THE MAGIC OF DISNEY

Living in the small town of Tawau there wasn’t much to do except go to school, go for tuition, swimming classes, art classes, music classes … you get the drift. It was all work no play for Eva’s mom. Our only form of entertainment was a video player and tons and tons of taped and retaped Disney cartoons.

Hence, I grew up watching Disney animated movies such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Dumbo (I cried my eyes out), Bambi (I cried my heart out), Pinocchio, Lady and the Tramp, Robin Hood, Oliver and Company, Alice in Wonderland, Jungle Book, Aristocats, 101 Dalmations, Sword in the Stone and the Rescuers.

Later on, I was stuck on Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, the Little Mermaid, the Lion King, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch (a favourite), and much later on, Pixar animated films like A bug’s life, Monster’s Inc., Toy Story 1 and 2, Finding Nemo (a favourite), Ratatouille, the Incredibles (my all-time favourite) and most recently Bolt and Up.

Disney is also responsible for movies like Enchanted, Hidalgo, the Princess Diaries, Pirates of the Carribbean 1,2 and 3, High School Musical 1, 2 and 3 (the only Disney movie listed here that I did not watch), National Treasure 1 and 2.

I’m looking forward to The Princess and the Frog and Rapunzel.

Wow, I’m such a Disney geek.

Okay, ramblings aside, Disney was synonymous with Happily-Ever-Afters, Prince Charmings and Princesses, villains in all forms (related or not) and good triumphing over evil or bad.

Everything was clear cut; everything was black and white; everything was simple.

From all those years of ‘research’, here are some of the typical themes in Disney movies.

Fairies use wands and have oddly-proportioned wings.
e.g. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Pinocchio.

Stepmothers are evil.
e.g. Snow White, Cinderella (and because these two are the forefronts of the Disney heritage, it will forever be imprinted in our minds that stepmoms are evil)

Villains exist in family circles.
e.g. Snow White and her stepmom, Cinderella and her stepmom+stepsisters, Simba and his uncle, Scarface.

You can be the hero or heroine only if you have no parents or just one.
Snow White (orphan), Tarzan (orphan), Aladdin (orphan), Mowgli (orphan), Peter Pan (orphan), Wart aka Arthur (orphan), Simba (only mom), Dumbo (just Mom), Cinderella (where’s her father?), Ariel the mermaid (only Dad), Nemo (only Dad), Tarzan’s gf, Jane (only Dad), Princess Jasmine (only Dad), Pocahontas (only Dad), Bambi (just Dad), Belle (only Dad).
Exceptions: Hercules (doesn’t know who his parents are), Mulan (they only come in at the beginning and at the end), the Incredibles (it’s a family so this does not count.)

There’s always a tinge of royalty somewhere.
Aladdin’s gf is a princess.
Cinderella’s bf is a prince.
Ariel, Snow White, Aurora are princesses.
Belle’s beast is a prince in reality.
Tarzan, Simba, Bambi and Pocahontas are royalty in their own lands.
Hercules is major royalty – son of Zeus aka Greek God.
Princess in the movie Enchanted and the Princess Diaries are a little off the tradition but still, princesses.

Female villains have very weird hairdos or hairpieces.
e.g. Ursula in Little Mermaid, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Cruella de Ville in 101 Dalmations, the stepmother and step sisters (Prunella and Godzilla –whatever their names are) in Cinderella,

Princes and princesses are incredibly good-looking, have flawless skin, are well built , are not stuck up and have good morals too. The kind of people you look for in dating services.
All Disney princes and princesses

Animals talk. Particularly if you are a dog or cat.
All Disney cartoons.

If you’re the hero or heroine, you can definitely sing in tune.
All Disney cartoons.

If you’re the villain, you can definitely sing in tune.
All Disney cartoons.

If you’re a talking animal, you can definitely sing in tune.
All Disney cartoons.

The good always wins in the end and happily ever after is a definite must.
All Disney cartoons.

The last one is probably one of the strongest reasons why we all love Disney. Deep down inside, everyone is looking for a happy ending and whilst our ending does not come after the credits, at least when we are in the cinemas or in front of the telly watching a Disney animated film, we forget all our worries, submit to the stereotypes and succumb to that nonsensical notion that good will forever be triumphant over evil.

