Monsters University & Despicable Me 2

I'm an adult and I'm a fan of animation movie. Never mind that, coz there's a lot like me! Quite recently I watched Monsters University and Despicable Me 2. One is a prequel while the latter is a sequel. In 2001, we have enjoyed so much of the hilarious Sully and Mike and the over-the-top cuteness of Boo in Monster's Inc. Now I would never imagine that 12 years later the Disney/Pixar studio would make a prequel of it, hence the production Monsters University this year. And yeah...it's also great!

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 In Monster's Inc., we have established the relationship between James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski as best buddies personally and one of the top scare teams in Monster's Inc. And we also established the fact that both of this monsters have a mutual arch enemy, Randall, the scary and bitter monster with a chameleon-like ability. In the prequel, we would see how these three monsters started to know each other and what made them as they were in the first movie.

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In Despicable Me 2, the story picks up from where the first one left off in 2010; Gru is a now a willing and loving father of the 3 girls he adopted in the first movie and already retired from being 'the world's greatest villain'. But when the world is threatened by a formidable villain that 'came back from the dead', there's no one who can stop him other than Gru, the notorious thief who once had stolen a moon! Or at least that's what the Anti-Villain League (AVL) thought when they send an agent to recruit Gru for help. It's fun to watch the minions, they are adorable even when they become purple with evil. And Gru, while still having his villainy instincts intact when pursuing his mission, still has to dwell with his daughters teenage love and mother figure issues. (Agnes is sooo adorable!) And love is in the air for Gru as well.

 

Overall, both movies are entertaining and so fun to watch. I can't help but noticing how strong the message in Monsters University in teaching the audience, especially young people about how important it is to know who they are and be who they really are, and not be someone else that you are not just to be accepted by other people. Also, each person has their own unique strength and ability. And in Despicable Me 2, it's all about family.

 

Aaaah..I wish I have children of my own whom I can teach all this while watching such fun movies....haha!

 

 

Lavender dari Rochester karya Fatihah Pauzihal

Tajuk : Lavender dari Rochester

Pengarang : Fatihah Pauzihal

Penerbit : Jemari Seni Sdn. Bhd., 2012

ISBN : 978-967-0508-07-8; 612 ms.

Harga : RM23.00 (WM)/RM26.00 (EM)

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Lavender dari Rochester merupakan novel penuh kedua nukilan Fatihal Pauzihal yang telah saya baca habis dalam satu malam. Kisah di dalam novel ini berkisar tentang 4 watak yang menjadi tunjang utama iaitu Lutfiyah, Hadi, Zakir dan Wardah.

Lutfiyah yang dibesarkan oleh babahnya dan Ibu Sumaiyah di Rochester pulang ke Malaysia bagi menjalankan amanat babahnya untuk mencari ahli keluarga mereka yang telah lama ditinggalkan. Malang yang bertimpa-timpa ke atas dirinya menemukan dia dengan Zakir, pemuda kampung yang bekerja di KL dan terkenal dengan sifat kasanova. Walaupun begitu, Zakir adalah pemuda yang baik dan bersama-sama Wardah, seorang gadis naif, guru tadika dan kawan sekampung Zakir, mereka membantu Lutfiyah dan membawa pulang Lutfiyah ke kampung mereka. Di situ Lutfiyah bertemu Hadi dan bermula lah satu episod permainan 'tarik tali' dan konflik emosi serta perhubungan antara mereka berempat dan manusia-manusia di sekeliling mereka. Lutfiyah dan Hadi masing-masing mempunyai sejarah duka mereka sendiri. Pertembungan hati watak-watak muda ini banyak dibantu dengan panduan watak-watak yang sudah berusia dan telah lama 'makan garam' seperti Nek Mah dan Ibu Sumaiyah.

Berjayakah Lutfiyah dalam pencariannya dan merungkai persoalan yang menjadi tanda tanya sekian lama? Dan bagaimanakah kesudahan 4 jiwa yang hebat diuji Tuhan dengan pelbagai cabaran pada akhirnya? Apakah hikmah di sebalik semua yang berlaku? Semuanya terjawab usai membaca novel ini.

Komen saya:

Saya bukanlah peminat novel melayu yang rata-rata temanya sentiasa klise dengan kisah cinta terhalang kerana perbezaan taraf keluarga, hubungan kekeluargaan yang terpisah, perhubungan cinta terlarang kerana hubungan saudara atau kisah hidup anak melayu yang belajar di luar negara dan terbawa-bawa dengan arus kemodenan. Novel ini juga begitu, tiada kelainan yang ketara. Namun, novelis ini mampu  mempersembahkan ceritanya dengan baik dengan gaya penceritaan yang lancar, bersahaja dan mudah difahami.

