Displeasure

Blah, it is no wonder that people find Singapore "stifling", because I find it drab too. I can hardly swallow my displeasure over that problem, you-know-what. That sore spot that got me everytime.

Seriously, there are times when I tried not to think about it, but still, sighs.

I suppose there will be enough chances in the future, but what if I don't want it to be in the future? What if I want it to be now, before that passion and spontaneity is gone?

Uncertainty

University seriously stresses me out.

I'm worried that I don't have the confidence and skills to conquer University. I'm just a very ordinary, average kind of person. Reading all those reviews about the modules and having to have strong writing skills make me did a double-take. Do I have what it takes to ride through this storm?

There are times when I like to think that my English is not that bad, I did editing for projects during the Polytechnic years and hey, they were pretty good.

Perhaps all these uncertainty and anxiety will pass once I start classes proper and know what to expect.

It's just like Polytechnic all over again, I freaked out pre-poly too. Looking at all those modules and credits, I didn't know how in the world I will do it right. But, I did well and that's all that matters.

University is a big deal, isn' it? It either make or break you, in certain circumstances. Afterall, what are the odds that you will make it big without a proper education? I know the chance is out there, but I am practical and this is a practical country.

Uncharted Waters

Am I ready for University? The answer is no. I am freaking out over it. It’s happening too fast and it’s too real.

Perhaps the thought of it being no child’s play makes me so jittery. Perhaps the thought of not doing well turns me off.

The local University scene is notorious for being “too high standard” for Polytechnic graduates. Parents and students have been lamenting for years how it is unfair to them and how they have to seek out overseas Universities.

I know they said it is tougher for Poly graduates and I am worried about that.
I get into one by my sheer hard work. I am proud of the fact and yes, I surprise myself. But now the real challenge begins.

It’s one thing to get accepted and another to graduate with a degree, nevermind honours. So can you blame me for not wanting to make sure my roll continues? It isn’t easy to get in and it isn’t easy to maintain. I don’t want to be labelled as that “University dropout”.

As the last days of holidays bring me closer to reality, there is a battle of 3-4 years in front of me. It’s uncharted waters ahead, and my standards for myself and the aspirations from relatives and family stress me out.

My most primal fear is fear itself. There I said it. I am afraid of not adapting well. I am afraid I make the wrong choice. I am afraid of having regrets because I choose this path. Even if I do regrets, I have no one to blame but me.

I am afraid of hitting road blocks and too-high hurdles. I am afraid of examinations. I am afraid of not doing well enough. I am afraid of failing myself. I am afraid of having to work with not good groupmates. I am afraid of finding a job afterwards.

I worry too much but how can I not? I am lucky in Polytechnic and I can only hope that I will be blessed in University.

I am messed up.

Magic In Numbers

The last instalment of Harry Potter has break some pretty records and "accio-ed" in some impressive amounts. Here's a breakdown of the magical numbers, credit to Mugglenet.com

In terms of advanced ticket sales, Deathly Hallows Part 2 managed to pull in US$32 million.

The film holds the top midnight box-office record of US$43.5 million,  previously held by 2010 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at $30 million.

On the Opening Day, Deathly Hallows Part 2 made US$92.1 million in the States, $20 million more than the previous record holder, The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

More impressively, Deathly Hallows Part 2 took in more money than 4 of the previous seven Harry Potter films did over their entire opening weekends, in a single day!

It also has the honour of being top opening weekend film of all time in the States, bringing in an estimate of US$169 million, a comfortable distance from the previous record holder The Dark Knight's US$158 million.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 finished the opening weekend making US$475.5 million worldwide.

By July 20th, it has crossed the half a billion dollars mark, upping the total to US$604.8 million worldwide.

The Harry Potter movie franchise have accumulated $2.223 billion, compared to $2.218 billion for Star Wars franchise, becoming the top grossing movie franchise of all time.

To project it domestically, in Singapore, Deathly Hallows Part 2 earned $3 million for the opening weekend. No bad for a contribution.

This is the power of the fans. This is what I call magic.

-Statistics credited to BoxOfficeMojo-

Voyage de la Vie

On 14th July 2011, the whole family went to watch Voyage de la Vie at Resort World Sentosa.

One ticket originally cost S$100+ but because my uncle's colleague had some special deal, it only cost S$20+. Our seats were the second best from the house, just 3 rows away from the stage!

It's thanks to such deals that we get to watch this kind of theatrical shows. Can you imagine us paying the full price as a family?

It was quite amazing actually. It has a Cirque du Soleil feel to it, except this is smaller in scale. The storyline is pretty simple as the main course is the effects and stunts. I particularly like the one with the crossbow and arrows.

Now, my wish is to watch Lion King at Marina Bay Sands. Truth be told, Lion King appeals to me more than this.  

That afternoon, after my Qualifying English Test at NUS, I went to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 by myself. That was my first time watching a movie alone and I must say, the only bad thing about it is there is no one to discuss with after the movie.