If you Bribe me, It's your Fault.

The Star Online > Focus

Friday September 25, 2009

GIVERS OF BRIBES TO BLAME FOR CORRUPTION

WHENEVER it comes to corruption and its ills, we conveniently pin the blame on parties on the take. We lose sight of those who give.

Sure, the takers have to be blamed. But if we truly believe that corruption is evil and must be eliminated, we must walk the talk ourselves. We must stop offering money to suit our selfish ends or to get ourselves out of a wrong that we have committed.

To me, the giver in any corrupt action or transaction is more guilty than the taker, as not many people can let an opportunity to earn easy money pass. The irony is that the givers are those most vocal about the deteriorating state of corruption of this country.

The next time you are caught breaking a rule, like a traffic offence, think twice before offering any incentive to get yourself a shortcut or selfish way out.

If you do make the offer, please do not blame others for being corrupt. It is you who started it.

CONCERNED CITIZEN,

Subang Jaya.

Did the contents really make you think twice about giving bribes? It didn’t do me much help.

Like many other people, I don’t like people wasting my time. And whilst I am not one who earns a lot, at least money can be earned back; my time, once wasted, can never be replaced. And I am not getting any younger either.

So given the choice of using money to buy back time which I find valuable, I think that it is a fair trade. To be clear, I do not condone bribery as I see it as a form of moral decay, which is not good for the soul.

But by saying that it is not the person’s fault to accept bribery because “not many people can let an opportunity to earn easy money pass [sic]” is like saying it’s not wrong for men to rape women because they dress in revealing outfits.

Truth be told, the service sector hasn’t been speeding up despite the advancement in technology and the use of computers and internal networks to aid them in their work. Gifts and greens are better motivations. This is reality. People needed to survive. Morale takes a back seat to a full stomach.

But in fact, both sides are wrong morally. You shouldn’t give bribes if you are at fault or have committed an offence, and you shouldn’t accept bribes to help someone get away after committing an offence.

In conclusion, just as it takes two to carry out bribery, it also takes two to not.

East Malaysia: the forgotten lands.

Read this this morning.

TheStar Online > Wednesday September 23, 2009

SOME FUZZY OVER SEPT 16 AND NATIONAL DAY

KOTA KINABALU: The difference in perspectives between Malaysians in the peninsula and those in Sabah and Sarawak over the country’s formation is making them think that there are 2Malaysias, says a human rights commissioner.

Former state secretary Tan Sri Simon Sipaun said Sabahans and Sarawakians in general regarded Sept 16, 1963 as the day the nation was formed. The date was when the two states teamed up with Malaya.

“However, in a recent discussion involving academics, lecturers and students in the peninsula, it was obvious that there was a different view of Sabah and Sarawak’s position,” said Sipaun, currently Suhakam vice-chairman.

“Some even said Sabahans should be grateful to Malaya for giving them their independence,” he said.

Sipaun said Aug 31, 1957 was the day Malaya attained its independence.

“But that date has no significance to the people in Sabah and Sarawak as it was only Malaya that became independent then.”

He said if such perceptions were allowed to prevail, there would be “a misinterpretation among some that there is a 2Malaysia.”

In this regard, he said efforts to boost the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia concept should go beyond mere slogans.

“We will only feel a sense of unity in the heart when the Government is not perceived as marginalising or discriminating against anyone, and is instead seen to be fair to all, regardless of their race, religion or culture,” said Sipaun.

He said Sept 16 should thus be given due recognition and celebrated on a national scale.

----

Strange that no one gives a damn about Sabah until five peninsular states were lost to the opposition. Tawau still experiences blackouts, the traffic is horrible for a town the size of one or two West M shopping malls, the international airport is quiet for most of the day and illegal immigrants outnumber Malaysians, at any time of the year. You want to talk about 1Malaysia? Do something Malaysian for Sabah first.

Book Review: The Lost Symbol

It's been a week since the release of the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown so I guess that it is safe for a book review, without spoiling it for people who don't need spoiling.

