Review: Mission Impossible 4- Ghost Protocol

Last Sunday was Tom Cruise Day!  (evil grin)

We already had planned for this day though few changes were made as the day progressed (evil grin) My husband Frederick usually hate it when I change plans, branding me as fickle 😦 .  Anyway, as per our plan for the day we went out of the flat at 9:40 giving as ample time to get to the shaw lido movie house without rush since the Mission Impossible will start at 10:45.  So we plan to take the yellow line and transfer to the red line, expecting that our journey will be a fast and smooth 30 ++ minutes.  But things got awry when we were met with SMRT staff at the red line informing us that MRT services from Bishan -MarinaBayare shut down. Terrible.  That didn’t really go well as planned.

SMRT conducted a repair  of their train line tracks last Sunday that’s the reason why some parts of the red line were closed.  They provided free shuttle buses going to all stations until orchard andMarinabay. The disappointing part on that is they didn’t even make any announcements nor a simple warning sign at the yellow mrt line entrances.  That could had saved us much trouble. Anyway, instead of whining and grumbling and making ourselves miserable due to the unfortunate event, we took it as a sight-seeing opportunity and see what’s around Singapore as the shuttle bus headed towards Orchard road.  It was nice to see other places inSingaporewhere we haven’t been before 🙂 Great joy ride, not bad at all.

This is about Tom Cruise not the MRT! So we watched mission impossible – the ghost protocol in Imax.  This is the 4th installment of Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible movies and this is the best Mission Impossible ever produced yet! Fantastic! It is a must see movie not only because Tom Cruise is still handsome and delicious despite his age (sorry Dear hehehe you’re more handsome and delicious for me wink wink), but also the movie is fantastic in terms of  it’s story plot, the acting, the cinematography, and the special effects. 

Mission Impossible is about the adventures of an Amercian special agent named Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise)  and his team.  In the 4th series of Mission Impossible:  Ghost Protocol, Ethan and his team, composing of Brandt (Simon Pegg), Benjie (Jeremy Renner), and Jane (Paula Patton) were faced with a dangerous terrorist  named Hendricks or Cobolt ( Michael Nygvist) who caused the explosion at the Kremlin causing massive destructions to the structure, dozens of people being hurt including Ethan, and implicating the IMF (because Russian authorities found Tom Cruise unconcious wearing a Russian General’s jacket) thus forcing the President of the US to disavow the IMF and invoking Ghost Protocol. Ethan and his team were branded as terrorist but were “obliged” to track down and go after Hendricks, without any help nor back-up from the US government except those promised by the Secretary of State before he was gunned down to death, to stop him from his plan of a nuclear strike against the United States.  There evolves the story, with the team chasing Hendricks fromRussia, toDubai, to Mumbai.

What do you expect when watching Mission Impossible? It’s not a documentary, nor drama, nor comedy, though the character of Benji (Simon Pegg) added the necessary spice for a bit humour.Missionimpossible is an action, high-tech-gadget-loaded movie. I like the contact lenses that Brandt (Jeremy Renner) wore. It’s like a mini computer that enables the wearer to connect with the internet, do facial recognitions, copy and print what the wearer sees :-), etc.  Is that available in the market?  And of course, it won’t be mission impossible if it weren’t for the special effects and death defying stunts, this time, it was not only for Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) but also for his team member, Brandt.  Oh, did you notice that the movie also provided a touch of realism?  High tech gadget malfunctions too – the pay phone which didn’t self-destruct that Tom Cruise has to whack it and the magnet rover that became faulty, come to think of it, most of their gadgets malfunctioned (hhhhmmm). And that things will not always go as planned and as expected that being spontaneous sometimes can work out.  You just have to be Ethan Hunt 🙂

Like most action films the story is a convolution of politics, terrorism, and personal desires.  The movie highlights the old enemy-friend relationship betweenRussia and theUS. And terrorists trying to nuke theUS. Yes, it’s cliche.  How many movies did we watch with that kind of storyline? Many.  This time,  Hendricks the terrorist, a physicist, went amok and planned a nuclear air strike on theUSwith no demands other than just to make a point.  Unlike in other movies, where the terrorists as villains usually make demands, and the main characters, responding to those demand in order to prevent bad things to happen, and then stories will then go around and around this and deceptions of supposed ally provides the twist in the story.  Ghost protocol is a straight forward Ethan-and-his-team-save-the-world movie without the world knowing that US was almost vaporized by a mad man. The story revolved on the methods and tactics the team need to execute just to get the job done.