Dari segi isi, kisah ini sarat dengan cinta dan kasih sayang, samada yang membahagiakan mahupun yang menghancurkan; kasih anak terhadap ibu bapa, kasih nenek terhadap cucu, kasih antara 2 saudara, kasih penjaga kepada anak angkatnya - dalam erti kata lain, kasih sayang di dalam hubungan keluarga. Selain itu, kisah ini juga menyentuh tentang kepentingan memajukan diri sendiri, peluang kedua (second chance) dalam kehidupan dan hikmah sebuah kemaafan, seperti tagline novel ini, kemaafan adalah dendam yang terindah.

Kesudahan bagi cerita ini tidaklah sukar untuk dijangka, lebih-lebih lagi jika si pembaca sudah terbiasa dengan jalan cerita soap operas di kaca tv. Bagaimanapun saya cuba untuk tidak membuat jangkaan dan menerima apa sahaja kesudahan yang disampaikan novelis ini. Bagi saya, ia kesudahan yang agak baik dan teratur cuma mungkin sedikit kurang mencabar minda, hehe.

Apapun, novel ini baik untuk dibaca kerana banyak perkara positif yang boleh diambil daripadanya, jika si pembaca tidak hanya membaca untuk hiburan dan melayan mainan perasaan.

Studio Ghibli Craze Pt. 2

I remembered that last year I wrote about the Studio Ghibli's animated movies that I've enjoyed in my post Studio Ghibli Craze, and then noticed that I haven't really finished writing it, since there are more movies that I have seen and enjoyed. And so, here comes the second part of it...for me to share with you. :)

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Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Kiki is a young witch whose mother is the resident herbalist in the village where they live. Ever since she turns 13, Kiki always waiting for the chance to go out of her village as it is the witch's tradition that when a witch turns 13, she has to travel for a year for training to become a resident witch. So, finally Kiki settles herself with her black cat Jiji at a nice town by the sea. Although having a hard time at first, she finally finds a friend and shelter in the home of a cheerful baker woman, Osono. To support herself, Kiki has to make use of her skill and since she only knows how to fly with her broom, although not proficiently, she finally decided to become a delivery girl (by flying), while stationing herself in Osono's bakery. In the meantime, a young boy named Tombo took a liking to Kiki as he is interested in aviation (and so interested in Kiki's ability to fly) and also because Kiki is a different kind of girl. After encountering a bad experience with some of Tombo's friends, Kiki's ability to fly and speak with Jiji suddenly disappear, causing her to feel down. Another friend of Kiki, Ursula, invited her to stay at her forest cottage, and after being there and through Ursula, Kiki's spirit becomes a little bit uplifted and she believes that after a series of things that turned wrong, she would find a new purpose that she can work on and probably from there she can get her powers back. One day, an accident occurred where Tombo is involved, and driven by her strong will to save him, Kiki finally recovers her flying power and able to save Tombo in the nick of time. Afterwards, Kiki becomes the hero of the city and finally settles there for good to continue her practice.

In this movie, the characteristics of being independent and having a strong will to overcome life obstacles are perhaps the main things to learn, especially for young people. Good things doesn't come easy, eh .. And also, if you dream to do something, you can realize the dream if you work hard enough. This is shown in Tombo's persistency in inventing a kind of flying device from a bicycle, because of his dream to fly. An inspiring movie. For note, this movie is loosely based from a novel by a Japanese author, Eiko Kadono.

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Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Ohh....I watched this one many times haha. Maybe because of the romantic element? Or the voice actor for Howl is so kakkoi..haha. Anyway, this movie is also based from a novel of the same name, from a British author Diana W. Jones.

Sophie, is a young hatter, who I think, feels insecure of herself because of her plain look with brown hair (but I consider her as very cute) compared to her mother and her sister who's considered prettier than her ( imagine..blond hair and blue eyes). Anyway, as she's on the way to visit her sister who works at a bakery, she encounters 2 soldiers who try to hit on her but then saved by a mysterious guy. However, as the guy escorts her, they are followed by some blob men (got the name by the English subtitle though...) and to avoid them, the guy suddenly rise up to the air with Sophie and start walking on air to safety. Once Sophie gets back to her house, she's visited by the Witch of The Waste. It seems that the blob men are servants of the witch, and the mysterious guy before is actually Howl, a young wizard whom the Witch is trying to find. The Witch casts a spell on Sophie, changing her into an old woman. Sophie is terrified at first but then slowly cherishes her old form as it makes her feel less insecure. Sophie somehow feels that her old form frees her from being scared and self-conscious, even makes her feel more cunning than before. And so, Sophie run away from the city until at the mountains where she saves a scarecrow with a turnip head and encountered Howl's moving castle.

