Movie: Should you Watch Along with The Gods?

I just came back from Malaysia recently, and while we were there, we watched this movie called Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds. I truly wanted to watch it as I've heard nothing but good things from friends who have seen it. I was convinced enough to want to watch it with or without anyone accompanying me. 

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds is about Kim Ja-Hong (Starring Cha Tae-Hyun), a firefighter who lost his life saving a little girl. Together with his three guardians, Gang Rim (starring Ha Jung Wo), Dukchun (starring Kim Hyang Gi), and Haewonmak (starring Ju Ji-Hoon), they try to pass the seven trials of hell, each with a different god before he can be reincarnated. The three guardians try to help him, as when they help 49 paragons to be reincarnated, they can reincarnated themselves as well as choose who they want to be reincarnated as. 

As the movie progresses, you'd learn of the different 'sins' Kim Ja Hong had made and the reasons behind each one. I thought the film was quite thrilling and they were able to insert some humour in it. It was quite a film, as it made my heart go through such a roller coaster ride. I laughed, I felt sentimental, I was excited, I became sad, I became angry, and of course I cried. I'm not kidding when I say I bawled my eyes out at the end. Along with the Gods used a lot of computer generated graphics/visuals, and it wasn't really perfect. There were a lot of things they could have improved, but, all in all it was okay. 

I just have to mention how cool it was to see Haewonmak (starring Ju Ji-Hoon) and Gang Rim (starring Ha Jung Wo) jumping running around flinging their swords and long coats. They definitely looked like guardians to me. It sort of reminded me of Goblin: The Lonely and Great God (Starring Lee Dong Wook and Gong Yoo) when they saved the main female lead. Anyway, it was cool and makes me want to learn about the story behind the guardians. 

After watching the movie, I felt the need to self reflect. My eyes were aching cause I cried a lot. It even looked like it was swelling. It makes you look back upon your life and remember all the things you have done wrong. It makes you appreciate life more. It reminds you to live life to the fullest while trying to be a good person. 

The end of the film hinted a sequel, and I definitely will watch it once it comes out. 

As of 23rd February 2018

Along with the Gods The Two Worlds is my favourite movie

 It is definitely worth the watch. I will start to live better now. 

XOXO- Jaly

Publisher: Unknown - 9:20 PM

Event: Thaipusam 2018

Hi Everyone, I'm here with a post from my friend today, if you remember her from my last post, Fort Canning Park (Annabelle) 

It was valentines season in 2016 when I arrived here in Singapore. 

Two years had passed and I’m still lost in the city.

I spend my free days at home looking at the ceiling (literally) and browsing fb posts repeatedly. I never had the courage to explore different places alone.

Gladly, my friend Jaly come along. We agreed on doing things in just a glimpse and making it happen the soonest time, unexpectedly. 

One of the exciting things we planned to do is to witness different events being celebrated here in SG.

First event that we have witnessed together is the Thaipusam celebration. It's a festival celebrated by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month. This 2018, it was celebrated on the 31st of January. 

I was mesmerised seeing the devotees with their Kavadi.

Below are some photos we have taken.

The Ritual

The Kavadi-bearers

The Kavadi-bearer with two container at both ends may contain rice,milk or other articles that the devotee  vowed to offer.

Some devotees pierce their tongues with skewers.

Stay tuned for more upcoming events!

Cheers!

-MEA

Publisher: Unknown - 6:51 PM

Cheap or Free Places to go to in Singapore: Fort Canning Park

  Today, I'd like to start writing about something new. I have been living in Singapore for some time now and decided it was about time I shared some information and beautiful sceneries in this wonderful country. 

When I first arrived in Singapore. I was fascinated by its cleanliness, modernity, and of how safe it is to walk around alone as a woman, day OR night. I am happy that I'm able to work and live here safely. I am not scared of going out and worrying about getting my phone stolen, or be robbed or molested when going home after some drinks with my friends. 