The special effect is astounding. I was actually shouting and sweating while watching specially the scene where Tom Cruise was climbing the Burj Khalifa  building without any safety harness specially the part where he lost his hand climbing gear and when he did an Australian rappel going down and swinging his way back to their suit with the fact that the rope he used is not long enough to get him through.  Caution! If you have fear of heights, try watching with your eyes covered like I did :D.  The scenes  gave me stomach churns, made my hands sweat, and scared me to death.  

With the fourth installment of Mission Impossible, Ethan Hunt and his team will awe you and leave you breathless with amazement. So blackberry, Iphone, and bmw were the movie’s sponsors? I hope to win a blackberry or maybe a ghost protocol hamper.   we’ll watch it again in 3D 🙂

MissionImpossible 4:  Ghost Protocol is directed by Brad Bird also produced, written by  André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum, and produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk

-sharosemg (22December2011)

A Period of Grumpiness

I’ve been grumpy lately.  Well, I am sometimes moody and irritable specially before and during my period, but that was like 3 weeks ago already and still I’m this, grumpy.  It’s supposed to be periodically, but it’s been dragging into almost every day of every week of every month.  And that at any moment and even at the slightest provocation I will flare up – uuuggghh.

I am a person who is known to be easily agitated and for my little patience but that is only when my time is going to be wasted (I don’t want others to waste my time you know, I only have the right to waste my own precious time!), but overall I am patient, I can be tolerating, understanding, enduring and capable of putting up with even the most nuisance misanthrope ever born.  

I’m grumpy when I’m tired and hungry and when I’m constipated and Frederick knows that and he accepts and understands that.  But for almost a month now, I’ve been a grump, regardless if I’m not hungry, nor tired, nor constipated. I get easily irritated, annoyed, and vexed about anything even the petty and trivial matters.  I get annoyed by a crowded MRT specially when people pushes me or steps on my feet; I get irritated and pissed when I smell stinking breath and body odors most specially in the morning; I get impatient while waiting long for the mrt or the bus; I get mad when I don’t get a text reply from my family specially from Frederick;  I get furious when arrogant and assuming people look down on Filipinos in general, or on me specifically, and treat me unpleasantly like an idiot.  A classic example is the rude soya-milk sales lady this morning, I really had to stoop down to her level to tell her off how rude, impolite, and ill-mannered she is, and I don’t care if she understood any of my words, I’m pretty sure she didn’t coz her English is crude anyway.  I’m that grumpy.  I grumble to myself and to my computer monitor every now and then and sometimes if I can’t take it anymore, I whine and I rant.   I am grateful that I have my blogs, twitter, and facebook accounts where I do most of my ranting and whining, otherwise my husband Frederick will get tired of me if I pour out all my vexation and complaints and wrath on him everyday, you know.

Waking up so early in the morning and pagpasok sa trabaho had been setting off my grumpiness lately.  That’s my observation so I think, my grumpiness has nothing to do with PMS.  I’ve been disgruntled sa mga nangyayari sa opisina ngayon, mga memo na walang silbi, mga paghihigpit sa mga leave benefits including pagkain ng pananghalian, wala na ngang magandang benepisyo naghihigpit pa.  Tapos may meeting na kami every freaking morning to discuss about shipment updates and other blahs.  Mismanagement, mga kaopisinang diko malaman kung saang planeta galling dahil sa mga ugali, mga politika sa trabaho. . Well those things piss me off everyday and I feel so disaffected but I have no choice but to shut up and keep my complaints to myself unless I wanted to be jobless.  And now, heto na naman yung bossingko (tawagin natin syang Uno, uno din po ang gagamiting ko pati sa pronoun imbes na she or her, okidoki?) sumisigaw sa likod ko (kasi yung area niya ay nasa likod lang mismo ng cubicle ko)  Ang akingbossing, si Uno who is the quintessence of misanthropy, grumpiness and curmudgeonliness, is again ranting and vociferating incessantly since this morning.  Uno does that everyday.  Uno criticizes everyone and everything uno sees.  Uno complains, rants and whines about everything and anything even the most nonsensical matters (parang ako minsan but I keep it to myself unlike uno).  Of course I also understand uno because uno also has discontentment at work.  Actually, lahat naman sa opisina ay nagrereklamo. Everyone of us has her/his own dissatisfaction, complaints, and gripes and everyone might find whining and ranting relieving.  We understand each other on that level and I find that tolerable.  But to listen to this curmudgeon’s grousing every minute makes me agitated.  It’s so stressful and having to listen to it every single day is really unbearable.   I’d rather listen, read, and deal with my difficult and irate customers’ complaints than uno’s.   I have to avoid such misanthropes, skeptics, pessimists, grumps, whiners, and ranters.  Seriously. I have to get away from them.