And that is the beginning of Sophie's journey that leads her into meeting other magical characters. Inside the castle are Howl's himself, a brilliant but insecure young wizard, Calcifer, a fire demon who keeps the castle moving, and Markl, a boy wizard in training. The story has several other subplots that all intertwined very nicely to create a wholesome magical fantasy story. Somehow, apart from the love that grows between Sophie and Howl, the wizards and witches, and the war that occurred because of a missing prince, all plots in the story, there's something to be learned as well.  

  

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

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My Neighbour Totoro is like the cutest movie filled with cute and adorable characters. Two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, very active girls indeed, moved to a modest house in the countryside with their father, who is a professor, to be near to the hospital where their mother is treated from an illness. At the new house the sisters encountered 'dust bunnies' and forest spirits called Totoro. The main part of the story centered around the girls' encounter of the forest spirits and how the spirits responded to the girls innocent and honest behaviours, in helping Satsuki finding Mei after Mei gone missing. What I love about this movie is how the animation is full of texture, bringing the feelings of softness and comfortable, as I would love to roll around inside the Catbus and hugging or lying on the big Totoro for real. I also like to see the portrayal of father-daughter relationship in this movie as the girls' father, sportingly, kindly and lovingly treated his daughters well and with respect. A heart-warming story. 

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The Borrower Arrietty (2010)

I just watched this recently. Yup, it's kinda new. The story is based on a Mary Norton novel, a British author, where it dwells about a family of little people called The Borrowers as they borrow things belonging to the humans for a living. The plot revolves around the Clock's family, who live under the floorboards of a house in the countryside. One day, the father, Pod, takes his 14-year-old daughter, Arrietty, on her first borrowing trip. However, while trying to 'borrow' a tissue paper, Arrietty was accidentally seen by a human boy, Sho, who happens to be staying in that house (his aunt's house) while waiting for his heart operation (he has heart condition since birth). Although not seeing her very well, but the fact that a human already know of their existence in the house, Arrietty's family plans to move to other place, as it is a rule that the little people should never been seen by the humans, obviously, for their safety. However, Sho is a kind boy, and later on, both Sho and Arrietty do meet and have conversations. Unfortunately, the budding relationship between the two is sensed by the housekeeper Haru, who, unfortunately feels that the presence of the little people is annoying (she thinks of them as thieves, while on the little people's view, they are just 'borrowing' things that the humans would not miss, such as a single cube of sugar, a piece of tissue paper or a pin). In a sequence of events, Haru found the Clock's house and kidnapped Homily, Arrietty's mother, and locked her up in the kitchen store. Although Sho helps Arrietty in finding her, Arrietty's parents really think that they should move away to someplace new. Although both are sad, Sho and Arrietty parted well. From their short relationship, Sho, who at first almost feel helpless with his with dying condition, feels a lot better after knowing and seeing Arrietty's fight for survival.

The animation is very brilliant in colours, vibrant, very detailed and full of textures. I am somewhat amazed by the animated perspective of the human world from the little people's viewpoint. The flowers, the leaves, even the things in the doll house inside Sho's room, everything is detailed to perfection. And it is very interesting to see how the Borrowers make use of the things in the house as their tools. I also love the music at the start and the end of the movie, it seems ethereal. The movie is simple but very nice.

So, there they are...another 4 movies produced by Studio Ghibli that should be enjoyed by everybody. They are heart-warming, inspirational, enjoyable, fun and makes you feel good. Enjoy.  

one big happy family

...riang rasa hati melihat sekeluarga berlibur bersama-sama ... hari keluarga anjuran sendiri ... menunjukkan hubungan keluarga yang rapat ... dan keluarga yang harmoni ... keluarga yang sentiasa bersama asalnya dari ibu dan bapa yang berjaya mewujudkan nilai kasih sayang sesama mereka dan anak-anak ... ibu bapa yang sebegini berjaya mendidik anak-anak mereka untuk ...

mempunyai nilai 'KITA' lebih dari nilai 'AKU AKU, KAU KAU'

mempunyai kasih sayang yang kuat sesama ahli keluarga

berkomunikasi lebih efektif sesama ahli keluarga

pandai menzahirkan kasih sayang melalui kata-kata dan perbuatan

menanamkan sifat yakin diri dalam peribadi anak-anak

saling menyokong antara satu sama lain

anak-anak yang lahir dalam keluarga sebegini membesar dengan peribadi dan minda yang terbuka, ekspresif, komunikatif, yakin, berani dan penyayang...

......

yup, saya ingin membina keluarga sedemikian...