The Lost Symbol (left: US cover, right: UK cover)

The storyline is reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code in the lines of having a crazy villain on the loose, a female counterpart on the run with the protagonist, Robert Langdon, a disabled person with partial answers, secret keys to unlock (this time it's a pyramid), references to famous buildings and monuments, flashbacks to lectures and a very long epilogue afterwards.

What's new in this book (I've read all of Dan Brown's books) is an attempt (albeit a weak one), to try a Jeffrey Archer immediately before the climax. For this one, Jeffrey Archer had spoilt it for me, but it's no big loss anyways. There's also references to Noetic Sciences. What it is, I'm still not sure even though I've finished the book; I'm sure Brown's knowledge about this is nowhere deeper than the rest of us, based on the single physical example he used in the book. Otherwise, his every point is heavily substantiated with numerous examples, like in a PhD thesis.

It's a good read, although some of the chapters are quite repetitive. I'm not an editor of a novel publishing house but I read plenty of novels written by British and American writers... and the Lost Symbol was frankly, quite tedious reading. I had to put the book down a few times out of annoyance. But I kept on.. as I never read a book and leave it unfinished.

Ironically, the factual parts i.e. Robert Langdon's lectures, were more pleasurable to read than the story itself. The book is more than 500-pages thick but a good quarter of it could have been edited away as they were merely page fillers.

The solution to the whole puzzle was not as explosive as the Da Vinci Code (cause how can you top that one?) although the word 'enlightenment' pops up a lot in this book. I did learn much about magic squares and would be googling more about it in this coming few days.

There is also the deal about clues hidden in the cover... which I'm going to go 'play' with now. I need to get back my money's due.

The right attitude on the roads: Try your best to avoid accidents!

Every day when I leave for work, I switch on to one of three of my regular radio station dials and listen to the traffic report. Apart from the usual areas that are hot spots for traffic congestion, there are occasionally a few needless traffic jams that were caused by onlookers and more directly by people who caused accidents on the roads.

Most of these accidents in fact can be avoided and should have been avoided, if only people adopt the right attitude on the roads.

In Malaysia, there is this 'my way / your way' syndrome that is taught by drivers and driving instructors to newbie drivers. Way here is a direct translation of the word in Chinese (all dialects) and BM, as no such word exists in the English dictionary. The closest would be "right of way", which still doesn't ride the idea home.

In essence, if you are on a particular lane, and someone cuts in, that person should not have done so as that is 'your way'. And usually, a driver would show their authority over their 'way' by not giving way. Be a bit lackadaisical in your driving and boom, another accident has occurred in an otherwise 4-lane highway, free of any jams until that bloody moment.

So why don't you stop caring about whose 'way' it was supposed to be and just try to mutually avoid banging into each other? Giving way to a car or two on your daily drive home will only set you back 5 to 10 minutes but at least, you would avoid being a casualty or a statistic in the accident numbers of the day. Plus, giving way would let the traffic flow more smoothly and slow-moving traffic is still better than stagnant traffic.

What? Familiarity breeds contempt? If you let one car pass, all the other cars will follow suit and you will be forever stuck in that junction? I doubt you believe that that will happen in reality. If everyone gave way, once you give way, someone is bound to give way to you to proceed into the lane. Someone just has to start the cycle. I try to start it every day. Personally, I feel that it is working, but that could just be the drugs talking.

I kid.

And as for those who cut queues, why endanger yourself and your passengers by getting in their way? They may be in a hurry due to an emergency, and if they are not, they'd have to face up to summonses by the officers in white or deal with the consequences when they get themselves into an accident while cutting queue.

And if you don't already know, if you get into an accident, you would be fined for reckless driving, regardless if your head is bandaged or not.

---

Crud.. I just remembered that the holidays start tomorrow for Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Selamat hari raya, Malaysians!) and today's traffic would be.. horrendous.

Typical traffic jam scene in Malaysia - from theStar

The TnG Reload Saga

A saga that spanned 6 weeks and is coming to a close. Finally. And over what? RM100. It’s a sum that is not big, but it isn’t negligible either. And will I even get it back? The finale looks grim.

