Manado trip May 2011

My first dive trip of the year, not counting my abalone free dive daytrips, was to Manado.

Apparently at Manado, in the waters of the Celebes Sea, you get to see

1. Sperm Whales - 40 were spotted at one time.

2. Orcas. Yes, killer whales, who take a fancy for the Whales or Dolphins

3. Dolphins. A Singaporean photographer has a sweet shot of one doing a jump against a Rainbow background.

3. Friendly Whale Sharks.

A story is told of two divers who were busy snapping photos of nudibranches and other small creatures when they suddenly noticed it was becoming decidedly overcast. They assumed it was clouds blocking the sun. When they surfaced, the ecstatic boat crew were asking how many spectacular photos did they take of the Whale Shark that was loitering over them, enjoying their air-bubbles.

The big stuff is found in between the waters of Bunaken and Manado. I spent a whole week at Manado, I didn't see anything big. I did see many interesting small creatures though. I refuse to call them "critters" - it sounds so provincial. Many of them were very cute - I was quite amused to see a furry seaweed covered crab that looked like a teddy bear. Photos don't it justice.

Unfortunately it rained half the time that I was there. And the damn smokers polluted the air non-stop with their cigarette smoke. Next time, I'm going to bring a cover mask. If the Indonesian divers weren't smoking, they were coughing their TB infected lungs out. Covering your mouth when you cough is considered bad form in Indonesia: they may be poor, but they share their germs. I find their generosity in this regard overwhelming.

Thankfully, I got my own room at the resort. La Racasse. Its a pretty good place. We each had our own ensuite which came with a 24 hour cable TV channel. I found myself shamelessly watching war documentaries on the History Channel until 11am. Eventually my guilty conscious found me out - so I headed out to the lounge room to enjoy the sea breeze, gaze at the surf, try and spot the Loch Ness monster or Flipper or Willy the Killer Whale etc.. and to mingle with the other guests. 

But I found that my lungs and Indonesian cigarette smoke are not compatible. So I retreated back to my air con room to watch more war and architecture documentaries.

.... Damn it, my gay neighbor upstairs is humping his cat again or bouncing a big ball on the ground. The fucker causes so much irritation, I wonder whether its a gay thing...

Back to topic - To be honest, I didn't enjoy the Manado trip a lot. The highlight was the trip to the Lehbeh Straits - which took over a total of 5 hours of driving there and back. We got to see an electric looking clam. Plenty of small critters again. 

I guess I don't enjoy muck diving as much as I enjoy wall diving or seeing colorful coral.

The whole process of searching through silt, brown sand, abandoned trash, plastic bottles, plastic bags for a couple of amazing looking tiny creatures is - fascinating! Don't get me wrong. Its quite the experience. But to do that day in, day out gets old very fast.

On one of the dives, the Divemaster, instead of searching for creatures, was busy hunting for his dinner. which was a small yellow pattern conch shellfish. I even helped his quest, thinking I would share some of the bounty for dinner later. No chance, the bugger jumped off the boat and swam to shore with his catch. It was nonetheless an impressive feat given the stormy water conditions. I did find an impressive helmet size conch shell. It was so smooth, shiny and pretty. I wanted to keep it but there was a living creature inside, so I planted it back. Not sure how long that will stay there though given the tremendous amount of overfishing here.

We managed one day's diving at Bunaken but the rainy stormy weather kept most of the diving to the shallow waters at Manado. Shallow water I think is really shitty. Most of the city waste goes straight into the sea. I saw this woman defecating in a river, then later saw the same river leading to our dive site. Woopee.

Maybe it was the unremitting cigarette smoke, or just the muck diving conditions - or a combination of both that made me feel rather sick towards the end of the trip. I was glad to be back home.

The best time to go to Manado is May/June I went in March. 

(Update: On second thought, I think I was a little too critical. I guess the wet weather, constant drizzle, made me a little grumpy.

It really was pretty good. I mean, I dived at Lembeh Straits!!! The ride to the dive site is really beautiful and a foretaste of the wonder that lay beneath. However, the floor is still a brown sandy depressing morass. 

