The Epic Egyptian Experience

15 January 2011

Transportation.
It was a painstaking 13-hour flight, chasing the sunrise. You would imagine that you would actually gain the number of hours in the day by crossing several time zones, but unfortunately, I gained them in the middle of the night. So, it was a long, long night. A long restless night. And to add insult to injury, they made us taxi from one end of the runway to the other, where the terminal was.

But nevertheless, we were in EGYPT!

Customs was easy, we got through without much problems. We navigated our way to our baggage claim and headed out to meet our driver, Ahmed. We definitely needed a driver, because driving in Egypt is CRAZY.

The Egyptians mastered driving and made it into an art. It made driving in KL and Penang like driving in a n empty parking lot. Traffic lights have no meaning, zebra crossings are just paint on the road, traffic police are just for bribing. Cars weave in and out as and when they like, all they need was a toot of the horn. Jay walking was also rampant, but certain traffic conditions made it almost impossible to squeeze in between the cars. There were no motorcycles, just for that reason.

What surprises me is that there were no accidents. No accidental bumps, no near miss scratches, no road raging (thus far). Most of the cars were scratched and full of bumps, some had broken windows, and all of them caked in dried mud and sand. With that type of driving, you cannot possibly get out of the car, scream and yell at the other driver waving a clobbering stick; you’re equally at fault. Despite all that chaos, everyone is careful.

After a short break at the hostel, Ahmed drove us to see the pyramids. The first set of pyramids was in the Dashur district. It was just a one simple basic pyramid and another a few kilometres away that was the Bent Pyramid, Snofru. That pyramid was out of bounds, protected by the military. The first one, the Red Pyramid is the last and most complete pyramid, we get to enter. It was a steep climb up to the entrance, and then a steep climb down through a tunnel to the centre of the pyramid. All the artefacts have been removed to the museum, so there was nothing much to see. But it was still worth it; I have now been into one of the mysterious pyramid.

Ahmed then took us to the second set of pyramids; in Saqqara one of the oldest one around, and even though it was in the stable shape of a pyramid, it was crumbling into ruins. Next to it was the Step Pyramid, Pyramid of Djoser.

Finally, we then made our way to the Giza Necropolis, housing the most famous pyramids, the Giza pyramids; Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, and the mystical Sphinx. It was located in a protected zone, and the only way to get to the pyramids was by horse, camel or carriage. We chose the former two.

Horse was typical, saddle and rein, and the controls were straightforward. Pull left to go left, pull right to go right, pull back to stop. Kick the horse to make it run, which I tried a few times but didn’t work. I christened my horse, Horse. Horse was a good horse. I like Horse. Horse avoided puddles of water too. Horse makes me feel like getting a horse in Australia, to ride whenever I want to feel the wind in my hair. Horses were cool.

We took turns, and I also get to ride on the camels, the stubborn one among the two that we rented. Camel riding was a bit more daunting; the saddle was just a seat that felt like it was going to topple at any moment. There was only a stump at the front in which you can hold on to, but it being attached to the saddle that you were already not certain of, didn’t make me feel any better. Add on the fact that camels are taller with the saddle even higher; it just made my fear of heights kick in. Did I mention that I rode on the more stubborn camel? The one that stands up despite you not being ready? Yeah, scariest ride ever.

Our first day in Egypt.
Types of transportation used:
1 plane
2 horses
2 camels
1 car

Number of pyramids seen:
11

The Epic Egyptian Experience

14 January 2011

I am not too sure why I suggested Egypt when my parents asked me to suggest an alternative holiday destination. We were planning a trip to New Zealand, but the flights were all fully booked. I really wanted to visit New Zealand: Middle Earth, land of sheep, and southern most landmass before Antarctica.

Perhaps the image of Egypt was stuck on my mind. I remember Dr Woods showing off his photos just 3 months ago. Or could it be the image of Devastator climbing the pyramids in Revenge of the Fallen. Or could it be the adventures of Jack in Matthew Reily’s books I have just read last month. Or is it the references of Egyptian culture and art in the Uldum zone in Cataclysm.

Whatever it was, it is becoming a reality.

After booking the tickets, the preparation started. It was also the end of my internship, which is another emotional rollercoaster for me, which I shall not dwell upon this time. It was a 2-week period of tightening things up at work, cleaning up my house, getting my life organised and packing up. I was also part of the Valete Dinner, which is another story to tell.

