Louie's Lair: April 2011

Thursday, April 21, 2011

FRENCH = ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL

France Cinema Festival!

I only watched two movies but they were awesome. Gonna share the stories here. The first movie is entitled Kerity, La Maison des Contes - Eleanors’s Secret. They spoke English and no subtitle, euh. Fortunately, it’s still audible and understandable. The story starts when Nathaniel, a 7 year-old-boy returns to his grandaunt’s house on the beach after her grandaunt passed away. His parents inherit the house, while Angelica her sister gets a doll. She doesn’t like it, because she thinks doll means nothing. On the other hand, Nathaniel gets a key to Eleanore’s secret room. She always says that it’s a secret room and someday Nat will enter it. Finally that day comes and can you guess what is inside that room? Books! Thousands of books! Children story books! First edition! Can you imagine it? It is heaven!

Apparently, the characters are alive and they need a secret keeper to read for them the magic words (because they can't read) and their existence will remain. The bad news is, Nat cannot read. So it becomes trouble and they have to defeat many obstacles to read that words in the end. It sounds like this, "Just because it's a story doesn't mean it's not real", and those words successfully save the dreams of children about fairytale (dream of mine, too!) We can meet many characters there, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Little Red Riding Hood befriends the Wolfie, also Little Match Girl, Alice, White Rabbit, Pinocchio, Cinderella, and the Fairies. I also noted some great quotes, like "There is no human being can ever live without dream," and "Doll is like human, the treasure is hidden deep inside". Well, it's right, because Eleanor hid all her jewelries inside the doll inherited by Angelica. They finally can use that jewelries to repair the house' roof which is struck by lightning.

You can see the scenes here: Eleanor's Secret

The second movie is a romance comedy entitled La Chance de ma Vie or Second Chance. I really love it. First, because they speak beautifully in French, and second, because it's meaningful. It's so romantic, the fact the the woman can accept this man although she's always unlucky when she is with him. And the unlucky things that were considered as curse, in fact is the luck in disguise. So this woman tries to get the man back, she even calls him and says, "It's okay, I have the life insurance now." Hahaha, and the ending is unpredictable! The favorite quote from this movie is, "Curse can be luck, too, eh?" It's so funny, also. Really amusing!

You can see the trailer here: La Chance de ma Vie

Saturday, April 16, 2011

BIG DREAM, DREAM BIG

What will happen if

Walt Disney, Rapunzel, Michael Jackson,

J.K. Rowling, Abraham Lincoln, Virginia Woolf, Helene Cixous,

Mary Wollstonecraft, and Kelly Clarkson

didn't dream?

1. BIG DREAMS KEEP US ALIVE

Dreams are something that can make us down, or instead will keep us ALIVE. It’s according to us, which one we will choose. If you are afraid that dreams will disappoint you, and you don’t want to face the risk, then you should keep reading this post and I hope it will change your point of view so that you dare to dream big. On the other hand, if you agree with me that dreams are what keep us alive and make our life colorful, then you also should keep reading, so that we can share how dreams work in our life.

I created one sentence to represent my point of view about DREAM. “No need to be realistic, yet shouldn’t enter the fantasy world.” First, we don’t have to be realistic to dream, because realistic means we are planning, not dreaming. For example, it’s extremely not realistic for me to have a dream to travel around the world. Let me tell you, until the age of 21, me and my mom never have money more than 5 millions in our account. Although we ever had 5 millions, it only passed by for my college tuition-fee. The money was my uncle’s, and he sent it to be taken by Binus. For these 21 years, I and my mom lived with faith day by day without any big saving in our account. So, it’s impossible to have such a dream, isn’t it? But I keep dreaming although it’s not realistic, because I know our GOD is a GOD beyond logic. He does many impossible and unrealistic things in our life, that’s what keeps me dreaming big unrealistic things. I want to go to France, Swiss, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Rome, Italy, UK, Iceland, anywhere! I dream to have animal shelters, boutique, and schools for unfortunate children, and hospitals, and I ask you, are they realistic? Not at all. Yet, what sounds so unrealistic makes us even thrilled more.

