My Glee Club

After finishing Glee: Complete Season One and watching its season Finale, my tears rolled out in the cheek. The song To Sir With Love had touched the very core of my passion, and at that time I was reminded to my own experience, coaching my own "Glee Club".

I already found out since the very first time watching Glee, that this is a story I can connect myself too. I did have the experience of handling underdog team, SEDC.

Just like Glee, SEDC was nothing. I only got few members, and we never won any competition at my first year of coaching. The school gave us nothing, and we had to try hard to sponsor ourselves. Most of the time, transportation became an obstacle, and the coaches had to escort the members to the competition. Not to mention refreshment and calling credit. Meanwhile, the payback was not that much (financially, but not emotionally).

The Sue Sylvester figure was also there for us. She kept trying to sabotage us in various competitions, making us lose in a completely unfair matter. And just like the character, it was (finally known to be) done out of jealousy. The first year was just another crash and burn. Most of the time, we got beaten up in our last step.

However, as the world turned, we managed to secure ourselves several positions. And from that time, we grew bigger and seized some spotlights at school. And that's how my "glee club" went from nothing to something. Guys, I'm proud of you.

Song of Song

Dear,

Don’t you know that you have deconstructed my world? I used to live in a perfect solace, living all by myself and hiding beneath my own hard shell. But you came into my life, lightening every dark corner of my soul with your very presence. And at that very first time, my exile was completely shattered, forcing me to live under the mercy of your briliance.

You are the harbinger, ending my gloomy sanctuary with your radiance. A single smile of you bestows the warmth towards my small retreat. I was and still am blinded by your white seathe of flickering passion, leaving me nowhere to go but following your trail.

The innocence smile on your lips carry me to the deep slumber, provoking me to go beyond the unconsciousness. Ecstatic yet rejuvinating at the same time. Invigorating but daring, bringing me to the unimaginable pleasure within. Joyful and calming in the same moment.

I couldn’t stand seeing your frail figure crumbled by the tears, thus I shouted to the God to give me chance for wiping away your tears. Eradicating all the sorrow that your heart stored for a long time. Though small and weak as well, I am offering you my shoulder to lean on. You can cast away all the agony that burn you, cleansing them all through the tears you shed inside my embrace. And nobody would know that, let it be our little secret.

Yet you covered me with your wide brilliant wings, engulfed me by the sheet of soft lullaby. Just by being near you, I would forget all my worries. I do long to fall unto your chest, laying down my head on it. With the ticking sound of your soft beating of the heart, you already chant the softest and loveliest lullaby. I would not dare to dream while sleeping, for there is no more beautiful dream to dream. You were my wildest dream, and now it comes true.

Within your grasp of staring at me, my thought ran to every single corner possible in the universe. For you become my inspiration, toppling down the grace of the great muse, and reigning in their throne instead. And the most important thing, you are still you.

Prince of Persia : When Being Too Faithful Gives Nothing

Game-based movie is always a dilemma. Most of them ended up failing, with the hard protest from the original game players. Those gamers (me included ;p ) protested the depiction of the character and the inconsistent storyline. Final Fantasy, for example. The gamers expected to see Cloud or Squall in the silver screen, but Square Enix gave us unmemorable female cast, and not even summon monster made any single appearance (save for the Leviathan-like monster). Or Death or Alive which was turn into a cheap rip off of crossover between Power Rangers and Sailor Moon, together with Ayane's purple hair. Uh-oh, that is one hell of a living proof that you cannot translate gaming stuff literary to the real world. Well, FF : Advent Children is one exception, though.

The most recent game-based movie comes from Jordan Merchner's masterpiece, Prince of Persia. A platformer. When I saw the trailer, I was screaming within. Everything was translated literally, with no awkward feeling. The costumes of Dastan are all alike with the game version. The depiction, the action. Well, the movie was adapted from the latest trilogy of Prince of Persia, not the original one.

Watching the movie in its first minute, I felt like playing the game. It shows the platforming action, jumping between roofs, gliding, hanging, and all the stunts. The shape of the houses are faithful to the original game. Hell, Jake Gylenhaal even looked like being prompted directly from the game.

A very faithful adaptation to the game. In fact, it is too faithful. Thus, you will encounter gaming branches and side quest here. Game storyline is made for the sake of exploring various levels and stages, showcasing the beauty of rendering. It's quite normal for a game version to keep losing the sacred dagger, and going to various stages and missions to retrieve it back and lose it again. Gamer will not complain, because they enjoy their involvement. Hell, this is a platformer, not RPG. So, the action speaks first, not the storyline. And this is the point where the movie falls. No storyline adjustment. And due to the fact that Prince of Persia's strength is in the action not the storyline, it became very annoying to watch Dastan kept losing the dagger. Not once, not twice, but many times! Sorry Disney, this time Dreamworks kicked your ass with their How to Train Your Dragon.

