hitman the movie

After playing the game though never completing it I was excited to learn only just recently that there's a movie coming out. Ok lets get the obvious out of the way, there's a lot of shooting, a lot of blood, some swearing and a few adult scenes though largely censored in the cinema.

If you like that game it would be easier to follow the movie although the story does not follow the game strictly but it uses elements from the game to form an ok movie. Yeah i said ok. I was not sure what to expect with the movie, i guess i was not disappointed at the same time it was not wowed either.

There are a few reviews around so as usual i will not try to write a review however I would just highlight some parts of it I found interesting. For one, 47 has a soft side. That is something you will not find in the game. In the games he's more focused having no family except the padre that was kidnapped, in hitman contracts. In this movie there's a girl and i'm not sure what her role was suppose to be in the movie but she made 47 have a soft side, stopping him from killing inspector Michael and for some reason her tattoo created some kind of bond being tattooed himself at the back of his head.

47 was contracted to kill this guy and he did but somehow it turned out to be s set up that saw interpol and the FSB looking for him. There was a witness to the assassination and thats where the girl comes in. Mr B who hired 47 and then framed him had a secret that only 47 and the girl knew about so it was no surprise that he wanted them dead but if the actor died there wouldn't be much of a movie now would there? I liked the way the movie progressed once the plot has been layed out.

But beyond the seriousness there were moments of humour and like all new movies these days i could spot at least one sonyericsson phone being used.

Overall it was a nice movie minus the violence. A solid 3.5 over 5.

~shalom~

back in miaw city

I'm back in kuching already, wow feels really good to be back. There are a few changes but its nice to see everyone again. This afternoon most of us who just came back from all the different unis went out to lunch with pastor at no not the char siew shop but at pizzahut in Jalan Song, wah ate so much that i'm so full. Sorry no pictures i just never got around to taking any pictures.

Tomorrow i'll be going out for laksa with simon. Feels like a tradition now :) so looking forward to that. On the first of december i'll be working with shellyn, simon, and sam at bethany home so yeah got a job already. On the first is also the day Caleb comes back, wow it would be nice to see him again.

I'm sorry for all of you still in Miri, didnt really have the time to say goodbyes and all with y'all. My flight was rather early so yeah, miss you all already well see you in february except for samantha of course. I really thank God and chipmunk, sorry alvin for supper last night. It was good to spend some time together.

~shalom~

quicky update

Just a quick update. The past few days has been quite busy, packing and all. I didnt realise i have so much stuff until its time to move. Oh well everything should be settled by tomorrow. At the moment my stuff is scattered all over the room. My roommate left this morning, two of my housemates followed suit so its just three of us left.

Relentless has been quite good so far, but my heart is not really here. ;)

~shalom~

110

110 was my seat number for my last exam of 2007, my first exam in Curtin, the toughest of them all but its over now. Now i can breathe easy at least for a while.

The paper was surprising, was 17 pages long and felt heavy. The sheer volume of it made finishing a challenge and many of us didn't manage to finish yet in this kind of situation there were at least two people who left the hall very early. I guess they were more prepared than the rest of us.

So what now? Well there's relentless and then i'll be off to kuching. Can't wait.

~shalom~

facebook

I've noticed more and more people are moving over to facebook. I recently got an account there, well actually i had an account before but there were some issues with it and i got another one. Anyway is facebook the new friendster? Or is facebook friendster+myspace+hi5.

Speaking of hi5 i recently deleted my account there. Things were getting too messy, I keep getting invitations from people i dont know.

Anyway, i have my last two papers this week. Really dont know how its going to go but i just hope they're not too difficult.

Ok thats enough for one day, i'm going to bed. Please pray for my exams ;)

~shalom~

testimonies for october '07

I have come to enjoy this time every month when i take time to look back on the month and give thanks for the way it turned out. So in no particular order, I express my thanks to God.

Lost and found.
I know it looks like a small thing but i really thank God that i didn't lose my datastructures and algorithms in java book. If i did not only would be paying for the book but i might have nothing to study with for the exam. Besides all that i would really look at myself as an irresponsible person, thats worse.

You are near.
I thank God for showing me that he truly cares for me, despite everything that has happened. I just thank God for the reassurances, i feel its priceless. And I want to say i'm sorry Lord for all the times i shut my ears and would not listen, did not respond to your calls. I was just looking back at my posts and want to add that i really like the note i got from my "angel" in vcf. I think its really nice la. Thank God for that.