I remember when I first arrived in Singapore, I looked up the best places to go to as well as the best places to eat at. I also found out that a lot of these places are expensive. Then again, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore is the most expensive city in the world. Does that mean if you want to travel to Singapore, all of the place require a lot of moolah (money)? Not necessarily. I'm currently exploring the cheap/inexpensive parts of Singapore. So stay tuned as we share these places with you. 

Let's start it off with a place called Fort Canning Park. If you are a fan of parks/nature and history, I think you would enjoy this place. 

I went there with my friend, let's call her Annabelle. We decided to go to Fort Canning Park not knowing much about it, except that there was a nice park we can go to, to take photos. We didn't look it up much, but we were surprised by all of the things you can see there. 

Below are just some of the photos we have taken. If you want to see more, you can check out my Facebook page and my Instagram. 

When we first reached Fort Canning MRT, we were greeted by some art. 

Here is a map of Fort Canning Park 

We were definitely surprised that there were a lot of things you can check out. 

Here is my friend Annabelle posing for a quick pic.

The Fort Canning Arts Centre

Stay tuned for more! 

Xoxo

Jaly

Publisher: Unknown - 6:41 PM

Movie: Midnight Runners - Should you Watch it?

  Ever since I started watching Korean dramas, I just had to start watching Korean movies as well. I have recently found out about this film called Midnight Runners. Starring the handsome Park Seo-Joon and the adorable Kang Ha-Neul. I didn't wasn't able to watch the trailer, but I just knew I had to watch it. I mean, with these two boys as the main cast, why shouldn't I watch it? And? After that? Of course I was right to watch it right away. Can I just say though, there were some abs shown too, and I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Midnight Runners is about two police academy students, Gi-Joon (Park Seo-Joon) and Hee-Yeol (Kang Ha-Neul), and their night out looking for girls in a club. As the night progressed, they witness a young woman being kidnapped and decided to investigate. They tried reporting it to the police, but they found out that reporting a kidnapping was not as simple as they thought. They were told there were processes to follow, and it would take a long time, just for the police to start investigating. They were met with apathy, but they had nothing but empathy for the victim. They tried to investigate on their own.

Gi-Joon (Park Seo-Joon) was brought up by his single mother. He enrolled in the Police academy as he was penniless and there was no tuition to pay. He is not the brightest crayon in the box, but he makes up for it with brawn.

Hee-Yeol (Kang Ha-Neul) on the other hand comes from a well-off family, who apparently owns a butcher shop. He's also intelligent and, as he said, has great memory. Although, unlike Gi-Joon, lacks in the muscle department.

Midnight Runners is a comedy/action film. I was honestly laughing out loud a lot of times. I just loved Seo-Jun and Ha-Neul together. Their "Bromance Chemistry" was through the roof. I found them entertaining and it was thrilling to see what they were going to do next. They tried to investigate using the things they learned from school. Although, I should say that some of their ideas were a little unexpected/crazy.

I felt as if they were nothing but sincere with their friendship. They had the "best bro" act down. I was also not disappointed with the amount of fight scenes in the film. I'm not such a big fan of fight scenes, at least not anymore, so I thought it was sufficient for the movie. I preferred seeing their interactions throughout the film.

It was interesting to see these young men try to figure out how to save the victim, even though they knew that they might get expelled trying to investigate on their own. I have truly enjoyed this film, but I don't have such urge to give spoilers though.

I can only hope that most, if not all police trainees/students have the same empathy for victims and the same passion for justice. They may lack in one department, but make up for it through another. Midnight Runners, at first, was a light hearted film, but as it progressed, it makes me think about what can be improved in the justice system.

If you want some action, yet something light and entertaining, you can watch this instead. P.S. It made me a little teary eyed in the end.

I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars! 

Publisher: Unknown - 6:37 AM

Movie: Murder on The Orient Express - Should you watch it?

Since I was young, I have always liked crime movies. I can't say it's my first choice if we talk about movie genre, but I do find it very interesting. I remember watching CSI and trying to figure out who was the culprit. This movie, I'd like to share today is something I liked watching as much as CSI. 

