Favourite Life Lessons from Revenge

So somewhere around last year, I got addicted to a TV series called Revenge. The idea was simple, a girl trying to get revenge for the sins done unto her father (an innocent) who was framed as a terrorist. But the plot thickens with every episode (as it does with a good TV series) and Emily Thorne (read protagonist) makes an interesting observation at the end of every episode which I believe can be applied to almost every life situation we encounter. These "life lessons" are merely a reflection of societal norms and the need for independence every one of us struggles with. There are very few in this planet, who can simply enjoy living by social norms, unless they are actually favoured by it. What I like most about these quotes is that they are wonderfully honest and they actually make you think.

"From the moment we’re born, we’re drawn to form a union with others. An abiding drive to connect, to love, to belong. In a perfect union, we find the strength we cannot find in ourselves. But the strength of the union cannot be known… until it is tested"

 "The greatest weapon anyone can use against us is our own mind; by praying on the doubts and uncertainties that already lurk there. Are we true to ourselves, or do we live for the expectations of others? And if we are open and honest, can we ever truly be loved? Can we find the courage to release our deepest secrets? Even to ourselves"

"True loyalty takes years to build & only seconds to destroy"

"Doubt is a disease. It infects the mind creating a mistrust of people’s motives and of one’s own perceptions. Doubt has the ability to call into question everything you've ever believed about someone and reinforce the darkest suspicions of our inner circles."

"When at cross roads go with your gut. Intuition always has our best interests at heart. But too often, we become distracted by fear, doubt, or our own hopes and refuse to listen."

“For some, commitment is like fate. A chosen devotion to another person with an intangible idea. But for me commitment has a shadow side, a darker drive that constantly ask question: How far am I willing to go?”

Book Love

I've always loved reading books from the time I was a child. I don't know what sparked my interest in books or what triggered it, but I know I love my books most dearly. I used to be the first in class to finish reading my books for English Literature. I read Wuthering Heights over 20 times, just because I liked it and best of all, I cried when my brother narrated the story of the final instalment of the Harry Potter series. I'm a self proclaimed book worm, although I know there are definitely those who've read more than me.

When I joined university, my interest in books wavered and everything became concentrated to the computer and then along came the iPad. I had a huge collection of books which didn't take any extra space and to be honest, I've loved every moment I've spent reading those wonderful eBooks. You can find me curled in bed on a rainy morning/afternoon/evening with my iPad reading one of my books. What I didn't notice was the sheer number of books I was reading. Turns out, I've read over 36 books in the past 4-5 months! Goodreads

I'm a huge fan of anything Young Adult. Be it fiction, fantasy or a romance, I read it! I've managed to go through several series without even realizing it. I'm always left heartbroken when I complete a series, but it soon gets replaced with another. I think that's the problem today, there are too many book series and I don't have the time to read them all. If only I could get a job which allowed me to read books day in and out and just enjoy them thoroughly, there's always the position of a book reviewer (although that's not much in demand off late). <deep sigh>

So am I addicted to books? I'm not entirely sure if addiction is a good word to use, but I don't think I could live too long without the entertainment I get off them. On the plus side, there is no chance of my books becoming a rare commodity, because for as long as humans traverse the earth, we will always have books to read and I will always be a content person :)

Perspective

I recently came across a friend's project where she and her husband had taken similar photographs, but at varying locations. The similarities are striking and yet at the same time, so are the differences. You can see the startling difference in the locale and can tell whether the architecture or the location is Eastern or Western. It got me thinking, if the world were just a mirror reflection of itself, wouldn't that be entirely neat!

But I digress, the project was pretty amazing and it made me think of the perspectives one can have. The same thing can be seen from different pairs of eyes and perceived to be something altogether different. Maybe its about time we actually got ourselves attuned to looking at things from another's point of view. "You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it", how right Harper Lee was. Just think of all the wars we could avoid if we just got to understand things from another person's point of view, his/her perspective. Heck, on a micro level, think of all the stupid fights we could avoid as people. If we took time out of our lives to look at things through a fresh pair of eyes, would things seem better or worse?

Maybe I'm just being a bit too optimistic and naive to imagine that looking at the same thing differently would always be helpful and would be the best thing to do. I'm just wondering if we don't do it because we're too lazy to think of it from a different perspective or we just don't care!

Love at First Sight

They say love can strike you any where and any time. Here's a short film that made me laugh and smile like a madwoman at the end of it. A story of love at first sight and how that love can actually be actualized. 

I haven't a clue of how realistic love at first sight is, but if Cupid's arrow is going to go through my heart and not kill me, I say bring it on :P. 

Book turned movies I want to watch

With the trend of novels being turned into movies and most of them doing remarkably well, there are a few more coming out this year that I can't wait to watch.

1. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. I have got to say when I first read this book, I was drawn into the world of Clary and Jace. The world of the Shadowhunters and I managed to finish the series in a week. It was a wonderful and thrilling experience and I just wanted to see it made into a movie. Now it's becoming a reality. The cast of the movie seems interesting and well, I truly can't wait to see how faithful they remain to the book. Releasing August 23, 2013

2. The Host. I first read the book when I was in High School, when the whole Twilight obsession was going on. Stephenie Meyer's writing was different in the Host and I was so glad for it. There were no sparkling vampires and an obsessed girl in love; instead, there was an alien species and a human population fighting for survival. The book made me and my best friend fall in love with the character of Jared (played by Max Irons) and his struggle. Lets just hope they can bring out some of the emotional facets of the characters in the movie. Releasing March 29, 2013

3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The Hunger Games novels took everything by storm. A world where people had to struggle for survival and live under a dictatorship seems typical for a post apocalyptic world. But to have a savage game where children have to fight and kill for their survival blew my socks off. The first movie was an amazing hit and truly, I loved the cast and the acting (swoons for Jennifer Lawrence). I can't wait for the second movie! Releasing November 22, 2013

4. Warm Bodies: The idea of a zombie falling in love with a human being and then turning slightly human for her seems ridiculous, but to a romantic like me, the concept seems adorable and despite being slightly gross, it still seems awesome. I can't wait to watch this movie in the theatres (in Singapore) and well, I hope to watch it soon enough. Released February 1, 2013

5. The Great Gatsby: Oh, the decadence of the 20s. The Great Gatsby swept me off into a world with curfews and limitations on everything and yet one man chooses to ignore it all. Gatsby's lavish defiance and his strange eccentricity won me over and I can't wait to watch Leonardo di Caprio steal my heart on the big screen. And I can't wait to see the Big B (Amitabh Bacchan) pull of his magic too. Releasing May 10, 2013