I guess I just found out that I'm a blue water diver at heart. :D

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and Dictatorship

What is it with the Left and their love for murderous dictators?
I can understand it if a person who holds Conservative views shares sympathy for a benevolent dictator or even a ruthless one. But the Left, why? The Left meaning people who are supposed to love human rights, human freedom, fair justice, worker's rights, etc..
All the communist revolutions - starting with the French Revolution (through Russian, Chinese Revolutions) ended in utter failure. Instead of freedom, the citizens received a government much worse than the old regime, the exact opposite of what the revolutionaries fought for (but I guess that's why its called a Revolution - meaning it circles back 360 degrees)
The French Revolution created The Terror, Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Russian Revolution beget Stalin and the brutal Soviet regime.
The Chinese Revolution made Mao, one of the worse rulers of China whose reign resulted in the death of over 50 million Chinese people and the destruction of uncountable numbers precious artifacts.
And whenever the Left get into power - all sorts of stupid cranky ideas get entertained - hello "Great Leap Forward" and the "Cultural Revolution". And these people are supposed to be intellectuals for crying out loud.
Anyway here are some articles about the Left and their support for Gaddaffi who supports freedom of speech, religious tolerance, worker's rights, equal distribution of wealth... oh wait, no, the guy is a megalomanic who surrounds himself with a bodyguard of 40 virgins, cuthroats, child killing terrorists, and has amassed a fortune for his family at the terrible expense of his people. Who would want to be a friend to him?
 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/dictators-useful-idiots-happy-to-take-his-money/story-e6frg6zo-1226010964238
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/left-wingers-change-their-tune-on-gaddafis-regime/story-fn59niix-1226010981876

Black Swan

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Mystery & Suspense

In short: I loved it. Its a flawless film. I watched it tonight, and wow, I thought it was one of the best films I have ever watched.

Natalie Portman's performance was mesmerizing. Her acting was superlative. She played the role of the sheltered, insecure, fragile, but highly skilled ballerina to harrowing perfection.

The other actors Barbara Hersey, Vincent Cassel, and Mila Kunis also give exceptional performances.

The story, pacing, direction was also brilliant. Darren Aronofsky, the director and script writers should win an Academy award for their work.



But wow, I love how they brought the film to that ultimate climax - that Dance of the Black Swan - I was riveted. I don't wish to give the story away - but Portman had spell-binding screen presence. Did anyone else notice the shadow of the black wings in the background?? Wow!!! I want to watch it again!!! That was good!



Hmmm... ok, what I didn't particularly like was the handheld camera effect at the initial part of the film. I guessed it helped conjure up the tension - that feeling of being stalked. ... But to be honest, I totally forgot about it midway when they switched to more orthodox filming approaches.



Other things- ok - so its got a few adult themes. I suppose the use of drugs will result in this film being cut or banned in Singapore. But it wasn't gratuitous.

The King's Speech (Collin Firth) 2010

Lionel Logue: [as King George "Berty" is lighting up a cigarette] "Don't do that in here".

Prince Albert (later King George VI): Why not?

Logue: Sucking smoke into your lungs will kill you.

Albert: My physicians tell me it helps to relax the throat.

Logue: They're idiots.

Albert: They've been knighted.

Logue: Makes it official then.

*****

With such witty and wonderful dialogue, how could I not like this film?

The story is about the then Prince Albert (or rather His Highness Prince Albert of York, "Albert Frederick Arthur George" , otherwise known as Bertie to family) second in line to the throne of Great Britain (when it was Great) and his painful stammer which is a source of acute embarrassment to himself (as well as his family and nation).

Medical knowledge and their treatment of stammering was not so good back then. The doctors even advised him that smoking cigarettes would help ease his stammering. The other treatments prescribed by the medical establishment prove equally as ineffectual and embarrassing.

Enter Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), the enigmatic speech therapist. The Prince's snobby but practical wife, played by the now matronly Helen Bonham-Carter, tracked him down and hired him to treat her husband.

The story then revolves around the developing relationship between Bertie and Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). We see them as the odd couple at the start. The proud Prince who is conscious of his social status and Logue, kind but abrasive and irreverent in that typical smartass Aussie manner.

Eventually, they did develop a warm and affectionate friendship. I guess in part because Logue realized that stammering was due in part to social and psychological pressures - and helped to address those issues in the Prince/ King's life. The other doctors treated the problem as purely a bio-mechanical problem which could be fixed by stuffing marbles down his throat or just yelling at the patient "to improve".