Before I knew it, I was already on my way to the Adelaide Airport. It was very strange to find out that the driver was the same driver who picked me up from the airport after my Canberra trip. I was surprised he remembered me and even remembered what I wore at that time. Unfortunately, I have no recollection of him, but I recalled what I wore; my blue UWA jumper. Small world.

I arrived at the airport, checked in, had breakfast, boarded the plane, occupied 2 seats, stretched out thinking that this flight is like the most expensive movie theatre with good service. I browsed through the inflight entertainment catalogue and found movies that I wanted to watch surprisingly. I managed to catch 2 and 2 halves of a movie. Megamind was hilarious, Christmas Carol was scary, and both of them would have been nice in 3D. Megamind was straightforward, nothing much to say about it. Christmas Carol’s dialogue was hard to understand but I caught the gist of it. But it was not as exciting as the story is well known.

The other two movies were Eat, Pray Love and Life As We Know It. Julia Robert’s film was dry and I eventually dozed off, mostly because I was dread tired after the 2 weeks of sleep deprivation. I didn’t know what direction the movie was headed and it wasn’t comedic, so I decided not to continue watching the movie. Life As We Know It was better, AND THE BABY WAS SO CUTE!!! Sadly, I could not watch the ending as by that time, I was fast approaching Singapore.

Received a few messages on my phone, one of them regarding me leaving my car in the parking lot. To think that I have been parking in the streets all this time, subjected to vandals before, in the harsh weather, and they had to make a complaint that I parked inside the compound. Such is life.

I wasn’t going to let that tie me down and headed to my sister’s place. It was a MRT ride of memories, thinking of my time in Singapore. I can’t believe it has been 10 years now since I have left the country. This was where I first learnt my independence, where I started growing a conscience and character and personality. This was where I became the person I am now. It was a long tiring ride from Changi to Clementi.

Then, the moment I have been waiting for, for a year, I finally get to play with my niece. She is as cute as I remembered her, grown bigger and has more personality, defiant little princess, loud piercing lallation. She proudly parades around with her 3 favourite toys, her bolster, doggie and platypus. She had stranger anxiety at first, so she was wary of me. It took her a few hours to warm up, but by that time, we were already heading off to the airport for our next league.

The Greatest

"I knew this boy... who was really wonderful to me. The first time I saw him was in freshman English. He wore a baseball hat on the first day of school, and our teacher made him take it off and his hair was all pasted on top of his head, and he smiled at me while he tried to fix it. We watched each other after that. And I started to feel like I knew him. I looked at his yearbook picture so often I knew his face by heart. Our senior year I took piano, and he had soccer, so we would pass each other every day after school in the exact same spot. And it became something I looked forward to. So much so that I could tell you all the days that he was absent because those were the days I was disappointed. And sometimes he would look at me, sometimes he would turn away, and sometimes it would be so intense that we would start looking at each other from the very beginning of the steps. And then on the last day... he talked to me. And everything he said was exactly how I pictured it would be. And he felt the way he felt in my dreams and I thought everything was happening exactly the way it was supposed to. And I was the happiest I've ever been. Happy and scared all at the same time.And if he had signed my belly he would have written something comforting. I was in love with him. That's why I'm keeping this baby. I was in love with him for four years. I barely knew him, but everything was exactly how I imagined it, everything was just how I pictured it. I had to keep this baby. I think he was the love of my life." -Rose

A beautiful sad tale, about a family dealing with grief after the loss of the son... Made me shed a tear...

Gulliver's Travels

I have to say, I didn't enjoy the movie. I only remember 2 things that were funny enough to laugh out loud. Rest of it was painful, and a complete waste of 3D effects. Even the introduction short film, Scrat's Adventures, was a pathetic waste of 3D resources. You would not know the difference if it was in 2D. Really. Wasteful. Painful.

I also this remake of a classic. Jack Black's character just reminds me of Ben Stiller's movies, which is really annoying. It's just about a guy who tries so hard to be someone he is not, trying to act cool or macho without the desired effect, and just digs his own grave even deeper.

Yes, it spawned from insecurity and cowardice, something I am very familiar with. But this is just an extreme of what is capable. I guess that is my take home message from the movie, be honest even though it hurts your ego.