I know I haven't posted anything for a long time, but let's just say this movie has something about it that makes me want to share it with everyone. 

→Murder on the Orient Express 

You can see the trailer here:

The Murder on the Orient Express, as the title says, is about a murder on a lavish train called The Orient Express. A well known detective called Hercule Poirot is on a race against time to find out who the murderer is. The movie will introduce a set of characters, all with different personalities and stories. You can try to guess who the culprit is, while Hercule, one by one, reveals clues. 

I liked how the whole time I had to think and watch carefully, to find clues to solve the case. Hercule definitely is a smart cookie, and as mentioned in the movie, nothing gets past him. I thought Kenneth Pranagh (who played Hercule Poirot) was just superb. His moustache is just as fabulous! 

"Everyone is a suspect." 

The Murder on the Orient Express is straightforward. Someone killed someone on the train, a brilliant detective needs to find out who the culprit is. But, it is also complex. The case will go different directions and it will make you think twice about who you think is the killer. 

Should you watch it? Yes you should! 4.5 stars out of 5!

Can't Take the suspense? Are you the type who loves for SPOILERS? Check below for my thoughts on the movie, and of course it will contain SPOILERS. 

LAST WARNING. SPOILERS BELOW

I just had a hunch! Apparently it was true. At one point, since no one person could be pin-pointed, I thought all of them might be involved. But, of course, I thought it was a bit too crazy and tried to find one person, or at least a few people who might have been the culprit/s. Yes, if you haven't watched it yet, everyone, except for the owner of the train and the detective is involved in the crime. I remembered the poster showed "Everyone is a suspect". It was true! It was right there. When I learned of how everyone on the train is connected because of one case, I also thought it was more than a coincidence. 

I just felt a little sad in the end. It made me think, is revenge really the answer? 

Their lives were all affected/changed due to one murder, will committing another one fix everything else? Hercule decided not to report it, and let everyone go, but is that necessarily correct? Hercule said he hopes everyone finds peace after it, but can they? Won't they feel guilt, even if Cassetti DID something that changed their lives forever? They were all scarred and broken, it made my heart ache, but I'm also wondering if it should end this way, as they did not have to answer to what they have done. I want to watch more of these types of movies. I'll see if I can find some good ones. 

The movie was simply incredible. Should you watch it? Yes you should. You already watched it? It was worth the time/money spent right? 

4.5 stars out of 5!

'Til next time! 

Publisher: Unknown - 7:13 AM

Movie: Train to Busan: Should you watch it?

Hi Everyone,

I've come to share a new movie with all of you. The movie Train to Busan has been recently released and I was one of the huge crowd vying to watch it as soon as possible. I have just gotten back from the cinema and I just couldn't wait to share my thoughts about it.

Train to Busan is a zombie movie based in South Korea about a group of people who try to survive by going to (by train obviously) a province called Busan. It tells you the story of several people who have very different lives. They all have different reasons why they are on the train, but it reminds us about humanity and how different people react to desperate situations. You'll see people trying to help others, sacrifice others, care about themselves, care about their loved ones.

It was definitely a good watch for me. I would even pay to watch it again. Some things happened that I didn't expect at all. The very few jump scares got me, but overall, you wouldn't really be scared because of those. Personally, what scared me was the decisions some of the characters made to survive. They've made those decisions because they were scared, but it affected me nevertheless.

I thought the characters had this special trait or this special thing about them that makes you want to know what will happen to them. I felt like the movie isn't just the usual zombie movie out there. Yes, it was about survival. Yes, it had a lot of violence.  But, I'd say it focused on the characters and their development.

Should you go and watch it? Yes you should.

You can check out one of the trailers out below :

Below, I will be sharing more about these characters if you'd like to know more, you can scroll on ahead. There will be spoilers on that are, so be warned if you do read ahead.

If you haven't watched the movie: Do I think you should read more about these characters? No, it would be better to see and learn about them yourself. But, if you're the type of person who isn't affected about the spoilers and whatnot, go right ahead. Just don't say I didn't warn you!

