Saturday, August 13, 2011

layers and folds

I haven't read Malay novels that much recently, unlike mom - she never stops buying them (depending on the authors and synopsis) and even went to the local library when she feels like it.

I felt that there's just to many authors nowadays, and more often than not you'll end up reading something similar, something I've-read-this-kind-of-story-somewhere. And I hate that the most. The purpose of buying different books is of course not to read the same thing over and over again.

The best thing for authors to do is for them to go traveling, experience new cultures, meet new faces . . . etc, etc. Then they'll have new ideas to work on. Worst come to worst, read books that are written in a different language to minimize the possibilities of producing something noticeably similar in the market. We have the tendency to replicate something we read beforehand, subconsciously or not . . .

Okay, let's just let that go...I didn't even have time to read the books I borrowed from the campus' library - it's no wonder when my rented house is within the coverage area of Wi-fi internet connection. Hard to find time when there's a lot of other things to do :p

The other day when I came back from Lendu, I searched for the Ketika Cinta Bertasbih novel that I was sure I've read before but mom told me that her colleague borrowed it. So I read a book that I stumbled upon while searching for the other. I think mom had just bought it recently. It's Cinta yang Ku Rasa by Anis Ayuni. She is my favorite local author, as most of her books proved to be worth reading.
Image from Google


And once I started reading, I felt like never putting down the book - if only I didn't have chores to do. I even felt like cutting the shopping trip short earlier, and running back home to feast my eyes on the story, word by word.

I'm going to read it once again...can't help it :p

Thursday, August 11, 2011

love thy neighbor

I am not a big fan of Indonesian films - I can easily count the number of their films that I've watched to this day (unlike English or Korean movies and dramas). Not that I'm biased or anything. It's just that even though our own language is similar to theirs, I still had a very hard time figuring out every word of  their full sentences. I can only pick out certain familiar words and I felt like I'm hearing Korean language being spoken (and can only pick at some words) T_T

But when it comes to Ketika Cinta Bertasbih, I watched it eagerly because it's adapted from the same-titled novel by Habiburrahman El Shirazy. Fortunately, Ketika Cinta Bertasbih 2, the sequel had subtitles which made it more enjoyable for me.

These are definitely worth watching, and we can learn a thing or two from the story.

If it's not meant to be, it's not.

In the movie, Khaerul Azzam wanted to ask for Anna's hand in marriage. He didn't even know Anna, yet he was persistent that she's the one. But was frustrated when he learned that his own friend, Furqon already asked first. Then Azzam and Anna actually met and fell in love with each other, but Anna still married Furqon.
when they met for the first time

Furqon did a lot of mistakes - believing he's HIV positive just after a single test, marrying Anna despite being told that he's HIV positive, and didn't bother to check the facts before divorcing Anna. It ended up that he didn't even have HIV in the first place.

Azzam on the other hand was adamant to get married to whomever suitable - but over and over again something came up and he remained single. When he was on the verge of giving up and decided to just let fate decide itself, he got what he wanted all along - Anna's father offered to marry her to him. What a love journey..

I want to go to Cairo and Alexandria! Those places are so breathtaking.
Images from Google


Monday, August 8, 2011

chance

49 days is a drama about a girl who was pronounced brain dead by the doctor after an accident trying to come back to life by collecting three tears from people who love her.

Among the casts are Jo Hyeon-jae, Jeong Il-woo, and Nam Gyoo-ri (Seeya).
Images from Google

The story is great although some parts are already expected like the bad fiance and bad BFF. And the story has a twist unlike other love stories' endings - I hate that though. I'd rather watch another pretty average ending that brings smile to my face, than this one. I wanted Han Kang to end up with Sin Ji-hyeon. Like maybe killing Ji-hyeon's character first and then making Han Kang meeting someone who looks like Ji-hyeon few years later - okay, same old same old...I know. But the ending is no fun..hmmppphh.