The Mist

The Mist is a film adaptation of Stephen King's novella with the same name. Yes, a novella is shorter than a novel... but longer than a novelette.

Anyway, the most striking feature about this story is how different people react in FEAR. I just find it interesting to find out how you would see yourself as one of the characters in the movie. After you've decided, 'Yeah, that's who I want to be,' the ironic thing is at the end of the movie...

In fear and panic situation there would almost always be:

1. The Unlikely Hero - This is the person who just does the right things at the right place at the right time. Just like Die Hard. There are other people in the same situation, but his/her actions would make people listen and follow him/her.

2. The Biblical Preacher - This would be the person who starts preaching that whatever is happening is an act of God. He/she believes that they are being punished for all the sins that they have committed and begs everyone to repent and seek salvation. Depending on how psychotic the person is, the situation may blow out of proportion.

3. The Unbeliever - This is the person who is denial and still believes that it is just a prank. He/she believes that nothing is wrong and everything will be ok. He/she argues ardently and may turn violent until he/she: A. dies or B. believes.

4. The Wannabe Hero - This is the person who wants to be of use and tries desperately to help. He/she would be thinking of various plans or gadgets to annoy people and usually does not help the situation. It is usually potrayed as a young teenager who ultimately gets in the way and die.

5. The I-Told-You-So - This is a very annoying character. All he/she does is to spew out comments stating the obvious. He/she would bad mouth anyone and will dampen any spirit. In a movie, you would wish that the character would died early and usually would get cheers from the audience whence he/she dies.

6. The Lovers - This is the couple in the situation. The female counterpart would usually be protected by her male counterpart, or find out that he's a selfish prick. If the situation allows, they would be making out or having sex somewhere. In the movies, they would die during, or after sex.

7. The Scardy Cat - This is probably where most of us sit. He/she would be terrified of the situation and resort to hiding in a corner in fetal position. He/she would not want to move from the spot and would not listen to anyone, no matter how logic it is. In hopeless situations and if the person is depressed enough, he/she would commit suicide.

Every panic movie would potray these 7 roles or a mix of them. There can even be more than one person in a particular role.

In The Mist, there was a scene discussing the reactions that were happening and how it will lead to people killing one another. Like in The Lord Of The Flies. One guy pointed out that it was in their nature to react that way... bringing in religion and politics as examples. If it happens at times out of crisis, then what more when IN crisis? Even with a common enemy, people will still have different view points and sides will be taken.

Anyway, a good psych watch for me. And if you do plan to watch it, take note of the ironic scene at the end. It is so ironic that it is not funny at all.

All Things Bright and Beautiful,

taken from a christian wedding hymm

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one;

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows for our play,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day;

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.




This is where James Herriot got the names for his collection of books. I can't remember when was the last time I read the first book, 'All Creatures Big and Small'. My first interest in Veterinary. Which I guess led me to Medicine...

Who's hot, Who's not?

I have a lot to complain about, but since the people I am complaining may come across this blog (though really slim) I shouldn't mention any names. This thought has been brewing for ages, and I finally found solid facts that support my feelings. This is a result of my psychological evaluation of the people I know.

I was asked recently what my interests are in. I couldn't tell you exactly what it is, but I can tell you that I hate politics (even that, I like the psychological side of things). I could probably talk to you about everything else, though limited. So in a way, I am easily pleased. Yet, this group of people manage to not please me at all. They have their good sides, as with all of us, yet it is their bad side that is getting to me. I am just annoyed with their behaviour, this inconsiderate careless attitude of theirs. UNCOOL.

Come to think of it, it is hard to describe it without saying who they are... All I can say is, though they are friends, I am thinking that I should stay away from them as much as I can.

On a lighter note, I have met some people who are more of the people I like to hang around with. Though our meetings are a bit superficial, I am sure that friendship can really be cultivated with them. People that I can talk to about anything about. Like movies, games, tv shows, music, philosophy, religion, etc.

Looking forward to our next meeting...

Love Struck

They say it isn't fair to like someone when you have someone else in mind. But there is a story of a ladder of friends/potential girlfriends that every guy possess. There is that epitome of the perfect girl I have in mind, and then there is that nice girl within arm's reach. The question is whether I will give up waiting for something that may never happen and settle for the next best thing, or persue the unreachable hoping that everything is as perfect as I imagined.

Or like any buaya, persue all targets and make a decision then.

I cannot tell you much of the girls I have in mind, as I do not know them that well. It isn't the beauty that is attracting me, it is something deeper that I see in them. Something that makes me want to know them. If only I dare myself to go talk to them more...

The interesting part of this tale is my REM dreams. I was getting married to someone behind a veil. I have no idea who it is. I see and feel my friends around me, but her identity remains a mystery to me. Everything seemed perfect. Then suddenly...

Violence everywhere. Aliens or monsters or undead or shambling corporate presence appear and we engage in an all out war with them. My instinct was to protect this wife-to-be and everyone else around me. It was like going through a Die Hard movie. The funny thing is that this isn't the first time I had this dream. I have had several similar dreams of me getting married to someone behind a veil and a battle after or during. I never knew her name...

