We have ourselves a conundrum here Watson!

If the poster did not tip you off then, you definitively do not have what it takes to be a detective =P

Well to get to the point, I managed to catch the latest flick hitting the big screens, Sherlock Holmes on the last day of 2009. This was one movie that I had actually been anticipating for the duration of 2009. The reason being that I am an avid fan of the Sherlock Holmes novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and having read the compendium of all stories about S.H, I was looking forward to a LOTR-esque novel to big screen adaptation of one of the major cases in the novel.

I was disappointed by the latter. The movie was not an adaptation but a fictional tale conjured by the magicians in Hollywood with our hero S.H in place. I cringed when I realized that the beloved detective would not be able to enthrall us with his deductive logic in one of the riveting cases in the novel such as the. A Study In Scarlet or The Hound of the Baskervilles’.

Robert Downey Jr was cast as S.H and while he did play the role with a flair, I cannot help but comment that S.H was described as a lanky man as well one who uses surprise and brilliant deductive logic to awe his clients as he solves their cases. Frankly in the movie, S.H comes off as a showy, over dramatic man. Watson too was more than the quiet contemplative doctor portrayed in the novel, but more like S.H’s partner in crime, taking on a much larger role and vocal role, with a bad habit of gambling and brawling.

The insertion of certain characters from the novel into different roles in the movie irked me. Irene Adler, the one woman who had bested S.H twice in the novel was cast as his criminal linked, love interest/lover. Where in the novel Holmes showed admiration for her ability to deceive him, in the movie it is love.

Mary Morstan, the love interest and soon-to-be wife of James Watson M.D, was central to one of S.H first cases that would establish him in the detective business, was a total stranger to him in the movie…

The biggest plot twist was near the end where the producers tried to squeeze a sequel out of the movie by introducing Professor Moriaty, the arch-nemesis of S.H. I should add here that in the novels, Moriaty never dirtied his fingers by ever showing that he was associated with the criminal underworld, let alone carrying weapons =.=^ He was the main puppeteer behind the London crime society and the intellectual equal of Holmes.

This movie may have been ruined for me because of my having read the novel beforehand.

To those unacquainted with the books, this movie would probably rivet you to your seats! Enjoy!!

I feel so motivated to study when…

A really brilliant, knows his/her stuff, no crap, straight to the important points doctor sits in on my tutorial class/case discussion and shares his views and knowledge with us. When these type of people speak, I immediately sit up and stfu, cos there’s definitely something to learn.

I love these type of lecturers. They really know their stuff. Most of them are specialists in their fields. Like just the other day an oral surgeon who does cleft palate reconstructive surgery, tutored my class. He had information to share, he did!

No  need for references, no notes but all from his own mind. Masters of their trade no longer need books but have all their knowledge at their finger tips.

I SO ASPIRE TO BE SOMEONE LIKE THAT!

It’s definitely a dream of mine. Anyway enough digressing, back to the topic at hand. When u do meet these kinda of people, the talented kind. You walk away feeling that you too can be great and achieve what they achieved, be what they have become.

It’s a really good feeling. You feel so MOTIVATED!!! As though whatever you are going through now is nothing.

I wish more lecturers of this rare few step into my tutorial room in the future. It might just change the course of my career.

 

“Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great”-

Mark Twain

AGAIN!

Once again exams have been canceled and postponed to another date.

Did not bother cramming for them already.

Kinda expected this kind of rubbish.

In a way, helpful as I had time to settle my piles of lab work. But on the other hand, I’m gonna have to cram later on for a mid-term and end-term combination paper for a few subjects.

That’s why I’d rather sit through the exams now.

Once again bravo, this place has proved it’s inability to adhere to a schedule.

Keep it up.

Tests, oh Tests…

These past few weeks have been punctuated by examinations, or the constant postponement of them. Yes, only here can test dates can be switched last minute, to the dismay and annoyance (i use a mild term here) of the undergrads. Pray tell em, what is the point of having a schedule when you plan to ignore it completely and just shift exam dates around?. Do you think we students have so much free time to study for a specific subject only to find it postponed to a week away?? You might say pish-posh, you’ve already studied. What is another week before an exam?

