The Best Magic He Has Ever Played - Movie Review: “The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir”

   

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“The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir” has everything we are looking for in an entertaining movie, with a mix of a ton of laughs, a romance, a sequence of adventures and even a couple of singing and dancing scenes, keeping the audience joyfully engaged till the very end. It is fun watching how Ajatashatru Lavash Patel is transferred as a refugee from one country to another and how he uses his magic tricks to get himself out of trouble. The vivid performance of the actors playing the role of Ajatashatru Lavash Patel, both the kid and the adult, is itself a source of amusement grabbing much of the audience’s attention.

Ajatashatru Lavash Patel’s life story weaves through the entire movie. In fact, there are other stories told which inspire not only the different characters in the movie but also the audience. The blind man’s story, the story the lady tells the taxi–driver and the one written on the shirt, which later fetches a very high price, are all good examples.

Instead of being just a comedy, the film has a moral lesson about life. It starts with the statement that equality of life does not exist and that one has to play the hand that one is dealt. Since childhood, Ajatashatru Lavash Patel has been lamenting the lack of chance on his side. To lift himself out of poverty, he keeps trying to scam people for money. But he later comes to realize that life is not all about getting rich and that the best magic he has ever performed turns out to be an act of charity.

I give full marks to the movie as it is recommendable to people of all ages.

Something New Can Always Emerge

I was in Taiwan last week on an ecological spirituality tour named “New Exodus”. As the Chinese name “同行覓主踪” suggests, it was aimed at seeking encounters with God through close contact with Mother Nature. 

Before we set off, we had been instructed to read Pope Francis’ encyclical letter “On Care for our Common Home”. Initially, I did not have much interest in the book and actually gave up reading several times. Now that I have completed the tour, however, I find the book very meaningful and inspiring. A few paragraphs are particularly enlightening as they are so closely associated with the remarkable experiences I have been through. The following is an account of what I now see as a miracle God has worked in me.

Imagine a person of my age climbing up a height of more than 800 metres in a matter of seven plus hours, during which we were allowed only short pauses at wide intervals including a 15- minute lunch break. The climb alone was challenging enough, given the steep gradient and the ruggedness of the steps paved with sandy mud and scattered pebbles. It gradually became more difficult and at times even dangerous as the climb proceeded. To make the matter worse, the rain that we had brushed off as a drizzle had now become heavier and the accompanying wind had also begun to gather speed and strength. Despite the raincoat I had on, I felt water dripping down my forehead and into my eyes. 

The uphill path, strewn with puddles, became more and more slippery. I thus had my eyes fixed on the steps every minute of the climb, trying to decide where I should place my walking stick before landing first on one foot and then the other. Often time I had both feet on the same step to keep myself well balanced before climbing up another, thus proceeding at a very slow pace. 

When we had finally arrived at the peak, the wind was blowing so violently that I was thrown off balance. I thought I was going to fall down the stairs when a strong pair of arms caught me just in the nick of time. It was a team member who had arrived there before us.

I ought to have felt ecstatic over the conquest of the height. But my worry had not lessened as I had heard comment about the increasing difficulty of the descent.  And we were allowed time only enough for a few mouthfuls of the sandwich and a quick change into dry clothes.

The descent, however, turned out to be less hectic than expected. In spite of the ongoing wind and rain, I felt my body weight less pressing. But my pair of legs had become so weak that they could hardly support me. I became wobbly, swaying slightly from side to side out of control. And when the descent finally ended and we settled down in the sheltered quarters, I threw myself onto a stool, dead beat, speechless and drenched to the skin.

Well, it was indeed a miracle that I had completed the climb. I owed much to my team mates for their loving care and support, without which I could have quit shortly after the journey had started.

This experience of mine has convinced me of the truthfulness of the message implied in this quote from “On Care for our Common Home” … “God in some way sought to limit himself in such a way that many of the things we think of as evils, dangers or sources of suffering, are in reality part of the pains of childbirth which he uses to draw us into the act of cooperation with the Creator. … The Spirit of God has filled the universe with possibilities and therefore, from the very heart of things, something new can always emerge.”