----
28th July 2009
The ATM reload was not working so I had to use the Cash Deposit Machine. It was only 8 am and an hour’s away from the busy transactions of MB bank.
“Damn machine took my money!”
My RM100 had disappear into the mouth of the metal beast. It regurgitated only a small piece of paper, the words already half fading away. I look at the contents.

Transaction Accepted
RM100 = 1 note

Old Balance: Rm16.65
New Balance: Rm16.65

Shouldn’t a fatal error sign pop up right about now?
I look at my TnG card, sighed and left for work.
----
Lunch time
“Fill in this form while I make a copy of that receipt. We’ll see what we can do. But you won’t get the money for another two days.”
Little did I know, when I smiled at him and replied “It’s alright.” that it would take a lot longer than two days.
----
29th July 2009
“Miss, we checked your TnG card and the value has already been reloaded.”
What? “No, it hasn’t. I just used it this morning!”
“But… TnG says that your card value is already more than RM100. Can you call them to confirm?”

Five minutes later…
“I reloaded the second RM100 just this morning (29th July). If the card value was correct and the reload at the card deposit machine was successful, I’d have more than RM200 in my card by now.”
What did they expect me to do? Wait for the first reload to come through? I need to get to work regardless of whether or not the system is faulty.
TnG: “Let us check and get back to you.”
You do that. Sigh…
---
30th July 2009
“Miss, we can help you apply for the refund if you can fax over a written report containing all the relevant details.”
Ok, then.. maybe now I can see my money.
---
Things were quiet. For two weeks.
---
14th August 2009
Details poured into my call to the TnG consumer careline.
“Can you check and update me on the issue?”
I hung up.
phone rings
“Miss, we need 30 working days to conduct the investigation and refund you the money. Please call us back after 30 working days or your check your account for the refund. Thank you for calling.”
She hung up.
30 working days. [Insert expletive]
---
Things were quiet. For a whole month. (I was playing it safe)
---
10th September 2009

Note: To recap, it had been 45 days/6 weeks since my RM100 note entered that machine.

I emailed TnG: Where’s the refund?
TnG: We already process and submit the refund to MB bank on 25th of August.
No one thought to inform me?
Me: But I have not yet received the money. Please advise.
TnG: (the obvious lar Miss) Call MB.
---
MB Bank Customer service: We have no record of your report.
WTF
MB Bank Customer service: Please call the branch and speak to the savings accounts officer.
I dialled the branch number. They placed me on hold. Then hung up on me.
Sigh.
----
What’s this?
Hello?
Miss … I’m calling from MB bank HQ. We have received your cheque from TnG.
You did?
Which account do you want me to insert the money to?
I was at the verge of thanking her when…
Oops. Can you confirm your Identification Card Number?
I gave her the number.
Miss. You punched in a different number into the machine.
So?
We need to conduct another investigation before we can credit the money into your account.
You gotta be f….
Or like this lar… why don’t you fax me the receipt [from 6 weeks ago] to me then I check on my end then I let you know when the money can be credited into your account.
Ok.

I hung up and rummage frantically through my documents.
Thank goodness I still have the receipt. I faxed my receipt over.
I sit down.

---

I feel so pissed about this.
I need to write.

Hmm..
Why not write about this?
Hmm.. good idea.
I sit and type… The TnG Reload Saga.

Update: Okay maybe I was in a dark and really 'soggy' mood but I got my money back already. It was banked in the day after I wrote this. But I've started shifting my money to my other bank accounts. Next I will take out my FD and the lousy returns the damn bank gave me over the past 10 years. Then, I will also not be getting any education funds from that bank or any of its subsidiaries for my daughter.

I do not feel safe with them handling my money no more and hence... apart from credit cards and my salary, the bank will touch no more of my money.

Soggy mood still.

15Malaysia Project: METER (feat Khairy Jamaluddin, Baki Zainal, Namewee, J Lo and Amber Chia)

Meter has got to be one of the best of the 15Malaysia projects in terms of the content, how the story is delivered (interesting and believable) and hitting the point home. 