Bario
I thank God for the opportunity to go to Bario. Its was really a good trip, just to experience the culture and the life there. And the people, to be able to be a part of the ministry team there. I also thank God for the time we got to trek into the jungle and all the hospitality and the fun ride on the really small plane, the smallest i've been on so far.

Little Nigeria
Thank God for a little experience of home by way of pastor Gbenga who literally invigorated my spirit with life. Really thank that man ;)

4months
Its been 4 months, i'm still here. Life still goes on. I have no regrets in fact as the days unwind i am more and more grateful. Besides that i thank God for wonderful friendships in miri, and for the family of God, its really something unique. The other day i met ray from necf in kuching, wasn't expecting to meet him here but it was nice seeing him again. :D

Thank You Lord for EVERYTHING!

~shalom~

reading lists

My reading list

One more day before i begin my exams. I must say i'm quite worried about my exams. I've been studying but I still feel worried especially as this is my first exam experience in Curtin and I dont know what to expect. Well if its like the test then it should be ok. But stil...

Somehow i also feel there are times all you need is faith, and just trust God to take care of things. Its not easy to do that but considering the alternative its a better state of mind to be in.

And it doesn't help matters when people start leaving while you have not even started your paper. Its so not fair :P

Anyways i've got a whole lot of studying to do.

~shalom~

I come

Just as I am without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me
And now thou bids me, come they thee
O Lamb of God I come, I come.

I tried to listen to some music last night, thought its been a while since i listened to coldplay to i listened for a while and got fed up with it after two songs. Then i searched my music library for some hymns and listened to that instead. My roommate was watching a hindi movie and i was suppose to be studying but between the movie, the song and my books i could not concentrate. So stopped and listened to the music instead.

I've always loved hymns, and i feel its kind of taken a less prominent role in modern church services. Hymns have a way of getting to your spirit, heart and soul and really express the deepest longing of the heart. They also serve as checks, and question our motives and present relationship with God. For example, you can sing the lines;

And he walked with me and he talked with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

When getting up in the morning to pray is a challenge. God never condemns though it is just man that tries to judge, and i am in no way judging just making a point.

So anyway i felt really blessed listening to the hymns, especially as the songs these days just entertain and don't really leave you with anything of eternal value. I felt encouraged after reading a book i got a long time ago that contained twelve of our favourite hymns today with some background to what inspired the authors to pen down these immortal words.

I was reminded that I dont need to wait until i have no faults to come to God, and that he bids me, to come to him. I remember what fred shared last time, there's nothing we can do to make God love us more or less he just does. And nothing can separate us from the love of God except maybe we ourselves. And you dont have to wait for you life to be straightened out right to come to him, because it may never be. I was reminded also last night that there are only a few things we are prepared for in this life. For everything else like lanre says on his yahoo messenger, all you need is faith.

Thank you Father that you invite me to come to you, just as I am. :)

~shalom~

lost and found

Just how do you lose a book? Now how do you lose a book you need for exams? I'm not sure why i lost the book. I'm not sure on which day i lost it but thinking it through it must have been on Saturday. I took the 3.30 bus back home and forgot it in the bus. I didn't notice it was gone until Monday. I just can't seem to study on Sundays because after church we all go makan only to get back by 2 or 3 something. By then you feel so sleepy already then later call friends go for dinner and Sunday is gone.

Monday was spent thinking of where i could have left the darn thing, so i asked the stores where i went to and they didn't have it but it was not to be found there.

Tuesday was spent thinking of the consequences of losing the library's book. I would have to shell out hundreds of ringgit to replace the book so i didnt tell them it was lost, instead i asked them to renew all the books in my possession to the same day. Now i dont have to worry about paying the late fees if i dont find the book on time. I also did what i was suppose to do earlier on, ask the bus driver if he came across the book which i did and turns out he did so i was semi happy. He gave the book to the security on duty but he was not on duty on tuesday, and no one knew where he kept it so i could not get the book. However they asked me to fill the lost and found form. I filled it with all the details and was asked to wait till the next day, hence my semi happiness.