As for the test, well, I think I did alright. Hopefully, I can pass without having to take up any English modules. Fingers crossed.

After: The End of Harry Potter

I last read The End of Harry Potter? by David Langford back in 2007, before Deathly Hallows came out.

Reading the book 4 years later, when the end is really here, brings back fond memories and a whole new perspective.

This book made an impression on me because it is highly entertaining and the author speculates what would happen in the final book by J.K. Rowling. Like I said, reading it before and after brings a fresh outlook as to how you see things.

He made many clever guesses and speculations about which side Snape is on, whether Dumbledore is really dead and who will die in the battle. With his deep research, he wonders if there is a part of Voldemort's soul in Harry's body, which is very insightful, I might say, as we all know how it goes.

I particularly like the various tongue-in-cheek alternative endings he had, such as the merging of J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings with Harry Potter, Harry Potter and Stars Wars, and of course, Parseltongue.

He still made me laugh after all this years.

Second Thoughts

The IMAX experience at Shaw Lido is super cool! The screen is really big and you can really feel like you are in the movie. I'm glad our seats are quite near to the centre but wish that we could have sit further back. It does get a bit disorientating to concentrate when the screen is that big.

Second time watching Deathly Hallows Part 2 and I still cried at the same scenes. I just can't help my tears.

The first half of the film is more true to the book than the later half, I can conclude that now. The Gringotts break-in and escape are very enjoyable. But when the trio reached Hogsmeade, that's when things start to speed up and get all mix up.

How does Ollivander know about the Deathly Hallows at all? Most people don't even heard of them. He only knows that the Elder Wand exists but not that it is one of the Hallows.

I feel that the whole battle is altogether too rushed.

Harry shouldn't have come out to challenge Snape like that. Like I say before, students should have been send to safety with those opting to fight staying on. The Order of the Phoenix should not arrive at that timing! It's really too fast-pace.

The idea of Harry not hiding from everyone didn't sit well with me. He is in plain sight when he wasn't suppose to let people know.

Why wasn't Hagrid sad that Harry has been killed? He should be in grief or at least, sniffling when Narcissa announced that Harry was dead. A bit of emotion would set the morbid scene right.

Why was Voldemort hugging Draco? That's an awkward scene. Like what a fan said "Voldemort doesn't hug people!"

Bellatrix and Voldemort getting blown to pieces is funny and unncessary. They should just drop to the floor and die.

Why didn't anyone cheer when Harry killed Voldemort?! The boy-who-lived just finished off You-Know-Who, for Merlin's sake! You would have thought that people would be a little more grateful and happy about that. That scene wouldn't even need lines, just cheering, whooping and hugging Harry.

The scene where Harry broke the Elder Wand still irritates me. So what now, he is going to use Draco's wand forever?

Now, I know I nit-pick a lot, I practically break apart the whole movie. I can take heart that many fans did so too. We want to see what we read in the book, that's all. It's that simple.

Despite all my complaints, I still think this is one of the better movies in this franchise.

I just feel, like so many other fans, that this last instalment could be better, longer and more detailed. I heard that critics generally like it but haven't you notice, critics do not represent the fan-base. Our opinion always contradict with theirs and I mean, always. To each his own, anyway.

The fandom is the one bringing in the money that guarantee the success of the franchise. In layman terms, the fandom is the money-tree. Who else would go for a movie multiple times?

It have the potential to be the best film in the series, but somehow the crew ruined that chance.

Purist

I'm what they call a book purist, a loyal and firm supporter of the beloved book series. I am quite a nit-picker because I just want to see the original gets translated onto the big screen.

As I read some of the reviews by Harry Potter fans, I take comfort that I'm not alone. There are tons of like-minded people out there!

I find myself nodding in agreement and crowing in delight when fans pointed out those plot holes, inane changes and unforgivable mistakes the franchise has made. My sentiments exactly!

I cannot get over the fact that Harry didn't repair his wand with the Elder wand or return it to Dumbledore's grave. I mean, what's what with that?!

I know that the books will always triumph over the movies and that these are only movies adaptations, hardly screenplays, but as a dedicated fan, I would like to see more effort being put in.

I know we should be grateful and thankful that the book-to-movie adaptations are still better than average and that we should love the two as separate entities.

Oh well, I can't help but feel a little bit disappointed that it wasn't the epic film that it has the potential to be.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie review

Edited: 18th July

Cinematography (making of lighting and camera choices): 
 

Darker saturation for the whole movie gives it a raw feel and sets the emotions of the film nicely.

I do like the close-ups of some of the characters such as showing Harry’s eyes at the scene when Snape is dying.

Acting:

The cast has outdone themselves in this finale, the acting is the best of all the films and supporting cast members like Matthew Lewis is exceptionally great as Neville.

Daniel Radcliffe is wonderful as Harry. Like I said before in the previous film, he does not sound and act so wooden anymore.

Emma Watson is still amazing as Hermione after all these years.