I have been jogging, and keeping myself busy blogging and reading but those didn’t help to change my moodiness and grumpiness – well sa opisina lang naman.  Pagkatapos sa opisina, I’d be in my good relax mood again 🙂 .  Nonetheless, this has to stop- my grumpiness.  I have to change.  I need to better read “the secret” again and read Francis Kong’s articles and other inspiring readings to change my attitude and mindset.   I need rewiring pretty badly.

–Sharosem(1June2011)

 

PS: I just read  this article claiming that being grumpy is good  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8339647.stm

Osama Bin Laden: The Demise of a Terrorist

 

 

from http://www.fbi.gov

 

Some things running on my head about the man:

1) The world’s public enemy number 1, Osama bin Laden, is dead.  Where’s the proof that he is really dead?  How many times will this man be proclaimed dead?  I’m no rumormonger nor a conspiracy theorist, but in this world of lies, deceit, and conspiracies, we need solid proof  for any claims specially such death of the most wanted notorious person on earth.   Well, he might be like Saddam Hussein with many look-alike clones, you know, and the US troops might have killed the fake one and not the real one .  Or this is just one of those America’s “political marketing strategy”, a good and believable “America-is-the-savior-of-the-world-because-Obama-killed-Osama show”  to elevate and bring back the credibility of the US or increase the winning power of Obama in the next elections.  Just a thought, but I am still truly greatful to the Obama administration for killing Osama.

2) The world has the right to rejoice over the bin Laden’s death. Who doesn’t?  I’m also very very very happy and relieved about the death of this most hated and dreaded egotistic menace whose life had been dedicated to killings of thousands of innocent people.   HOWEVER, we must not get complacent and slack off,  instead let’s all be prepared for the worst coz his terrorist clans might already be planning some if not multiple attacks in retaliation to their idol’s demise.

3) To the arm dealers supplying al-Qaeda with weapons, don’t despair, business with the terrorists might not be over yet.  Somebody might already be in place to replace bin Laden.  In no time, the al-Qaeda will again resume their normal terrorist activities.  Talking about his ominous influence on his followers that might still have hold strong inspite of Osamas death.

4) When will this world be free from terrorism? When all people worldwide, regardless of gender, race, age, and religious beliefs, do not tolerate and accept such lunacy and declare war against terrorism, and work together to wipe all terrorists, up to their last bloodline, out from the face of this planet.

5) Come to think of it, bad and good MUST be in balance, otherwise, this world will be in chaos if not boring.  So shall we let terrorism propagate? 

That however is not the main issue here but on the implication/s of Osama’s death.  Osama Bin Laden is now dead.  What’s next?

You think.  I’m done and I’m tired thinking.  That’s all I can squeeze off  my brain for now. 

Ciao.

 

-Sharosem(5May2011)

 

Osama Bin Laden who? :  Some facts about the man 

(sources:  www.wikipedia.com, www.cnn.com, www.fbi.gov, www.guardian.co.uk  )

–  Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (Usāmah bin Muhammad bin ‘Awad bin Lādin) born on March 10, 1957 inRiyadh,Saudi Arabia.  He was a member of the wealthy Saudi bin Laden family. 

– Founder, heads, and brains of al-Qaeda, a militant  Qutbist Sunni Islamic organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on theUnited Statesand numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets.

– He was on the American Federal Bureau of Investigation’s lists of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and Most Wanted Terrorists and had been the target of the largest and massive world-wide man-hunt for almost 11 years.  There was also a $25M reward on his head for his capture (http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/usama-bin-laden)

– He was shot dead on Sunday,May1, 2011 by U.S. troops and CIA operatives in Abbottabad, Pakistan, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Islamabad.  The Assault had been authorized by US President Obama.

