak bli?? I was in form 2 I think… lunyai dah buku cite tu… qouting from the book "that’s another story and will be told another time…" so nnt2 laa cite on d book (if I remember) but seriously, nice read sweet + melancholic…

Never Ending Story - Limahl

turn around look at what you see
in her face the mirror of your dreams
make believe i’m everywhere
given in the light, written on the pages
is the answer to a never ending story

reach the stars, fly a fantasy
dream a dream and what u see will be
rhymes that keep thier secrets
will unfold behind the clouds
and there upon a rainbow
is the answer to a never ending story
ah.. story.. ah..

show no fear for she may fade away
in your hand the birth of a new day
rhymes that keep thier secrets
will unfold behind the clouds
and there upon a rainbow
is the answer to a never ending story
ah.. never ending story..
ah.. never ending story..
ah.. never ending story.. ah..

Ironic… bila aku ada byk bhn nk masuk dlm blog ni, aku takda access net… tp bila aku dpt access yg cun, bhn2 aku semua stored somewhere away from here… which is why my mood have been somewhat foul these past few days… there’s sumthing about Kingdom of Heaven (recommended watch), some bit on love, errr… some songs that I’ve been playing over and over (the ones I used to hear at school)… one on life when I was growing up in PERMATA… jibes on HR people =P (uiyo… aku ni dah xda keje ke hape??)

some thoughts on the haze situation, some grumblings on people who dont know how to park their cars, going back to memory lane… leeching an ‘article’ from Ika (all about the Brownster).

Work load never ceased but time for some unwinding of thoughts and feelings are essentials can’t live with it, can’t live w/out it!! Convo is around the corner, old friends are coming and some of my batchmates are receiving their scrolls then Its gonna be one hell of a busy w/end and you  betcha I’ll be dropping a long description of the happenings and what-nots =P

Love writing… will continue on writing… will depend on writing =P heh… until then… hope I can continue on~~

Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear.

Don’t cry over anyone who won’t cry over you.

Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.

Don’t let the past hold you back, you’re missing the good stuff.

BEST FRIENDS are the siblings God forgot to give us.

When it hurts to look back, and you’re scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your BEST FRIEND will be there.

Nobody is perfect until you fall in love with them.

30 Things Guys Should Know About Girls… Written by a guy. After years of experience. Ika nye posting~~ adik aku ni… x sangka btul laa =P hehehehehe =D

1. Whatever you do, don’t just show up at their house…they run around in their underwear just like we do..

2. Don’t cheat on them. It may seem foolproof, but girls tell each other everything about everything. Trust me, they WILL find out and you will be mud.

3. Beware of every single male relative and all guy friends. Any of them would kick your butt at the drop of a hat, and a lot of them wouldn’t even wait for the damn hat. <– ni leh caya ke??

4. Never miss an opportunity to tell them they’re beautiful.

5. Don’t refuse to kiss in front of your friends. If they laugh at you, it’s because they’re jealous.

6. If they slap you hard, you deserved it.

7. Don’t be afraid to touch them if you want to. If they’re going out with you in the first place, it’s because they like being in your arms.

8. If you don’t sleep with them, do not tell your friends that you did.

8.5. If you DO sleep with them, do not tell your friends that you did.

9. Don’t ever do anything wrong. girls remember things for life and anything you did wrong will be used against you in the future.

10. Not all of them eat like birds, a lot of them can eat like whales. (tee hee.) & stay slim… jeles2… the more they eat, the slimmer they become ;D

11. Most of them don’t mind paying half of everything, but they do discuss these things with their friends. Realize that if you make your girlfriend pay half all the time, everyone will know about it and your friends will know you’re a pussy.

11.5. Do you honestly need all your money that much? Be a man, pay all the time!

12. Every girl should eventually get three things from her boyfriend- a dinner by him, one of his sweatshirts, and a really pretty ring. Even if it’s not a serious relationship.

13. Make sure she gets home safely as often as you can. If you’re dropping her off, walk her to the door. If you aren’t dropping her off, call to be sure she’s home safely.

14. If a guy is bothering her, it is your right to kick the crap out of him.

15. If you’re talking to a female friend of yours, pull your girlfriend closer.

16. Never, ever slap her, even if it’s just in a joking way. Even if she swats you first, and says, "Oh, you’re so dumb" or something, never make any gestures back.

17. Go to a chick flick once in a while. She doesn’t care whether you enjoy it or not, it just matters that you went.

18. You’re dead meat if you can’t get along with their pets, parents and best friends. Be prince charming to their friends, Mr. Polite to their parents, and make sure to be nice to their animals.

19. Don’t flirt with their moms…that’s just freaky. <– pervert tahap dewa ni

20. Don’t be freaked out by PMS. It’s not gross, and it really does make them feel like crap, so be understanding.

21. If you don’t like the way they drive, you do it. <– live wif it laa =P

22. If you’re officially dating, and you’re introducing her to your friends, you’d better damn well introduce her as your girlfriend.

23. Don’t stress where you go for every date. They really only want to be with you.

24. If they complain that something hurts, rub it for them without being asked.

25. Girls are fragile. Even if you’re play fighting/wrestling, be very gentle.

26. Memorize their birthdays. You forget her birthday and you’re basically screwed for life.

27. Don’t marinade the cologne.

28. Don’t give her something stupid for her birthday or Christmas or Valentine’s day. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it has to be meaningful.

29. If you think the relationship isn’t going to last, don’t wait to find out. It will only hurt you more if you draw it out.

30. After you’ve been dating for a while, realize that they really have started to trust you. When you have a girlfriend who truly trusts you, you have a lot more responsibility, privilege and control than you would think.    

