When Greek mythology meets America

*WARNING: Contains possible spoilers for "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief"*

When it is said that Greek mythology is a timeless classic that transcends boundaries of time and space, I don't think it is meant to be like in "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief". I watched it because Imaginarium has been taken off screen (so fast lo) and because... because it sounds like quite a good show.

It is entertaining. They involved quite a number Greek gods, or rather their children, instead of just focusing on the usual ones: Zeus and Poseidon. They touched on the lotus eaters home (which is an island in Homer's Odyssey but turned into a Las Vegas Casino here), introduced Medusa, Hydra and Hell Hounds and roped in a few of the other gods: Athena, Hermes, Hades, Aphrodite. I like how they did mention a little about Cronus and how Zeus and his bros killed him, because most people I talk to think that Zeus is like the 1st god or something.

It took me awhile before I got the lotus eating part, because I never thought it was going to be mentioned and also because "Poker Face" was playing in the background. But when I did get it, I went "OH!" and nearly jumped off my seat. But no one near me would know who the lotus eaters were anyway so I could only amuse myself with the parody. Here's a passage about the lotus eaters from Homer's The Odyssey:

"Nine days I drifted on the teeming sea
before dangerous high winds. Upon the tenth
we came to the coastline of the Lotos Eaters,
who live upon that flower. We landed there
to take on water. All ships' companies
mustered alongside for the mid-day meal.
Then I sent out two picked men and a runner
to learn what race of men that land sustained.
They fell in, soon enough, with Lotos Eaters,
who showed no will to do us harm, only
offering the sweet Lotos to our friends-
but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotos,
never cared to report, nor to return:
they longed to stay forever, browsing on
that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland."

- From The Odyssey Book IX, Lines 90 - 104, translated by Robert Fitzgerald

Just one thing I am not happy though. It is sooo American-ised. I understand that the gods might be able to go outside of Greece to look for pretty girls to hook up with, but all of them only went to the US of A? How come the half-blood camp is in America and it looks like an American boot camp or something?

Everything happens in the US of A, and everything is in the US of A. Seriously, WHAT THE HECK?! I've already talked about the half-blood camp, but Medusa's Lair also? How come its in America?! And what's with the lotus eaters opening a hotel in Las Vegas? And then, wah, the entrance into Hades also found in America ah? Hollywood somemore! And this is the best part. You know where's the entrance to Mt. Olympus? On the top of the Empire State Building, man! You go into an elevator and then "ding". Welcome to Mt. Olympus hotel.

Isn't it funny that Percy Jackson dates Annabeth Chase? That means Poseidon's son dating Athena's daughter. And Athena is Zeus' daughter (it's a little complicated, but she was born from Zeus' head after some cannibalistic activity). Zeus is Poseidon's brother. So technically, it's Percy Jackson dating his cousin's (Athena's) daughter. Will you date your cousin's daughter?

But anyway, it is a fun movie to watch. Think of a Harry Potter + Chronicles of Narnia mixture sprinkled with Greek mythology.

An Open Letter to A Foreign Friend

Dear friend,

How are you? Are you accustomed to the life, food and pace of this city-state yet?

I saw you the other day at the road, in your hard hat and your yellow boots. You were there under the scorching afternoon sun, squatting down by the road side and applying cement to the road you were upgrading. I was looking down from the upper deck of the double-decker, air-conditioned SBS bus.

It must be hard work, isn’t it? To work every day under this condition, breathing in the dust and carbon dioxide from the vehicles, taking the risk of getting hit by a vehicle. Do they pay you well? Food? Accommodation?

I saw you at the HDB construction site as well, when I was in the MRT train passing by the site. You were wearing the same thing, hard hat and yellow boots. You were working under the same condition, the same risks and danger. This time, you were carrying some heavy equipment here and there.

How is your family back at home? Your grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brothers, sisters? Did they buy the land and build a house with the money you sent them yet? How about the girl in the photograph that you keep in your wallet, that you take out every night to look at? Is she your girlfriend? She must be missing you alot. I’m sure you miss her too.

I must say that I am sorry for how my countrymen see you. I am sorry if they call you a Bangladeshi even though you are from New Delhi. The people here tend to stereotype because they really are not as exposed as they think they are. This city-state here is really cosmopolitan, but the people are not quite.

I’m sorry if they laugh at you when you hold your friend’s hand. My countrymen do not understand that these your friends are all you have in this foreign land. They simply do not understand that cultures different from theirs exist in this world. To them, a man holding a man’s hand is being homosexual. Sorry, they are that shallow, please understand.

