A cherished regret

Do see this great film. I just saw it for the 2nd time. A commentary will be posted.

A tag from Justin

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle. remember! SHUFFLE !!
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write that song name down NO MATTER HOW silly it sounds.
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Put this on your journal/blog.

1. If someone says, “Is this okay?” … you say?
'Lay Your Hands On Me' by Bon Jovi - (there's a lot of imaginary circumstances could be created from "Is this okay?". I take it personal. Hence, "lay your hands on me" is appropriate..ahaks!)

2. How would you describe yourself?
'Chasing Car' by Snow Patrol - (Hell yeah! My fav number! "Those three words are said too much..")

3. What do you like in a girl?
'Mind Trick' by Jamie Cullum - (indeed!)

4. How do you feel today?
'The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore' by James Morrison - (hmmm...i'm thinking of something specific..)

5.What is your life’s purpose?
'Details in The Fabric' by Jason Mraz - (I need to draw, color, bring it alive!)

6. What is your motto?
'Submarine Attack (The Curios Case of Benjamin Button's OST)' by Alexandre Desplat - (referring to the scene. Life is full of wars!)

7. What do your friends think of you?
'Uninvited' or Alanis Morissette - (really?)

8. What do you think of your parents?
'Elephant' by Damien Rice - (My Goodness! This is the greatest piece from Damien Rice. For you mom and dad)

9. What do you think about very often?
'Lucky' by Jason Mraz feat Colbie Caillat- (To be lucky I need to be generous)

10. What is 2 + 2?
'I'll Stand by you' by The Pretenders - (2+2 Double dates? Such a nice old school song for a date!)

11. What do you think of your best friend?
'The Half Killed (Atonement OST)' by Dario Marianelli - (wow...honestly, my best friends change along the way in my life. Or does that mean I don't have best friends? They're Half-killed along the way?)

12. What do you think of the person you like?
'Glasgow Love Theme (Love Atually OST)' by Craig Armstrong - (This is when instruments in a beautiful song speaks to you about beauty)

13. What is your life story?
'Falling Slowly (Once OST)' by Glen Hansard - (How i appreciate Humanity so much..love Glen's music so much)

14. What do you want to be when you grow up?
'Live High' by Jason Mraz - (Yeah! Live High, Live Mighty! Live Righteously!)

15. What do you think of when you see the person you like?
'Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)' by Boyce Avenue - (Self explanatory)

16. What will you dance to at your wedding?
'Time after Time (Accoustic)' by Bon Jovi (Perfect!)

17. What will they play at your funeral?
'Hidden' by Craig Armstrong - (amazingly crafted for such event)

18.What is your hobby/interest?
'Catch the sun' by Jamie Cullum - (I'm ready for that! Can't wait for summer!)

19. What is your biggest fear?
'Benjamin and Daisy (The Curios Case of Benjamin Button OST)' by Alexandre Desplat (afraid of having such relationship between Benjamin and Daisy)

20. What is your biggest secret?
'Love Letters (Atonement OST)' by Dario Marianelli - (I have never written any love letters. Not a secret anymore.)

21. What do you think of your friends?
'Thankful' by Kelly Clarkson- (well said)

22. What will you post this as?
'People Can't Change (Changeling OST)' by Clint Eastwood - (Partially, true.)

23.say something bout the person tagged you.
'Under the influence' by James Morrison - (yeah! influence from others to tag others!)

My "pencil"

As suggested by Twyla Tharp in The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, this is my "pencil" for now:

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

-The tragedie of Hamlet, prince of Denmarke

V-day

Ophelia:

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's Day,
All in the morning bedtime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a mind
Never departed more.

(William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5)

It has occurred in my past twenty years that I never celebrate Valentine's Day. (Yes, I chose "celebrate" as the action here). For the sake of respecting Islam I was told not to honor one of Early Christian martyrs, Valentine, to keep my faith from straying away, in general. Thence, had I known in my life in Malaysia not to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Last week I attended an acting workshop conducted by Shakespeare & Co., which headquarter is in Boston, MA, one of the established theater companies throughout the world. Monologue above was recited by my fellow in theater class, Amy, at the workshop. The question of "intention" in celebrating Valentine's Day aroused, when I was wondering my action of not celebrating it. I DO want to celebrate Valentine's Day, but MY intention is not to honor Valentine, may be appreciating my beloved one on the same day as other couples do, or appreciating Shakespeare's oeuvre.

Wish you were here

We all get at least one good wish a year. Over the candles on our birthday. Some of us throw in more. On eyelashes, fountains, lucky stars, and every now and then, one of those wishes comes true. So what then? Is it is as good as we'd hoped? Do we bask in the warm glow of our happiness? Or, do we just notice we've got a long list of other wishes waiting to be wished?

We don't wish for the easy stuff. We wish for big things. Things that are ambitious, out of reach. We wish because we need help and we're scared and we know we may be asking too much. We still wish, though, because sometimes they come true.

A car?

Recently, I've been watching several movies from Sean Penn, Gus Van Sant, Ron Howard and Clint Eastwood. Some of you might notice that most of them worked together in one production or another. Mystic River, Changeling, Unforgiven, Frost/Nixon, Good Will Hunting, Elephant, and Gran Torino are all the movies I've covered so far. Damn! I have no life! Anyway, I don't wanna talk elaborately the style of directions and storytelling by these great artists.

As for Gran Torino, I supposed it's another masterpiece from Clint. For those who always see movies straight to the plots, this movie might be another boring movie. Not saying that I'm really good in integrating ideas of a movie and concluding its premise, I believe this movie, Clint's last performance on silver screen, summarizes Clint's credibility as one of the greatest actors and filmmakers in the industry.

Here's Gran Torino's original song, music by Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens; lyrics by Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens. It's gonna compete in Golden Globe with Down To Earth from Wall-E, I Thought I lost You from Bolt, Once in A lifetime from Cardillac Records, and The Wrestler from The Wrestler.

p/s: pyan, I don't review movies. I write what I feel and think about movies.

If You Forget Me

If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda

I want you to know
one thing.

You know this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists.
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But,
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined to me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving me.

I stumbled upon this poem when I was doing research about this great Chilean poet. While listening to Clint's masterpiece scores from Changeling, I kept on reading this piece over and over again until it came across my mind on how difficult it is for two souls embracing love.

In other event, I finally have seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movie is stunning. Bolstered by cunningly directed cinematography, the movie has a story about the truth of life to tell.