Through The Looking Glass

I’m tired of using this account. So I’ll get rid of it and start a new one. 

The wait has finally been over, for me, for the first part of HP 7 on film. I waited with as much patience as I could muster and after finally seeing the film - I have to confess that I want to see it again. 

This long awaited movie, however, came with a price. I have eagerly let the two years since Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film pass me by as I waited for two things; one: the book and two: the movie. I had planned that on the day of the screening I would have read the seventh book from front to back and I would know it by heart, as I usually do with the first six books. Imagine the pain and frustration when Hurricane Katrina (internationally, Ondoy here in the Philippines) struck.

I went home to find my books destroyed, never again to be opened and perused.

A year had passed since that fateful day and yesterday, I was finally able to see the film. It has surpassed my expectations. 

I have gotten used to the other films being compressed because of time constraint and I do admit it was disappointing. Seeing the movie’s plot and re-reading the book does stir the frustration within me but if every director stuck with the plot then he’d find his audience leaving bit by bit. One cannot expect a moviegoer’s attention to be focused for so long, I think.

Going back, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has tried to stick as closely to the plot as possible, which is wonderful! The film moves at just the right pace; not to fast that nobody could understand what’s going on and not too slow that the film starts to lag. It moves with enough speed to inform and entertain as well as stick to the original plot of the book. The director did cut a few memorable scenes from the book such as the goodbye with the Dursley’s and a few other tidbits but it doesn’t affect the overall continuity of the film. Too bad for the Harry/Ginny fans though, an interrupted kissing scene coupled with a pro-longed one with Hermione might not sit well for a few fans of the canon couple.

The film has also improved since the last film. In accordance to the books, each film becomes darker with each passing year and I daresay that the seventh will be the darkest of the lot. J.K. Rowling started killing off main characters since the fourth book and unfortunately, the seventh will probably have the most number of deaths because of the (Warning! Spoiler) war that will happen in Hogwarts.

Cinematography has brought a lot into the film. The magical effects I saw may not be the way it formed in my imagination as I read it but rest assured it brilliantly added to the dark nature of the film. Other elements that made the film great was also the woven romance and comedy which eases the tension for a little while. These little scenes of happy nature balance the pain and anger and it enraptures the audience; making the film a little closer to the hearts of many. 

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson also gave stellar performances in the film. Having virtually watch them grow in the decade, their maturity has now shown itself in the final film. 

Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, has almost completed his transition from boy to man. His love for the people around him makes him a hero, in terms of literature, but his flawed character makes him human. His portrayal by Daniel Radcliffe is brilliant! It is as if the persona and the person had merged into one and there is not one bit of him that I could deem, out of place.

Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were also in character and the relationship between the two deepens in the film. It becomes obvsious (very obvious perhaps) to the audience that there is more than friendship between the two. It might have been compromised with the other scenes of Harry and Hermione but still.

Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes, has become extra creepy in the film. His thirst for power and wizard domination as well as the ruthless manner in which he executes his cause makes him a formidable enemy and a daily terror to many. Having heard of his Death Eaters and the terror they also procured, then seeing them gathered in the film also adds to the terror.

All in all, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 makes a brilliant film and that’s only the half of it. The long wait for the second part is the only drawback but when it comes, we’ll be there. 

I call a lot of people ‘Dear’ - sometimes ‘Honey’ - but there would only be a few people I’d call fondly by another nickname such as ‘Twin’ or ‘TL’. These people had touched my life in many ways, be it big or small, and I will not forget them and what they’ve done for me. Some people, however, I lose contact with as time passes by. Distance and a growing gap of communication may be a factor as well as the effort made on each of our parts to keep the relationship alive. 

This fact doesn’t affect me on most days but pausing to reflect makes me remember that there are some stale relationships around me. It takes two to tango, or so they say, and we try once in a while to get-together but (there’s always a ‘but’) sometimes now is not the right time to reach out. It must be fate, the Lord’s machinations, whatever - I don’t know. What’s important for me is that it doesn’t remain stale for long. As I said it takes two to tango; that means it’s not only me. The other person, if she/he be willing, should also try to reach out.