Well I’ll tell you. Do you think revising for a paper is so easy, especially if you have to understand and recall whatever u revised for? You think I got no other work to settle, let’s say discussion assignments, lab work etc? That I could have spent that time studying to actually finish off the said work, or maybe I had planned to settle the work immediately after the exam. Either way postponing tests IS A RETARDED THING TO DO…

Just messing with people and the plans they have made in regards to a set exam date. I wish from now on the test timetable is set in stone as soon as it’s posted, and only changes with a sound reason to back can be made. There, I have said my piece. G’day!

Movie Review: Inglourious Basterds

Lt. Aldo Raine: You probably heard we ain’t in the prisoner-takin’ business; we in the killin’ Nazi business. And cousin, Business is a-boomin’.

This one was one of the best movies I have watched in a while (after District 9 of course). Quentin Tarantino sure knows how to direct a pretty-damn good motion picture. It’s WW2, a crack-commando squad is sent to teach the Nazi’s occupying France a lesson. A young Jewish girl escapes the atrocities of the Third Reich, after being hunted in France and her farming family massacred by the Nazi SS, and plots her revenge. The way these two plots unfold in the story is brilliant.

Action-packed and punctuated by moments of pure gore, but realistic situations that tug at your heartstrings. My favorite scene, one that I felt was very sad, is the one in the pub, where 2 Basterds and a new team member attempt to rendezvous with Von Hammersmark, an Ally spy. The shit just hits the fan in this scene. Well written and something to remember. War is not fun and games where u kill people. It’s humans killing humans. Pure and unadulterated gore, that will traumatize you for the rest of your years.

I loved this movie for the plot (Tarantino’s version of how WW2 should have ended), the historical aspect of it, the portrayal of the characters by the superb cast AND that war is not something to be taken lightly, and that peace and harmony is underrated. Oh the horrors of WW2 =(

Movie Poster

Wirebending, you cruel mistress you!

I officially suck at orthodontic wirebending to the extent I am contemplating constructing a device that bends wired to specific specifications.

Let me be clear, this train of thought actually crossed my mind =_=^!

Why oh why, am I not adept at manipulating wires with my fingers. I cannot for the life of me translate what I envision in my mind’s eye to the straight wire resting between my fingers.

Maybe the orthodontic lecturer was right, practice, practice, practice. As dentists we do not really manipulate wires that often, with the lab sending the finished product to our hands. BUT it is important to know how such springs, coils and other diabolical orthodontic devices are constructed, and how  force is delivered by each.

Ok la, enough grousing. Better start bending the new roll of wire I bought this afternoon. Fingers are going take on a healthy reddish glow of painful aching =(

Yosh wirebending, I shall conquer you!!!

Semester 5…Halfway thru (I hope)

Yes summer break is over (ok ok so technically since we’re in the tropics, it’s summer all the time. But i like the term so bite me ). Lectures have started full swing for this packed semester 5.

Really, REALLY packed….5 Labs Skills classes (Lab skills are laboratory classes where one works individually in dentistry clinical and laboratory procedures. We are graded by our work =(

So far a week into classes and I am already tired as heck. Exams loom, there is much lab work to complete, and quite a few reference books to devour…

I MISS THE HOLS!

Words that u think I would never utter. I miss the holidays. Made alot of new friends, played a lot of futsal and ate quite a few Monte Cristo’s =P

Wish I could restart the hols. Probably can become better at CS and not be the dang sacrificial goat as my friend termed it. I think for the first time ever I really had some good clean fun without any worries. That is life. I guess there are times to be serious and times to let your hair down. For me I guess holidays are the only time I can be a fun guy hahahaha =P

Back to reality now. Things are getting  a bit different here. The sentiment towards those of us hailing from the neighbouring nation are not too great. Sigh why can’t we just bloody put aside our difference. Heck we’re all human here! Hopefully things blow over. I also hope that Mother Earth does not decide to unleash anymore pent up emotions in these here isles…Pretty pls…

Defecting to the Dark Side or WordPress =D

Sorry Blogger, you just could not cut it as a good blog provider. WordPress here I am! =)

I hope this switch marks a rejuvenation in my blogging habits, which has taken a serious decline over the past 6 months. Yes I have been neglecting my blog =(

Anyway something to be noted is that, Blogger did NOT notify me about quite a few comments my blog posts received from actually interesting people. Just great. Thank you Blogger and good riddance…

Hoping for phoenix like renewal of blogging inspiration! May the blogging resume! =D

De Brevitate Vitae

On the shortness of life…

I do not understand why today of all days I recalled the curious incident of my university acceptance and the commencement of my bachelors education in Universitas Padjadjaran nearly 2 years ago.