For starters, I did not write this comment; simply copying from a website =P but for an average chick flick, gotta give a 10 coz I so do love Alexis Bledel!! haha, I don’t mind watching this one again… and again… and again

The only magic realism in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is the one, one-size-fits-all pair of jeans worn the four female friends, whose summer adventures bring a dose of realism magical only for the insights into life, the pain and pleasure that come in from age seventeen to the end. As a coming-of-age film, this ranks with the best of them for non-condescending, adult-like perceptions, with nary a "like" in the girls’ vocabulary.

Two of these lifelong chums have summer romances that transcend the usual sun and sand trifles; the other two deal with even more substantial challenges, ones that involve connecting with family or friends after years of disconnection. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants offers no easy solutions to questions about openness, sexuality, parental neglect, and death. Rather each girl has an epiphany that grows naturally out of the frustrations accompanying inexp

Love on a Greek island while riding a scooter like Audrey Hepburn through the streets of Rome demands confronting the intrusions of family reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet; love on a beach in Mexico unleashes longing for a parent that goes beyond a beautiful boy; a new life for a parent means the death of an old one for a child; and teen alienation turns to acceptance and even love through the magic of a new friend.

None of these realistic setups for teen enlightenment can make an engaging film unless the actresses are believable, and in Sisterhood each young woman carries her role with deftness and sincerity sometimes not found in the most seasoned actresses. Special recognition should be given to Jenna Boyd as 12-year old Bailey, who believably transforms one teen from misogynist to humanist. This little actress has the chops to win the Oscar someday.

The ten rules of the sisterhood are dominated by the logistical one that states, "You must pass the pants along to your sisters according to the specifications set down by the Sisterhood." FedEx does the delivery; the girls supply the specific adventures that echo the anguish and resilience of being a teen in a society that sometimes doesn’t care. You will care for each girl; I guarantee it as if it were a pair of Levis, sturdy and malleable, sexy and comfortable.

            Can’t say how empty I felt after watching War of the Worlds. To think that an accomplished director like Steven Spielberg could helm a story as lame (this is rather a gentle word considering the magnitude of ripped-off feeling I felt) as this. The climax of the movie was unbearably steep and then not long after you’ll go through sharp plunge of anticipation. Then you’ll feel blanked out. Empty. Cheated. Fooled even. How can the ending be as simple and as cheap as it was??

            Mr Spielberg should have shortened the introductions and focused more on the character build up and the conclusion of the movie. How can the aliens be eliminated as simple as that? It took the aliens a huge amount of planning to invade earth, how can they overlook a vital area (for God’s sake it’s for their survival!!) and not take earth’s atmospheric content into account? And to have that point pointed out in the closing remarks voiced by (I think) Morgan Freeman in an I-don’t-give-a-damn tone, it drove me almost nuts!! Urghhhhhh!! Dead by tiny microorganism’s entering the alien’s body. As effortless as that.

            The story started off with Cruise showing his skills as a crane operator in a port. Then rushed back to his home to wait for the arrival of his children, who were staying with his ex-wife. Then chaos reign with the arrival of a ‘storm cloud’ and continuous lighting flashes over the same spot. Cruise went out to investigate, got a first class seat to the elimination of half of New York’s population, made it safely back to his own home, rushed the kids into a stolen family car and drove away from the so called alien invasion spot. Headed towards ex-wife’s house and continued to ex-wife’s parents’ house.

Lucky strike #1: he got away from the rays that zapped other people into oblivion. Lucky strike #2: he escaped being crushed by the walking machine used by the aliens. Lucky strike #3: escaped with whole family from either being zapped by the aliens, crushed by flying automobiles or buildings or burned to death by explosions throughout the city. Lucky strike #4: escaped being grilled to death in ex-wife’s basement as a plane crashed into the neighbourhood. Lucky strike #5: car can still carry the family away from the plane crash. Lucky strike #6: almost being captured by the aliens when they were hiding in a farmhouse’s basement. Lucky strike #7: got out of the cage that was attached to the alien’s walking machine without a scratch. Lucky strike #8: son was already safe at ex-wife’s parent’s home.

Suspense build up was good. Eventually got me at the edge of my seat; especially the scene under the farmhouse basement. That was a thriller and got to give credit to young Dakota Fanning for playing the role of Cruise’s daughter beautifully. Then again, all the gist of the movie was pent up into this scene that the other scenes fell apart. The crazy guy who wanted so much to kill some of the aliens was convincing too.

Most movie’s ending are less than satisfying; but this movie takes the cake. Imagine you’re on a train, hurling through the night at the speed of mach 30, and dead on there’s a concrete barrier 1000 feet thick. Oh, the distance is barely 100 feet from impact. It’s a sure death inducing circumstance, but the train managed to stop in time for you to alight safely into normalcy. That’s how the movie went from start to finish. Incredible bullshit!! The aliens who could kill with their death rays and are untouchable by human weaponry (we’re talking about technology on par with stealth’s technology), died out by infection of a mysterious microorganism. They were totally vulnerable!! Even the human species can survive such outbreaks… duhhh!! The son popping out of no where after being engulfed in an inferno is another thing… Spielberg should have at least given us some clues how he got to safety!! And to think Cruise and his family were reunited in a nice neighbourhood untouched by the alien destruction is beyond comprehension.

I’m still trying to find the exact word to describe my feeling after watching the movie. Yeah, I wanted to scream, I wanted to curse, I wanted to throw my laptop out of the window for goodness sake!! Good thing I’m back in UTP and I have other people to vent out my frustration onJ. All of my friends that watched the movie gave a disgusted review on this movie and because of that, I was driven out of curiosity to watch this flick… indeed, curiosity does kill me =P.