Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Victoria Vetra: "Religion is like language or dress. We gravitate toward the practices with which we were raised. In the end, though we are all proclaiming the same thing. That life has meaning. That we are grateful for that created us."
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Robert Langdon: "So you’re saying that whether you are a Christian or a Muslim simply depends on where you were born?"

Vittoria Vetra: "Isn’t it obvious? Look at the diffusion of religion around the globe."

Robert Langdon: "So faith is random?"

Vittoria Vetra: "Hardly. Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. In the end we are all just searching for truth, that which is greater than ourselves."

This is an excerpt from the book which I find true. In the book, Victoria is a scientist and Robert is a Historian. Robert Langdon is the main character ( he reminds me of Indiana Jones!!). This novel of Dan Brown is intriguing to the max as he uses verifiable places and historic events. This makes the story one of a kind. It places the reader in the fine lines between fiction and reality. It breads a vague impression of ‘what if’ this is really true? ‘What if’ this can really happen in the future? What better story is there than one that allows the mind to think and wonder.

The story was about the age old conflict between science and religion. It started with a death of a scientist (which turned out to be a priest too) who happen to discover the antimatter. The death also leads to stolen antimatter big enough to annihilate an entire city. The head director of the scientific company contacted Robert Langdon, a professor of religious iconology at Harvard. Why a professor and not the police? The dead scientist was also branded on his chest the word “Illuminati” which falls under the specialty of the professor and at the same time, the director needs to keep the death at low profile due to the technology involved. Hence, started Robert Langdon’s adventure to the search of the stolen antimatter. He met Victoria Vetra, the adopted daughter of the murdered scientist and together they tried to solve the mystery behind the Illuminati. Their search led them to Rome and the Vatican City where an enclave is currently in progress. From here on was an action pact adventure that includes kidnapping of 4 cardinals, the heinous death of these cardinals on the hands of the Illuminati assassin, the controversy over the untimely death of the Pope, the involvement of the Swiss Guards, the death of the director scientist, the antimatter being located somewhere in the Vatican city ready to explode at 12 midnight and all these while the world is watching. This explosion will evaporate the whole Vatican City together with all the cardinals congregated to elect a new Pope. I especially liked the speech of the camerlengo. How did it ended? Did the anti matter exploded? Were they able to catch the assassin? Who won? Was it the Illuminati or the church? The anti matter did explode. The assassin was stopped. ... and the mastermind revealed (not to the world though). The rest of the story I leave to you guys to read.

The lesson? Why must we be thorn between science and faith? Don’t they come hand in hand? I do admit when we began to study the big bang theory in school, I was confused for a while. I learned very early in life that God has created everything. He made Adam and Eve. But then, at school they were telling me that man came from apes. Did that changed the perception of my faith? No. A lot of things can be explained now through science, but these answers breads new questions. And while waiting for answers, we rely on our faith, on our God, to someday reveal it to us. Let science be the child, curious and hungry for knowledge. Let God be the parents, providing tools and guidance for the child to grow and learn from its mistakes.

Let me end this with another excerpt from the book:

"Mr. Langdon all questions were once spiritual. Since the beginning of time, spirituality and religion have been called on to fill in the gaps that science did not understand. The rising and setting of the sun was once attributed to Helios and a flaming chariot. Earthquakes and tidal waves were the wrath of Poseidon. Science has now proven those gods to be false idols. Soon all gods will be proven to be false idols. Science has now provided answers to almost every question man can ask. There are only a few questions left and they are the esoteric ones. Where do we come from? What are we doing here? What is the meaning of life and the universe?"

Adam .... my American Idol :-o

Oh my God! He is singing the saddest song ever. It’s one of the songs that have captured my subconscious attention around the early part of this year. I just love Adam Lamberts performances in the American Idol. He’s my secret bet for the winner and I’m just flabbergasted when they announced the first place (same thing happened in the Dancing with the Stars Winner). Adam did well in delivering this song. Even the way he dressed for it, even his very eyes can send out the emotions needed to completely entrance the audience. I knew because all through the performance, I can’t take my eyes off his face. I can’t take my eyes away from looking at his eyes… very intense and full of melancholy. From there and then, I’m Adam hooked.

After the show… I went looking for my daughter and asked her to download Adams Mad World performance in Itunes. I just have to put this in my blog. I promised myself not to talk about the mystery of why he didn’t win because in my mind and heart he’s the winner!