So the two funny parts:
Gulliver putting out the fire
Re-invention of brand names and slogans. G-pod.

The Walking Dead

I don't usually like watching horror films. Even if I do, I watch it, or playing something scary, I'll do it during the day.

So why am I so attracted to this particular post apocalyptic zombie fear fest show then?

There have been many reasons why zombies came to be. Voodoo magic. Lacking full consciousness. Losing one's mind. Psychotropic drugs. Reanimation virus. Parasitic aliens.

Evolution has made it such that we have several parts to our brain and thinking. The Cortex, the most visible and distinguishable part hosts the hight functioning, reasoning, thinking, solving. Then, theres the midbrain, which hosts our instincts, flight or fight responses. Stripped of higher functions, you are reduced to simple animals, who just wants to survive.

They have simple equations, simple principles, and the way those instincts manifest can be surprising.

1.
Something alive = Food
Sound = something alive
therefore,
Sound = Food.

so they will follow the sound until they find food.

1.1
Fellow zombie is following a source of sound/food.
Follow fellow zombie to get to source of sound/food.

1.1.1
Horde of zombies following a source of sound/food.
Horde joined by second horde. Zombie parade.

1.2

Fellow zombie brushed hand against door handle.

Fellow zombie must have found food behind door

Must get through door to food.

2.

Smells dead, acts dead, sounds dead = probably dead

Smells not dead, acts not dead, sounds not dead = probably food.

On the other hand, the survivors have adapted to the apocalypse.

There is the type that despairs and commits suicide or merciful homicide.

There is the type that despairs and look to others for hope, strength in numbers.

There is the type that bands others in a dictatorship to protect themselves.

There is the type that is reduced to cannibalism to survive.

There is the type that turns to religion.

There is the type that turns to science.

There is so much about the human psyche in The Walking Dead. That is why I love the show, the concept. I can't wait for season 2.

Skyline

What do you get if you cross the protagonists of District 9 and War of the Worlds?
Skyline.

What do you get when you combine brain hunting zombies with alien technology?
Skyline.

What do you get if Independence Day and War of the Worlds had no glimmer of hope?
Skyline.

The ideas behind Skyline isn't new. Aliens attack. Humans die. Humans fight back. What made it interesting was that:
1. Aliens had a purpose. Brains.
2. Humans die. But becomes fuel for aliens.
3. Humans fight back. And lose.

Similarities between zombies and Skyline aliens:
Both want brains.
Both don't want to stay dead.
Both have brains as weak points.
Both can't be stopped by the army.

Things I don't like about the movie:
Meaningless introduction. Kinda like bad scary movies, all about sex crazed teens.
Slow progression. Really a bunch of "No, we wait here where it's safe," vs "We have to get out of here."
Stupid characters who think they have it all figured out. I-am-cool-because-I-have-a-weapon attitude. Well, you died, they didn't. Nyeh.

Things I like about the movie:
Dog fights
|

Human Heart

I fell for this glassy eyed girl once. She was mysterious, and everyone stayed away from her. But it intrigued me, like a moth to a flame. She always had headphones on. She will never initiate a conversation with you. But she will engage with you when you talk to her, just like any ordinary person would. But she’ll gaze into the distance, like she is preoccupied with the world’s burden.

And her smile. She smiles as if she was happy for you but harbour all the sadness for herself.

Her hair was ethereal, long and wispy, like a permanent breeze going through her hair, emitting the sweet smell of her perfume.

And no one ever knew where she was from. She did not go to the same school as us, but there wasn’t any other school in town. After class, you can see her walking past the school gates. But no one knows where to or where from. No one really bothered to know I would think. Those who tried to follow her, will fail to track her. Some were brave enough to ask, but they never got an answer. I guess that is why no one bothers, and everyone stayed away.

I was so allured to her.

I finally, after months and months of collecting scraps of courage, just enough to get the words, “Hi,” out of my mouth.

“Hi,” she replied, smiling at me.

Clearly I didn’t think past that. She waved me goodbye as she walked pass me, with a giggle.

It was another week before I had enough courage to approach her again. This time, it went smoother. I didn’t want to pry in the beginning, so we just chatted about the latest movies, or pop songs. I would like to think we bonded, got to know each other. We didn’t talk about her past, despite me revealing my family, my childhood and my aspirations. I never knew where it was going, but she whispered to be once, that she enjoyed chatting to me.

