If there is light in your heart,
you will find your way home.
The Time Keeper
Author: Mitch Albom
Translator: Tanti Lesmana
Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Publication Date: October 2012
Pages: 312
There is a reason God limits our days.
To make each one precious.
I read this latest work of Mitch Albom during my time at the hospital. My mom has been hospitalized for the past three weeks. Despite my hard times, I thank God for choosing this book to read. It turns out to be a perfect companion.
This is a wonderful little book that will make you ponder about the meaning of time and how you use it. The story is started with the first man on earth who count the hours. The man who becomes the Father Time or Time Keeper. As the inventor of the world's first clock, he is punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift. He finally banished to a cave for centuries and forever to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years.
With his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hour glass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.
He returns to the world and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever.
The story will inspire all of us to reconsider our own notion of time, how we spend it and how precious it truly is. What is important for us to make the best of use of time that we have. We are unable to stop time or to speed it up. However, we can seek to do the best we can in the amount of time we are given by God. All of us are time keepers.
One of the best books in 2012. A perfect food for thought. Highly recommended. Remember to have a couple of tissues nearby just in case you need them.
Lost in Translation
As a part-timer, my load of works are up and down (and also my monthly income, hahaha...). The kind of works that I do now also vary. Beside teaching, sometimes a friend asks me to draft some legal agreements or other time they ask me to translate some documents. So far I enjoy all the works that I have done.
Recently I have lots of work of translation. It is because I easily said yes to my friends' offer, put the material aside and plan to do it later but I just realized that the deadline of the works are almost similar. All translation must be finished before the christmas and year end holiday. I still have time though. Well....it's time to get back to work now. Ready to lose in translation.
Mom's Scream is the Best Melody
Out of the blue Najla asked me to buy her an alarm clock. She said that since she's already been in second grade at school, she thinks it's time for her to wake up by herself without any 'interference' from her mom. Well...okay big girl, your wish is my command:)
I finally bought her a small-cute-pinky alarm clock. Najla was soooo excited. At night before she went to bed, she set up the alarm clock to be ringing at 5.30 a.m sharp.
The d-day was here, that morning I just sat down in the sofa reading a book while waiting for the alarm clock to be ringing. When the alarm rang, I just waited outside Najla's bedroom but when I heard that the alarm kept ringing while neither Najla nor Zea showed up, I smell something wrong here. I opened the bedroom door and found out that both of my daughters slept peacefully while the alaram clock was there ringing continuously. It seemed that the alarm sound was too soft for them instead of waking up they though it's a lullaby or something.
Eventually mom had to do something. Back to the old habit, calling their name, Najlaaaa...Zea...it's 5.30, time to wake up, c'mon, hurry up...So far this simple morning call is quite effective. Nothing beats mom's morning call. Mom's scream is always be the best melody.
Life of Pi
Director: Ang Lee
Writer: David Magee (screenplay), Yann Martel (novel)
Casts: Suraj Sharma, Irfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Tabu
All of life is an act of letting go but what hurts the most is not taking a moment to say good bye.
--Life of Pi the movie
I read the book in 2004 and was so amazed with the theme of the book. It's a kind of story that hard to forget. When I read from this blog that the book will be adapted into a movie, I was so thrilled. It's sure an ambitious project and it will be very interesting to see how this great story translated on screen.
Life of Pi is a story about Pi, an Indian teenager with unusual perspective on spirituality (he follows Hindu, Christian and Muslim faith) whose father runs a zoo. Due to political climate in India, Pi and his family decide to travel overseas to Canada. They also carry all their animals in the ship since their father plans to sell the animals in Canada. Unfortunately the ship sinks, leaving Pi aboard a lifeboat in the Pacific ocean with a handful of wild animals as his companions -- a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a Bengal tiger dubbed Richard Parker. All fighting for survival.
The book claims that Pi's story will make us believe in God. Let's see Pi's experiences when he spends seven months in the ocean with Richard Parker. Lots of incredible things happen. His desperation, his loneliness, his firmness, all there. We'll be stunned to see the beautiful scenes on screen. Look at the color of the ocean, it changes in accordance with Pi's feeling. I lose for words. It's definitely a visual masterpiece.
One of the best movies I've ever seen. We are not only presented by amazing scenes but also deep dialogues. Life of Pi deals with some concepts about the nature of faith and how our personal beliefs shape the very way we perceive the world around us. Salute to the director, Ang Lee, who can accomplish the impossible. A highly recommended movie.
