Love always has its way...

Watched 3 nice movies during my recent HK trip in April. One on the plane ride to HK. The second one on the last night in HK and finally the last on my plane ride back to Singapore.

What I am intrigued by, is the similarity between the 3 movies though they were all of different genres. The first one, "The Way Back" is a WWII drama depicting the harrowing escape of a group of prisoners from the Russian concentration camp and finally to safety in India. Along the way, they tracked through the treacherous, barren terrain of Siberia into the god forsaken realm of emptiness in the Gobi Desert. In the end they conquered the seemingly invincible mountain tracks across the Himalayas into the arms of safety of India. Triumph of human spirit and will over nature. Fairytale ending number one.

Next up, needs no special introduction, Pretty Woman. It's simply adorable, an instant classic. Fell in love with Julia Roberts when I first saw her unpretending, truthful, endearing performance in the show. A simple young gal, fallen by the wayside, became a hooker and all this while harboring the dream of finding her Prince Charming. She got lucky one day when her knight in shining armor appeared in a Lotus and swept her away. The rest is history as they fell in love, found that they needed each other, gradually realizing that they couldn't do without one another. Sounds familiar eh? The catch here is... this is a hollywood movie and they usually have a fairytale ending for the audience.

The third one "Love and Other Drugs". A quirky one in which a suave, smooth-talking drugs salesman fell in love with a girl suffering from Parkinson's disease. This sounds serious but the show is somewhat "interesting" as I am "intrigued" by the seemingly endless portrayal of "nipples", "naked torsos", "orgasms", "Viagra","intimacy".. enough said. These are just distractions as we human, especially men, are easily distracted by such kinky references. Beneath this poorly weaved veil of distractions, lies the story of a couple finding love through this unfortunate episode. In the end, it's also a fairytale ending when the guy chose to give up his career and promotion to be with the girl.

You might think that the similarity ends there. In my humble opinion, all 3 shows have another similarity.. that is, their last scenes are poignant ones which bring out the flavor in them.

In "The Way Back", a young Polish officer was betrayed by his wife as she couldn't take the tortures by the Russians. Out of desperation, she falsely confessed that her husband was an anti-Stalinist element. Thrown into the abyss of ultimate betrayal, one by her most beloved wife, he sought the chance to see his wife again. He sought a moment of truth to face and forgive her. He knew that her wife was living a life as hellish as his, as she was constantly wrecked by the guilt of betraying her very own husband. In the last scene, many years after he escaped from the concentration camp and after the Stalinist government collapsed, he made his way back; this time back to the home he was so familiar with. As he entered the room, where his wife, now old and shriveled with age, quietly sat, he slowly advanced towards her and gave her a hug. No words; just tears flowed. Powerful stuff...


In the last scene in "Pretty Woman", Richard Gere, like the usual fairy tale ending, rode a "topless limousine" into the streets where Julia Roberts stayed. He waved his bouquet of flowers as he neared her apartment. She waved back, reliving her dream of rescue by her very own Prince Charming. This was a rescue of another sort for her; one that was set in reality. For him, it was a challenge. He had to overcome his fear of height as he climbed his way up the fireman access stairs to her apartment balcony. Sensing his determination as well as fear, she made her way down the stairs into his extended arms. He quipped "So what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her". Instantly, she replied "She rescues him right back". They kissed.. oh man..


And in "Love and Other Drugs", Jake Gyllenhaal finally realised that he couldn't do without Anne Hathaway. He hunted her down in a travel stop as she was travelling out of town in a bus. He got her out of the bus and the following conversation ensued.. enough said:
Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway): I'm gonna need you more than you need me.
Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal): That's okay.
Maggie Murdock: [crying] No it's not! It isn't *fair*! I have places to go!
Jamie Randall: You'll go there. I just may have to carry you.
Maggie Murdock: ...I can't ask you to do that.
Jamie Randall: You didn't.

[I simply adore this Love and Other Drugs trailer!!]