Both actors give great performances. Firth is brilliant as the aloof, initially reluctant, and distrustful aristocrat, while Rush plays the witty, flippant specialist who deeply admires his difficult client despite his arrogance.

I also absolutely adored the beautiful 1920 style architecture and the other marvelous set pieces. I was mesmerized by Logue's spartan art deco office, that imposing large fire place, the criss cross stained glass, the ornate bronze lights... the simple elegance of that room made me want to rush home and redo it. Bloody hell my room is a mess.

I felt that the film could have been improved on three parts.
. The film really needed to stress the unsuitability of Prince Edward to be King. Edward, Albert's older brother, was 1st in line to the throne. Albert became King George VI due to his brother, Edward, infamously abdicating to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorcee, which was prohibited at the time.



Of course, modern scruples would wish to paint Edward as the real hero - giving up his kingship for LOVE - that's the REAL STORY in today's society.



But in actual fact he was a playboy, a dilettante. He didn't give a damn about his role as king instead he just wanted to live the high life, and sleep with as many married women as he could grab. Even after he abdicated he was constantly badgering his brother for cash to fund his extravagant lifestyle. This was despite the fact that he was already considerably wealthy owning plenty of properties inherited from his father. In short he would have made a terrible king and its a very good thing that he stepped down.



It also wasn't just the Royal Family that was against the marriage. The Dominions - the representatives from Australia, New Zealand, for example, were scornful of the marriage and said they wouldn't approve of having an "adulterer" as their Head of State. Edward's response was (in effect) "So what? There weren't that many people in Australia anyhow."

Edward's lover - Wallis Simpson - also made a very poor candidate as Queen. She was the ultimate gold digger, swinging from husband to husband, lover to lover in search of a bigger purse. She was also a Nazi sympathizer; she was even reputed to have been sleeping with Ribbentrop, Nazi Germany's Foreign Affairs Minister. At a time of war, she traitorously leaked sensitive information about the Allied defenses to Nazi sympathizers and was practically happy when England was bombed by Germany. She was a pretentious upstart who sought the status and priviledge given to royalty without any of the responsibility. Wallis demanded that her staff refer to "Her Royal Highness", which she was not entitled to.



In short, she was a very unpleasant woman totally undeserving of the public affection then and now.



The couple also visited Nazi Germany several times and met with Hitler (without the approval of their Government). During the first year of WW2, Edward and Simpson stayed on in occupied France, apparently in the hope that England would collapse and that he would be appointed King by the Nazis.



The film made the mistake of telling this negative aspect of the couple in a small conversational scene- rather than showing it. For the sake of drama they could have had a scene where Albert finds the couple talking with the Ribbentrop - cumulating with Edward trying to persuade Albert to take a more pro-Nazi stance.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis,_Duchess_of_Windsor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VIII_of_the_United_Kingdom



Instead we are left with the negative (and false) impression (in the film) that Albert's wife, Elizabeth, was a snooty arrogant snob who despised Wallis for being a divorcee and an American. In reality Elizabeth never said a nasty word to Wallis as shown in the film.



2. The Handling of WW2 and the King's role in it. Whilst the film is about Albert's stammering problems, it is also about the importance of the King as a symbolic leader of Great Britain - hence the vital importance of the King's need to conquer his problem. The scene at the end when Edward, now King George VI, gives an impressive speech felt a bit too triumphant - the way he swaggers back like a rock star was so wrong. I felt that detracted from the seriousness of the situation. Their country was at war - and although the King had given a great war speech - it should have been tied in with the gravity of the event. They were at war. Millions of people were going to get maimed and killed.



I felt they should have had a cautionary moment at the end. Logue (et al) could have heartily congratulated the King, the King is happy, but then he pauses and says, "But its going to be a long war... I'm giving speeches while sending young men to their deaths." They both look very solemnly at each other. Then Logue says something about the importance of the King's speech to the nation and the people - and the fact that although Hitler was a powerful orator, the King represented something morally superior... and needed to articulate that.



