Hymn for the Weekend

Embracing our last weekend. Nothing was extraordinary actually, just simple happiness that usually we take it for granted, such as:

credit to Wikipedia

• Been a while not watching any war movie but reading lots of positive comments about 13 Hours, Secret Soldiers of Benghazi really made me curious. Furthermore it's based on true event. As we know that Benghazi is one of the most dangerous cities in the world (it's even getting horrible everyday with the ISIS activities and everything), this was a story about how US Embassy in Benghazi was attacked by terrorists and they had to survive within 13 critical hours. Finished watching the movie and felt stunned. Sad to see the ruin of a (used to be) beautiful city, children on the street, brutality, insecurities and touched by the deep conversation among the characters in the movie. What's the point of a war? Why should I die here? and many other haunting questions.

Credit to Wikipedia

• Next, need to adjust  the gloomy feeling a bit therefore I took the girls to watch Disney's latest movie, a remake of 1967 movie, The Jungle Book. Since Najla just finished reading the book for her school task so watching the book alive was really something for her. She said she got new insight to be put in her book review. The movie itself is super awesome. Highly recommended. Beautiful setting, the rain forest, the animals, the story line, the songs and everything there are just too good to be true. Kids will definitely love it while even adults will easily fall for this masterpiece. 
  

• Moving on to books, just finished reading two books. One is, "A Spool of a Blue Thread written by Anne Tyler. Bought this book since it's said as the receiver of Pulitzer Prize and so far this award never fails me. However there is always the first time for everything, I don't know I felt tired reading this book and kept wondering when will be the climax? But it seems it's just a story about a family. A quite long (and boring) family story with its ups and downs. I don't find anything extraordinary. After struggling hard and skipping several pages, finally I consider myself finished with it. Not my lucky day.

• But there is always a rainbow after heavy rain, yep…I found Isabel Allende's latest book, The Japanese Lover, and I know Allende would cheer me up. Again she delivered her masterpiece. I'll write separate written review for this excellent book.

• To sum it up, as a tea addict, I am happy to have several special tea from different parts of the world given by my best friends. My favourite now is chai tea that I bought in a small shop along the Vatican City. I thought it's an Italian tea but after I checked the box, it's said that it's a product made in Hamburg, Germany. Originating in India, Masala Chai or also called chai tea (chai or cha means tea) a flavoured tea beverage made by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs, such as: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, etc. Sipping a cup of this chai tea after one long hectic day is still somewhat heaven. You can mix it with milk to make a perfect chai tea latte.

• And one more thing, I got the title of this post from Coldplay's latest song featuring Beyonce, Hymn for the Weekend. The song and the video clip are EPIC. It's taken in India. Check the video here.