Rupert Grint surpasses himself. He is still the likeable person who gets the funny lines. It provides some light-hearted moments to the otherwise depressed atmosphere.

Although Tom Felton does not get many lines in this film, as usual, his facial emotions are wonderfully down to a tee.

Draco Malfoy is the reluctant villain, forced to commit deeds he did not want as a means to protect his family and status. Actually, I would think of him as very human. In circumstance of fight or flight, I think that there are many of us who would choose ‘flight’. After all, we all can’t be heroes. I’m glad he has his own happy ending in the end.

Alan Rickman deserves an award for the rousing performance! He shows the most emotions in this last film as compared to all the other films put together. Fans and non-readers finally get to see the man behind the mask. In the last 7 movies, he is always portrayed as the man with the blank mask, the one with poker face. In here, we see how he wept over Lily’s body at Godric’s Hallow. We see how he pleaded with Dumbledore to keep Lily and her family safe. We see how he fooled everyone, including Voldemort.

The dying scene is very emotional as he was struck so many times by Nagini. I would think one time would be more than enough! As he looked at Harry’s eyes for the final time, he saw Lily in them and with a dying “Look at me”, the double agent is dead. My tears just leaked out, as I did with the book.

Julie Walters is the formidable Molly Weasley who finally revealed her darker side in the duel with Bellatrix. She delivers the most anticipated line “Not my daughter, you b****” with relish and malice and it certainly did not disappoint. Fans heaved a sigh of relief when it was revealed that this line would not get cut out.

Dame Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall is terrific. I would give her performance a standing ovation if possible. She showed that she cared for her students and above all, Harry Potter. I love the scenes where she challenged Snape to a battle and transfiguring the stone statues to secure Hogwarts. Gods, the scene is so powerful.

Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort is pure evil and it just shows how make-up can totally transform a person. I did smile when Voldemort’s bald head was sullied and dirtied after the wrestle with Harry.

Helena Bonham Carter gets a break from acting the absolutely crazed Bellatrix. Playing Hermione becoming Bellatrix is one of the most enoyable scenes in this movie. She really did capture the uncertainty and nervousness of Hermione in disguise.

Benedict Clarke as young Severus Snape is great. I really like how he looked when he’s with Lily in his childhood. We can see he is truly happy then.

Did we even see Teddy in the film? .

Ryan Turner (Hugo Weasley), Bertie Gilbert (Scorpius Malfoy) and Arthur Bowen (Albus Severus Potter) are the three cutest boys ever! It’s just too bad for me that only Scorpius’ back is shown in the movie.

Special Effects:

I love the stunning visuals and mind-blowing effects such as the dragon escapade and marching of the stone statues, especially in IMAX 3D. The dragon's face is literally in your face!

Plotline:

As much as everything is taken into account, the book-to-movie adaption is not that bad as compared to others.

Despite the changes and cuts, I don’t feel like I am watching a different story altogether and that to a fan, is extremely important.

My favourite scenes?

The beginning with Voldemort getting the Elder Wand is a good place to begin part 2 as it provides a recap to Part 1. 

A scene is shown in passing of Snape as Headmaster of Hogwarts and Dementors guarding the school with students treated as prisoners.

The scene shifts to Dobby’s grave at Shell Cottage. I thought the scene with Griphook and Ollivander was well performed but it could have been longer. Hermione becoming Bellatrix, as discussed above, is extremely well done.

I love the ambience in Gringotts as the trio and Griphook broke into it. The ride down the bank’s underground is extraordinary fun yet heart-thumping. I can see those developers at the Wizarding World turning it into a rollercoaster ride of sorts. I like the twists and turns and the Thief’s Downfall.

I love the Room of Requirement scene with Draco, Blaise and Goyle.The Fiendfyre with the fiery raptors, snakes and tigers is breathtaking and I can literally feel the exhilaration that Harry, Hermione and Ron felt as they soared across burning room.

I like how they added in the scene where Hermione and Ron went to the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve the dead Basilisk’s fangs and destroyed Hufflepuff Cup, the horcrux. It is important as this scene is only said in passing in the book. Although, I must say, Hermione and Ron’s kiss could have been better timed. They could have kissed in front of Harry with him saying “OI! There’s a war going on here.” It would have been great and hilarious moment.

The final battle is the pivotal point and the finale that everyone has been waiting for. This is the showdown between the Light and Dark, Good and Evil, Harry and Voldemort, for “neither can live while the other survives”.

The Prince’s Tale is easily one of the most emotional scenes in this film and I cried when I saw the memories. Scenes were cut down but I particularly adored the one when Snape entered the destroyed house and saw Lily dead on the floor. The part where he had her body in his arms and wept is very heart-wrenching.

Neville (Matthew Lewis) shows his potential in this film when he killed Nagini and stood up to Voldemort.

When Harry opened the snitch and had the resurrection stone in his hand, I thought to myself, oh no, here comes another tear-jerking scene. Indeed, I teared up again. Those words spoken between Lily, James, Sirius and Remus to Harry are so true to the book. “You’re so brave, sweetheart”.