......

p/s: tiba-tiba teringat masa sekolah rendah dulu, terasa seperti pernah main permainan kad 'Happy Family'...entah macamana dah lupa...

a little note to my father...

A father is the central figure in a family unit. A father is the strong man, the rock, the foundation. A father is the protector. Both father and mother have their very own important roles in their family. But I would like to point out to fathers in this one, that who you are, reflects who your children will be in the future. As a father, he is the leader. He holds his family together. He is the idol of his children, the wall for support, the roof for shades, the base for firm footing.

But father is also human. A father can't do it all alone. 

My father is the man whom I look up to as an idol, as a role model. My father is a leader. A responsible and knowledgeable person. A man of systematic nature. My father had been to many places. He was a teacher and continues being in the lair of education even after his retirement. My father is a man of few words, but that doesn't mean he never gives advises, and asks about his children's well-beings. To me, a gentle pat on my head is already enough for me to feel my father's physical way of showing love. And I know he never fails to take care.

And he is a simple man. And he is human. Sometimes I felt that if things turned the other way, I would've been a better person...but we can't turn around the clock. And I have learned, hopefully, to accept what had happened.

I miss my father, although I see him, although he's here. I miss him...because even though he's here, he's also far and there are things separating us. I want him to be happy during his golden years. I want him to be proud of me. I want him to know that I love him no matter what. And I never blame him for anything. I am glad that I've let him know that. I am thankful that I still have the chance to ask for his forgiveness and kiss his hand and cheeks. I am grateful, that I have that chance. My prayers are always for you, Abah. All the burden that you have carried all these years, may Allah ease them away from you, may Allah forgive you, may no harm come to you. And may I always be a good daughter for you.

Movies : Mr. Popper's Penguins

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Jolly good. Nice family story. And good laughs.

Mr. Popper's Penguins the movie is based on a children's book of the same name written by Richard and Florence Atwater, published in 1938. Not exactly an identical story with the book, but there's the Poppers, and the penguins, and finally...the South Pole.

Tom Popper Jr. is a divorced real-estate businessman, aiming for partnership in the real-eastate company he works in. He's driven and committed to his work, with a certain style of persuasion skills to get the properties for re-establishment. But he is also a father who loves his children very much and still feels for his ex-wife. Probably it's the work and his inefficient ability to express his feelings that made them separated. As his estranged traveller father dies, he inherits something unbelievable...a penguin. From that moment on, there begins a very interesting emotional journey for Tom Popper, especially, after a while he received 5 more penguins and they caught his children's heart. To further complicate matters, Tom is assigned to take over Tavern on The Green, an old restaurant which holds an endearing memory to dear ol' Tom, and the owner, Selma Van Gundy (Angela Lansbury in all elderly elegance), is never going to sell it to just anybody without knowing the person's worth.  And more, Tom's ex-wife is seeing another man and planning to go abroad with him. 

How do the penguins transform Tom's life? Will Tom be able to win his family back? What's the story behind Tavern on The Green? And why in the world does Tom Sr. left his son a group of penguins in the first place? It's in this movie. Funny, exciting and a heartwarming movie for the family. 

And let me warn you, there's no kissing involve, but there are sure quite a number 'poo'ing in direct view. ;)

On the pills...

Once in every 3 months, my aunt need to go to the clinic for medical check up. At 75 years old, she needs to be constantly monitored for high blood pressure, diabetes and just recently, gout. Alhamdulillah, so far there's no heart attack. Every time, we leave the clinic with a bunch of pills, enough until the next visit. Previously, I wasn't too concerned about the meds that she took, but just recently, I think I am going to have a li'l peek on them. So, introducing.......my aunt's pills....

Ranbaxy Vamlo 10 (Amlodipine basilate)

Amlodipine basilate is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart disease (coronary artery disease). It is what you call calcium channel blocker drug, in which it helps to slow down the rate of calcium movement into the heart and the blood vessel walls. This will allow better blood flow and causes lower blood pressure. And so, the heart can pump blood easier, while not affecting the heart rate. Resource

Perinace Perindopril Erbumine 4mg

Perindopril is part of a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme). This enzyme normally makes the blood vessels become constricted. And so, this drug helps to prevent it from happen, relaxing the blood vessels, hence lowers the blood pressure. Resource

Metformin hydrochloride 500mg

Metformin HCl is for treating diabetes. It reduces the amount of sugar made by the liver, limits the amount of sugar absorbed into the body from the diet, and makes insulin receptors more sensitive (helping the body respond better to its own insulin). All this can cause a decrease in blood sugar levels. Resource