Indeed, I now realize that through my participation in the climb, God has taught me to overcome my fear of danger and of suffering by cooperating with Him. God has also made me realize that there are possibilities that I have previously been unaware of. My success in the climb has proved to me that new things can emerge if only I dare to venture beyond my capabilities and to meet new challenges.

Another Wake-up Call from Mother Nature

We had been warned of the tremendous force of Typhoon Mangkhurt days before its arrival. Important advice and instructions about preventive measures went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp. The various government departments concerned were fully geared up for the attack and so were we citizens. 

And Mangkhurt well deserved its super typhoon status and the attention it demanded. On the day before its arrival, there was hardly a speck of cloud in the blue sky. It was perfect weather … except for the scorching heat, unusual for an autumn day! It went without saying that the heat was the precursor, paving the way for Mangkhurt’s “grand entrance”. And, as if an enhancement to its dramatic impressiveness were needed, loud crashes of thunder broke the silence of the night with the heat still felt long after sunset. 

Indeed Mangkhurt demanded full attention for every minute of its presence! Shortly after 8:30 a.m, it arrived unannounced. I had prepared a book to while away the hours with. However, hardly had I started reading when I heard the wind coming, howling fiercely and driving rain like stinging knives in a torrential downpour. The book thus remained untouched during the nine-hour ordeal. 

The roaring wind became more and more terrorizing. Facing north-east, my bedroom window was exposed to the full impact of the attack. The glass film and the venetian blind could hardly be trusted to provide adequate protection. Despite my fatigue from the wakefulness on the previous night because of the thunderstorm, I did not dare to lie down for a while as the bed was right beneath the window.

Instead, I spent most of the time in the study room with the window facing away from the typhoon. Albeit still within earshot, the roaring wind was a bit less threatening there. However, before long, I could feel the armchair moving slightly. Then I realized, to my terror, that the building was swaying! The typhoon was making a turn and now even the study room was within its range of attack. But going back to the bedroom did little to calm me down as the sound of the howling wind was no less intimidating there. In fact, the typhoon covered such a wide area across that it would be a long time before it completed its change of position.

I moved restlessly from one room to another but, no matter where I was, I could not rid myself of the fear. There was a moment when I even thought of getting dressed just in case I needed to flee to safety. Eager to get informed about Mangkhurt’s track and changing positions, I kept text chatting with friends on the mobile. Images and videos of the hard-hit areas served only to heighten my fear about the worst that could happen. I simply could not stop worrying until I received a message from a good friend with a prayer she had written to console me. I was moved to tears, feeling God’s consolation through her.

Now the worst is over. The government is said to have learned a good lesson from Typhoon Hato’s attack last year and is credited with high efficiency in adopting appropriate precautionary measures against the typhoon attack and in conducting effective emergency operations to minimize the damage caused. The city is gradually restored to its former peace thanks to the selfless dedication of the frontline staff and the volunteers in the aftermath of the devastating typhoon.

Whether there will be more super typhoons like Hato and Mangkhurt in the coming years remains to be seen. However, we should take destructive typhoons as a wake up call from Mother Nature for better attention to environmental protection.

Movie Review - PK -來自星星的傻瓜

http://www.koimoi.com/reviews/pk-review/

“PK” is an Indian film directed by Rajkumar Hirani and written by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi. The Chinese name “來自星星的傻瓜” may hint at its being a sci-fi film featuring the story of an alien. But it is also a movie with a mix of a ton of laughs, a melodrama, a musical, all rolled into one, thus abounding in entertaining elements. 

The story begins with the alien, who, shortly after his arrival on Earth on a research mission, is robbed of his remote, his only means of contact with his fellow countrymen in the extra-terrestrial world. As the device is later known to have been sold to a godman in Medi, India, a country with polytheistic beliefs, his quest to retrieve it leads to his encounters with people engaged in different religious practices and he ends up questioning the religious dogmas and superstitions.

