Stewed Dish

Day 3 in the Convitto...

Today, I managed to do up the page structure for my thesis and started putting in the headings. That was it. Beyond that, I couldn't go on anymore because I couldn't find the right and proper starting words and statement that can begin the process of writing. Yes, I had read some references/books on the subject but nothing is 'clicking' just yet. So, I thought I'd let my mind stew over all the ideas, references, points and experiences (thus far), like a cooking pot on a slow boil, and wait for something that will pop up later on.

Meanwhile, I have also been getting a lot of ideas spinning off from an unexpected medium that was more an entertaining time passing but gave a lot of food for thought. That medium was the film/tv shows that I managed to view online (free) that reverberated with my inner senses which spoke to my heart.

One was New Amsterdam, a cancelled tv series in the States that tells the bizzare story of a New York homicide detective who is cursed with immortality. Apparently, he was a Dutch soldier in the year 1642 when he stepped in front of a sword to save the life of a Native American girl during a massacre of her tribe. The girl in turn rescued him by weaving an ancient spell that conferred immortality upon him. It was also prophesied that he would not age until he finds his one true love, and only then will he become whole and ready for mortality.

The idea of searching and capturing that 'true love' is also a theme that is very close to the life of a Christian for we all know that the one and only true love, if we allow ourselves to be utterly taken by the Truth, is none other than the One that represents all that is - God. However, human perception of true love interestingly reveals a lot of variety of what this can be or mean. Unfortunately because our desires are also mixed up or misunderstood, this 'true love' never lasts. The question then arises about finding that love: how do we know? Well, New Amsterdam offers a way out, albeit a human notion of it. But the series was abruptly cancelled and so I never got to see how they could develop this idea further. It would be interesting to see how the writers could offer an answer to this...

Then we have The Forbidden Kingdom. An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself traveling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.

The best part of this movies is that we have both kung fu greats, Jackie Chan and Jet Li acting side-by-side showing off their martial art skills in the midst of all the other CGI effects which were just nice without being overwhelming.I gather from this story that it is about doing the right thing and finding that courage to go against the odds that always want to hinder your quest. That's our own struggle in life as a Christian isn't it? It is always better to look the other way, to take the easy way out, rather than stand and make it count for one's own faith. A Robert Frost 'Two Roads' poem comes to mind about making that difficult choice:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Lastly, we have August Rush. A movie that is described as magical and full of heart, it tells of a child music prodigy who was searching for his parents who had given him away at birth. It is a heartwarming tale that offers music as the soul of a person that can transcends time and space to bring about wonderful things, as long as you don't give up on it. As a Christian, we know our souls belong to God and He constantly sings to us to lead us to that wonderful place where we will find our position in the symphony of eternal life.

One of the comments about the movie went like this: "... if you are looking for a movie that will sing to your soul (and show you some beautiful eye candy as a bonus), look no farther... A trio of beautiful performances form the heart of this film, although the secondary characters are also crisply compelling. A day after seeing it, I find that specific shots of their faces still glow in mind like pieces of a mosaic. And the music is a genuine addition, as it should be in a film of this kind. I was genuinely moved." Yup, so was I.

So, the ideas are still being stewed and a good stewed dish of any kind means that I shouldn't rush things but enjoy its momentum, for something fascinating will eventually turn out...

(of those mentioned above, august rush wins hands down for being most moving! you may view these items here)