Allopurinol 300mg

Allopurinol is used for preventing high uric acid levels, which is the cause of gout. Uric acid is a substance that results from the breakdown of purines, which are part of the human tissues and are found in many foods. In a healthy human body, uric acid is dissolved in the blood and passed through the kidneys into the urine, and then flush out from the body. It becomes a problem if the kidneys are not functioning well and if one eats food with high uric acid content, then the uric acid level will be increased. The effect is this acid will form crystals in joints and other parts of the body which can lead to inflammation (read: pain, gout), and also produce kidney stones. Gout is not curable, but the intake of allopurinol with other medications and a diet will control the main culprit. Resource

Atenolol 100mg

Atenolol is prescribed to treat high blood pressure and angina (chest pain, heart disease) symptoms and helps to survive a heart attack. These 100mg tablets are the maximum strength prescribed. It is from a class of drugs called beta blocker. It works in a way that it relieves the burden on the heart, and so reduces the heart's need for oxygen-and-nutrient-rich blood to function properly. Resource 

So, there you have it. 5 drugs, 3 for high blood pressure, 1 for diabetes and 1 for gout. A complete mix of recipe. Please click on the 'Resource' link to find out more about the drugs, the side effects, the dosage and others or you can search anywhere you want. These are just the simplest and most comprehensive explanation that I can get. So far, my aunt is doing fine, but every time we take the blood pressure reading, it is always quite high. Maybe that's why she has a lot of hypertension drugs. Anyway, hopefully she will always be fine, keep reminding her not to miss her pills and take care of her diet.

hanya di radio...

....Teringat pulak pada satu hari aku terdengar satu program bual bicara ni kat radio..tak pasti pulak masa dalam perjalanan ke tempat kerja atau dalam perjalanan balik...biasanya aku masuk keta je aku check channel ni, adakah kena masa program bual bicara atau tidak, kalau kena aku dengor la, kalau tak, aku layan mp3 aku je..aku tak kuasa dengor program2 lain...panggilan hangit ke, tengik ke, den tak kuaso nak dongar...sama ada program berintipati atau halwa telinga pilihan sendiri...so, apa-apa lagu ngetop dalam carta sekarang pun aku tak tau..maka aku adalah ketinggalan zaman dalam department itu..tak kisahlah

....Apapun aku dah terbabas dah nih, menda yang aku nak cakap tadi ek?.. Ooh, program tu...aku tak dapat nak dengar lengkap dari awal sampai habis, sekadar sebahagian..tapi part yang aku dengar tu menarik pulak..tetamu program ni mengatakan, suatu hari anak dia menangis-nangis di rumah kerana nakkan ibunya, sedangkan ibunya bekerja shif malam, dia sebagai bapa ingin memujuk anaknya...Ok, selalu kita dengar kita pujuk anak-anak begini, "Ibu/Ayah pegi keje, nak cari duit...nanti nak belikan adik baju Ultraman, mainan (etc.)". Menurut tetamu ini, kata-kata sedemikian seolah-olah menanamkan idea dalam minda anak-anak bahawa ibu bapa ni keluar untuk menjadi hamba duit, atau menjadi orang yamg meminta-minta. Lagi satu, dengan berkata sedemikian, seolah-olah kita menjadikan sesuatu mainan itu (atau apa saja objek yang menjadi bahan pujukan anak-anak) punya kuasa atau tahap yang labih tinggi dari ibu dan bapanya..kerana, jika ibu atau bapanya tidak membeli atau mendapatkan benda-benda itu, anak-anak tidak mengumpamakan mereka. Kalau dapat, anak sayang ibu, anak sayang ayah. Tapi kalau tak dapat, anak menangis, merajuk.

....Maka, menurut tetamu itu lagi, bukankah lebih baik kita menyemai nilai-nilai yang lebih baik dalam fikiran anak-anak kita tentang ibu bapa mereka yang keluar bekerja. Isteri tetamu itu adalah seorang jururawat. Maka tetamu itu menerangkan pada anaknya, dengan menjalin kaitan dalam kehidupan, lebih kurang begini.."Apabila kita sakit, atau jatuh dan luka, kita perlukan ubat untuk sembuh, kan? Maka, kita ke klinik atau hospital. Di sana, jururawat yang meletakkan ubat dan membalut luka kita. Nah, itulah yang ibu buat di tempat kerja. Ibu keluar kerana ada ramai orang di luar sana yang perlukan bantuan ibu...".