What impresses me most is that despite his non-earthly identity and limited understanding of human nature, he gradually develops very enlightening ideas about religious faith. According to him, there are two gods, one who has created human beings and the other whom human beings have created. And it is the second god that is responsible for sins such as greed, wickedness, deceit and foolishness, suggesting that self-centeredness is the root of all evils. He points out that fear is the reason behind religious faith as people tend to turn to a supernatural power for security and protection. 

Above all, he understands what genuine love means, condemning the act of inflicting pain to oneself in an attempt to please god. The true god, like a kind father, will not take pleasure in seeing his children hurting themselves. And he is, in fact, a living proof of sacrificial love. He chooses to hide his love for a journalist, knowing that she has got someone else in her heart. “He loves me enough to let me go,” the journalist says with tears in her eyes. So he has deeply touched not only the journalist but practically every one of us viewers.

This is a great movie with a meaningful message behind the hilarious jokes, the romantic aspects and the boisterous singing and dancing. If you care to reflect on your faith from a point of view different from what you have been accustomed to,  this is a movie for you.

They will always remain in my prayer

Picture from https://www.ancient-origins.net

In response to God’s call, I paid my second visit to Shanxi, six years after the first. The pilgrimage tour brought us to a place of which the residents are predominantly the descendants of the early martyrs. There I got greatly enlightened by stories about dedicated priests and nuns who sacrificed their lives for their steadfast faith. Apart from that, we witnessed God’s presence also on our visits to some remote rural areas where poverty had been an ingrained problem for generations. My encounter with the children there has somehow affected the way I see acts of charity: I now realize that to address the problem, there is more we can do than the mere offering of financial help.

Divided into six groups, we were dispatched to visit several families, one on each of the three consecutive days. WN was a boy belonging to the first family my group visited. Though sixteen years of age, he was still attending junior secondary one because of his constant visits to Beijing for treatment to his inborn leg weakness, hence his frequent absences from school. Previously informed of his taciturnity, we were surprised that he responded readily and smilingly to our questions. And he also told us gladly that he was no longer on medication though check-ups in Beijing were still necessary once every half a year. Later, at dinner, he even took the initiative to serve us bottled juice. Obviously, he had achieved delightful gradual achievement in his emotions and behavior due to the caring concern he had received over the past year.

WWT, the second boy, was fourteen years old and also a first former. He spoke very little. We had to go to great lengths to get him to share a few words about his school life. Despite his reticence, however, he did not hide his delight at our visit. Later, when we rose to leave, he walked us all the way back to the centre. Obviously, he was eager for friendship. If only he could be guided properly to be more outgoing, he could enjoy a better social life.

I was most impressed by the third boy we visited. His mother had passed away and he was living with his half mentally retarded father in a cave-house borrowed from a relative. He was not very well taken care of as could be seen from his soiled T-shirt and dirty finger nails. Reported to be autistic, he was indeed almost speechless and would not even look us in the eye. And when he did utter a word, it was hardly audible. But he looked lovely especially when he was smiling. Though very shy, he finally joined us in making a V-gesture when posing for a group photo.

Those who visited the other families also came back with touching stories about the children and teenagers. From them we have got a sketchy picture of the poverty problems of the remote rural areas. Understandably, financial aid can help alleviate poverty only to a certain extent and more is needed to bring joy to their lives and to ensure their healthy growth. We can at least bear in mind, however, that while enjoying the convenience and comfort of an affluent society, we have to show genuine concern for people who are scraping a living. For the sake of contributing to a more even distribution of resources, we should adopt an austere life style, avoiding food and water wastage, which, according to Pope Frances, is like stealing from the poor.

I am grateful for having participated in this inspirational tour. The children and teenagers as well as those who have been doing frontline jobs to help them will always remain in my prayer.