3. Stylewise - this is just my personal opinion - I felt the handling of Prince Albert's stammering problems in public could have been done better. What was the point in the opening scene which spent 5+ minutes showing the BBC presenter, an incidental character in the story, preparing himself? They should have done more with the scenes where Albert is consciously stammering and there's total silence - just Albert and his acute embarrassment.

The Beckoning Silence

I just watched the documentary, "The Beckoning Silence" - which is a film about mountain climbers who climbed the infamous North Face, and the perils that they faced. Its narrated by Joe Simpson who also has an incredible story of survival to relate. He even wrote a book about it, "Touching the Void".

I found this story - enthralling to say the least - due largely to the exceptional narration given by Joe Simpson, a man who has been there, done that, experienced defeat, depression, and revival!

He tells his own remarkable story, entwining it with the tale of the ill-fated climbers from the story, "The White Spider".

If you are kind of bored at work, or feeling rather miserable, I urge you to watch this film - not to motivate you to do this sort of crazy activity - but to show the level of human endurance, strength, perseverance, and ultimately, rash recklessness... stupidity. All that effort, and for what? The thrill. The Beckoning Silence. The lure of the Syren.

I can relate to that, as I've done some pretty dumb things in my life before.

Inception Movie: A Leap of Faith

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

"You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter. How can it not matter to you where this train will take you?"

What a marvelous quote!!!

First off - this review will reveal plot developments and ... well practically the entire story. So if you have not watched the film and still want to be surprised by the story, don't read this...

I liked it. I liked it because it was well directed, had great pacing, excellent action sequences, it had great lines, and esp. great acting. (Did anyone else feel the sheer venom coming from Mal (Cobb's wife)?)

It flowed logically - meaning the audience could follow the absurd story. And there were plenty of good action sequences in it to keep us from getting bored. I think this is the hallmark of a good film - you keep the audience entertained and enthralled... even over a spinning top, the totem.

So the story is about this dream thief, Dom (Dominic) Cobb, who lost his wife, Mal, and blames himself for her tragic fate. He is able, through special technology, to enter into people's dreams and steal their ideas or plant new ideas into their brain.

He gets an offer from Saito, a rich Industrialist, to sabotage his rival's plans to dominate the energy industry.

In this whole process he and his friends undergo a series of harrowing chase and fight sequences which sometimes involves his "dead" wife whose "presence" or his perception of her, he has hidden in his sub-conscious.

OK! Here comes the big spoiler: Its all just ONE BIG DREAM. From the very start to the finishing end. The whole movie story is a dream.

Just a dream. Just a dream. (Cue R.E.M's song Losing my religion)

The totem, and all, including the plot of hatch inception, may be just a red herring.

So Cobbs never in reality enters the dream world of Saito who later saves him from his ex-client's hitmen, and then goes to his rival's son to plant an idea into his mind so that he can be reunited with his children who are separated from because the US authorities blame him for murdering his wife.

The only thing that is probably real is
1. Mal is dead/divorce.
2. Cobb feels extremely guilty about her death/divorce
3. Cobb can't be with his kids.

Think about it:
1. Why would Saito, the Japanese Industrialist who ranks No. 2 in the Energy Industry have been sitting alone on a bullet train? He's so rich he can buy an airline yet he's driving around in the back alleys of a 3rd world nation to personally rescue Cobb from a gang of mercenaries. I'm sure this is something Warren Buffett and Steve Jobs do in their spare time.

2. Why did Saito repeat the same line as Cobb's wife:
"I want you take a leap of faith with me."
I don't think its a coincidence. But it would make sense if the entire plot occurred in a dream world.

3. Cobb's children - they don't age. Not in the dream, not in real life. In the end sequence, we see Cobb's children again - in the same pose in the garden, and wearing similar clothing. Yes, another coincidence? I don't think so.

4. One probable hint: Mal, his wife, tells him that he is in a dream. Or rather Cobb's subconscious is trying to warn him that he is still dreaming.

The specific line is: "No creeping doubts? Not feeling persecuted Dom? Chased around the globe by *anonymous corporations* and police forces. The way the projections persecute the dreamer. Admit it. You don’t believe in one reality any more....”

Don't you find it strange that Cobol corporation is spending so much effort in trying to track Cobb down - including sending an entire hit squad after him? Why not simply get hold of Cobb's children? Hold them as ransom, and say, "Come."