Talking about the action itself, I should have not complained. It's quite nice, but too shallow for Prince of Persia. It should be more spectacular! Instead, all the actions here are just too "usual".

Apart of that, the brotherhood thingy is a nice saying. "It takes the strength of brotherhood to keep the kingdom united!"

Dear Someone 3

Dear someone,

I cannot believe that I am writing this unsent letter to you once again. I know that in the last letter, I expressed my intention to forget you. However, in this very moment, I suddenly remember you. That our painful parting created not only sorrow, but also somehow motivating.

I was a disappointment to you for one reason, that I was still staying with my parents until this age. Your commitment at that time was not having a relationship with someone who is staying with his parents. Yet, we clinged for 50 days. Beyond our thought, we already imagined a life without parents, a life for studying abroad. Both of us struggled for getting the awards. Yet, we took different paths.

You decided to stay for the same scholarship, pertaining consistency or just simply being stubborn. Yet I took various chances, the decision trigerring an inconsistence stigma upon me. After our parting, I was totally motivated to really gain the scholarship. I would like to show you how I can still achieve that, even without you being next to me. In fact, my ego told me to prove myself worthy to you. That I am more than you!

People might say that by holding this ambition, it means I still have some feelings towards you. Well, it’s not my place to say that.

The truth was, I felt as a total loser everytime a scholarship rejected me. Meanwhile, you seemed to forget your ambition by staying in a total zone and confessing that you will delay your scholarship. With your so-called withdrawal from the battle, I was still as motivated as before to slap you in the face.

Right now, I am holding this award to study abroad, in one of the most prestigious universities. Meaning, I am going for what we used to fight for. This egotism within me yearn to show this off to you. This mind is longing to shout outloud in front of your face, “Hey, your reason to underestimate me is no longer exist! I am living my own life, far from my parents. Even better, I get this award sooner than you do. Now, who’s the loser, huh?”

But I cannot do that. You don’t care with that, do you? What I can do is only pouring this grudge unto an unsent letter. But one thing that I know for sure, I am more than you.

Iron Man 2 : A Cry of a Fanboy

Iron Man 2 has been out in the movie. Being a fanboy of Marvel comic, as well as being astounded by the first movie, I decided to watch it. The first installment brought a different approach to superhero movie. What made it interesting was the faithful way of retelling the origin of Iron Man. Audience was even presented with the original suit, the yellow tin man. It was also full of humor, made it a fresh movie. The release date of the first movie was also nice for fanboys. At that time, Iron Man was labeled as a jerk, with his bringing about Superhero Registration Act and Civil War. The movie brought him back to his root.

However, the second movie is different. It lacks of humor, unlike the first installment. The superhero action here is also a bit corny. So, you don't get both quality. There are many unimportant destruction. The destruction in the racing was totally redundant. The explosion of various cars also make it a mere eye candy.

In the end of the first movie, most fanboys had already cheered for War Machine and S.H.I.E.L.D. for the second one. Granted! We got War Machine and Nick Fury. But the War Machine is not that spectacular. It seemed to be cramped out. But probably the storyline is not that good.

Pepper Potts fits well in the first movie, but in the second movie, she's nobody. I mean, Natalie Rushman (a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow) outshines her. She played well, though sometimes she acts as if she is the amalgamic version of both Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova (Black Widow 2).

The plot used here is the Armor Wars. But the execution was too lame. Not that spectacular. In my personal opinion, with Iron Man focused on the character development of Tony Stark, the Devil in the Bottle could be nice. That way, War Machine can be introduced smoother. The enemy here is also not that eye-popping. Whiplash. Errr, first movie's villain was not a well-known one, but it is the first movie, the introduction. I really hope Mandarin would be the villain in the second movie, but Marvel gives us B-class villain, Whiplash.

The interesting thing in every Marvel movie is the cameo. And in this movie, you can see Captain America's Shield, though not in a complete form. Too bad, when I watched it, nobody seemed to recognized it. The cliffhanger in the end of the movie also gives something to cheer about. Nick Fury's proposal, Avengers Initiative. Huray!! Iron Man, Cap, and Avengers! Next turn, we will get Civil War!!!!!!!

Overall, Iron Man 2 is not something to please the fanboys. Those loving explosion and care nothing about the shallow storyline should cheer out loud. But the true believers will just shout, "FIX IRON MAN!"