Sunday, December 28, 2014 0 b*tchin

Top 8 Best 2014 Movies

Dear bloggie,

Yes, yes, yes... I completely forgotten to do this till I saw Jeremy Jahns doing it in his youtube channel.

So without further ado.... tis is MY top 8 best mobie list of 2014 which I watched... Yes, 8 not 10... Why? Why not...  Truth be told, cause I feel I missed a lot of good movie worthy to be in a top 10 list, so instead of forcing myself to put a movie I think that doesn't worth the gold top ten brass, I decided to just cut short 10 to 8 instead... it is after all my entry :)
  1. The Journey - A Malaysian local film that finally manages to edge typical local block buster ciplak movie like KL Gangster, Lu Gua Bro, Jangan Pandang Belakang Boleh?
  2. Interstellar - Great movie but sorry, this ain't Gravity.
  3. John Wick - Despite the absurdity, this movie is a f*ckin good kill joyride
  4. Edge of Tomorrow - Live, Die, Repeat... So Zen...
  5. Fault in Our Stars - The few only movie that made me shed a tear...  Okay, a couple of tears... A movie resolving on death that is really about life. Mush a bit of tragedy, romance and philosophy, and you got yourself a piece of romantic masterpiece.
  6. Frozen - The music was amazing, storyline was above average, characters colourful, ~let it go, let it go...
  7. Guardian of the Galaxy - Best Marvel movie of the year. A fun ride from start to end.
  8. The Lego Movie - Everything is awesome, this movie is perhaps the movie I underestimated the most and honestly was very delighted when it turn out to be a stellar gem.
Memorable mentions: How to Train your Dragon 2, X Men: Days of Future Past, The Wind Rises, In Between Floors

Movies that I think should be in the list but didn't watch: Boyhood, Gone Girl, Dawn of Planet of the Apes, Whiplash, Wild, Night crawler

Over Hyped: 300: Rise of an Empire, The Maze Runner, The Amazing Spiderman 2, The Hobbit: Battle of 5 Armies, The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay,

Shit + Gimme a refund list: Transformer 4, Teenage Mutant Nincompoop Turtle (Seriously, I'm putting Michael Bay into my blacklist)
Saturday, December 27, 2014 0 b*tchin

2014 in retrospective

Dear bloggie,

I'll start this blog entry with a very cliché opening...

"What is the meaning of life"

I been asking this question for almost 1/2 of my life... It seems that every time I take a step forward in my quest to find an answer for this question, the answer would seem another 2 steps further away from me.

Life sometimes befuddles me... Sometimes it seems like a majestic piece of creation by god... at the same time sometimes it seems like a tornado of chaotic, meaningless, empty dark void pit.

I sit here now at the edge of the final eclipse of the year 2014, staring into the face of this strange yet familiar face in the mirror in front of me. I'm unable to tell apart the facial difference from a year ago with exception of less hair that grace this face now.

As MFR told me, 2014 been quite an eventful year for me. I kicked off this year at 1/2 way through my 5 months self imposed exile from the workforce from the previous year. I had to wait until March to start work as my new job only requires me to report in then. I then joined this good company which even gave me the opportunity to travel to the US for training.

I spent a month in the US, where within that 1 month I expanded my eyes to the vastness of the horizon in this world. I lived in this beautiful and serene city of Manassas. I also get to visit Washington DC, Skyline Drive (in Shenandoah Park), Luray Caverns, Baltimore, and even New York! Despite all the bad images and conception from media, tv and etc... I learnt that US is really a beautiful place to be. It was truly a memorable trip that will stay etched in my memory for a very long time, with exception of the tiring long 16+ hours flight time.

Work wise, nothing spectacular happening. I felt my growth in learning again stumped. Unlike my previous job which was fast pace and have a tight dateline which forced my skill to grow, the environment here at my new workplace is perhaps too relax to forced me to grow. I however as always fulfill my tasks which is required of me, which is something I take pride in... getting the job done. The lack of simulation to grow and stress of dealing with one of my colleague does arouse my desire to find a new job... but the scale between good and bad favours the good more hence I will remain where I am for now.

