A burst bubble

[WARNING: Here be spoilers!]

"Imagine if you suddenly learned that the people, the places, the moments most important to you were not gone, not dead, but worse, had never been. What kind of hell would that be?"

Halfway through the film, the audience finds out that it has been living in the "reality" of Nash's mind. Key players were merely figments of his imagination, and all his time and efforts had been spent on a secret mission he had formulated himself. Nash was lucky to be able to recognise his own condition, and the end of the film shows him humorously checking that others can see a stranger before talking to him.

This led me to wonder if any part of my life was imagined reality. I applied the measure that Nash had learned to use, and was initially relieved that everyone I knew was recognised by someone else.

Then, another thought crossed my mind - what if both the recogniser and the recognised were part of my fantasies? What if I had created an entire network of people around me, so as to assure myself that everything was real? How could I be sure that my entire life thus far had actually occurred?

I soon realised that I couldn't be sure. But that doesn't matter. What is reality anyway? Nash's mental reality was unacceptable because they conflicted with the dominant reality, on which the wider part of his life was based. If the two didn't contradict, would it be such a problem?

Perhaps I'm not advocating the best attitude towards the condition of schizophrenia. But if I'm currently living in the first half of my life film, I hope the bubble never bursts.

The Twilight "Saga"

My weekend sisterly-bonding activity was spent watching the second instalment in the Twilight Saga, "New Moon". The word 'saga' gives me the impression of some epic tale of heroic deeds. I struggle to understand how this story fits the description.

I tried my best to enjoy what I had paid for with no previous bias, but I can't help but conclude that it was an excruciatingly dull way of spending two hours. My sister shared my sentiments.

There is an abundance of Twilight-bashers out there (some more creative than others), and that usually is enough incentive for me to grow fond of something. Quite helpfully, this saga has proven that my strive to be different doesn't entirely impair my judgement and opinions.

I don't intend to offend anyone who does enjoy Ms Meyer's works of fiction. I do know people who find appeal in the story (or at least, in one of its products *cough*E.Cullen*cough*). I respect their tastes. Or perhaps I'm simply too shallow to see the double meaning hidden between the lines.

All I can say is that this is definitely not my first choice of entertainment.

(500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer is a special movie. It's non-linearity, the soft colour scheme, the mockumentary clips -- all made this film stay a bit longer in my mind. Perhaps what occupied my thoughts the most, though, was the message that it sent.

Tom used to believe in destiny. He believed that one day he would meet "the one". He thought he found it in Summer. Unfortunately, Summer didn't feel the same way, so Tom had to accept that and move on.

Towards the end of the movie, the narrator said:

"Coincidence. That's all anything ever is. Nothing more than coincidence. Tom had finally learnt there are no miracles. There's no such thing as fate. Nothing is meant to be."

The term "coincidence" struck a chord with me. Indeed, it plays such a significant role in relationships. But this doesn't necessarily mean that fate and destiny don't exist.

It's not easy for a relationship to work out. It takes two individual beings aligning him/herself with the other, despite inevitable differences in thought and in attitudes. It requires accommodating for the other aspects of both lives. It demands immaculate timing and an opportune moment.

Not only do you need a coincidence of hearts, but also a coincidence of minds.

And what are the chances of that occurring? How likely is it for a person to find someone with whom all this can happen? What else could it be, but Fate's blessing?

So it is true that it all comes down to coincidence. But it is Destiny who brings this requisite factor upon us. Sometimes we have to bend at the mercy of Fate, yet at the same time, we have to seize the opportunities it bestows upon us.

What Tom had to learn was not that there was no such thing as fate. Fate had simply presented her gift for him in someone else.

It was time for Autumn to begin.