I like the scene when Harry gave himself up to Voldemort.

Harry met Dumbledore in what I can only describe as Limbo. Voldemort’s soul is hideous and disgusting. And I like the ethereal-looking King’s Cross Station. Again, this is the scene where most of the plot sticks, other than the deletion of Dumbledore’s tale. It’s a bit disconcerting not to hear him apologising. My favourite quote from Dumbledore is there!

The final battle is the best of course, although too fast-pace. I wish Harry and Voldemort could have said out the spells instead. The point where Harry and Voldemort tumbled down the side of the tower is awkward though and I can’t imagine Voldemort doing physical assault to Harry. It’s just so “muggle-ish”.

Another brilliant and heart-warming scene is the epilogue. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Draco are in their thirties with families. I love the scene whereby Harry told Albus Severus about his namesakes. That is so loyal to the book.

At first, during the days of filming, fans were a bit apprehensive of how they were going to look under prosthetics. The cast gave us the impression they were aged quite a lot and that thought was scary. Not to mention, those early pictures of them are not exactly flattering.

But I think our worries were unfounded, they do aged well and most importantly, do not changed that much.

Draco’s receding hairline isn’t that terrible as we thought it would be! Phew. Harry and Ron look dapper in their adult clothes and Hermione and Ginny look wonderful. Now, I have to squeal at the sight of the ickle next generation. They are just so cute! Trivia: Albus Severus Potter has a ferret!

Soundtrack/score:

The score by Alexandre Desplat is soulful, eerie at times and heavy at others. He captures the mood of the different scenes perfectly. Many fans who are passionate about scores of previous Harry Potter films mentioned that Nicholas Hooper and John Williams did extremely well in the scores. I have to agree with them as Half-Blood Prince and the first two films are my favourites.

Disparities:

At the Lestrange’s vault, on top of the multiplying gold, they should have added in lines regarding the burning gold – the Flagrante curse.

In the books, Voldemort cannot feel that his horcruxes are destroyed and yet, they made the big mistake of letting him know. It shouldn’t be the case because why else shouldn't Voldemort seek out Harry first.

Dumbledore’s past and backstory was completely cut out at the Hogmeade’s scene with Aberforth and at King’s Cross Station. I supposed the reason is because the producers do not want to over-complicate the already complicated plot, especially with non-readers among the audience. I guess I can understand that.

Why is Harry telling Aberforth about horcruxes? Shouldn't it be a secret?

Neville doesn’t look too surprised at seeing Harry, which is kind of weird. Why the students are staying at the Room of Requirement isn’t brought across clearly as well.

I don’t exactly enjoy the Grey Lady’s scene. It comes across as too forceful.  Why would she want to destroy the diadem? She only coveted it. How did she even know about the diadem being an evil object and all? Sighs, they could polish this scene up. True, it’s not that crucial but I would have like it to stick more to the book.

What happens to George’s missing ear? I know that it’s a tiny detail but still.

Why didn’t Professor McGonagall send the students to safety? It could have easily been delivered in a line or two. That’s not too much to ask for. Students’ safety is of utmost importance and yet, all the students are rushing here and there. Perhaps it is to create a sense of panicky feel and to make sure that enough extras are around to fight. 

Why isn't Harry's eyes green? That is the question. Since the start of the first film, fans have been questioning this.

Too many important moments from Snape's memories have been cut off, such as the teasing by James and Sirius, Snape calling Lily a Mudblood and the falling out between Snape and Lily.

The Malfoys shouldn't have left the scene like that even though I know it's not their battle. I don't know, it doesn't seem to grow on me. I know they are not really evil or bad, as they only believe what has been the norm since the beginning - pure-blood superiority.

*Groans* What have they made Harry do to the Elder Wand?! That is a big no-no! He shouldn’t have snapped it into two but rather, stick with the plot and returns it to Dumbledore’s grave after mending his old wand. Out of all the changes, this is one I hate the most.

Seriously, the epilogue could have be longer with James teasing Albus, Ron telling Rose to beat Scorpius at every test, the nod between Draco and Harry, Ginny telling James to give love to Neville who is a professor. That would have bought closure as to what happen to Neville and not forgetting that Draco and Harry have reach an understanding.

Overall feel:

Overall, this movie is the phenomenal ending that fans are waiting for and it is fitting send-off after a decade.

For fans, we know where everything is going, yet at the same time, as this is an adaptation, we are in for surprises as well.

I love the rawness of the film, the emotive and heart-wrenching scenes. It is intensive and quite overwhelming for me, possibly because I am hyperventilating.

It is well balanced and viewers know for sure that this is no longer a children book but this is war and sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.

Of course, this movie tugs your heartstrings and manipulates your tear ducts.

This is one of the better films in this movie franchise. However, between this and Part 1, I still think the latter is much better performed and executed. 