I also finally achieve my goal of hitting the 70 kg weight on the scale. The journey which began 5 years ago finally ended. I gained 10 kg across this 5 years, which I think is rather good. While I'm no Arnold Schwarzenegger, I feel I'm way more sturdier than I was 5 years ago. A end of one journey leads to the beginning of another one. My new goal is to lose fat while maintain muscle mass to stabilize at the 65 kg mark. It been a rather yo-yo battle as I gain and loss weight and currently weighting 68 kg.

Achievement wise, achieve nothing major. I did however won 2nd place for Male Top Scorer in a Inter Department Bowling competition in my company.

Not all is sunshine though, as my grandmother and grand aunty passed away. Somehow, I feel like a piece of me was forever lost. Despite my stance to distance myself from my relatives, I feel I am bonded to my relatives though a link which run deeper than blood.

As for my romance life, it's another dry run year for me. I think I'd finally recovered from the rejection that thrown my monkish life upside down. I felt some attraction to a few girls in my office, but as for trying to catch another fish, I think I will maintain my stance of not trying and let things be. MFR berated me for my lazy and cowardice approach but somehow a part of me already resigned to the fact I'm meant to live the rest of my life alone.

So to sum it all up, I would have to say 2014 is a pretty good year for me. Not so optimistic on 2015 being better or even able to equal this year. However that is another post for next year...
Sunday, December 21, 2014 0 b*tchin

Merry Xmas

Dear bloggie,

I would like to wish everyone: couple or single, happy or sad, rich or poor, in love or out of love...

MERRY XMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR


Life is a roller coaster ride filled with both up and down, so for those that are now in a rut and hurting, remember the greatest strength in our human species doesn't lie in our capacity to think nor reason, but in our unlimited capacity to feel. So it's alright to feel pain, sorrow, loneliness, sadness... Cause it's that part of us that also allows us to feel joy, love, closeness, empathy... and as a whole what makes us what we are... human...

So cherish the good times, accept the bad times... and move forward knowing, it's what shapes us to who we are now...

May everyone's wish come true this Xmas or in the coming year... And if they don't, may you at least draw warmth from this Xmas festive spirit...

Saturday, October 25, 2014 0 b*tchin

Sound of silence

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools," said I, "you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sound of silence

Wednesday, October 8, 2014 0 b*tchin

Yoga

Dear Emma,

During work today out of the blue, one of my colleague jabber on purpose of meditation, etc which lead him to question me on what is yoga. He defines yoga as "something we do to feed our spiritual self". I told him based on my understand and my own instructor words "Yoga means union of body, mind and spirit" which he ended up dismissing, stating yoga comes from the word "yoking". Since I ain't adept in Sanskrit and know going into a debate with this colleague typically will go no where, I decided to shut my mouth once he dismissed my definition of yoga. Truth be told, I understand that his definition is true, yoga does feed our spirit but what I disliked is how he "defined" yoga and asked me "Isn't that the purpose of yoga, you practice yoga right?" before dismissing my opinion of yoga and reinforcing his point on "yoga = food for spirit".

So being the kiasu I am, here is the definition of yoga from the web:

"Yoga are the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that aim to transform body and mind.  The term yoga is derived from the literal meaning of "yoking together" a span of horses or oxen, but came to be applied to the "yoking" of mind and body. - Wikipedia"

Remind myself have faith in those that have practice and taught yoga for years and have some confidence in what I seen/experience/practice...

I actually debate a bit on should I post such a petty dispute since we all human have different definition on different things. However I decided to post this anyway since I did learn something out of this, which is the real Sanskrit meaning of yoga, which is yoking. I also wanted to post upon my reflection upon why I study yoga. Even if yoga means spiritual food, union of body and mind, etc, I practice yoga because I enjoy it and that alone is sufficient...