Keeping a relationship alive takes work. It is built, improved and maintained. Though there a few instances of regret, it must not be kept festering until it is ruined forever. A good friendship goes a long way but there are times that not everybody would be willing to take the ride. I think, I have such a friend.

Close as we are, we have neglected to keep communicating and now the distance is gnawing at me. I do wish that it hasn’t reached the point of no return, meaning we’re demoted from friends to acquaintances. I value friendship highly and to lose a friend is like losing a favorite…thing. As my father said, friends come and go but family is forever. In my more sentimental moments, I did wish it wasn’t so true.

Lately I’ve been foolish.

I got caught up in not getting my paycheck it made me kind of grouchy. Then I realized that having moeny is not really going to make me happy. It is a tool, to get through life yes, but it is not life itself. 

And my mother was right, it will come when it needs to come. I don’t have to go out and start chasing money; like what I was about to do in my job. Thinking back, I didn’t even take the job for the money itself. I took it for the experience. But of course, getting paid is not such a bad thing. 

So currently I am broke, and I don’t know what to make of it. Yet thinking of how much I earned (though it’s just a computation) is enough to tell me that I’ve done good in my job. It assured me that I can be competitive enough when I need to be. Still, in terms of business it’s actually a bad thing. Not getting paid is not giving incentive to the workers. That is the bad thing. 

The good one however, is knowing that someday I’ll get it. Right now, I have nothing to lose. At such an early age in my life I’m fortunate to have a caring family and a bright future. 

Why waste it on being foolish about money. 

It’s been such a long time since I was able to post something. 

Too much stuff has happened in the last couple of months it’s hard to snatch some blogging time. So many realizations, so many events, happenings, shit… stuff! A person’s never the same as she was yesterday.

This morning, I woke up and gave up everything to God. It’s the day before the start of my semestral break and I’m taking the time to evaluate what I did in my life. So far, I think I’ve done well, though I could have done better. I improved my grades and got ready for another fight to get back.

I realized just how far courage can take anybody and I’m advocating it to friends. I should be a motivational speaker, haha! I also realized my passion for teaching, and literature. I really love literature. What else? Oh, I got hooked on a couple of TV series like How I Met Your Mother and Hellcats; also web series, namely The Guild which I haven’t been able to watch lately.

I’m rambling, this’s great! I don’t usually ramble - I do, just not on a piece of paper where I expect myself to write with some coherence. Not type the first sentences that comes into my mind. Then again, this is my blog, so who cares!

I just finished my written exams (jk, I still have one tomorrow - or not, if I’m exempted - which I hope I am) and writing coherently is the least of my problems right now. I just want to rest. I want to see what will happen! And all these excitement is not good for me. 

I’m happy though that my parents are taking this lightly. They can be a pain, sometimes but they always manage to make up for it which is good. Another good thing? I’m writing again! I can hear my fingers, or rather my fingernails, typing wildly on the keyboard and all I hear is a two-four beat of tap tap tap oh this is phenomenal! I should talk to my friends - nay - I should go out and celebrate.

I don’t have my pay yet. Crap! I just remembered :| Oh! An emoticon I am becoming too hyper must pause.. something I can’t do right now I have to blog something which yes, wait!

*deep breath*

This is the most informal blog I’ve ever written, I think.. and the most nonsensical.

AWESOME!

It has been so long since I posted something on this blog of mine. Too many stuff has happened and I know it’s one lame excuse but I just really couldn’t find the time to sit down and write. Funny though, the one time I actually do (right now), I’m in the middle of making papers for my subjects. Another reason though might be…

How I Met Your Mother!

Yes, that’s right. I met your mother. Kidding. No, I haven’t met anyone else’s mother. But there is this one show that rocks entitled.. that. It’s a story about Ted Mosby and everything, literally everything that he has gone through before he met his wife. Sure the show may seem draggy a bit but it has picked up a lot in the subsequent seasons that it’s not hard to fall for it over and over again. And to think, it’s a story about how a guy met his future wife.