Love always has its way... hahaha

不能说的秘密：优美的钢琴曲

好怀念你弹钢琴的姿态，耳熟能详的音乐。好希望，好希望我也能和你一起弹弹琴，沉醉在悠扬悦耳的曲子里。

这里有一系列的钢琴曲献给你。你一定会喜欢的！

第一首。富有韵味的四手联弹。洋溢着简单的快乐，喜悦。流露出天真无邪的趣味，天衣无缝的默契。听了好开心，好开心！：



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三首钢琴斗曲。急促，激情，汹涌澎湃，温柔间带着勇气与顽强的斗志。赞！：



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凄美动听的曲子。坚贞的爱，真挚的情，流露无疑。心坎里好温馨，好温馨：



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这一首不是和上一首曲子一样吗？画面里可是掺杂着期待，失望，又带有一丝的快乐与悲伤。奇怪。同样的曲子，不同的韵味。人类一般上都是注重视觉多过于听觉吧！



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最后一首。完美的完结篇。在旧钢琴室里弹完曲子后，你就能穿越时空，回到爱人的身边。如果这是个可能的事实，我愿意苦练钢琴。。。再一次见到你。



Follow the notes upon the journey
At first sight marks one's destiny
Once the voyage comes to an end
Return lies within hasty keys
随着音符踏上旅程
第一眼就决定了缘分
当旅途走到了末路时
回路藏在急速音律里

不能说的秘密

刚刚看完周杰伦主演的《不能说的秘密》。看了这部戏后，我感慨万分。

记得你曾经说过这戏很感人。我当时听了也不以为意。现在看了它后，我才了解到你所谓的“感人”。在戏里看到了男女主角之间纯纯的爱，浪漫恋爱中的喜悦。这感觉好熟悉。在戏里也看到了他们至死不渝的爱，看了也不禁地为他们感到心酸。

两个相爱的人因阴阳相隔，而不能长相厮守，这是一件多么痛苦的事。不是吗？

在戏里的最后一幕，男主角穿越时光回到了女主角的身边。这结局对我来说是个完美的结局。我好羡慕他们。

我们俩之间，存在着许多许多，只有我们俩知道的。。。不能说的秘密。。。


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冷咖啡離開了杯墊　我忍住的情緒在很後面

拼命想挽回的從前　在我臉上依舊清晰可見

最美的不是下雨天　是曾與你躲過雨的屋簷

回憶的畫面　在盪著鞦韆　夢開始不甜

你說把愛漸漸放下會走更遠　又何必去改變　已錯過的時間

你用你的指尖阻止我說再見　想像你在身邊　在完全失去之前

你說把愛漸漸放下會走更遠　或許命運的籤　只讓我們遇見

只讓我們相戀這一季的秋天　飄落後才發現　這幸福的碎片

要我怎麼撿

Hachiko: A Dog's Story

Hey Dear,

Remember Hachiko? We saw his bronze statue outside the Shibuya Train Station when we visited Japan during our honeymoon?

Just watched the movie "Hachiko: A Dog's Story", the American version starring Richard Gere. I was really touched by the show.. At one of the very last scenes of the show, Hachi went to the train station in the middle of the night. He would go there actually at around evening for many years to wait for his owner, Parker Wilson (music professor), to come out from the train station after work, even many years after his death.

So that cold lonely night, Hachiko fell asleep for one last time outside the train station. He saw Mr Parker coming out of the train station to fetch him for one last time... bringing him up to heaven. Hachi looked so contented.

I broke down when I saw this scene.. don't ask me why... you know me best my dear. You know how I feel now. The day will come...

Movie "Firsts" & "Lasts"

Hey Dear,
Suddenly remembered my first ever movie in a cinema, which I watched alone.. It was Beetlejuice (1988) at the now defunct Capitol Cinema ... It was so funny! Come to think of it, I should watch it again. Since then, I have not once watched a movie alone in a cinema.. Usually watching with friends and eventually.. mostly with you...