Ever since Chamber of Secrets, I have all but lost hope that another Harry Potter film could follow the legacy of remaining faithful to the beloved book series. Yes, Part 2 is faithful to the book in some areas but falls short in others.

Is this my favourite movie? I'm not too sure. It's an alright sort of movie, sad to say. It is not quite up there on the pedestal with the first two movies and Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Although, David Yates, David Heyman, J.K Rowling with all the producers and crew behind this success ought to give themselves a pat on the back for a job well done. They have outdone themselves in this final instalment.
 
It is a brilliant and dazzling finale and an incredible conclusion. It has been an emotional rollercoaster, despite me having read and re-read the book. No matter what, I still get teary at the heart-wrenching scenes. 
-
Words can’t describe how I felt; there is a mixture of pride, elation, agony and depression. The Harry Potter era is officially behind. It is history. 
-
Yes, the fandom will never die as long as there are fans celebrating this legacy and keeping the flame burning. It just won’t be that special anymore, as there will no more countdowns, no more midnight shows, no more premieres, no more of those impromptu stuff. 
-
There will never be something like this again, not in the near future. 
-
Though the movies represent the tip of the iceberg, they bring words to life and give realism when the book cannot. Fans can finally go to Hogwarts and study there! Movies help us to visualise when we cannot. 
-
As I flipped through those news articles of old, it evokes a sense of deep nostalgia in me. It wasn’t that long ago when they announced that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be built in Orlando! That is like a dream come true for fans. It wasn’t that long ago when there is still a long, long way to go.

A Decade of Magic

"No story lives unless someone wants to listen" - J.K. Rowling

The truth just hits home, this is really ending, isn’t it? All of it.

True, the books series may long have ended in 2007, but for us, the movies are always a sense of continuity. After all, there are still 3 films to go.

To quote producer, David Heyman “We always knew we were coming back, but this time, we know we won’t”. Don’t I feel depressed when I hear this statement?

It has been nearly a decade since I first experienced the glorious world of Harry Potter and magical London, and I never look back.

I remembered the countdowns, the pre-orders, the late-night readings, the premieres, the “celebrations” with fans all over the world, the cheers and tears I shed. Through the ups and downs of school life, one thing stays true and that is Harry Potter (the series). I always know I can count on the magical world to keep my spirits up.

There were some points during the 10 years where my love for Harry Potter seemed to have faded but it was never truly gone. I came down from a high at some points of life and it soared again as I grew older and the story grew darker. Harry Potter and friends were growing and so was I.

I remembered reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for the first time in my life when I was 10, which was lent to me by a friend. Few months later, I supposed, I went on to watch Chamber of Secrets and that was the event that triggered my passion and from then on, I was hooked. I bought my first book, Prisoner of Azkaban and it was and still is my favourite. After that, well, I never missed each book release and movie opening day.

To think that the journey is ending tomorrow!

This is will the last hurrah for us fans, the last time where we can countdown, dress up, cheer and party as the lights dimmed and celebrate the legacy J.K.Rowling has gifted us.

There will be no more of these occasions once 14^th July pass. Even though, the magic stays on and shall thrill generations to come, there is no longer the “X” factor, that special moment to savour. With instant gratification in terms of books and movies, anyone can access them and thus, they are not deem as precious as they were to us.

We are the pioneers, the “Harry Potter generation” who grew up and attended Hogwarts with the protagonists. We are there for every step, from finding the perfect actors, to making the movies, to gasping in horror at plot holes. We are there as J.K.Rowling wrote her books, releasing them over the years, with her fans impatiently counting down the days for each book release. We were the ones who come up with all those speculations about how series will end.

To all those who have been there since the beginning of time, kudos and thank you for staying on. I feel like a first time parent who has been there, watching his child grows up, and now, he is an adult and ready for a brand new world.

If this is how I feel as a fan, I wonder how Rowling felt when she finally handed up her manuscript and saw her brainchild being released for the final time. Gods, the pride and agony...

Not Ready

Another week gone.

Why is Time passing so fast? I'm not ready to give up my freedom. I'm not ready to face stress and challenges again, particularly this long-drawn battle of 3-4 years. I'm not ready for University, period.

Deahtly Hallows Part 2 London Premiere

5th July Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiere at Trafalgar Square, London was a grand and emotional affair.

Hardcore fans camped out in the rain for more than 3 days to catch a glimpse of their idols and witness the spectacular end of an era. How I wish I could be there amongst them!

There is the longest red carpet for the actors/actresses to walk on and this premiere got to be the biggest that London has ever seen. Indeed, the aerial shots of the place are magnificent.

Like what the stars had say, it was truly breath-taking and humbling to see the droves of fans who grow up with the movies and books and make this franchise so successful.

Watching part of the live coverage and later, the replay online, across the world is marvellous. I never will thank the invention of Internet until then. I can literally feel the excitement and elation of fans and I did get teary-eyed when Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and J.K. Rowling made their thank-you speeches.