....Dalam kata lain, kita menumpukan peranan ibu bapa yang bekerja di luar sana, bukan sebagai orang yang meminta dan mencari, tetapi sebagai orang yang memberi, orang yang menyumbang. Setiap kali apabila anak bertanya, terangkan menggunakan pendekatan begitu, lama-lama anak akan memahami bahawa ibu bapanya mempunyai tanggungjawab penting di luar sana. Lebih kurang begitulah yang sempat aku dengar, mungkin penerangan aku tak sebaik penerangan asal yang disampaikan oleh tetamu jemputan itu, namun diharapkan konsepnya masih menepati. Topik ini menarik minat aku, sebab rasa-rasanya aku sendiri pernah terguna cara yang kurang sesuai itu pada anak saudaraku masa diorang kecik dulu-dulu.

....Ia mungkin topik yang dirasakan kurang penting, tapi bak kata pepatah, melentur buluh biar dari rebungnya. Menjaga anak ni bukan setakat cukup makan, pakaian dan sekolah sampai tamat, tetapi pendidikan rohani, ilmu kehidupan dan pembentukan pekerti dan jati diri juga sangat perlu diutamakan, kan..

~tamat alkisah~

sembang rawak....belajar

Perasaan dan minat tu memang sentiasa nak belajar.

Teruja pun ada...sebab rasa nak tahu sangat dan nak mahir dalam bidang tertentu.

Cuma, mungkin apa yang dipelajari tu...agak tak selari dengan laluan hidup semasa.

Orang yang memang nak belajar, patut diberi peluang.

Orang yang tak minat belajar...sama ada dia memang tak minat..itu boleh lah didorong (bukan dipaksa).

Tapi mungkin juga dia minat bab lain.

Ibu bapa....memang suka kalau anak dah besar esok dapat kerja yang baik-baik. Sesetengah budak-budak dah terserlah kecenderungan atau bakat semasa kecil lagi. Itu semua sebahagian daripada proses pembentukan personaliti atau 'trait' kanak-kanak yang akan mempengaruhi aktiviti dan kecenderungan mereka apabila mereka membesar nanti. Itulah yang ibu bapa perlu perhatikan dan cuba dorong. Cuba cari jalan supaya kanak-kanak itu ada peluang untuk menjelajahi bakat dan kecenderungan mereka. Kalau anak-anak mereka kelihatan pasif atau biasa-biasa aje atau terlalu 'am', ibu bapa perlu teroka minat anak-anak mereka dan cuba libatkan mereka dalam pelbagai genre aktiviti supaya dapat dilihat ke arah mana mereka selesa. Sudah tentu, usaha ibu bapa itu haruslah mengikut tahap umur anak-anak mereka, janganlah pula kita memaksa anak belajar semua benda sekaligus, kesian anak tertekan pula nanti.

Itulah ibu bapa...harus menyediakan landasan untuk anak-anak mereka. Hingga pada satu tahap, atas bantuan itu, anak-anak dapat melihat potensi diri mereka dan boleh mengemudi jalan mereka sendiri selepas itu.

Jangan biarkan anak-anak membesar berseorangan. Anak yang berotak bijak, tetapi tidak melihat ke hadapan secara khusus, walaupun belajar pandai, periksa dapat nombor satu pun, kalau tidak tahu mana nak tuju pun, akan melalui satu lengkungan 'trough' di dalam hidup mereka. Bukan mereka tak boleh berjaya, tapi laluan hidup mereka mungkin menjadi agak sukar atau agak lambat daripada orang lain.

Entah kenapa dari minat belajar boleh masuk bab pendidikan dan parenting pulak ye. Just my two cents.

Anakku...

Anakku...
kenapa buat begitu
kenapa nak sedihkan hati ibu
kenapa nak risaukan hati nenda
kenapa anakku?

Anakku...
apa yang tidak kena
apa yang kurang
apa yang kau marahkan
apa yang kau idamkan
apa yang kau mahu, anakku?

Anakku...
matamu sempurna...jangan jadi buta

Ibu mu risau
Nenda mu gusar
bahu yang kecil itu...mampukah menanggung beban?
ilmu yang kurang itu...mampukah pikul tanggungjawab?
hati yang lemah itu...mampukah menempuh dugaan?

Anakku...
akalmu, kejadianmu Tuhan jadikan cukup sempurna..
jangan sia-siakannnya

Anakku...
maafkanlah ibumu
maafkanlah ayahmu
jangan sekali-kali kau lupakan...kasih mereka

Semoga Dia ampuni segala dosamu
Semoga Dia lembutkan hatimu
Agar kau menjadi tenang
Agar kau semakin matang
Agar kau tidak terbabas
Anakku... fikirlah...fikirlah baik-baik...

The Dreamer©2011

Studio Ghibli Craze...