It went on for weeks. The more we talked, the more mysterious she became. Instead of telling me her past, she shared her dreams, bringing me into her fantasy world of princesses and dragons and knights in shining armour. She was different from any girl I’ve dated.

Finally, one day, I tried asking her why she always had headphones on. She smiled again, her ever sad smile. She told me that it was her song, a song that keeps her strong, keeps her going. I’ve heard ‘favourite songs’ before, but the way she described it, her song was her life – passionate, if any good word fits. I really wanted to know what this song was, or what the lyrics said, but I was contempt with her answer.

The other burning question was where she was going. Again, she just smiled and whispered into my ear, that it was a secret, and that she could not tell me anything. It was something that I should not know about. Naturally, it just made me more curious. I’ve always tried to follow her beyond the end of the road, but she would always stop me. The more I pressed on, the faster she disappears around the corner. In the end, she made me promise that I must not follow her anymore.

But my curiosity took the better of me. I didn’t meet up with her that day. Instead, I hid in the bushes where I would always lose her. She didn’t see me. And so I followed her. Followed her through the park, into the forrest… up to a small little house. Awaiting for her at the door was a tall figure in black. The twilight sky cast a heavy shadow, and I could not make out his face, but the man was clean shaven with sharp features. I could not see his eyes hiding behind a hood.

She went into the house and the door locked behind her. I heard the man talking. I could not make out the words, but I felt frightened by them. I feared for her safety. Was this what she goes through every day? I had to go closer.

The words became clearer. The words were spoken in fear itself. "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ... It is he who commands you... It is he who flung you from the gates of Heaven to the depths of Hell... Be gone from this creature of God... Be gone... In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit... In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ... It is he who commands you... It is he who flung you from the gates of Heaven..."

This doesn’t seem right.

Then I saw her.

She was standing in the middle of her room, arms stretched out in a cross, in the centre of strange markings on the floor. Her eyes were closed, but she was looking around, angrily. In the corner of the room behind her, the cloaked man was curled up in a corner, with a bible and cross in his hands. He was chanting the words over and over again, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ...”

I clearly did not know what was going on, and I probably shouldn’t have barged into the room.

The girl looked at me, with her eyes still closed, her gaze fixed onto my eyes. She smiled, but this time, it was not sad. It was happy… happy but evil. The smile turned to laughter.

She opened her eyes.

And it was not the glassy eyes that I looked into before. Well, one of them wasn’t. It was dark. I don’t know if there was an eye, but it felt like a chasm. It felt like all hope was being sucked out of me, the more I looked into the dark eye. I tried to look at her other, gentler, hopeful eye, but I couldn’t.

I was frozen. I couldn’t move. I blacked out.

And I dreamt.

I dreamt I was a knight, rescuing a princess guarded by a sleeping dragon. The princess came up to me, and whispered to me, telling me everything I wanted to know.

My princess was a chosen vessel. She had to bear the burden of a demon; a demon that would have caused the destruction of the world if not contained. No man made structure was able to contain such an evil spirit, such that they had to use a human. Only the human heart was strong enough to fight the demon to keep it at bay. However, the heart only had that many beats in it, and it only had the stamina to keep it for a day.

The "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ...” mantra weakens the demon, so that the heart could continue on for longer. And that was the song she would have to listen to every day, every hour, every second of her beating heart.

They also figured a way to release the demon once a day, allowing the heart to replenish itself and build the strength to fight the demon again for another day. So that the chosen vessel could continue living. Living a near normal life by going through this ritual every day.

And that was what I stumbled upon.

She told me that I messed things up. She was sad that it happened, but it cannot be reversed. For the first time, I saw her frown.

I didn't know how long I was out for. Everything looked like a blur, I felt glassy eyed. I felt like the worst was over, and the nightmare had ended. I felt calm, finally. Can't feel any worry or burden anymore.

...but something was amiss...

... I can't feel any worry...

...I can't feel...

...Why can't I feel anything...

...What's that sound...

...I hear something... droning... like a broken record... like permanent headphones on...

...oh no...

"In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ... It is he who commands you... It is he who flung you from the gates of Heaven to the depths of Hell... Be gone from this creature of God... Be gone... In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit... In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ... It is he who commands you... It is he who flung you from the gates of Heaven..."