“A Dedicated Life”

             picture from https://www.facebook.com/CinemathequePassion/

Driven by my curiosity about a writer’s story, I chose the film “A Dedicated Life” (全身小説家). I was not disappointed because the documentary gives a very detailed and truthful description of the writer’s life.

Japanese writer Mitsuharu Inoue must have been writing very captivating stories; otherwise, what else about him could have caused women to fall head over heels in love with him, given his mediocre appearance? And I wonder why these admirers of his did not mind talking in front of the camera about their secret love for him. Well, Mitsuharu Inoue gave fascinating talks keeping his audience totally enthralled. His charm was probably due also to his easy-going manner and the cheerfulness with which he carried himself even in his struggles against cancer attacks.

Mitsuharu Inoue must have been an admirer of Director Kazuo Hara himself, trusting and respecting him so much that he had allowed his own life to be filmed in such detail that even close-ups of the surgical operation are displayed on the screen. In fact, the camera has been following him almost everywhere. The movie ends with him retiring to his bedroom after bidding his friends goodbye. Could that shot really have been taken on the last day of his life? Or is it an editing technique of the director?

Though documentaries are sometimes criticized for not telling the truth, I have no doubt about the truthfulness of Mitsuharu Inouemust’s story as described in the film as the director has been careful to take in even very small details.

難忘的靈修體驗

我們十位主日學導師和四位小導師，共14人，於7月21日在香港坪州嚴規熙督會-聖母神樂院進行了為期兩天的退省。這是一次非常難忘及有啓發性的靈修體驗。

就個人而言，我在幾方面獲得了很深刻的啟發。由於神樂院位於山上，我們有機會與大自然親密接觸。一棵掛在樹上的巨大蜘蛛網給我們的印象非常深刻，特別是盤踞在中央的網主，在陽光下形成了一幅美麗的畫面，簡直讓我們著迷，我們每次走過該處時，都忍不住停下來好好看看它。那不是唯一的一個蜘蛛網，還有一些掛在其他樹上。我們停留的第二天早上，看到一隻被蜘蛛吞下一半身體的鳥兒，簡直嘆為觀止，自然生態的現象令我們嘖嘖稱奇!

有一位導師在床尾發現了一隻蜥蜴，另外兩位小導師在臥室也看見一隻蜘蛛，害怕得不敢就寢。我們可能會覺得這些小生物令人不安，但有沒有意識到其實反而是人類通過無休止的活動，干擾了他們的生活棲息地呢? 另外，當我沿著一條小路漫步穿過樹林時，被各種各樣的大型植物所吸引，這些植物在過度開發的近郊地區確是難得一見，這一切都提醒我們要好好珍惜大自然!

我們的靈修導師是一位八十一歲的莊神父，他引導我們參閱聖經亞毛斯先知書8:1-14和路加福音13:1-8的經文，思考為甚麼有時我們聽不到天主的話語。 他還解釋說，天主不會故意造成災難，但衪允許這樣的事件發生，作為對我們不願意悔改的警告。 他微弱的聲音幾乎聽不到，我們不得不豎起耳朵才能理解他。 但他後來表演了幾個小魔術，為我們帶來驚喜，他的智慧和傳福音的熱情，確實感動了我們。 因此，我意識到，當我們做福傳工作時，所需要的不是了得的口才，而是要以自身作則和對使命的奉獻精神。

莊神父也提醒我們修和聖事的重要性。 他首先安排我們進行一個團體的悔罪儀式，然後我們輪流辦告解，我己有一段時間沒有參與修和聖事，事前有點猶疑不決， 但神父讓我明白如何在沒有恐懼的情況下面對自己的過錯。 天主通過他向我說話，安慰我，並引導我找到正確的方向。 我下定決心，從現在開始，我會多參與修和聖事，通過自我反思，尋求和天主相遇，讓我可以保持內心的平靜。

我們從這次退省得到很好的啟發。感謝我們的主日學校長組織了這項活動，我也感謝我的同工在整個活動期間的照顧。 當然，最重要的是感謝天主對這次靈修的祝福和引領。