Characters: Spoiler Alert

This is just some of the characters in movie. As much as I want to, I won't really be able to cover them all.

Seok Woo: A Funding Manager and Father who tried to buy his daughter's affection through material things. He was the typical father who got divorced/separated from his wife, but wants to take care of his child. He was financially stable, but always busy. He also had this loving mother who took care of his daughter. I understand he was trying to do whatever he can to provide for his daughter but he forgot the important part which was actually being there for her and being able to see her grow as a person. There was even this scene where he gave his daughter a Wii console, but then forgets he already got her one before. I felt bad for him when he found out her daughter's plan to leave and go to her mother. He did redeem himself though. From being the man who only cared about himself and his daughter, to a Man who cares about other people and knows the value of a life. I just cannot express how sad I was to see what happened to him. He did go with a smile on his face, but I felt like he just had to get more time with hi daughter.

Soo/Su Ahn: Daughter of Seok Woo and overall a good kid. She knows her values and isn't afraid to speak of it. She tried to correct her father when needed and showed what she tried to preach his dad. Her mother taught her the meaning of being a "good person" and she definitely took it to heart. She gave the elderly her seat when she had one, insisted his father to let people in when they were being chased by the zombies, knows judging people isn't a good thing and voiced it out, and a lot more. I just wanted to give this kid a hug in the end. I can't stress out how much my heart ached for her too when she said she practiced the song for her dad, but he never came to his recital. I respect this little girl. If only more people were like her.

Sang Hwa: The father-to-be and big guy who just wanted to take care and protect his family. He was one of the heroes in this movie. He was brave, strong, and protected everyone he could. I thought it was adorable how he interacted with his wife. He was bold and strong with others and soft and sweet to his wife. I just hoped I had heard more about his story.

Sung Gyeong: The pregnant wife of . She acted like the typical pregnant woman at first sort of commanding her husband and all that, but the movie also showed her soft side when she was with Su Ahn. I thought she was the silent rock for Su Ahn during the movie. People tried to protect them physically, but she also tried to protect who she can. She tried to fight the zombie in the last train, as Seok Woo was having difficulties fighting him off. I just want to see her give birth to a healthy child. I kept hoping her water won't break or that she won't get a miscarriage from all the stress physically, emotionally and mentally. Is it just me though, or did her baby bump become smaller near the end?

Young Gook and Jin Hee: The two students who liked each other. The girl was more vocal about her feelings, but the guy was quiet, reserved and tried to keep his feelings to himself. I thought they greatly cared about each other and it did show in the movie. They refused to leave each other till the end. I can't believe she was pushed by that old man. I just felt heartbroken for the two.

The elderly man who seemed like a homeless person: He was quiet, scared and ever seemed a little crazy. He looked like he didn't have much, like he only has the clothes on his back and his will to live to carry on. I felt he was just his luck that he was able to go to the train. He didn't have a lot, but he gave what he can. Strength and Help to the people whom he can help. He threw his jacket on the face of the zombie who was attacking Seok Woo when he was pinned down in the train station. He also gave his life to save others. He didn't have much, but he gave what he can.

Yong Suk: COO of Stallion Express and antagonist of the story. He was the cause of so many deaths in the movie. I think he believes in Survival of the Fittest. In this case, yes, he was a grumpy old man, but he was still human. He was scared and did what he did because he wanted to live. People will say he was greedy and shouldn't be called human at all. But if we were in his situation, what will we do? I'm not condoning his actions. I hated what he did. So many people would have lived, if not for him. I'd even call a lot of what he's done Murder. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'd like for us to think of what we'll do if we were in his situation. Will we try to save other people too? Or will we focus on saving ourselves even at the cost of other people's lives? Just think about before he died, he confessed, he was scared and almost broke down. I feel conflicted about this character. I want to hate and be angry at him, but I feel a little sad for him too.

