Slumdog Millionaire & Baptisms

Just watched Slumdog Millionaire. I must admit that I was slightly afraid of coming away disappointed after all the hype. But the film was absolutely brilliant!

I loved that the writers had added suitable amounts of brutality, which was paced evenly throughout the movie. I loved the intelligent way that they told Jamal's story of life in the slums. I loved the bright colours that were used to mute some of the more heavy sequences (like the different coloured saris that were on display as the Muslim Indians were slaughtered). I loved the serendipitous love story that was the main centrepiece of the movie.

But most of all, I loved that the writers made the lives of the 2 brothers diverge as the story progresses - with Jamal retaining his innocence and belief in love despite his ordeals; while Salim loses his innocence pretty early in the story to look after himself and his brother. There is an underlying love story here between the 2 brothers. While Salim's character appears to betray Jamal and Latika midway through the movie, the conclusion seems to show that Salim had, in fact, done everything to salvage his his younger brother's innocence. After all, his final sacrifice is what allows for the happy ending.

Completely worthy of its 8 Oscar awards! Plus Freida Pinto (who plays adult Latika) is absolutely stunning, to say the least.

Ive had a crap time over the past few months. This was a fantastic pick-me-up - am feeling more perky now... =)

Oh yea, Im now officially a godfather! Who would have thought, eh? There was a slightly uncomfortable moment at the altar (in front of the 30 or so guests in attendance) when the priest asked "Are all godparents Catholic?" - to which I replied "Umm, no?". 2nd question was "But you are Christian, right?" My brain went into overdrive trying to think of what I should say.

Thought processes went something along the lines of "I can't say no for the second time, because that would a) get me kicked out of the church; and b) embarrass Rach and Stephen for choosing a religous pleb as a godfather". I figured that since I do believe in the presence of God anyway that I should just say "Yes". It wasnt an outright lie - perhaps I just havent found my calling yet? Of course, Leonie (Sarah's godmum) didnt have that problem because she actually is Catholic - i.e. the bona fide godparent as opposed to me being the fake one... =)

In any case, the most important thing is that the kids and parents appeared to have fun. Check out the photos below:








I have now attested before God that I will support Sarah's faith throughout her life. I better dig out my bible - been meaning to do so for a while now, anyway... =)

Kicking Ass

The SSG stayed with us over the weekend. Of course, being such a Bond fan, she dragged Nik and I to go watch Quantum of Solace with her yesterday (it was her 3rd time watching the movie!).

The movie itself was entertaining, if only for the fact that it provided 2 hours worth of escapism. Olga Kurylenko was pretty cute, but then again, I still preferred Eva Green. But throughout, one pressing question kept on cropping up in my head:

Who would win in a straight kick ass fight - Jason Bourne or James Bond?

Let's look at the pros and cons of both (because I have nothing better to do at the moment and need to destress from CFA studying):

Jason Bourne

Pros:

1. The guy obviously has had some proper martial arts training.
2. He has a proven record of killing people with everyday objects - pens, magazines, newspapers, books, condoms, tampons (alright, I made the last 2 up).
3. The man is pretty f^cked up - I mean, he cant even remember who he is!
4. He speaks numerous languages (though I have no idea how this would help him in a slugfest)
5. The guy has proven himself to be able to leap over bridges and climb walls despite having multiple bullet holes in his body.

Cons:

1. The man is pretty f^cked up - I mean, what happens if he suddenly decides to stop fighting because he got depressed?
2. The guy has a personality of cardboard - make that recycled cardboard. You want a guy to not just win a fight, but win a fight with flair.
3. His girlfriends arent as good looking as Bond's (which means that he may not be as incentivised to stay alive and get the girl at the end).
4. Jason Bourne has morals - he doesnt seem like the type to take a cheap shot in the gonads, unlike Bond.
5. He operates on a lower budget than James Bond - while Bond has all sorts of gadgets to get him through the day, Bourne seems to end up wearing second hand clothes with holes in them. Plus he sleeps in horrible looking motels and drives a beaten up Mini through Paris.

James Bond

Pros

1. The guy has had no obvious training - the latest Daniel Craig incarnation seems to just thug his way through everything. Somehow that's a point in his favour?
2. Bond has more gadgets and resources than Bourne.
3. His chicks are hotter - nuff said.
4. Daniel Craig's Bond is also quite f^cked up - the edginess could give him a leg up in a fight.
5. He's cool...

Cons
1. Daniel Craig's Bond is basically a highly paid thug.
2. Is he too reliant on his gadgets?
3. Seems to be at the mercy of his women - e.g. his dead girlfriend and his lady boss.
4. Bond is an alcoholic - and probably addicted to sex too.
5. Daniel Craig's Bond is also quite f^cked up - what happens if he breaks down in the middle of a fight and starts crying?

4 weeks to go...