Meter features a cast of familiar faces like Khairy Jamaluddin (UMNO Youth Chief) as the babbling and hipocritical taxi driver, Jason Lo and Baki Zainal (of Mr Siao's Mandarin Class fame, he is still brilliant here) as unsuspecting passengers, and cameos by Malaysian Supermodel Amber Chia and Potong Saga's Namewee.

See the video below and rather than be pissed by the truths or half-truths found in the video, learn to laugh at ourselves for that's what makes us humans, and that's what makes us Malaysians.

Disciplining vs Anger Management

Last Saturday I experienced a scary incident at a clinic.

I was at the child clinic where I was waiting with my husband for the doctor. Eva was due for her 4th immunization shot. We were 2 patients away when a couple entered the clinic with a boy who I guessed was barely three years old.

The mother, at first glance, was in a bad mood. When she saw her son run around in the clinic, she barked at her husband to “take care of your son, don’t let him run around”, while she laid her plump butt on the cushioned seat.

I tried to pay attention to another family instead of this family, only to find my attention dragged their way again, 10 minutes later. The boy had pooped in his diaper and the mother was assigned the task to clean up.

The incident that ensued was…. horrifying.

Mother and child were at the washroom. The father was walking away from them. The mother was screaming for the father to ‘come back and help me hold your son’. The father continued walking away while the mother cursed under her breath. The boy was struggling to get down from the diaper-changing table. After awhile the father walked back to his and son, bringing a small bag, which I suspect contained some spare clothing for the son.

The mother then moved the son into the toilet to wash up. From inside the toilet, she was screaming at the boy, “Stop moving, wash your butt, wash your butt! I told you to stop squirming around”. The sound of her high-pitch angry voice was mixed with the sounds of her boy crying and shouting. Slapping sounds followed.

Meanwhile, the father was sitting at the sofa just outside the toilet, reading a magazine, acting as if he was waiting for a waiter to bring him a cuppa coffee. I guess he has got used to this type of ‘disciplining’. My husband instinctively brought Eva to the far side of the clinic, away from the commotion as she cries easily from loud noises now, and he flew into the doctor’s office when the nurse called out for Eva’s turn.

After Eva was done, and while we were waiting to pay for the shot, Mrs “I’ve got anger management issues” and her family was in the doctor’s room. Shortly after, the father came out with the son. He was telling his son that “this time it’s not your turn to get a shot, it’s mama’s turn”. The look he gave his son is the type a man who loves children would give.

In that moment, I was silently giving thanks, to whoever is listening, that every child is blessed with two parents, not one. At least when one is psychotic, the other plays the buffer that would help ease the suffering of the child.

There is a thin line between disciplining a child and harming him. One is to teach the child to be a better person. The other is merely to physically harm the child for personal satisfaction.

Before you become a parent, please determine if you are suited to bring up children. If you do not have the patience of an understanding parent, do the rest of us parents a favour and don’t join the club.

Korean Drama: Six Children (second update)

Apparently there are plenty of people who really love the korean drama Six Children that I posted here awhile back. See the first update to find where you can order it, if that is your thing. In a response made by Angie to the conclusion of the drama, I'm sorry Angie, I can't find anyone who I know who has caught the finale but I will keep on searching.

In the meantime, I'd like to leave this link which leads to a translation of the Korean wiki entry for the movie. I was surprised to find that the original korean version was not entitled Six Children but "Always has sunny spring day [sic]" and alternatively as Six brothers and sisters. There are a few links at the bottom of the page which leads you to the official web page for the movie. They're all either in korean or chinese, and the translations are funnier than they are helpful. Still, maybe some of you will be able to decipher the conclusion for the rest of us.

Here is also a weak result of a short research: the Youtube video of the 1998 opening of the series. There you will find the korean title for the movie: 육남매 Yuknammae. 

Now to seek out that conclusion.

Getting pregnant: It's not as easy as it sounds.

I was talking to a colleague yesterday. In my job, there are only three kinds of editors in the academic line: the Science geeks, the sastera or literature geeks and the Maths geeks. Okay, geek is a strong word... but it summarizes how we are in each field/subject.