Do you think people are the way they are because that's who they truly are? Or do you think there is a reason for their behaviour? I think, there is always something that influences us as human beings. It includes the way we were brought up, the family we have, the friends we hang out with, the environment we live in. These are just some of the things that influence us as human beings. If someone was brought up in this all-for-yourselves environment and taught only the fittest will survive, do you think he will think/react differently in emergency/desperate situations? If someone was taught to be a caring person who should be 'good' to other people and have moral values, do you think they will react differently in emergency/desperate situations? I guess all these things are subjective and all these things don't have a straight answer.

Another thing I noticed was how the Elderly man who looked like a homeless man acted towards other people in comparison to the supposedly rich COO of Stallion Express. The COO definitely had more in terms of money and whatnot, but who do you want to be like more?

These are the things the movie made me think about.

I'd like to ask you what I asked myself, and I'd like you to really think about this: What would you do if you were in their situations? What type of person will you be? Which character will you most likely be like?

I'll stop here before I go on and on about this as I have a lot more things I want to say and ask. Thanks for reading this far!

Hopefully I'll get to see more movies like this. This is a 4.9 out of 5 Stars for Me! I usually just make it a 4.5 or so, but this one will have to be a special case. I want to make it a 5, but I just wished some things ended differently

Publisher: Unknown - 2:19 AM

Movie Review: The Finest Hours

I wanted to watch something while I was having lunch when I came across this movie. I was actually looking for a Romantic Comedy when I came across this film. When I started the trailer, I thought it would be more of a love story with a dangerous obstacle, but it wasn't. I am so glad it isn't just a love story, it was so much more!

I just watched The Finest Hour, and boy was I moved to write this review. I'm supposed to be working tonight, but here I am watching this movie and writing this review about it. I guess you can say this is how much I liked the movie. It is actually based on a real story. The amazing story of Bernie Webber, retired US Coast Guard and how he and his 'crew' set out to find survivors of a sinking tanker/vessel, The Pendleton.  

I don't want to get in too much detail of what happened in the story as it is better for you to watch it in whole. To be honest, I didn't even finish the trailer when I decided to watch this movie. I wanted to see it in its whole. Although, You can see the trailer at the bottom if you want to see it. 

They had such a nice cast. I felt like they fit their roles just nicely and that they all did a good job. The effects are very well done. It didn't feel like a cheap movie that just wanted to rush everything and get it out to the public. Disney always do great movies and I got surprised to see that this was one of them. When I see/hear Disney, princes and princesses, or animated movies come in mind. I'm not complaining though, this was definitely a great decision on their part. I loved this movie!

I think people focused on Bernie and his team's effort to save the men on the boat, as it is such an amazing story, but in my opinion, we need to also point out how Ray Sybert, Pendleton's Chief Engineer (You'll learn more about later on) tried to keep the boat afloat amidst those circumstances. The vessel WAS sinking, but he was trying his gosh-darn best to prolong their lives. It also showed a glimpse of the love story of Bernie and Miriam.

I had to mention though, I honestly didn't really feel the deep love between Bernie and Miriam at the start, because I felt like he loved her, sure, but he was just going with what she wanted. Although they were able to redeem themselves at the middle part and at the end. My heart went soft, and I just crumbled at the end. Team BerIam! 

I cannot explain how much my heart ached for the Pendleton crew and their fight for survival. I felt like my heart was racing when they were trying to steer what's left of their vessel. They broke into groups, but then finally worked together as one after Ray Sybert became their officer-in-charge/captain. 

It was truly an incredible story, I just can't get over Bernie's determination to go through with his mission to save what's left of the Pendleton Crew. I also would like to applaud his team for stepping up and volunteering even though they know they might not come back.

That's it for now! Thank you so much for spending time to read my review. I truly appreciate it. I would like to end this post with a quote that just struck me. In my opinion, this was the best line in the film. 4.5 Stars ! 

"We All Live or We All Die" - Bernie Webber. The Finest Hour 

Publisher: Unknown - 2:55 AM