I'm trying with great determination not to fall asleep while studying revenue recognition methods. It's Saturday night, and I have 2 thick CFA manuals as company for the weekend.

I'm sitting here in my Study watching the River Thames as the rain comes chucking down. The numerous lights from the apartments across the water have merged into a random scattergram of multi-coloured dots.

My one comfort is that the torrential rain reminds me of the tropical weather we get at home. Strangely enough, I have always taken comfort in the rain. To me, one of the worst things that one can experience in life is the sense of the pending storm that is to come. The rain symbolises the fact that the storm has already arrived, and the pressure that has been built up from all the pensiveness can dissapate. The presence of rain usually means that the weather will only get better from here...

Today is Saturday, the 8th of November. On this day in 1960, JFK defeated Richard Nixon for the American presidency. But more importantly, my CFA exam is in 4 weeks time. Despite my best efforts to concentrate, I can't seem to build up a momentum. I have tried looking for appropriate background noise by playing tracks from Bargrooves compilations to the Gladiator soundtrack - nothing seems to be able to settle me down.

I think I am going to write tonight off as an unproductive study night. I'm now going to sleep - will try again tomorrow.

Oh, and it has just stopped raining...

Godfather...Me?

My oldest friend in the world Rachel (who has known me since I was a fat, bald-headed monk in boarding school) asked me to be Godfather to little 3-month old Sarah last week!

My immediate reaction was "Are you drunk, babe?". You seriously want me - and my sheer cynicism of religion - to be your daughter's spiritual guide through life? To make sure that your child is brought up in a Christian manner? Are you mad?!!

But there was a method to the madness! In true organised Rachel style, my old friend had arranged for Sarah to have 4 godparents! 2 of which fulfilled the Roman Catholic requirement, and hence would be the "true" sponsors of the baptism. The other godparent was Chyi, another one of my old friends from school. Of course, Chyi, being a cosmetics magnate (see her company here), would provide the girl with a lifetime's supply of Dainty Doll Lip Cushion cosmetics (endorsed by Fergie, no less!).

So what was my role in all of this, I wondered? Rach said that I just needed to remember birthdays and Christmases and to be there for Sarah when both parents couldn't be around. I think I could do that - I'll also throw in some finger paint when Sarah gets old enough so that she can do some interior decorating on the walls at home. Maybe also bring her out for Mcdonalds and sweeties and return her to her parents when she is on a sugar high and hyper-stimulated?

But in all seriousness, I am really excited about this. I think that this is the greatest complement that a parent can pay a friend - and for this, I am truly very flattered. I will endeavour to play the role with all earnestness and sincerity. Perhaps not necessarily from a deeply religious perspective, but certainly from a common-sensical view of the world.

I most definitely will be trying my best to steer clear of changing diapers though! Here is a picture of the little tyke - she is soooo cute!

Celebration!

Maya and Aaron got married last Sunday! The religous ceremony was fantastic for the fact that it was so personal and jovial! As soon as the marriage ceremony was completed, Aaron stamped on glass, the Rabbi exclaimed "Mazal Tov!", and the band started playing. What a fantastic way to break the tension and start your married life together.

On a side note, Nik has developed a crush for a blonde hunk. He is scattered about the photos below. Hint: Look out for the long blonde locks! I give up - I know I can't compete with someone who looks that cute...

Diet of a Champion

Michael Phelps won his 8th gold medal of the 2008 Beijing Olympics this morning. Absolutely incredible!

What I found more amazing was his diet - According to the BBC, this is what fuels the most succesful Olympian of all time:

Breakfast: Three fried egg sandwiches; cheese; tomatoes; lettuce; fried onions; mayonnaise; three chocolate-chip pancakes; five-egg omelette; three sugar-coated slices of French toast; bowl of grits; two cups of coffee

Lunch: Half-kilogram (one pound) of enriched pasta; two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread; energy drinks

Dinner: Half-kilogram of pasta, with carbonara sauce; large pizza; energy drinks

This is the reason why I'm not an olympic swimmer - I just don't eat enough junkfood!

(The link to the BBC article is here)

False Dawn?

Did you read about the US Dollar really strengthening this week because people believe that the US is ahead of everyone else in the economic cycle - and is hence further along the road to recovery? I find it absolutely amazing that the very same people who brought this financial crisis upon us (i.e. investors / speculators) are demonstrating this kind of optimism. My extremely cynical view is that it sucks because it is precisely this kind of gung-ho optimistic behaviour that created the last asset bubble in the first place - and consequently screwed the man in the street over.

The truth of the matter is that market optimism does not change the state of the real economy. No one can run away from the fact that the American banks will suffer from credit defaults in the coming months - people in my line of work just choose not to see it. The sucky thing is that the actions of people in the convoluted financial world do affect the man on the street. I just dont like the idea of false dawns tricking people into thinking that everything is hunky dory when they arent, especially when people need to trade down their standards of living.

Just my personal 2 cents worth...