I first watched an animation production of Studio Ghibli (SG) when I was a teenager. However, at that time I didn't know the existence of SG. It was Laputa. Many years later, I watched Spirited Away and loved it. Still I didn't know about SG. In fact I didn't remember when did I know about it. SG has produced numerous brilliant animation since 1985. What I love about these productions is the story, and the theme for some of them, because there's a certain theme which I never found in any animation. The creativity, the imagination. Remarkable. Even for the earlier ones when there wasn't any digital imaging or high-tech process. When I found out that my niece have the compilation DVD of SG productions, I was struck with joy and borrowed it, of course. My, there's a lot more good stuff I haven't seen, I realized later. So, all of the followings are the "good stuff" that I have enjoyed so much viewing....

Grave of The Fireflies (1988)

Grave of The Fireflies

This is the first film that I watched. And my, it was really touching. Usually we see animations as something of fun, hilarious and interesting. Well, this one is really interesting...but sad. It is a heavy emotional depiction of individual struggle in war-torn zone. The era is at the end of WWII in Japan. A tale of two orphans, a boy (Seita) and his younger sister (Setsuko) and how they had fought with their lives to stay alive after their parents were killed in the war. The two ended up staying over at an aunt's house, who was kind at first but after some time, when the war was prolonged and the food was rationed, the aunt became hard on them and resentful. Feeling that they were no more welcomed, Seita and Setsuko found shelter at an abandoned bomb shelter and made it as their house. The story ended tragically and I was teary-eyed at the end. There's no propaganda or ideologies in this film, just plain strokes of images telling a story of the aftermath of war to ordinary, simple people.

Ponyo (2008)

Ponyo

This story is very cute indeed. It is about a fish-girl (it's referred to as goldfish in the film) who is very adventurous. On an outing with her overly-protective father under the sea (who was once a human but said to be frustrated with human's attitude in contaminating the sea, he transformed himself to be able to live under the sea), she escaped to see more of the world but got 'tangled' in a mishap that landed her near the house of a cute 5 year old boy named Sosuke. The two just clicked together. Sosuke named her Ponyo. After that, it was an adventure when the father started to look for Ponyo and succeeded. But Ponyo was strong-willed to be with Sosuke that she escaped again, bringing together a massive tsunami that engulfed the island town where Sosuke lives. A lot more adventures as Ponyo transformed into a girl, Ponyo helped Sosuke to find his mom after the tsunami and the finale where it depended on Sosuke's feelings for Ponyo, that if he really loved Ponyo, she would stay as a girl and live with his family, but if he couldn't accept her, she'd return to the sea. One curious matter is that, unlike in other stories where children normally call their parents "otoo-san" (father) and "okaa-san" (mother), Sosuke calls his parents by name. A little odd there, I think. But a lovely story, love knows no boundaries...and forms, isn't it?

Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away

I think this movie is well-known by most people, since it had won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This fantasy story is full of adventure and good lessons to be learned as it tells the story of Chihiro, a girl, who reluctantly followed her parents into an abandoned amusement park as they found it when they were lost in the way to go to their new house. In a string of events, her parents turned into big, fat pigs and Chihiro was left alone to save herself and her parents. In her adventure, Chihiro would encounter many kinds of characters in many forms of creatures. Topping all that is Haku, a mysterious boy, and Yubaba, a kind of sorceress who runs a bathhouse for gods and goddesses. There's a lot of fun elements in it and we would see Chihiro's transformation from a sulky, whiny and timid girl into a brave and courageous girl with a big heart. There's no true protagonist in this film, since all of them changed for good after meeting Chihiro...(well, I couldn't speak for Yubaba..). Haku is 'kakkoi' (cool)! 

The Cat Returns (2002)

The Cat Returns

Another amusing fantasy-adventure feature where the main character is Haru, a shy and modest teenage girl who were sort of 'emotionally tortured' by her feelings towards the most popular boy at school, who seemed to already have a girlfriend. A courageous act of saving a cat from a traffic accident, led to a series of dumbfounding events afterwards. The cat was actually Lune, a Prince in the Kingdom of Cats. After promising to repay her kindness, Haru found herself treated to cattails, catnips and...mice! The King of the Kingdom, however, has bigger ambitions and wanted Haru to marry his son. Haru was then adviced by a 'beautiful voice' in the air to look for a big white cat who can lead her to the Cat Bureau, where she could find help. The big fat cat was Muta, and although complaining all the time, he did bring Haru to the Bureau where they met the Baron, a really 'cool', debonair male cat. Haru was kidnapped anyway, but Muta, Baron and their bird friend, Toto went to the rescue. They landed inside the kingdom where Haru changed little by little into a cat. Here, the message is to stay true to oneself for as Baron told Haru, the more she lost herself in the world of cats, the more cat-like she'd become. Then the challenge of maze ensued where they have to escape to the portal to go back to human world but the King was adamant in keeping them. Finally, it was revealed that the Prince had never intended to marry Haru. Later, some matters were revealed as who was the 'beautiful voice', who was the person (...or cat) that Lune would like to marry, and who were Muta and Baron. They finally escaped although their effort was nearly broken by the 'crazy' King. After the event, Haru returned as a more confident girl and didn't matter about her the boy of her crush anymore.