Wednesday was spent being cool, not worrying too much and giving them time to get things in order. I just reminded the lady that made me fill the l&f form and she said to come back after 2, then the officer i need to see will be on duty, so i was calm and after 2 i got a call from her and she was there with the officer. He was smiling and said i need to give him tapao, i just smiled, and he said you know what tapao is right and i said yes but i was not really going to give him anything. Just said thank you uncle, and smiled a lot. He had the smell of ciggs on him and as he smiled it revealed a black cigg stain on his teeth close to the gum. I was disgusted but grateful.

Then he went on, if i dont keep, how much you have to pay? I said this not in scolding tone but in a you need to be grateful boy, tone. I kept the smile and say thank you uncle routine going until he gave me the book. I only needed to sign off on the l&f form and the book was mine until the end of exams that is.

I really thank God found it, and dont have to pay for it.

~shalom~

perculiarities

Something funny happened this morning, something i have feared would happen one of these days. So i went out to take my shower, usually i lock the door and take the keys with me to the bathroom and this time i did the same thing, only i didnt take the right key instead i took the keys to the back gate that was in my hand at the time. My brain didnt co-ordinate with my eyes to see that it was the wrong set of keys. I only realised my mistake after the nice, long cold shower. Ah only then did i realise i was in trouble.

Normally what happens in situations like these that you can ask the guard to open the door for you and you dont have to pay anything for the first three times after that they charge 10bucks if you need them to open the door. This was only my second time, the first time was not my fault. My roommate locked the door and went away with the keys not knowing i was still in the house. So yeah.

Now i couldn't go because i only had my towel around my waist, actually i could go but its a long walk from my house to the guard post. So luckily for me i found my nextdoor neighbor at home with his window nicely open so i can ask for his room keys to see if it would open mine, since some of the keys can open other doors they're not suppose to open china}. But that didnt do it so he offered to go get the keys for me and i was saved. No more locking doors for me, thats for sure.

Another perculiarity happened after i was reunited with my favourite clothes and was out in the bus stop waiting for the bus. I had 30 mins to wait and this guy who for some reason always forget my japanese name and calls me steven. Steven? Do i look like a steven? He always has a smile on his face and is always asking for cigarrettes. I think everytime i meet him he's either asking me if i have ciggs or if i smoke. This time he has his park of the red and brown brand, not sure of the name. He was half way through the thing and discovered the pack had a small depression probably because of the way it was stored and he was like look at the pack they gave to me, and used a curse word. I was beginning to be irritated.

Then he asked me if i smoke and i said no and he asked why and i said because i dont want to. At this point he just finished one stick and was getting another one. I particularly dont like the smell of ciggs, and the thought of sitting through another dose of poisonous second hand smoke set my brain thinking of an excuse to get out of there. So i told him i was to go get a drink and if he wants some, he looked at me with excitement in his face and said a drink? Then i said yeah, water or something, he must have thought i mean tiger or something. I guess we didnt get to the part where he asks if i drink too. But it was not entirely and excuse because i was thirsty and needed a drink but i also needed to get away from there.

When i got back he was not there. Thank You Jesus for water and somethings...:)

~shalom~

10 more days

10 more days to my finals. I like that its back to back so i can take it all and be free for another 3 months. Gosh 3 months of no school! How am i going to survive. I mean i like the break but i am no comfortable with the length.

I will be moving out of my current accommodation. Its much more expensive that the houses outside, well some of the houses and the internet there is unreliable so yeah. Found a place for about 150 with internet but its quite far from the bus station. That is my only concern. Just called my mom to inform her and she was more concerned about my safety. I still miss my mom so much.

I had one suspicion confirmed today. My pastor revealed that he has visited this blog, and even though it didnt come as an absolute shock i was kind of taken aback. Its ok la, i dont write things that would unsettle people, at least i dont think i do.

Its amazing the influence words have on people, and how blogs can communicate words to lift up to depress. I know its a personal space but sometimes i feel like you know, am i being a blessing to someone or just thinking about me. I think its a balance that has to be struck somewhere between being honest and letting out and being aware of the effect it may have on others.

In other maybe unrelated chatter, this year has been one of many challenges, some i'm not sure i handled well but its one year i'm grateful to God for all he has done and continues to do in my life and the lives of people i love. I am truly thankful for EVERYTHING. Can't wait for next year.

~shalom~