5. So Saito buys the airline company, gets into the plane together with Robert Fisher. Do you think that Fisher would have recognized his father's arch rival? Moreover, Fisher is suppose to be one of the most richest men in the world. Where is his entourage? His PA? Can't his staff hire another plane?

So its a dream within a dream within a dream within a dream within a dream... And Alice wandered into the Hall of Mirrors and saw a million, million reflections of herself. "Which one is me?" She asked. "All of them and yet none of them." said the White Rabbit.

The idea that the whole plot is a dream within a dream within a dream within a (well you get the picture), can not be stated outright. It would spoil the whole story. Yes, right the whole thing was a huge dream, a fabrication. Stating that now would spoil the whole thing. Its like Neo waking up in his squalid downtown apartment as the credits roll in MATRIX and realizes that he had just had the most incredible dream and dang, and he's late for work!

On a sidenote: this may provide an opportunity to write a sequel to the movie. So Cobbs is with his kids, but then sees Mal walk by, his children call after her. Wait a second, she's dead. But if she's here then... (focuses on Cobb's frantic expression) : its all just A DREAM!!!! Music rooollls... DEENN!!! DEEENNN!!!!!


Then he wakes up in his bed, sweating profusely. He runs into his children's room, they are asleep, its 3am. Then he runs to a safe opens it up, pulls out the totem top and spins it.


It spins and spins... wobbles, and falls. Cobbs, leans back, breathes a huge sigh of relief. And walks out the room.


But then he hears something horrible. A low dull spinning sound.


The top is spinning again.


He slowly turns back. Its his dead deranged wife, Mal, looking at him with those big scary eyes.


He starts running.

Other interesting reviews on the film:

http://www.film.com/features/story/20-ideas-make-inception-worth/39325079

http://io9.com/5625031/want-to-understand-inception-read-the-screenplay

Cousins, a wedding and that which should not be mentioned

Recently a few of my cousins stayed over at my place for a wedding. I've not seen them for 18 or 20 years and when I saw them last they were in Primary school. I got to know them as we stayed together for a period of time. Now they've all grown up, ans have become a doctor, a corporate executive, traveled around the world, and gone and done so many marvelous and wonderful things. I am so proud of them. If you are reading this now - know this to be true: I am filled with *joy* that you have done so very well.

 At the same time, personally, its also been a very overwhelming experience (for me). First off, its that visual disconcert. My only memories of them were as children - and now they stand before me as adults. Somewhere in my brain, like an accountant shifting through old records to prepare for this year's financial reporting, I'm trying to reconcile my old recollections of them.

Certain aspects of them have remarkably stayed the same. I remember how HL talked faster and faster like a choo-choo train. Her disposition - exuberant, a fiery locomotive. I remember how HF was prim, proper; her sentences concise, her manner quiet and reflective, and the way she spoke, balancing certain words, a ballerina in her dance.

...

But its been too long. So very long. I wished I had seen them as they were growing up. I wished I could have heard them talk (and complain), to hear their stories.

 

Hmmm...

 

And that which should not be mentioned... which is "time", "age". I don't feel old. I somehow feel stronger, better, even healthier as the years roll by. (I should mention that my short term memory has always been horribly patchy even as a kid. I would forget a lot of things and get horribly punished. ...

 

Sometimes, I think I forgot to grow old.) And a lot of people have commented/think that I am much younger than my actual age.

 I'm not sure why, perhaps its the shock of seeing my child cousins again, now as adults, a visual disconcert. Whatever. But its like the last 20 years have hit me like a flood water. And, oh no, I look in the mirror and suddenly I see strains of white hair, like the creeping cracks on ice. @#$!!! Suddenly I feel every bit of my 42 years.

 I gaze at my cousins again, and hurriedly shuffle away the old records of them as children, replacing them with the new ones. An argument brews in my brain between two angry librarians. Right side: "They are NOT 10 years old", Left side: "But they seem the "same" (sound similar, look similar etc...)".

 

Side note: I like looking at stars. They don't change (well not in a human's time scale). They exude that sense of majestic permanence. But yes, I know things change. Even the stars that I see will eventually (after millions of years) burn out (or have already burnt out).

 

I hear a clock that is ticking. Ticking very loudly now, like a drum beat.