Whisper of The Heart (1995)

Whisper of The Heart

Oh, a lovely teenage romantic love story. Tsukishima Shizuku is a bookworm and reads voraciously. She frequents the library and borrowed lots of books from there. One day she recognized the same name in the library card for most of the books that she had borrowed. 'Amasawa Seiji'. It seemed that the person is also a reader as he borrowed many books before Shizuku. So, Shizuku started to wonder and fantasized about how would the guy be. At about the same time, she had a few encounters with a boy who enjoys teasing her with insensitive remarks and made her feel irritated. Anyway, one day, while following an interesting cat, she came across a cool antique store owned by an old man and there she saw a doll of a cat, which is the same as the Baron cat in the "The Cat Returns" (if you watch the previous movie before this one, you'd definitely recognize it) But in this movie, there's no magical fantasy, the doll is just a doll. Shizuku is totally mesmerized by the kind old man, the doll and his store. To cut long story short, the boy is actually the grandson of the old man, and he IS Amasawa Seiji! Before that she learned that Seiji is talented in crafting violins and playing it. Even his grandfather has a three-piece band played together one evening with Shizuku on the vocals. The story revolves so much on the song 'Country Road'. What's interesting is that the two fall in love but very modest with their feeling and just reflect their feeling through indirect conversation. Another interesting point is how love make them feel inspired by each other to find their callings in life. And how sweet the meeting at the end...aahhh, cute love.

Ok, I haven't finish watching all movies in the compilation. Maybe afterwards, I'll find more movies to my liking. Until then, I enjoyed so much the above ones that I watch some more than twice. Great entertainment!

Despicable Me & Toy Story 3

Despicable Me...I like!!

Alright. The interesting promo made me gave this movie a go. What is it in this latest animation that is so endearing? Let me see... Gru, his yellow minions, and most adorable, Agnes. So, ok..Gru is a villain. He steals things. He has one mission, and only one ultimate mission....that is to steal the moon. To steal the moon, he needs a weapon called the 'shrink ray', and a big loan from the Bank of Evil to build a space rocket. In his most ambitious plan ever concocted with the goal of committing 'the true crime of the century', even better than the other villain who stole the Pyramid of Giza, he has an army of yellow creatures and a scientist/inventor friend to help him out. However, he is not alone in his conquest, a rival, Vector, is in his way. Then he met 3 little orphan girls; Margo, Edith and Agnes (so cute!!) whom he adopted with something else in mind. However, little did he know that he had acquired more than he bargained for with those girls. He learned something else in the adventure.

To me, this movie is adorably funny and exciting. Just don't expect that you will bounced out of your seat with laughter on the first scene because the story builds itself rather 'gently'. Once you have been introduced with all the characters, you would've understand it all and appreciate the funny moments. My favourite scenes include the scene at the theme park ("It's so fluffy, I'm gonna dieee!!!") and when Gru read the girls bedtime tories... :) . Showing in all major cinemas from 8th July, if you like this 3D feature film with the creative works from the guys behind Ice Age and Horton Hears A Who, this one should be in your movie list.

Now, Toy Story 3 is perhaps the most hilarious and emotional one of the 'trilogy' (assuming that Disney/Pixar is not planning for a fourth installment..). Alright, if the first Toy Story was about Woody and Buzz meeting each other for the first time and competing for the affection of then 6-year-old Andy, and in Toy Story 2 they both had their own mission to settle upon and meeting Jesse ( and Andy was still a kid ), Toy Story 3 is about the toy team battling with their fate as Andy grows up and is going to be in college. Who knows what will Andy do to them....keep them, put them in the attic, give them up for donation or just thrash them out?

Jeez, the story is quite thick to me, full of adventure, not forgetting highly hilarious and funny, and emotionally touching too at the end. Who would've thought that I would be nearly teary-eyed watching an animation movie?! I love the previous two movies but I dare say, this one is the best. Whatever it is, it's worth going to the cinema for it. And there's a whole bunch of positive values that we (not only children) could learn from this movie, especially about friendship. Of course, it's a movie for kids, what else can I expect? But you know, not every kids' show can demonstrate a good value behind the funny lines and graphic animation. Toy Story 3 is a must to see.
 ENJOY! 

Note: Toy Story 3 poster from disney.go.com