Anyway, here’s the lyric of the song:

"Mad World"

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow


And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cos I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – a movie

“Life isn’t measured in minutes, but in moments.”


Curious indeed!!! It’s more liked bizarre to me. Who would want a backward life? Who would want to go through life in direct opposite of all others? It’s awfully lonely and darn scary! Although scientifically impossible, one (like me ) cannot help put themselves into his shoes.

Benjamin Button, the main character portrayed by actor Brad Pitt was born old. How? Somehow it was linked to a blind man’s clock which winds backwards. I do not want to dwell deeper than that. It was recollection of past events as written in the diary of Benjamin Button himself. It was like a story telling about Benjamin, his life and his love who is Daisy (portrayed by Cate Blanchett) in a very weird circumstances. How his mother died giving birth to him and his father unable to accept how different he is. He was left on the care of a deeply religious lady and then met the girl he is destined to fall in love with. How they met in the middle and how destiny has played its part in their lives.

The dilemma in the movie is more like how would two lives in opposite direction live it’s fullest? Is it fair that Daisy be left alone to raise their daughter? Is it fair for their daughter, Caroline, to be left oblivious of her root? Is it fair for Benjamin to be far from love ones? The author has decided to break them apart for reasons that not everyone would agree with. But life is really accepting whatever the truth is. In the end, Daisy still ends up taking care of Benjamin. Caroline’s ability to love and understand was undermined and she was upset to know about it too late. Why would we prefer normalcy than accepting what is different?

My favourite line in the movie:

“You never know what’s coming for you....”

Oh my MAMA MIA!!!!!

Saturday evening is the big night. The night me and my mom went to watch Mama Mia. I thought I could invite my son but he would not budge. He says it's a chick flick and he would not be caught watching it. Well... they missed something good. It maybe a chickflick but it's a total entertainment. I just loved the scenery! The islands, the beaches, the rustic stone houses and stone pavements...all very dreamy and romantic. I am beginning to miss home ....

The wedding !! Oh my... the church is on top of an island and the steps going there is illuminated with little lights. It's just so nice to have a wedding like that. I could only see my own daughter going through such a scene. it's so wonderful to celebrate love ... irregardless of the past nor the future but only of the momment. Too bad I can't find a picture in the net. I guess you really need to see the movie...hehe.

My favorite part is when the song "The Winner takes it All" was sung. The background being on high ground and all you can see at the background is the sea, it's glitter against the afternoon sun....very dramatic.

The movie also celebrates friendship. As Meryll have her two best friend, so does her daughter. And we can say like mother like daughter for they are similar in many ways. Friends are the threads that lock everything in place in their lives. They maybe in the background but without them, it would not be complete.

Oh, almost forgot. As my daughter would always ask at the end of every movie we watch. what is the dilemma in the movie. It is the desire of merylls daughter Sophie to meet her father and give her away on her wedding day. But...there are three possible nominees...hehe. In the end... it really doesn't matter. All she needs to realise is her love to her mother and that she has her own life to live and not be worried about her.

It's a movie worth seeing....chickflick or not!

Sweeney Todd --- The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

We saw the film last night on TV (Rogers on demand). It was a musical film directed by Tim Burton (who also wrote Nightmare Before Christmas). I’ve read that there were several broadway shows about this story before. I could not comment their difference but I am sure that they are equally excellent.

The film has excellent choice of actors and actresses for lead characters. It amuses me to find most of the actors in the Harry Potter movie in the film. Actor Johnny Depp takes the lead character by the name Todd Sweeney (or Benjamin Barker before his unfortunate fate). Helena Bonham Carter is the leading actress for the character Mrs. Lovette ( who also performed Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter movie). Alan Rickman, more known as Professor Snape in Harry Potter, played the wicked judge who is the root of all Todd Sweeney’s misfortune. The judge has a sidekick named Beadle (another Harry Potter character in the name of Peter Pettigrew) who is as foul as the judge himself. I should also mention Pirelli although his role is not as big as the others just for the fact that he has played Borat in another movie … hehe. The rest of the charcters are Anthony, a young lad who is with Todd Sweeney on the boat to London. Joanna is the daughter of Todd sweeney who grew up with the evil Judge. And the beggar woman who darts in and out of scenes.