Second, do not enter the fantasy world. What I mean is, there’s no use to dream something that won’t happen in this world, such as marrying Korean artists (well, although that’s unrealistic and still there’s a chance to come true, but it’s really a waste of time, to dream something like that, for me it’s 0,000001% of possibility, I must say). The difference between unrealistic and fantasy is only separated by a very narrow line, isn’t it? Still, dreaming of something like marrying a super-perfect man or woman will only come true in our dream if we never wake up again.

Therefore, what I try to say is, our life will never be boring if we have those big dreams, because everyday we wake up with hope and plan to pursue our dreams. So, as the first step, dare to DREAM first. We may know what we want to do in our life only by thinking about it. But we will do many extraordinary and awesome and fabulous and magnificent things only if we dream big!

2. BIG FAITH KEEPS US HOPING

After dreaming big, what will keep us hoping? How can we be sure that our dream will come true and won’t remain as only a dream? The answer is only FAITH. Why? It’s because faith is to see the unseen. Dream is unseen right? We can’t see our future; we can’t see whether it will come true or not. However, if we have faith, then there won’t be worry inside our hearts, there won’t be any negative thinking in our mind, because what will cover us is only positive thinking and positive hope that we can reach it. Just like Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”-Matthew 17:20. So, do you dare to HOPE? To put all your dream under His Cross and unto His loving hands? Use the faith that has been granted abundantly to us to keep hoping? Because without faith, no matter how big our dream is, we will never see miracles. Our unrealistic-and-seemed-impossible dream won’t come true, because to reach it, NOT ONLY by our strength and effort BUT ALSO because of miracles and intervention from our Mighty God.

3. BIG WISDOM KEEPS US AWARE

God doesn't want blind faith. Thus, He gives us WISDOM, to know what's good and what's bad, to differentiate our needs and wants. Dream is the desire of our heart, so it's our wants. However, wisdom is here to show us, whether our wants are according to God's will or not. And without wisdom, we may live in a blind faith, that will cause resentment. For example, we dream to be a model. Of course it's okay. But ask His wisdom before we take the first step, and the next steps. Ask Him to show whether this dream is for us or not, whether it will be okay to be pursued. If we think there's a thing that steals our serenity, then don't insist. It's different between being sensitive to God's wisdom and easily give up. We can differentiate them.

For example, if we register to take a model talent search, and as we know we have to change our outfits just there, in front of people. Do we feel okay with that? If it becomes burden in our heart, and there is no SERENITY put by Holy Spirit, then why insist? Maybe we just don't belong to that world. Maybe God knows if we keep following that dream, we can fall to unholiness? He knows, more than we know. It's different right, between easily give up? If the problem is, we wants to be a flight attendant, and we have to pass the-killing-training for 3 months, if we can't survive, then we will be failed. We still have that serenity with us, it's just, tiring. Then, we can't give up to pursue our dream, right?

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”-Proverbs 4:7 & “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”-Proverbs 2:6

4. BIG GOD KEEPS US MOVING

As I mentioned above, wisdom will set us apart from RESENTMENT. When we know that we can't get what we want, we will be hurt. Sometimes, people are too hurt to dream again, to hope again. That's why since the first time we dream, since the first step we take, until the last step we attempt, keep the wisdom with us. When we are not too sensitive to feel it, and we blindly keep insisting and pursuing, until we are tired, and we will be hurt. But then, it's okay. Losing a dream won't kill us, because we have BIG GOD. Lose 1, create 1000. Wisdom makes us not too hurt when we know there is something we want that is unachievable. Wisdom will show us why that dream is not for us. For example, let's say we want to be an artist, but we are always failed and later we give up realizing that we have been too old and that dream will remain as a dream. Our God is big, He knows why He doesn't let us to reach it, maybe we are type of person who can't live without privacy, or being an artist maybe will ruin God's plan for us? There are many reasons and with Wisdom, we can know it and accept it with big heart. Dare to dream again, because even if we are hurt, He is the one who will console us, and we can MOVE ON.