My colleague is in the Maths category and so she is good with numbers but a dunce in everything general, worldly or scientific. As she only worked with the company for a year, she is relatively a newbie in the working world, hasn't gotten her own car or house yet, has not got married and has not started thinking about having kids. 

My discussions with her are usually one-way: me dispensing geeky information and she, absorbing it. Which is a good combo as I like dispensing and she likes absorbing. 

Our topic for yesterday: how easy is it to get pregnant?

Despite the many times you've heard a couple getting pregnant 'accidentally' (unplanned), a pregnancy is not as easy to come by as one might think. There are so many obstacles to this process of making a new individual out of two cells an ovum and a sperm. I promise you this explanation is child-safe and good to know if you want to or do not want to get pregnant in the short run.

There are several obstacles preventing a fertile healthy woman from getting pregnant.

Obstacle 1: Timing

You know that 'golden' time of the month that women have... yeah, the time when she is most fertile. It is in a small window of three days only around Day 14 to Day 17 of her menstrual cycle. Ok, before I lose you there, here are some basic information you may need. 

A menstrual cycle is calculated based on the fact that the first day you menstruate is Day 1. If your menstrual lasts for 7 days, then your fertile period would be another 7 days after the last day of your menstruation period. Now that we are clear on that... If a couple is to engage in sexual activity within those three days, it is highly likely that the sperm cell can meet the ovum. For some women it is a 5-day window. Results may vary.

Obstacle 2: Which way?

The good news is a normal woman has 2 ovaries and 2 fallopian tubes. The bad news is only one ovary will release one egg every month. There is no telling which ovaries will do the releasing every month and it is not like they take turns and alternate without fail. If the sperm cells were to take the wrong turn then they made the journey for nothing. Sorry, mates.

Then again there are millions of mates to ensure that they can always divide and conquer both ovaries. And as all textbooks tell you, only one will be rewarded for the journey. This is what they claim 'the strongest and fittest cell amongst the millions of others to survive the journey and be rewarded with fertilisation.'

Obstacle 3: Divide and conquer

Once the sperm cell meets the ovum and fertilization occurs, a zygote is form. This is a single cell which will eventually divide into two cells, then four then eight and continue exponentially until a blastomere is formed. As long as there is division, there is hope. If division stops, then no new individual will form. This is also the stage which determines whether there will be only one baby, two babies or more.

Obstacle 4: Making connections

The blastomere will make its way along the fallopian tube and by the time it exits the fallopian tube, it will turn into a blastocyst. It must then embed itself on the uterine wall where the placenta and the umbilical cord will form. Implantations that occur outside of the uterus, for instance, in the fallopian tube, are known as ectopic pregnancies. These pregnancies may pose an element of danger to the mother and the developing foetus.

Obstacle 5: 10 months when anything can go wrong

A baby develops from a single cell over a period of 40 weeks which is actually 10 months instead of nine. In the medical field, those 40 weeks are divided into three trimesters. The embryo is most fragile in the first trimester, partly because most women do not know that they are pregnant until the embryo is entering its second month. The second trimester is when most of the basic structures develop and the third trimester is when the babies put on weight. This would explain why babies on average only weight 1.5 kg in the womb in the 7th month of pregnancy. Their weights can balloon up til 3 or 4 kgs by the time they leave the womb.

The mother is constantly tired as her baby acts like a parasite, sucking up nutrients (like calcium from bones) and causing discomfort to the mother by way of a tummy that gets so big, it gets in the way of everything. She must be careful not to fall, have her tummy hit or injured in anyway that could harm the baby inside. She is also prone to many diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure during her pregnancy. This is hazardous to the mother and the baby though the condition can still be controlled through diet or with medication.

During this period it is also very important for the mother to keepsafe herself and her baby physically and in the form of her food, or more precisely, her nutrient intake. Having an overweight baby could cause the baby's heart to stop, although why this happen, scientists have yet to discover. In other cases, the embryo may not develop correctly and halfway through the pregnancy, be discovered as a lump of flesh only. Babies may also have a hard time gaining weight during the third trimester for reasons unknown and while the mother keeps putting on the pounds, they hover at the slightly below 3 kg range until they get delivered. 