Our first movie together with friends was Michael Jordan's Space Jam.. And our first movie together, only 2 of us, was "White Squall"... Don't remember about the movie much because throughout the movie I was just staring at you.. come to think of it now.. it's so corny lor:)

On Saturday, for unknown reasons again, I decided to go watch a movie alone... "Wallstreet" ... after so so many years.. about 22 years to be exact since I went to watch a show alone. It seemed weird at the start; I saw couples or groups of friends around me. And there I was.. a lone soul sitting at one inconspicuous corner. I tried to keep myself happy with nachos with "EXTRA cheese" and a large ice lemon tea. But when there were exciting scenes which I wanted to talk about, I turned around me, seeing unfamiliar faces everywhere... I drifted into memories of us watching various movies together.. cannot concentrate...
I recalled our last cartoon together was "Up", a very touching one, which you cried during the show. After the show, we talked about the most poignant part of the show.. when the old man after many years found a note from his wife... asking him to start a new journey...........Our last movie was "Avatar" 3D. We both loved it! And I badly wanted it to win the Oscar.. which it surprisingly didn't...

By this time, the show was nearing it's end; it was a happy ending.. everyone celebrating the first year birthday of the baby girl... Dear, don't ask me what happened before this scene because I was with you throughout the show... as usual...

Welcome Back Mr McDonald

Over the years we'd watched quite a number of Japanese movies together. Your interest in the Japanese language, culture, food, movies, basically anything Japanese, has indeed rubbed off me. Like you, I come to realise that a good Jap movie always have a strong storyline that captivates the audience rather than the actors & actresses.

And in the earlier years, most of the Jap shows that we'd watched were at the Old Picturehouse. Old timers like me will remember the Orange Julius restaurant at one corner.

Some of the shows that we'd watched there: Sada, Love Letters, Welcome Back Mr McDonald....

Welcome Back Mr McDonald? Not many people know about this show released in 1997:
A late-night live broadcast of a radio drama begins with none of the cast or crew being pleased with the project. When the lead actress Nokko Senbon decides she won't play her role unless she's allowed to change her character's name, the whole cast eventually insists on changing various parts of the play to their liking. This begins a chain of events that completely changes every aspect of the story and requires the entire staff to participate in completing the drama, all while live on the air.


We both like it... and last week I suddenly thought about this show and managed to find the DVD on sale at ebay. Just received it yesterday and I'm watching it again as I write... reliving the good old days.. Dear let's watch it together again.

《禮儀師の奏鳴曲》Departures

离别。。。一提起离别，总是带着几许的悲伤，惆怅。从来没想过你会比我先行一步。

记得我们看了《禮儀師の奏鳴曲》Departures 之后，谈到离别这无聊的课题。我们俩的见解是一致的。我情愿我比你先走，因为我们俩都认为在这方面，你会比我坚强，会比我更能走出离别的阴影，比较能更快地站起来，从新面对现实的挑战。

真的吗？我多么希望，现在得回答这问题的人是你，不是我。。。也许我们俩是对的。现在的我还是不能接受这残酷的事实，还徘徊在离别的阴影，旋转在忧伤的漩涡。

想着想着，又再回想起最近发生的一切的一切。。。我又失眠了。。。已经开始习惯失眠的困惑。不能睡，没精神？不要紧，没事的。。。只要第二天能够醒来，已经是一种恩赐了。。。

借戏里面的一句，“总有一天我们要送别他人，也有一天要被人送别”。。。被人送别，对我来说其实是两者当中比较幸运的选择。

Les choristes

Hey Dear,

Remember this french movie which we watched in 2005? Just realised from wikipedia that it was incidentally released on 17 Mar, your birth date.

Remember that you were inspired by the movie; how the music teacher Clément Mathieu who against all odds organised a choir out of a group of "misfits". Movie starts with the wildly successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange recollecting his childhood inspirations through the pages of a diary kept by his old music teacher.

I am sure many years down the road, there would also be students of yours, recollecting how you've inspired them...

Attaching one of the scenes from the movie, where the kids were singing "La Nuit".. if i'm not wrong it's "the Night" in English (still remember a bit of french from my one year of french lesson in Uni). C'est manifique...

Dear Dear... Bonne Nuit.. Je'taime...