It's so bittersweet. Something like this phenomenal will never happen again, not in this lifetime and age. I don't want to make it sound so "end-of-the-world-ish" but the feelings evoked can almost never be felt again.

I reckon in the later part of life, you will grow desensitized and jaded that anything will just be a passing fad.

This premiere, which I have the good fortune to witness, will go down in history and etch itself in the minds of fans and maybe stars for many years to come. When we grow nostalgic, perhaps, we can look back and relive the moments.

It was certainly a fitting send-off to the greatest movie franchise of all time, the highest grossing series ever, and of course, to the actors/actresses who bought imagination to the big-screen and J.K. Rowling, where none of these will happen if not for her brillance and putting pen to paper.

Thank you.

First Blood

With the advance sales for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 now on, it's a race against time to secure the best seats.

Alas, I blamed the stars for giving me a test on the day of release of the movie, a test which I could not get out of.

This just means I can't go for Harry Potter Marathon, the once-in-a-lifetime movie event that last a day long with the showcase of all 8 movies. This is like a dream come true, except I am not part of it. How many times will this happen again? Never.

There will never be another release day for Harry Potter and like Time, once it passes, it's gone. It's never coming back again.

Marathon aside, I get really uncomfortable as I watch the seats filled up, given that I have not made a single booking. There is no one to suit my timing!

There's no way I will not watch it on the day of release, that is not negotiable. I have to watch it on 14th July, right after my test. If I have to watch it by myself, so be it. It's unfortunate I can't find people to accompany me. I'm more flexible with second or third showings.

I can't stand reading all those "oohing" and "ahhhing" by fans and the rapid discussions going on with me not knowing anything. Being spoilt is one thing, being in the unknown is worse.

I'm the kind of person who like to draw first-blood in things, especially things that I like. And I never do things by halves, if I love something, I will give it my all.

So, 14th July, here I come, test is secondary.

One Magic Moment book review

One Magic Moment is the latest offering by Lynn Kurland and it has become one of my favourites.

I've been a fan of Lynn Kurland and her novels since 2 years ago, when I have the good fortune of reading one of her books. I love her writing style, the witty dialogue, the swoon-worthy heroes and their lady loves, the clean romance, the wonderful backdrops in medieval and modern England, etc.

With so many novels under her belt and the de Piaget genealogy chart getting more complex, I can only hope she will keep writing and keep her readers entertained. The de Piaget family is definitely one of the highlights of her whole fantasy world.

Time-travel romance with medieval lords meeting modern-day ladies and vice-versa is one of my favourite themes, as with paranormal romance. Unfortunately, the bulk of this genre do not quite suit my tastes.

As discussed before in one of my reviews, while I like how the protagonists have their happily-ever afters in whatever time period, I find myself not liking those stories where the females decided to drop their lives in the present and go back in time with their love as much as those who stay in the present.

Perhaps, it's because I cannot imagine myself doing that, regardless of everything. I like the present and the modern too much to give them up.

That's why One Magic Moment is one of my favourite novels, Tess and John de Piaget stayed in the present, or Future as they called it. He time-travelled to the Future and meet Tess a few years after. Even though through some conspiracy which have them time-travelled back to the 13th century, John is willing to give up his life there and return to the Future, partly because he has grown accustomed to the perks of modern amenities.

Ahhh, this is definitely a most satisfying story I have read and there will be plenty more to come next year.

Trip to Macau/China 2011 Part 3

20th June:

It's the most relaxing day in the entire tour as it was supposed to be free and easy shopping. Morning call was later than usual and we went down for the dim sum breakfast again.

After that, it's time to head over to One Link Centre where shops sell their stuff in bulk. You can find almost everything here, ranging from deco for homes to knick-knacks. I assumed this is the place where vendors would frequent to buy whatever they want in bulk and then go back to their own country to sell.

My uncle and aunties were there to bring in the stocks for their year-end gifts, whilst the rest of us were just shopping for leisure sake. I managed to buy a photo frame and a jewellery box.

Lunch was settled at the extremely crowded KFC. Eating fast-food in China is really worth it, I must say. That box of 5 nuggets costs only S$1+ after conversion. My family of 5 only paid S$10+ to settle lunch. Tell me that is not cheap. It would have cost three times the cost to eat the same in Singapore.

It was off to more shopping at wholesale markets. If I ever open a shop of my own, Guangzhou will be a sure place to go for buying wholesale products. They have entire shopping malls dedicated to selling leather bags and clothes.

We had dinner in one of the live seafood restaurants where you choose whatever seafood you want and bring it up to the restaurant for cooking.

The place is stinky and fishy with lots of loud, boisterous Chinese men who smoked till no end and ordered tons of seafood. We were like the odd ones in there. Seriously. Most of the tables are occupied by people described above.

There wasn't a lot of dishes and the whole atmosphere was just too smoky and disgusting to stay for long. I thought this meal will not cost us that much because my uncle said his colleagues recommended this place and said it was cheap.

