New Horizons

EALD discussion in class that day was interesting. Come to think of it, EALD is always interesting!
However, back to the point. The topic was transitions in life, and how we have come to change in these past few months, entering college life and all.

Most of my classmates had very clear-cut transitional changes. Physical and mental, as well as emotional. I mean, who can not expect huge changes in one's life when you move to Sunway from all over the country. Leaving your home, parents, siblings, pets behind. It's bound to be a life-changer. Starting life at Casa and Sunway, away from home should make you more independent. I agree. However, I don't live at Casa, nor do I stay at Casa. Once in a blue and yellow moon, perhaps so,  but not that often. I live 11+ km from college. And it takes me just as much time to travel from home to college as Casa to college. So, I choose, for the moment to stay at home. Yes, with all the comforts of home, who wouldn't?

So, at first I thought that this wasn't a particularly big transition for me, in terms of being independent or "young adult". No, I pretty much lived the same way. However, what I failed to realise was the wider or deeper transitions taking place. The widening of my horizon. Broadening of my mind, to things I have never considered before. Encouragement to think more intellectually and radically. Persuasion and support to speak confidently. Yes, that's basically my transition. Something that cannot be seen clearly with the naked eye, but perhaps the microscopic scrutiny of some.

I have opened up my reading options from what limited genres that have dominated my bookshelf for the past few years. Reading classics or controversial and widely debated books are very interesting all of a sudden. But, I have to give due credit to my book-loving friends. Not that there weren't any at school, but most of my classmates (not generalisation with negative purposes) read chick-lit, which doesn't interest me. But here, I can have discussions on books with friends who share my likes or have opposing views on books. And now I am even more open to book recommendations by others.

So, imagine my joy at receiving a book report assignment. I am serious, no sarcasm involved. :D Most of the books are classics, or very thought-provoking books that have become best-sellers and sit on prestigious lists such as Top 100 books of the 20th century. I think that reading these said books can bring about change in perceptions on a variety of issues.

So lo and behold, I have siphoned through the list of books that was given, these few have caught my eye:
1. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding.  Seems to be quite intriguing. It's about a group of boys, who try to maintain control over each other? I'm not so sure. 


2. Atonement, by Ian McEwan. This is about a girl who aspires to be a writer, but makes a mistake, thus spending the rest of her life, well atoning. Haha


3.The Colour Purple , by Alice Walker. A books on the issue of racial segregation and persecution, from what I understand. Perhaps the same major theme as "To Kill A Mockingbird"

4. Life of Pi , by Yann Martel. Robinson Crusoe-ish? I don't think so. Is it about spritiuality? 

5. The Catcher In The Rye , by J.D. Salinger. A teenage rebellion icon book. Veeeerry interesting and perhaps suitable for critical analysis.

6. The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan . Seems to be even more suited to my assignment questions. Character development? Traditional values and conflicts.

Now these are the books that are interesting but I guess I am ruling them out for certain reasons. I have recently read tTo KIll A Mockingbird, and I found the story quite well developed. And the issues discussed were done so by the author very tactfully through the yes of a child. However, after having a discussion on whether is should be banned from schools or not, I think that this may become a popular choice. So, I am trying to opt for something different.
I have also read A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. I found it to be rather depressing, and having said that, it is a very good book. Having achieved its aim perhaps? But I don't think that I want to analyse this book.

So yes, writer's block has struck me right in the middle of a post. I guess I'll just stop for now.
If you are taking EALD, what book are you choosing and why? 

:D

Reviews in progress : To Kill a Mockingbird (book)
                                    Fantastic Mr Fox (movie)

P.s Holidays are ending soon. :( I want one more week please.

The Prestige

Hooray! It’s the holidays! That means that I can take some time to watch the movies that I have obtained. Movie numero uno that I am going to talk about, not really review because I’m cool like that. Drum roll please…..;

The Prestige!

The Prestige is a movie that was directed by the infamous Christopher Nolan. I think it was released in 2006. Back then, I had no idea who this person was and I didn’t really watch much movies ( not that I do now though) . However, I vaguely remember my cousin telling me that it was, I quote “Awesome! It’s about two magicians trying to outsmart each other”

Uhuh, yeahh. The whole movie can be basically summarise into that short sentence…IF it WASN’T  a movie by Christopher Nolan. However, taking into the account of  who Mr. Nolan is, you should be able to guess that he likes to spin your mind roun’ and roun’. :D

I had no idea that the prestige had anything to do with magic tricks. I just thought that the prestige meant, well, prestige lah!  Higher social status, fame ,infamy etc. The prestige is actually the most important part of the magic trick.  I quote from Cutter, also known as, Alfred the butler in Batman. :D

[First lines] Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".

Okay, now we know what “The Prestige” means. So this movie is about Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christopher Bale) who are two rival magicians. Basically, they became mortal enemies as when they were still “Sorcerer’s Apprentices” they worked for the same magician. And Angier’s wife died in the trick because Borden tried to tie a different knot, making it harder for Angier’s wife to escape from the water-filled container, and thus drowning. (My hypothesis la)

So after she died, they started their own shows, and thus began the sabotaging of each other. Angier and Borden are actually like Tom and Jerry, except that Angier doesn’t try to eat Borden la. :P

One day, Borden came up with this new trick, the Transported Man. It’s basically this trick is about him showing us two doors, just the door and the frame, mind you. And he bounces a rubber ball on the stage. As he does so, he enters from the first door, comes through the second, and catches the bouncing ball. Impressive eh? Oh yeah, don’t expect to understand it immediately. Nolan, for some unknown reason didn’t show us the complete trick. He only showed Borden entering the first door. And expected us to understand. -_-“

Since, Borden’s new trick was so amazing, Angier became Angrier. And tried to find the secret to the trick la. Now enters the super confusing part, with Nikola Tesla, lala and cats and hats. Basically, there is a twist at the end. And then, there is another twist. And then comes another twist. Twisted Nolan. Okay, no spoilers, as I promised. So, just watch it. Come on, you get to see GOLLUM! (Andy Serkis) and David Bowie who plays Nikola Tesla. Look out for his differently coloured eyes- yes it’s true. You get to feel stupid as in “Why didn’t I notice that before?!” and you get to feel confused. At the end of it, you might even have a headache and try to watch Inception instead, maybe finding it less complicating and easier to understand than this movie.

All in all, good story la. Christopher Nolan makes us think. Acting was okay, save the fact that Christian Bale’s British accent was horrid, and he was born in Wales, mind you.

My rating : 7/10

P.s. I’ve also watched Kick-Ass which was bloody bloody. (that wasn’t a kata ganda. I meant it.) I may decide to review it later though. For now, I have these movies to watch :

Boy A

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Memento (Oh no! Nolan again!)

The Hurt Locker ( I will determine if it was worthy of its accolades.)