P.S The jobs mentioned above are only examples, not intentional choice. :)

By the way, I found a great poem about dream:

If you can dream it
You can do it
Anything in every bit
With your own talent and wit
If you can see through
All dreams will come true
Anything at all
Each day has its call

Wonder on by
Through the dreams you see
Open up your sky
Come and follow me
Dreams are a notion
And feelings from your heart
Through its timeless ocean
With each new start

If you can dream it
You can do it
Never feel unfit
When you can prove it
Anything out there
Is for your dreams
Come follow me from here
With what it seems

Have your own try
Through in what you see
Like clouds fly on by
So it must be
Give it magic potion
That never shall depart
Opportunities and emotion
Are its main part

by. Peter S. Quinn

THE AWESOME FICTIONAL FEMALE CHARACTERS

1. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter Series

Most of you must have agreed with me if I say Hermione is strong and awesome, and of course I should put her as first on the list because she is my thesis subject and I praise her to the max in my thesis, so it will be kind of betrayal if I didn’t put her as 1st. Haha. Anyway, I didn’t really adore Hermione since the first and second and third time reading Harry Potter. She’s just a sidekick for me, just like Ron. However, when I did my research, and read Harry Potter series for the-let’s-say-10th time, I just found out that she’s not only smart but she’s brilliant, not only strong but she’s magnificent! I can’t mention all her valuable qualities because it’s 70 pages length (actually more if my mentor let me to put them all, unfortunately she didn’t let me to do that :p) and you can read my thesis if you want to know why she can be that awesome (which of course, if you really have nothing to do hahaha).

2. Adele Blanc-Sec from The Extraordinary Adventure of Adele Blanc-Sec

Really, such a cool mademoiselle! She’s pretty, I like the way she smiles, stares, and commands! She's fierce, but kind-hearted, she's tough, but delicate. I dunno why but I'm really bewitched by this character, the way she rides a pterodactyl! Way too brave, I mean, she just does it easily, without fear at all, to that huge monstrous beast! She's a real feminist! She doesn't need man to do anything, she even controls men to do what she wants. She really doesn't afraid of anything, when she's about to steal the mummy, she's the only woman there, for Ramses sake! Yet she manages to escape when it seems impossible, by using her charm! She can be a digger, a hunter, but also a lady. She can intimidate people, dominate, yet enchant! Also, I really like her humor!

3. Amelia Thermopolis from The Princess Diaries series

This is a real princess! Her full name is Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo. Okay, at first, you can see that she's still selfish, she just wants to be a princess because her father will donate a lot of money for Greenpeace. Yet, we can find that behind her selfishness, she always cares about others. I like when she places thousands of snails to eat poisonous algae under the Monaco's seas. I like when she insists to place the parking meters in Genovia because she just cares to the infrastructure of Genovia. Although sometimes, she's too exaggerating her problems, tee-hee. Still, she really a green fighter! She writes essays about trees, does actions to save poor animals like dolphins, determines herself to join Greenpeace to save whales! She campaigns about meat industries, protests fashion industries that use animal furs for its clothes, and uses her power to do anything good for nature. Not only that, she also asks for the world starvation to be vanished as her birthday wish. You rock, Princess Mia! She overcomes her problems with a true princess' qualities. Really a Princess Charming!

4. Yvaine from Stardust

I love Yvaine! So much! Haha. She's fierce, too like Adele, but actually her heart is pure and soft. Her story with Tristan is really romantic, that's why I love the movie so much. I like when Yvaine confesses her love to Tristan when he turns into a rat. Yvaine thinks Tristan can't understand her, so she just blabbers her feeling without realizing that Tristan hears it all. She says this:

"You know when I said I knew Iittle about Iove? Well, that wasn't true. I know a Iot about Iove. I've seen it. I've seen centuries and centuries of it. And it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. All those wars. Pain and Iies. Hate. Made me want to turn away and never Iook down again. But to see the way that mankind Ioves. I mean, you could search the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So, yes, I know that Iove is unconditional. But I also know it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable, and, well, strangely easy to mistake for Ioathing. And what I'm trying to say, Tristan, is I think I Iove you. My heart, it feels Iike my chest can barely contain it. Like it doesn't belong to me anymore. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange. No gifts, no goods, no demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you Iove me, too. Just your heart in exchange for mine."

What makes it romantic is because, they really have passed the adventures together, the matter of death and life, how Tristan saves her, and not because of 'love at first sight' and it's sweet, really, because they keep arguing and debating at first. That's sweet because Tristan thinks he loves Victoria, but in fact, "her true love is in front of his eyes". My most favorite part is when Yvaine's shining. She's a star, so she will shine when she's happy. Guess what? She shines the brightest when she's with Tristan. So bright. In the end, when they are about to be killed by the witch, Yvaine saves their life by hugging Tristan and saying, "Shine". The way she says it, with smile that we can see as coming from her heart. Adorable, really, that love is powerful.