Heavier babies are also harder to deliver although smaller babies may also cause complications during labour due to being in a breech position (standing upright instead of the preferred bottoms up!). A baby may also have the umbilical cord tight around their necks which prompts a C-section instead of a normal delivery. 

And those are just some of the things that can go wrong.

Obstacle 6: Going through the whole 10 months willingly 

Knowing Obstacle 5, you can be sure many women are reluctant to go through a pregnancy, as so many things can go wrong. Apart from those listed, there are other symptoms that affect the pregnant mother. Some mothers develop gestational diabetes during the pregnancy which goes away by itself after labour; me included. This is due to the changes in the mother's hormone levels during the pregnancy. Other symptoms may include bleeding gums, pigmentation on the face, underarms and other parts of the body, nausea and constant wretching known as 'morning sickness'  though it happens throughout the day (and at night), constant lethargy and itchiness as well as rashes on the thighs, stomach or the back. The constant throwing up is enough to make one give up.

So how is it that there are 6 billion people in the world today? That means that there were 6 billion pregnancies that had overcome all the obstacles above; statements of human perseverance overcoming the insurmountable. Plus, women get angry easily but they forget just as easily too. That is why we are the sex that was given the task of bringing life into the world. 

Be proud to be women. 

Be proud to be mothers.

Movie Review: Up

Movie Review: Up

First impression: Ooo.. another Pixar blockbuster. And a talking dog. SQUIRREL!

Why one would watch it: It’s Pixar. Nuf' said.

What to keep an eye out for: Tears. *sob sob*

Up

Spoiler alert:

I know that this movie is a winner in the box office in the US. It is the second highest grossing film for Pixar in the US, after Finding Nemo. I loved, love and will forever love Finding Nemo. Anyways, regardless of what others say the movie is about, the movie is what you want it to be.

For me it is a story about stepping out of your comfort zone to fulfil a promise to a lost love. Even though it is a little too late. This is when the phrase "it's the thought that counts" really comes to mind.

We follow Carl Fredricksen in his admiration of Charles Muntz, an adventurer who went to Paradise Fall in search of never-before-seen monster birds. After bringing back a specimen of bones, he was declared a fraud by scientists (in an era where Science was not even Science yet). Humiliated and adamant to clear his name, he vowed to go back to Paradise Falls and return with a live monster bird.

At the end of the film Carl was watching, Muntz who was a lover of dogs (which would explain why his name sounds like a dog's) set off in a blimp (that's a hot air oval balloon the size of planes for you youngsters) to Paradise Falls. Piqued, and in total awe of his hero's bravery, Carl makes his way home in full adventurer form. He stumbles upon a dilapidated home, hearing the voice of another fellow adventurer having his own adventure inside the house.

Inside he finds a nutty-looking adventurer. A girl. A fellow admirer of his hero Charles Muntz. A friend who is as talkative as he is silent.

He found Ellie.

After a slight incident and a scene where they officially became friends where Ellie gives Carl her most secret, prized possession "My Adventure Book", we were treated with a beautiful and heart-warming music montage of Carl, a balloonman and Ellie, a zookeeper growing up, getting married, buying and then living in the house they had first met in, and growing old together.

Fast forward to the future. Carl is 78 and living alone in a house that developers are dying to tear down for construction of new skyscrapers. After an accident, he is sentenced by a court to go live in a home for the elderly. Not a man to take this while lying down, Carl came up with a plan to avoid leaving his house and finally fulfilling his wife's dream to go to Paradise Falls as how their favourite hero Muntz did.

He tied balloons to his house and the house flew up, up into the sky... with a scout in tow.

Cue Russell.

Russell: May I be of some assistance?

Carl and Russell gets to Paradise Falls with Russell's GPS, meets some strange new friends, encounter new adventures together and was treated with a horrific surprise throughout the whole film. Expect plenty of laughs and suspense, as you would have when you were a child.

After the movie:

This is a Pixar movie. Some people would just love it, just because it is a Pixar movie. Me, I'm a little let down by it. The pace of the movie was too slow, Russell was not hyperactive enough as a kid and thus not so believable. Sure he is lovable, chatty and really one you would love to spend a weekend (not two) with. But... but... there's just something about him that I can't put my finger on.