Imagine my horror when my father told me we had to pay S$200+ to my uncle who paid first. I think the the overall bill was S$500 ++. Holy crap! The meal was OK at best and we can eat better here in Singapore with that amount of money. It wasn't worth it, no sir, not in that kind of environment and mediocre dishes. Perhaps it was due to those abalones...

21st June:

Woke up early and checked out without having breakfast. We have a flight to catch. We went to the airport first before finding out a place to eat.

The airport is big but there aren't many shops and there is no directory. Furthermore, our schedule was tight. Tiger Airways is cramped and small like JetStar, except the width of the seats are bigger, but there is absolutely no extra space for legroom. Taller guys like my brother and cousin must have it tough.

We were delayed for nearly an hour. The flight home was alright, however, not as smooth as the flight there. We touched down at Budget Terminal and there was no jetway (loading bridge) for us! We had to walk directly down the steps of the plane, and it was fun pretending to be important people getting off their private jets.

Budget Terminal as its name suggests is 100% budget. Amenities aren't as good as Changi Airport and even the service isn't up to par. The terminal itself isn't the cleanest with dirty tracks on the floor. We have to wait a long time for our luggage to load onto the belt for collection.

When all the luggage are finally collected, we went out to eat our late lunch at McDonalds. Ahh, Singapore McDonalds, how I miss thee! Nothing can quite compare to Singapore McDonalds.

Trip to Macau/China 2011 Part 2

18th June:

We had dim sum for breakfast at the hotel restaurant and it was time to leave for Meixian.

My uncle had engaged the services of a mini coach to take us to and fro Meixian.

It was a five-hour plus journey from Guangzhou to Meixian and we spent most of our time dozing off. The ride wasn't that comfortable as the seats were quite small, plus the air-con wasn't cold enough.

At last, we reached Meizhou Train Station where the long-distance relatives picked us up. First, they bought us to this old-fashioned restaurant where we had our late lunch. They ordered many dishes for us, including, gasp, dog-meat! Obviously, no one touched it. Anyhoo, the dishes weren’t suitable for my tastebud and I ate minimal. (I just realised that the meal was not a treat, which was even weirder because I thought the one paying should have some say in what to order.)

Therein after, we travelled to a temple and along the highway, we saw what was the cringe-worthy scene in our whole tour, a man wearing his birthday suit. It was definitely the most memorable and funny scene ever.

That night, we checked into Tian Yuan Hotel. The room is smaller than that of Hotel Landmark Canton and some amenities are not met as well. Oh well, thank goodness we only stayed for one night.

We went on a city night tour in a buggy that sit all of us and got to listen to Hakka folk songs. I must say the experience is rather enriching.

We had KFC for dinner and went for feet massage.

19^th June:

McDonalds is conveniently located across our hotel and of course, we had to have breakfast there. You never really travel until you try out the McDonalds of another country.

We were then en route to the Hakka village where my great-grandfather used to live as a child. The main purpose of going there was to pay our respects to the great-great grandfather as a family. It was also to fulfil the wishes of the great-grandfather and the grandparents.

Upon reaching the village, we pay our respects at the altar and firecrackers were lay out in front of the pond. My cousin and brother got to light the firecrackers and I screamed when they started to go off. It was really loud!

We headed off to the grave at the other side of the village. It was quite a long way and we had to cross under a “tunnel”, tracked through brambles and climbed up a mountain.

I’ve never perspired that much since the last time I ran 2.4km. The feeling was great though, as if we had conquered Mount Everest. The view from the grave is awesome, overlooking the highway and never-ending plains and fields.

It was with great joy when we got back on the coach and headed over to lunch.

Soon, it was time to bid farewell and it was a five hour journey back to Guangzhou.

We stayed at the same hotel again, this time, all on the same floor. Phew, comparing between the room in Meixian and Guangzhou, Guangzhou’s so much more luxurious. At least, there is space for us to walk around without feeling claustrophobic. 

Our next stop was Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street where there is nothing to buy again. Again, we went for the customary feet massage. Their business must have up ten-fold since we begin patronising them. The 12 of us (minus the grandparents) contributed much of their earnings for the day. 

Trip to Macau/China 2011 Part 1

16th June:

We arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 1 around 11am plus. Once my uncle's family and grandparents reached, we checked in at Jetstar counter and went for our lunch. My auntie's family joined us later.

This holiday is deemed "family vacation of the year", what with the whole family embarking on a journey back to Hakka hometown in China, at the same time, we are also there to visit the great-grandfather's grave.

It was a 3.5 hours flight to Macau. Since we were taking a budget aircraft, there is not much to expect. I was pleased that the flight was overall smooth and I even saw lots of rainbows (or maybe it was the same one).

The airport is a short distance away from The Venetian Macau.

Wow, the hotel is really one of the grandest and nicely-themed hotel I saw! It is grand, opulent and lavish. Unfortunately, this positive image is marred by tons of other tourists who are there for one, single purpose: casino. Furthermore, the allowance of smoking indoors really spoilt the whole experience. You have no idea what smoking indoors does to the whole place, it stinks real bad as the smoke is stuck in the circulation system.