The one thing about the show that gets to me though is that, as a kid, it’s really hard for me to picture my parents thirty years younger, having fun. Seeing them in your mind’s eye drinking, partying or whatever feels like having a fantasy rather than a memory. Unless of course they do it even with you around which in that case, is an exception. 

Another thing person: Neil Patrick Harris!

He is an absolutely wonderful actor! He may not be in league of Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt or George Clooney or all the other impeccably famous and rich actors, but NPH is an absolutely rare gem in the whole sea of actors and actresses.

First off, he is a very dedicated actor. In the series, he plays Barney Stinson, an eccentric womanizer. And though his character is supposed to be really a walking flourish (think Broadway) NPH really suit’s up the part! He doesn’t just acts it out, when watching him, one might think he actually lives that way in real life (this I presume would be totally false.. maybe except for the fashionable part.. or something. For another, NPH wouldn’t hit on girls because he’s gay). 

Secondly, a wide array of talents. NPH can sing! That may not be much but the range of his vocal cords know no bounds and that along is hot enough. Along with his rocking body and the suits he loves wearing. I love suits.

Finally, NPH is just plain freaking AWESOME! I know, I haven’t given much reason to make him awesome but he just is. Trust me on that one.

Come to think of it, there are still a lot of things I find awesome in HIMYM. Everything that just blends the whole series into this whole mixing bowl of awesome. But, time’s up; I have to get back to reality. 

So I got my tattoo and I told my parents about it. I feel, liberated. I expected the opposition, I knew it would come. The only regret I have is having to wait for a long time to get another tattoo. But there would be time for the next one, I can wait. 

After the drama about “desecrating my body” and “mismanaging my life” all seemed to end well. I’m supposed to be a teetotaler for two years and that this would be my last tattoo. I realized however, that the only thing holding me back is a thin line between nothing and everything. I can simply and easily get another tattoo but out of respect for my parents (and the fact that I still live under their roof), I would not.

Moving on, this led me to a new agenda: move out. It may be shallow but in this context, nothing is that traditional anymore. I’d rather not stay under my parents’ home and be confined to liberative (“lib” liberated: 20% “erative” conservative 80%) ideologies. I do appreciate their points of view, nobody get me wrong, but seeing eye to eye is not something we often do. I have my own ideas and opinions that hugely contrast with theirs.

As usual, I choose to see life through my own eyes and not through anybody else’s. I admit that I may seem like a shallow fool, in need of maturity, but this is how everyone starts. Nobody is different; only the ideas.

I did it, I got my tattoo. And I woke up today realizing it shall be on me forever and that I’m happy that I have it. The only problem now is telling my parents. I did a trial reaction test on my brother and upon seeing the aghast expression on his face, I realized that I might upset my mother. After a moment of reflection I realized that: who cares? I didn’t fail a subject, I just got a tattoo; it’s not something to freak over about. Still, I still have reservations about telling them about it now. And yet, I still want to inform her and get it over and done with. It’s not like I’ve ruined my life because of that. 

Anyway, there are too many limits and restrictions, it’s time to break down the conventional. I’m tired of being “good” of just wishing I had this or that. Why can’t I be myself for once? Individuality is what I am fighting for and it shall be what I stand for. I will not reduce myself to ashes and crumble just because I did something to make me happy. 

Today, I saw the Special Flights aspirants and COCC - saw them running around trying to obtain signatures from both willing and unwilling officers. I watched them with half pride and disappointment for as many as the are, their numbers did nothing to compensate for their sloppiness. I can still remember my days, being in their shoes, wondering which officer would come by our way.

It still felt like yesterday that I was lugging around my M14 dummy, holding on to my sigsheet (signature sheet) counting all my signatures. Now, it was their turn and it didn’t look like they were doing a good job of it. Numerous as they are, they still have a lot to understand when trying to prove oneself to the Corps.