This ancient ritual whereby the new students are officially welcomed to the university, is a right of passage for us undergrads, and of course is something I will remember till Death takes me under its shadow.

The grandeur of all the new students packed into great hall of the university is a sight to behold and even more so that I am a foreign student there. As for the watching the Professor’s and Rector of the university striding in, in full academic costume with the Rector bearing a staff bearing quite the resemblance to a wizards staff was steeped in ritual.

The welcoming speech by the Rector inspired us all to achieve our academic best, but sadly this is not the world it was once, and academic prowess is no longer the ‘in’ thing, many take this as mere formality…

Soon afterwards, the speech was followed by a song that I still remember clearly, Gaudeamus Igitur, the Latin academic commercium song, dating back to the 1200’s in Italy to the University of Bologna.

The sons invokes a passion for life, and the brevity of it with its exhortations to enjoy fully our brief allotments of time.

Here is the song in full,

Latin	English
Gaudeamus igitur Juvenes dum sumus. Post jucundam juventutem Post molestam senectutem Nos habebit humus.	Let us rejoice therefore While we are young. After a pleasant youth After a troubling old age The earth will have us.
Ubi sunt qui ante nos In mundo fuere? Vadite ad superos Transite in inferos Hos si vis videre.	Where are [they] who before us Were in the world? Go to the heavens Cross over into hell If you wish to see them.
Vita nostra brevis est Brevi finietur. Venit mors velociter Rapit nos atrociter Nemini parcetur.	Our life is brief Soon it will end. Death comes quickly Snatches us cruelly It spares no one.
Vivat academia! Vivant professores! Vivat membrum quodlibet Vivant membra quaelibet Semper sint in flore.	Long live the academy! Long live the professors! Long live each student! Long live all students! May they always be in their prime!
Vivant omnes virgines Faciles, formosae. Vivant et mulieres Tenerae amabiles Bonae laboriosae.	Long live all girls Easy and beautiful! Long live mature women also, Tender and lovable Good [and] productive.
Vivat et respublica et qui illam regit. Vivat nostra civitas, Maecenatum caritas Quae nos hic protegit.	Long live the state as well And he who rules it! Long live our city [And] the charity of benefactors Which protects us here!
Pereat tristitia, Pereant osores. Pereat diabolus, Quivis antiburschius Atque irrisores.	Let sadness perish! Let haters perish! Let the devil perish! Let whoever is anti-student As well as the mockers!

Does this song not inspire you!! Does not the Latin language is it sung in, not speak to you of the esoteric knowledge you have yet to learn and master!??

Well for me I feel overjoyed to have undergone and experienced this age-old ritual, and I hope my passion to the acquirement of knowledge never lessens but ever increases with age!

Viva Academia!!

And there are some…

Who live under the shadow of those responsible for their well being, shrieking their discontent from the shadows, making fictitious accusations to assuage their own ego, to destroy the repute of others , and ever-greedy for more of their supposed ‘allotment’…

And there are those,

When they see the downtrodden, the broken, the tired, the disorganized, who take up the mantle of leadership to better the situation that they see before their eyes. They toil, without recognition, but ever with hindrances, by those blackhearts, the envious ones.

Therefore it is no coincidence the good die young, wearisome works undertaken by them, their life’s breath taken away sooner, than those who live to deceive others, always clinging on to dear live, fearful of death, afraid of mountains of misdeeds accumulated on their muted morality…

If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then justice must be meted, if not by the laws man, then by the laws that govern this universe…

Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. – Steven Weinberg

*Ps – This is just some rambling thought of mine. Pay no heed.