18 years is the minimum age to enter the casino and it is located in plain sight. I walked through a casino for the first time in my life and boy was the area large and smoky.

Our suites are so lovely and golden with a curtained king-bed and a sitting area. The en-suite is the most beautiful of them all. It is completed with double sinks, a bathtub and a shower area. Too bad there is only one bed and there are 5 of us in each room. In the end, I slept on the bed with my mother and the others had to bunk on the floor and sofa.

We had our dinner at the foodcourt and went "hotel hopping" afterwards. We visited hotels like MGM and Wynn which are more pomp while others like Hotel Lisboa leans to the flashy and ostentatious side.

At night, I went to check out the casino with my father even though we didn't play. I guess what made it such a big deal is the fact that you have to be 21 years to get into one in Singapore and pay a hefty fee of S$100.

17th June:

I finally had the chance to get some souvenirs at the gift shops. They were nice, little venetian masks keychains. Other than that, there was nothing worth buying.

We took a ride to the national monument of Macau: Ruins of St Paul's. As usual, there were lots of like-minded tourists taking photos. We bought bags of Macau's goodies.

Lunch was settled at The Venetian foodcourt again and then it was time to check out.

The border between Macau and China were filled with people, mainly the Chinese, who are leaving/entering Macau.

We bought tickets for a bus ride to Guangzhou.

Checked in at Hotel Landmark Canton. On one hand, it's 2 people per room, on the other, it is such a "downgrade" from the lovely Venetian suite. But, at least, the basic amenities are met and then some.

We went to Beijing Lu Pedestrian Street where we shopped and had dinner. There is nothing much that could tempt me there. The goods sold are not exactly my tastes.

The Bad & the Worst of China

Home is where the heart is. My heart is firmly set in Singapore, my beloved country.

Only when you are away from Singapore will you truly appreciate how wonderful Singapore is.

The few days in China is enough to turn me off. I hate to say this but with all the technology advancements, majority of the people, unfortunately, is way behind in becoming "first-world".

Uncouth and inconsiderate are some choice words to describe those people I had the misfortune to brush past. They have no idea what queuing means and have apparently, too much sense of preservation.

Let's recap what we saw: naked man walking along the highway, inconsiderate driving antics, smoking like nobody business, etc.

Guangzhou is drab. The buildings are not maintained and the streets are even worse. The thing I really can't stand is them smoking indoors, in air-con places no less. I get it, they want to end their lives early, and their children's too, but please, leave our poor lungs alone.

What's the deal with smoking and eating at the same time? They must have a lot of money on their hands to keep on smoking and smoking. I have a feeling that China is going to lose a lot of its citizens due to smoking-link illnesses.

I think I have inhaled enough second-hand smoke to last me for a long, long time. I have to clear my lungs out with all those junk and impurities.

I admit that Singapore has its fair share of inconsiderate smokers, but at least, I can breathe easier in air-con places.

Motion Sickness

"Motion sickness, ugh. Suddenly, it feels like time to go home". I like this sentence, because it sums up what I am feeling every time I am going to take an airplane.

I suffer from motion sickness all the time, be it on buses, ships and worst of all, airplanes. It is like the bane of my existence, made worse when I love travelling out of the country. I hate the process of getting to a destination but I can never give up my dreams.

I think what I am most afraid of is that slow build-up of a churning stomach. The strange thing is I don't puke during airsickness. I don't mind that if it makes me feel better. But, no, I am stuck with a queasy sensation long after I have get off the plane. The next part of the journey, usually by coach, makes that worse.

I don't even want to discuss the smells coming from the packed food. It just adds on to my suffering. Therefore, it is rare that I eat on a flight or the last meal before the flight. I usually go with plain crackers, said to remedy the queasiness. I don't know how I'll survive that long trip to USA, but hey, I'll make do.

Perhaps I overthink too much. Perhaps I'm too harsh on my body. I mean, people enjoy themselves on flights, watching movies, playing games or just plain relaxing. Why is it I can't? I spend most of the journey moaning and feeling sorry for myself. Part of this is due to taking those too harsh medication which plays havoc to my body system.

Pre-vacation

I can't believe June is almost over! Seriously, this is not good.

Tomorrow, I will flying off to Macau and China with the family, all 13 of them. This is the "family trip of the year", I reckon. Particularly because we're going to visit the old Hakka hometown of our ancestor, or should I say great-grandfather.

I can only hope it will be fun, in the way fun is for me. My ideal vacation is slow-paced and relaxing, therefore this kind of trip is not exactly my cup of tea. There will plenty of shopping though. I hope to come back to Singapore with some 'catches'.

Originally, I was planning to follow up this vacation with another one, to USA. But, circumstance changes and I lament the loss of a perfect time for a perfect holiday. I try hard not to think too much about the should-bes and could-bes, as the sands of time run out.

Oh well, there's still the end of the year. But then, University would have started.