Critics

I was shocked with the death of Heath Ledger last week. Sad to say, I will not be able to see anymore of his films, my favorite of which is "A Knight's Tale". Last night, I looked it over at Wiki and I found out it had received unfavorable reviews. How come? I enjoyed that movie, especially the part where he got to meet the Black Prince or the part where he returned home to his father and gave an old man hope and the joy of knowing his son has made something of himself. I think the movie deals with the courage to seize life and overcome obstacles placed on us by the norms of society and the status quo. All the critics seem to care about is whether it has a "new plot" or artistic interpretation.

Feeling a bit put out by this, I decided to search their opinions on another movie which I really enjoyed, even watched again on DVD, "Independence Day". It came as no surprise that again the reviews were not that good despite the fact that it was a top-grosser. I scanned for some of the books and films that I enjoyed and got the same lukewarm reviews. In contrast, the films I found boring or offensive seem to get glowing reviews. Then it hit me. Either these critics are stuck up snobs too full of their own "artistic" pretentions or I'm just a shallow individual, incapable of following the complicated plots of so -called "good" movies. Oh well, none of these matter to me except that the stories are good enough to transport me to a differrent place. I'll be damned if I let the critics dictate me on what I can or cannot enjoy...

Vacation Spot 1

Dakak Beach Resort, off-season.

During off peak months, Dakak is a fine place to go and relax. A small cove with a white sand beach and eco-tourism activities, it is a popular destination for those who wish to soak up the sun. The long trip and uphill climb was worth it when you're able to relax in these surroundings. Just don't ask me to go there during summer or the holidays when its packed with local and foreign tourists that you're unable to book your room if not at least 2 months in advance. It would be like a mini Boracay what with rubbing elbows with celebrities. That would be a shame coz I don't fancy spending my vacation time hobnobbing with the elite and (in)famous.

Midweek

Typical, midweek blahs. What I'd really like to do today is laze around the beach. One day, I'm gonna take a long week off from work and pressure. I'm going to stay at home and do nothing but watch TV and surf for 3 days. Maybe I'll go on shopping and replenish my cache of paperbacks. Then I'm off to the beach and stay maybe 2-3 days and do nothing more than swim, eat, sleep and watch the sun set.

Huhmmm... Feels nice to dream for a few minutes.
Back to the daily grind...

I've decided to move my previous post to another blog. It's bad enough that I couldn't really separate my work from personal life without boring everybody with details about my patients.

the future i

Recently read a book of futuristic stories and all the possibilities struck my fancy. In fact, I love to read stories about the future and alternate realities. Somebody looking over my shelves would find a profusion of Star Trek, Star Wars, Isaac Asimov novels, jostling for space with my complete Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, Dragonlance, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony, Katherine Kerr, Robert Asprin and Christofer Stasheff novels. Before, my collection dealt mainly with medical thrillers and courtroom suspense but I have been recently dismayed with the real world that I sought out stories outside of our own experiences. All the "what ifs" and "if onlys" of our existence tantalize me not just for myself, but mankind as a whole.

Several days ago, there was an upsurge in stories of UFO sightings. Even Larry King had a segment run to discuss these things. Again, my imagination started working overtime. Considering the billions of stars in the galaxy and countless galaxies in the universe, the idea of life other than of this planet is not exactly far-fetched. What tickles the mind is how our contact with these being will come to be. I, for one, am hoping they would be like the Vulcans of Star Trek or else the Asgard of Star Gate. No sense in being excited about the coming first contact if we would only end up as food for the guests...