Finding His Identity in the sequel to Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom was recently released on 26 May 2011 and I had a new experience watching the 3D version of this movie in a JB cinema. [Cost for a weekend blockbuster: MYR 21.] Everything was fine, though I wished there was English subtitles instead.

The movies centred on Po, the Dragon Warrior, who was trying to find his identity. Who is he and what does his past consist of? Whilst there were many comedical moments throughout the movie that would pleased the young ones, the plot consists of a deeper thought focussing on the search of his identity and inner peace.

The search of his identity comprises the need to know his past - where he came from, who his parents are, how his younger years were like, etc. But it came to a point where Po realises that his past does not define him as much as his present choices. Life is very much the same - it defines who you are, but does not determine who you will be. One has the power to shape his/her future, and in the case of Po, he chose to be the Dragon Warrior and save China.

The search for inner peace was initiated by Master Shifu who wanted to further Po's training. Po masters it after he discovered his past, understood the present and decided to shape his future. He then returned to Gongmen City to confront the murdering peacock. Life is very much the same - people find happiness and peace all the time, only to fail to understand that sometimes, it will come to you - as long as you focus on doing the current things right.

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine is an American road movie whose plot is about a family trip to a children's beauty pageant. Whilst it is small in terms of budget, the amount of meaning brought through the movie is plentiful. My focus today shall be about the dysfunctional family's obsession with winning.

The star of the movie was a little girl called Olive. Her father was a failed motivational speaker who depended on his friend's leads in making it big. Her mother, Sheryl, was a divorcee who was trying to piece the family together. Her uncle, Frank, was a failed scholar who lost his job and attempted suicide. Dwayne was an unhappy teenager who chose to be mute by choice until he accomplishes his dream. Her grandfather, Edwin, who used to sell heroin, was full of vulgarities.

Each of the characters wanted to succeed very much. But when one by one, they failed, their disappointment and frustration showed. One of the final scenes was that of Olive trying to compete. She has the dreams of participating at the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty contest, she qualified for it, they drove for days and rushed her to the contest scene, but when the competition level is way higher than what they anticipated, does she (i) quit and save the embarassment, or (ii) persevere on to witness her dream unfold?

I thought one should always persevere on, regardless of whether he/she wins. For it is not the happiness that comes only after the win, but it is the journey of living the dream that translates to joy. Someone once told me - the opposite of success is not failure, it is giving up. Success doesn't come only after you achieved the dream, success has already been achieved with each little step (or even failure) I take. Today, I feel at ease with each little ray of sunshine I made everyday.

Are these my answers?

I see myself as an aviation specialist who is passionate in sharing his experience so that people around me can continue to love aviation - as it enables people to connect to people in other parts of the world and see beautiful sights throughout the globe.

I value growth and learning opportunities. I have seen myself wanting to gather more information and pick up new skill sets, ranging from signing up for courses to volunteering for new assignments. I value building connections and communications. I have seen myself leading teams in achieving common goals through synergising their team bonds and improving their their intra-team co-operation.

Wed instead of Tue; Qns instead of Ans

Today, I had a good one-on-one time with my mentor, FL. It felt like 'Tuesdays with Morrie', as there were several similarities. Both were knowledgeable, both were enlightening, and both were lecturers. More importantly, you always walked away each evening as if a new dimension has been opened up. 

We talked about our jobs. He shared about his and the reasons why he chose this path of doing part-time lecturing and part-time training. I told him - it's easy for me to hang on to a job for the 1st 2 years. From there onwards, things could be uncertain, as I might not find opportunities of growth anymore. Instead of giving me an answer, he asked - Where do I see myself 10 years down the road? What do I want to be then? And if so, what am I doing now so that I can achieve my dream? How is each step that I take - going to bring me closer to my dream?

We talked about my job and the reasons that I have left my earlier job. Having been onto my 3rd job, I shared the reasons that led me to seek for greener pastures. Instead of focussing on the push & pull, he asked - What values do I embrace? How can the job enable me to achieve my values and objectives? How can the job help me achieve the system and culture I want to build for myself?

Today, instead of getting answers, I received more questions. Maybe I need to take a step back before I can take 3 steps forward. Today, I took that backward step.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 Americann romantic fantasy film about an estranged couple who have each other erased from their memories. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was lauded by critics as one of the best and most thought-provoking films of 2004.

Joel Barish wanted to erase his ex-lover, Clementine Kruczynski, from his memory. After all, Clementine has seemingly moved on with her life and has forgotten all about him already. He approached Dr Howard who has invented a process that can erase a specific event of one's life whilst he/she sleeps. As his memories are being erased, Joel finds himself revisiting them in reverse. Upon seeing happier times of his relationship with Clementine that they experienced earlier in the relationship, he struggles to preserve at least some memories of them. It was through this process of loss that he discovers that he still wants to preserve the beautiful memories of them being together.

I asked myself - Would I do these? My answer would be a strong NO, because whether these are happy or sad events, each of these events made me who I am today. And by going through these events, I have learnt how to react to them. Even if it has not made me a better person, it has made me a stronger person.

Each of us has a past that made each invididual unique. Without our past, we are just like a piece of blank paper - clean, spotless and unfulfilled. I definitely had my papers filled up and am glad for that. And should I experience lacunar amnesia one day, maybe that is why I have my blog to save me.

Rango - is it merely a cartoon?

Rango is a 2011 computer animated Western comedy film that stars an ordinary chameleon called Rango who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt that is in desperate need of a new sheriff.

Whilst we acknowledged that it is a cartoon, about half the jokes are meant for adults and the script contains a deeper meaning that requires our comprehension and reflection. My post today will focus on the relationship between the Mayor and the creatures of Dirt, an Old West town populated by desert animals.

The population of Dirt are worried about their survival, as they came to realization that their water reserves are dangerously low. Everyone fears not about their daily water intake, but also about the existence of the hawk and Rattlesnake Jake, the snake. Rango killed the hawk, and in return, was given the title of Sheriff. But there was a deeper truth that Rango and Beans soon discovered - that the Mayor has been buying all the nearby land around, leading to a decrease in the water levels of their current town. The Mayor controls the water, and as a result, creates fear in everyone. But no one can prove the Mayor's wrongdoings. And when the Mayor discovered that Rango is close to figuring out what his true plans are, he called Rattlesnake Jake to humiliate him and run him out of town.

Just how relevant is this to the political scene in Singapore? We have our fair share of Rangos, but today, they are either silenced, bankrupt or dead.