Random Thoughts and Whines

 

1) May 7 is the General Elections in Singapore.  It’s not like I am going to vote cause I can’t and I’m not even a permanent resident here (nagrereklamo ako kasi nireject yung application namin) It’s just that this is my very first time to personally observe how elections are outside Pinas and I’d say election in Singapore is really really organize and peaceful unlike the colorful, extravagant, circus-like, and violent elections that we always have in the Philippines.  Ika nga ni Ana Bartolome “wala man lang daw drama”.  

The posters of each of the candidates are up and are placed on specific corners only.  No personal ads on print, radio, and tv but there had been “uncut”, “unedited” political forums broadcasted on tv for the past days. It’s an hour long debate pitting the 4 opposition parties against the ruling political party PAP (The People’s Action Party, led by PM Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew) It had been a “favorite” tv program of my husband while he was here in Singapore.  The candidates also have party rallies- a big crowd of  over 15,000 turned up at an opposition party’s rally particularly the Worker’s Party.  And the candidates’ campaigns are focus more on their official platforms, what they can offer Singapore, how they are going to tackle issues/problems concerning the country and its citizens,  and their programs and how they are going to do about it, and not on image and personality build-up.  Even political tirades and propagandas are focus on professional and political credibility of the candidates and their parties and not on personal matters.

With less than 10 days to campaign, I don’t know how the candidates are going to pull the strings to win. At this point I do not know of nor am I aware of any candidate aside from those belonging to the ruling political party PAP, owing that to memory recall.

I believe Singaporeans are taking the elections pretty seriously and whoever they choose will be base on what that candidate and his/her party has to offer specially on pressing issues such as the rising cost of living and of course on the influx of foreign talents like me meow moah. 

2) American Idol  contenders this season are very talented and each are blessed with their own unique style and of course I’m betting on James Durbin, Scottie Mccreery, and Casey Abrams for the title so voting off Casey at this level really disappoints me, AGAIN.  YesAmerica, you disappointed me twice this season.  T’was a BIG BIG BIG JOKE!!! I was expecting Jacob to go, but, really??? Casey??? It only shows that American idol is just about popularity contest either that or American viewers really do not know what pure talent means.  

3) Hygiene and offensive body odor.  I take a bath at least two times a day, I brush my teeth at least two to three times a day, I use deodorant everyday and see to it that my armpits are flawless (tawas lang po tawas), and I make sure that I am clean and I don’t smell repulsive and annoy other people.  It’s all about hygiene.  I understand that body odors depend on an individual’s body chemistry – sweat produce, bacteria on the skin that feed on the sweat, the metabolism process, the food that we intake, etc. etc.  But people, seriously??? We can reduce producing unpleasant smells through proper hygiene.  Water is abundant in this country, soap and shampoos are also inexpensive.  If you don’t want to use deodorant, fine, just please clean yourself with water and soap.  Do it for your own good. Bathing refreshes and relaxes the body.  If you are physically active and sweaty, like when you jog and you sweat a lot, I will understant and will not be annoyed even if you emit the worst and most stinky smell on earth.  But if you are well dressed and fully made-up for work, or for a party, or for whatever, , please make sure that you don’t smell bad as people will find you very unattractive, repulsive, and worse, annoying.

4) Wishing I’m pregnant.  I haven’t tested for pregnancy yet because I don’t want to get disappointed for the nth time again. Just wishing and praying I am.  Surprise me God please 🙂

5) Career change.  Any good advice anyone??? I’m begging you.  Ayoko na talaga dito sobrang ayoko na dito gustong gusto ko ng umalis sa kumpanyang ito!!!  I need to get my brains working again!

That’s all about it for today. Ciao.

-Sharosem(29April2011)

PS:  I miss Frederick.  I really miss my husband.

Void & Rejection

 

I accompanied my husband Frederick to the Changi airport this morning.  Today is his flight back to Kinshasa (DR Congo).  I am sad again.  How many times will I ever take my husband to the airport, see him go, and I get left behind? Many. And it is tiring.  I’m tired of the farewells and the sadness due to being alone. It’s like a pin puncturing my being, draining every bits and pieces of my life energy.  I feel weak, depressingly unhappy, paranoidly worried, and most of the time lost. 

Void.  There again is the familiar void in me, it lingers inside me everytime my husband and I part ways.  I hate this feeling, I never ever want to get use to it.  