5. Fleur Delacour from Harry Potter series

Her full name is Fleur Isabelle Delacour, she's a French. I've liked Fleur since the first time Ron likes her. I can see it in my mind that she must be really gorgeous. She must be unimaginably beautiful with that veela-blood inside. She is also smart and skillful enough to be one of the Triwizard Champions. Apparently, she's in love with Bill, and she moves to England to work in Gringgots and "polish her English". We can see that she really loves Bill, doesn't she? But I turned from 'like' to 'love', when Bill's bitten by Fenrir Greyback. Mrs. Weasley (and maybe everyone) thinks the wedding will be canceled because why for Veela sake Fleur wants to continue it? Bill's face is awful! But what does she say? She says, "You thought I would not wish to marry him? Or perhaps, you hoped?” said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. “What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I think! All these scars show is that my husband is brave! And I shall do that!” she added fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her." OMG I LOVE YOU SO MUCH FLEUR! I really cried when I read this, haha. Then, when the wedding is held, this quote is awesomely sweet!

"Fleur was wearing a very simple white dress and seemed to be emitting a strong, silvery glow. While her radiance usually dimmed everyone else by comparison, today it beautified everybody it fell upon. Ginny and Gabrielle, both wearing golden dresses, looked even prettier than usual and once Fleur had reached for him, Bill did not look as though he had ever met Fenrir Greyback."

I like the way Fleur loves Bill, really unconditional, despite Bill's wounded face. She's also sincere towards Weasley family, although at first they don't really like her. What I like the most is when she innocently says, "I'm good looking enough for both of us", hahaha. So she's beautiful, smart, brave, loyal, and kind! What a perfect woman! ^^

6. Eowyn from Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Nah! This one is also my super-favorite character! An awesome female character who really amazes me. I've loved her since 6 years ago in Return of the King. She's the reason why I love the third sequel so much, because she presents the most adorable scene there! Remember when there is a final battle? The men go to fight and the women stay to be safe. But without anyone knows, Eowyn wears the armor and takes Pippin with her to go to battle field. When the Witchking almost kills her uncle, King of Rohan, Eowyn stands between them to protect her uncle and draws her sword. The Witchking says, "Feast on his flesh." and Eowyn says, "I will kill you if you touch him.", then the Witchking says in his arrogance, "No man can kill me.", because there is really, no one ever be able to kill him, and Eowyn, opens her helmet while saying, "I am no man." and DASH! She kills him! COOL isn't it? She's really cool! I adore her to the max, I am no man, yeah because actually she is woman right, hahahaha. It's genius! I'm also happy that she lives happily ever after with Faramir, he is handsome, tho. Better than with Aragorn, just let Aragorn be with Arwen, because Eowyn deserves someone really loves her! Hoho.

7. Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter series

Yes I love Ginevra Molly Weasley, because she's been loving Harry since first they meet, since she's 10 y.o and Harry is 11 y.o! What a young love haha. But it endures for years and forever. Amazing, isn't it? I like when in the second book, Ginny's too shy to talk and see Harry, and the fact that she devotes her feeling to the Tom Riddle diary until she almost becomes a victim. All is only because she loves Harry. Until in the fifth book, she still loves Harry, only she changes and relaxes herself, she dates other guys, but her heart is still for Harry. And Voila! In the sixth book, Harry loves Ginny back and it ends in a marriage and lasts forever. Although I don't like the way Ginny kisses many guys, but then, we can see that she loves Harry so much. She understand what burden Harry should bear and she doesn't complain. She's also awesome, with that Bat-Bogey Hex and her ability in Quidditch. She's also so funny, she always makes Harry laugh. What do you need beside a woman who can make you laugh?

8. Hannah Asgeirsson in Journey to the Center of the Earth

She's really a cool mountain guide! I love her so much! Together with Sean and Trevor, they do the journey to the center of the earth, accidentally actually. Then through the journey we can say that she saves their life the most, even Trevor looks like an idiot beside her haha, but still, I still love that character played by Brendan Fraser. Anyway. Then, the coolest part is when Trevor and Sean have to cross the geyser and Hannah comes by rowing the skull of a T-rex! She's really a fabulous woman in her own way!