The location was in London during the year 1846. It’s about the misfortune of a barber named Benjamin Barker. He had a beautiful wife and a baby that he adores greatly. But there is this evil and corrupt judge who also had an eye for his wife. The judge staged a false accusation to get Benjamin in prison and away from his family. He was sent to Australia to be exiled for 16 years. His wife desperate and alone was left vulnerable to the aggression and deception of the evil judge. After 16 years, he is back in London under anew name…Todd Sweeney. He met a young lad on the boat named Anthony. Upon his return, he met Mr. Lovette who owns a meat pie shop. Although he may have changed his name, Mrs Lovette was able to find out that he is Benjamin Barker. She told him that his wife has poisoned herself and that his daughter was adopted by the cruel Judge. He had found his old silver razors and has planned his revenge with the help of Mrs. Lovette. His first attempt to kill the judge has failed when the judge discovered that he is a friend of the young lad Anthony who threaten to take Johanna away. This has caused the young girl to be sent away to unknown place. This has greatly saddened Todd Sweeny and it started his serial killings. Using his razors to kill his unsuspecting clients. To make things worst and more gross, the cadavers were turned to ground meat and made into Mrs. Lovette’s meat pies. Suddenly, people are frequenting her shop for the delicious meat pies (gross!). One day, Todd Sweeney heard from Anthony that he knows were to find his daughter Johanna. He help Anthony how he can go in to the mental asylum where she is. And lured the judge to come to him once again. He told the judge that he has Johanna and has agreed to marry him. That is when he was able to get his revenge, he killed the judge and sent him to the meat pie gallows. And then he found the beggar woman snooping around in his shop… and he killed her too. He found his daughter hiding and almost killed her too for he can’t recognize her. He was helping Mrs Lovette to dispose the deads when he finally recognize the beggar woman. She is not dead as Mrs. Lovette said and he himself has killed her. He turned to Mrs. Lovette with accusing looks and Mrs. Lovette said she did it only because she loves him. Mrs. Lovette ended up in the furnace. He was cradling his wife when Toby (the child who was cared after by Mrs. Lovette) came and using his razors, slashed his neck… thus ending his life as well.

This is a typical story of love and revenge. What made it interesting is the music and opera like content. It’s the bass-baritone voice of Todd Sweeney, the mezzo-soprano voice of Mrs. Lovette, Tenor by Perelli and bass by the judge. The way they mix together to create the story is quite entertaining. Creating a gothic background and setting has greatly helped generate a feeling of ominous darkness in the air. Johnny Depp has done a great job potraying this kind of character as he has done on so many like Edward scisorhands.

Lessons were obvious .. vengeance is always not the way to go. But how can one find justice in a corrupt world?

The Brave One -- Jodie Foster

"I always believed that fear belonged to other people. Weaker people. It
never touched me. And then it did. And when it touches you, you know... that
it's been there all along. Waiting beneath the surfaces of everything you loved. "

I saw the movie last night. It's quite a typical story about love, lost and revenge... and the justice of it all. It's about life's unpredictability and how a person deals with such a situation. Erica is the character played by Jodie Foster. I have seen her in so many movies...the Silence of the Lamb, Flight Plan, Panic Room and the oldest I can remember is The Accused. It was all very well portrayed by Jodie Foster.

Synopsis of the movie: Erica a radio station broadcaster is due to wed her boyfriend. During one of their walks in the park, they were ambushed by thugs and they were beaten to death. However, Erica survived and she was never the same person. She bought a gun and started to kill bad persons until she found the same thugs who killed his boyfriend. There is this cop who helped her in the end.

The problem in the story is about coping. How does one cope with the lost? Let me rephrase that...how does a woman cope with the lost? There was a phrase they used in the movie. "you were left with a hole...how are you going to fill it in?". Erica's character is extraordinary. She coped by putting justice into her hands. In order to do this, one needs to be very brave. It's almost like the story of Batman and of Spiderman. The problem was solved by vengeance.

The story ended when she finally killed the three thugs who killed her boyfriend. Does that mean that the hole was finally filled in? Or is only a start for more vigilante activities?

We can always put an ending to such stories. Mine would be...that she finally decided that she really wants to be a policewoman and fight crime the legal way! And that she and her cop friend ended up marrying each other! There, I made it a happy ending.