I always pray to not have this feeling of emptiness anymore and in due time, in two months time, God willing, we’ll be together finally 🙂 That is what marriage is for as it binds two person together.  Circumstances may have forced us to live apart from each other but our determination, perseverance, and love for each other will bring us physically closer with each other.  We work for a common goal and that is to be together and start a family no matter what is the cost – either for Frederick to give up his career in Africa or I give up mine here.  Whichever will be, we do it to be together and start a family.  That is our priority.

Pretty soon, we will say goodbye to our farewells.  Most of all I’d be happy to say goodbye to this void in me.

Goodbye void, I will not miss you so please don’t come back.

– – – – – – – – – – srmg – – – – – – – – – –

 

I just received a letter from ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority in Singapore) rejecting our PR (Permanent Resident) application.  That gave me another blow in the head.  I feel devastated and disappointed.  This is my second application and It’s still rejected.  Anyway, we can apply again after 6 months, for sure, Frederick will already have his job here in Singapore by that time 🙂 I wish that Singapore government will approve our PR application by then 🙂

Nothing changes in our plans.  We will proceed as is 🙂

We’re thinking positive 🙂

 

– Sharosem(21April2011)

 

PS:  May 7 is the General Elections in Singapore.  I hope things will change for the better in Singapore, specially when it comes to foreign workers and immigrants (fingers and toes crossed)

If you are in a foreign land… and the Philippine Embassy Guidelines and Reminders for Filipinos in Singapore

 

I have already shared this memo in my FB account,  issued by the Philippine Embassy in Singapore for all Filipinos in the country and I thought of sharing it again in my blog.

Just a reminder to all Filipinos living in Singapore or planning to come to Singapore and this as well applies to all Filipinos in foreign countries.  This also applies to all foreigners in foreign countries. 

  –  FILIPINOS MUST NOT GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS in any way in the host country unless one is already a citizen of said country.

  – RESPECT THE CULTURE OF OTHER PEOPLE AND AVOID MAKING ANY RACIST OR DISCRIMINATING REMARKS, as it is rude and one might be reprimanded by the host country. 

 – Remember that you are not in your own territory so watch out for your actions and words.  Be nice and courteous at all times.

Personally,  Singapore is my second home – my home away from home.   Daily living in Singapore may not always be a bed of roses but I am enjoying privileges life in this country can offer – fresh air and water, a modern, comfortable and safe place to live, a vast multi-cultural experience, etc. not to mention the financial benefits that I and my family enjoy.

Assimilation and adaptation is the key.  Let’s respect our host country and treat it as our own.

 

– Sharosem(13April2011)

 

The guidelines issued by the Philippine embassy is found below.  What might have prompted the embassy to issue such memo maybe due to remarks made by some Filipinos in the Temasek discussion boards, see the threads below:

   –  http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/03/19/filipinos-responses-in-article-106600-pmet-jobs-for-filipinos/

   – http://www.temasekreview.net/2011/04/09/pinoy-forum-how-to-withdraw-singapore-pr/

   – http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/03/14/pinoy-professionals-in-singapore-outnumber-maids/

Here’s the Guidelines and reminders by the Philippine embassy please click the link for the original message   http://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/news/2011/03/philippine-embassy-guidelines-and-reminders-for-filipinos-in-singapore/)

 

Philippine Embassy Guidelines and Reminders for Filipinos in Singapore

Posted on Monday, 28 March 2011 

In view of recent incidents involving Filipinos in Singapore, the Philippine Embassy has issued the following guidelines to remind all Singapore-based Filipinos to observe proper behavior and follow the laws and regulations of the host country.

1. Obey the laws of the host country.  As foreigners who work, live or study in Singapore, Filipinos are obliged to respect the laws and regulations of the host country, and should behave properly as guests and visitors.
2. Filipinos should respect the differences between Filipino and Singaporean culture and be sensitive to these differences.
3. Refrain from engaging in partisan politics, especially during the election season in Singapore.  Filipinos should avoid any involvement in partisan political debates and activities in Singapore as this is a violation of Singapore laws.
4. Filipinos, including Permanent Residents, are not allowed to participate in political campaigns and do not have the right to vote in Singapore elections.  Under Singapore laws, errant foreigners may be charged under the Societies Act, the Public Entertainment and Meetings Act, the Immigration Act, and/or the Penal Code if they engage in partisan political activity in the city-state.
5. Avoid participating in online debates, chats or blogs that are political in nature.  Refrain from explicit negative comments, particularly racial or religious slurs and insults.  Participating in these online debates will only inflame the situation and may result in untoward incidents, possible loss of employment and investigation by authorities.