Ooo.. what was really exciting was that, Russell was the first Asian lead character in a Pixar film. He is voiced by Jordan Nagai, a Japanese American who was cast in the role although his brother was the one who auditioned for it.

I loved the portrayal of Carl and Ellie's relationship and wished that there was more of Ellie to see.The kind of love Carl had for Ellie was the undying sort, meant to continue even when one half of the equation is already gone.

At the end of the movie, there was a dedication of the movie to the real Carl and Ellie Fredricksen. Until now, I have yet to find out who these two endearing people are. Perhaps it will pop out one day, when another Pixar film hits the screen.

Movie Review: District 9

Movie Review: District 9

First impression: It’s a movie produced by Peter Jackson of the LOTR trilogy fame. It was extended from a short film, with regards to aliens living together with humans.

Why one would watch it: It’s a movie by Peter Jackson. And aliens. And gore.

What to keep an eye out for: Strong violent images, strong language, blood, dismemberment (minor)

District 9

Spoiler alert:
What one should watch it for: On the surface, it sells as a sci-fi movie but halfway through the movie you will discover that it goes deeper than that. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, this movie by Neil Blomkamp, searches the depths of humanity, of what it is like to be similar on the inside but so wanting to be different on the outside.

The protagonist, a Wikus van der Merwes (played by the very talented Sharlto Copley) is a field operative of MNU (Multinational United), a corporation that seems to deal with the aliens well being. The aliens, being stuck on Earth without any way to return to their home by reasons unknown, are to be relocated from District 9 to District 10; the relocation considered a form of eviction which requires signatory consent by the aliens.

Wikus was sent to lead the teams that will serve the eviction notices, forcing the individual aliens to submit and sign the eviction notices using fire power, intimidation, blackmail (you want me to call child services?) and not hesitating to gun down Prawns (the slang for the aliens) in the process.

However, when Wikus meets with a freak accident related to a form of liquid fuel that has been collected by one of the Prawns, he undergoes an even freakier transition from human to alien. He grows an alien limb which allows him to utilize alien weaponry.

The military government sees this as an opportunity to harness Wikus’ ability to use the alien weapons due to his transition to alien form, and scientists attempt to take Wikus apart (and killing him in the process) to study his transforming body parts.

His escape prompts a rigorous military search for him, whilst news reports of his obsession with the Prawns render him homeless and alienated (how ironic). He finds himself back in the slums of the Prawns with no one to help him… at least no one human.

The second half of the movie shows an alien-human relationship of sorts whereby the Prawn (Christopher Johnson) who was responsible for the alien liquid fuel is stuck with Wikus as they storm the MNU building to bring back the liquid fuel. The fuel is to be used to power up the alien spacecraft, but it is also the only way Wikus can be transformed back to his human self.

Conflict arises when Christopher Johnson finds corpses of fellow prawns in the MNU building, apparently subjected to experiments and left for dead by curious human scientists. He (I assume) is then determined to use the liquid fuel to return to its home planet to gather resources in order to help bring the rest of his species home, away from the clutches of the evil ‘humans’. Wikus would have to wait for his return: a three-Earth-year-trip, before he can return to his wife's arms again. But can he? And does he?

By the end of the movie, you will find this out-of-the-ordinary partnership endearing and provocative enough to make you ask "what is it that makes one human?".

After the movie:
I found it disturbing that the moment Wikus starts transforming into an alien, he is ostracized by his fellow men; whereas, an alien that has been oppressed and tormented by humans (and him) can readily accept, trust and help him when he is still more human than he is alien. Sharlto Copley was that convincing in his role in this film. The level of loneliness and desperation that his character portrayed was to say the least, scary. I also discovered the importance of having really good technology in our grasps. The moment Christopher Johnson got hold of his space vehicle and when Wikus was able to save himself from the clutches of a maniacal army man using alien weaponry, I understood how ‘great’ a race can be when they have the right guns.

Overall, it is a movie worth watching and one that would stick in my mind… at least until the sequel hits the cinemas.