Weekly Update

I did something today that I have not done in ages... yes, seeing patients is one of them. But what I am referring to is listening to music, with lyrics that is. Yeah, this all sparked with High School Musical. That and High School Musical 2. And Hairpsray. After stopping listening to Hairspray songs, I quickly went back to soundtracks and songs that I have no idea what the lyrics mean, like jap songs, etc...

Then came High School Musical. Yes, I may be one of the only people who like it. Acting and storyline aside, I'm in it for the dance moves... and the sweet young thing called Vanessa Anne Hudgens. But yeah, the dances are awesome. I really wish sometimes that I can go back to the days where I have friends who would like to copy the dance moves and perform. I miss those times. When I hear the music, I picture the dances, and that what makes me listen to them more. HSM2 was even more vibrant and wild. I can't wait until HSM3 comes out in November. Thank you Kenny Ortega.

The other thing, seeing patients... I am currently in a team which divides the patient load into 2, so effectively, we get new patients every 10days. It is good for the doctors, but not so good for us medical students. I've seen everyone on the list, some demented, some just too old. But I've talked to all whom can on my list and it is time to venture into other student's terrirory. But I lack the motivation and the discipline.

The reason why I am lacking this, as with last year, is my continued addiciton. This time I have a lvl64 paladin on a totally different server. This will make 3 different 70's on 3 different servers. I failed to acquire the scorchling pet for my priest. I've got the relatively best items for my druid and I now have my epic flying form. I am stuck doing nothing now again. Miya coaxed me into creating a shaman on a horde server, which means it will be the 4th lvl70 on another server... though, I would have covered all the healing classes available in the game. I can't wait to see what the Arch Druid does. We'll see how far I can go to 70 when my account expires end of the month.

I need motivation. I need discipline. I need help.

I hate travelling

I hate travelling. It is mainly because whilst travelling, one cannot do much. By that I mean, you cannot really get any work done while on the move. If you are in a vehicle (provided you're not the one driving) you can do quite a bit, but still limited. If you're walking, nothing other than listening to music or calling a friend on the phone. I wish that some day, I can surf the net or watch a movie while on the move.

I recently travelled to and from Singapore on one of the budget flights available. It was my first time, and I have to say, I TOTALLY HATED IT. There was no entertainment, no food, and no space. Even the air stewardess were not particularly attractive. I remained quiet on the journey, as with the other passengers beside me. I can't even sleep well like I normally would. That is 5 hours I will never get back.

I had to travel light, since there was a low luggage weight limit. I only armed myself with a couple of magazines I bought at the airport and my passport to bring on the plane with me. Even that, the magazines were not enough. I got bored pretty fast and I was restless throughout the journey.

On the way back, it started out bad too. I had more magazines with me, which still didn't last me the journey. I could have bought a novel, but I couldn't decide which to buy. The most annoying thing was, I was alone in Singapore and my flight was delayed 3.5hrs. So by checking in 2 hours before the original time, I had about 5 hours at the terminal. I was dumb enough not to catch a movie or something outside, and checked myself into the departure hall. I guess I deserved the torture.

Towards the end of the wait, I even met Evelyn, whose flight was 4 hours ahead of mine. Her flight was delayed as well. I vowed that I never want to travel budget flight ever again. But for that to happen, I need to pass. You get the picture...

THEN, on the filght itself, after I got myself comfortable in my designated seat, I was disturbed by the stewardess to move to another seat. I didn't think much of it at first, but then I started thinking, why am I supposed to move? Aside from the fact that I had a GIRL sitting next to me, I didn't really have a reason to say no. So I shifted... to the emergency exit seats... There were 4 of us guys there. As I wondered why I relenquished my seat next to a girl to sit with 3 other guys, the air stewardess came to talk to us:

"I need you guys to learn how to open the emergency exit doors if anything happens. Now you do this this this, bla bla bla... More information on the booklet."

WTF.

The guy next to me looked at me and left the seat to his original seat.

So, I was there alone, occupying 3 seats, with larger than normal space for my legs. I guess there was a benefit after all... But still wasn't enough...

I hate travelling.

Racism

Another rant...

I was travelling to Freo Hospital the other day. I can't help but being racist. Sure you cannot discriminate against another race, but this is ridiculus.

They are a loud bunch, as with most of their race. Talking loudly and talking about who screwed who and who fathered who. Some things are I don't want to hear, but it is hard to ignore. And there we are, learning about their cultures and that we should respect them, etc. I do not respect them at all as they do not deserve it.

True, some of them are cultured and civilised. Some of them are outstanding, some of them soft spoken. But when 99% of the encounters with them are the same, I find it hard not to be racist.

Even in the taxis to and from the airport, the taxi drivers have nothing else to say but to complain about another particular race or foreign worker. I come from a multi-racial country, studied in a multi-racial environment, but yet... It's like they WANT to be treated differently.

Yeah, I don't know whether it is just me or them.