I am sorry if they say that you have stolen all of their jobs and have left them unemployed. They are just being sour about getting retrenched because they are so choosy with their jobs. Don’t worry, you have not stolen their jobs. They wouldn’t go build roads, build houses, or wash the floor even if they were given the opportunity to. You are doing something that none of us would do, so don’t be too bothered by what they say.

I am sorry if my countrymen shun you, if they display their displeasure when you want to stay in their estate. They are like that, really. They want to tell themselves that they are so accepting, kind and magnanimous, but when it comes to their own neighbourhood, they get really fussy about it. You can stay anywhere you want, just not in their estate, or so they say.

I must thank you though. I must thank you for building such nice houses for me. For building such sturdy and beautiful roads. For keeping the estate clean every day. For clearing the rubbish from the chute every week. Your contribution to this city-state is way greater than what my countrymen think. They think that our houses and roads are built instantly and automatically. They think that the estate is clean simply because they did not litter on the floor. They are like that, sorry. They really do not recognize that these things are built and done by your hands.

You have done a wonderful job in this city-state, and I hope my countrymen will appreciate you, and that things will get better for you. For now, please take good care of yourself and keep up the good work in this place.

Regards,
A fellow human being who happened to be born in Singapore

the things we miss

The reunion dinner this evening turns out to be a little more meaningful than usual, for me at least.

I always look forward to reunion dinners because they are ALWAYS so heartwarming, and not to mention stomach-warming as well.

This year's reunion is a tad special, because so many things happened in the past year, so many things that one would wish have not happened. This reunion dinner, compared to last year's is simply so different.

It's almost a reminder for me to pay attention to the smaller things in life.

This is the first time in a really long time that I am eating the reunion dinner in Clementi. Clementi is the hometown of my childhood and it really feels nostalgic to be having reunion dinner at the block where you used to stay. That was the time when the entire extended family stayed within walking distance from each other.

Over time we moved out, another family moved out, and only one lone auntie of mine stayed behind in Clementi, as if to keep the nostalgia intact when we should come back. And in the end, we did come back.

It's a small house, 3-room, the ventilation is rather poor and the fact that we were having steamboat didn't really help. Some of us young ones had to sit on the floor. But still, it's cozy. Cozy. I know its a cliche to juxtapose cozy with comfort. I know, but it really is.

There isn't anything to do but to eat and watch tv. Still, that always seem sufficient for CNYs. Partly it's because I hardly watch the tv with anybody because I have one in my room, and partly it's because its CNY and there's always nice shows on. Just sitting there, crapping with my cousin and sipping green tea and then white chrysanthemum tea, that's enough for me.

My auntie suffered a condition that caused her to lose her eyesight only about a year ago. And my uncle's dedication and support for her has always been an inspiration to me. Just this evening, I spotted him reading to her all the 4D winning numbers shown on the TV screen.

"First prize: 1234... 2nd prize: 4321.... Consolation prize: 2314, 2431..."

Not that it really mattered whether she wants to know the 4D numbers or not, it's just my uncle wanting to continue giving her a glimpse of the world around her even if she cannot see. He is her eyes. And he will tell her everything she would have seen. What's on the table, who's at the table, what's on tv etc etc.

(it's so moving that I am tearing even as I am typing this, so I shall stop)

And then when I went to the kitchen, I spotted this staff/stick thing that we use to put bamboo poles up in the ceiling when we want to dry them indoors. I'm not sure what they are called, but the ones we use now is made of either plastic or aluminium. The one I saw, is made completely of wood! And not just made of wood, the stick itself is a branch! Someone obviously just cut it off from some tree, used it to hang clothes and here it is! According to my parents, that particular stick has been around even before I was born. Can you imagine? The history of the stick and the different types of clothes it has seen and has helped to hang dry?

Nostalgia, memories, history. These things always have a special meaning for me. Old house, old things, old relationships, old people. Some times we simply detach ourselves from them and live our lives on the fast track. Achieving, getting what we want, becoming so different. And when we come back to these places to find that these things are still there, you begin to wonder.

What have these people, places and things gone through while I was gone?

What have I missed?

Questions

the little girl walks in
to the chapel.

The Messiah Christ hangs on
the wooden cross.

she asks.
He answers.

in her innocence.
In His Glory.

"why are you hanging on the cross?"
Because I died for you

"why did you die for me?"
Because I saved you.

"why did you save me?"
Because I love you.

"why do you love me?"
Because I created you.

"why did you create me?"

silence

She leaves the chapel to her parents.
"I talked with Jesus!"

he appears from behind the curtains.
"now that's a hard one."

No Foul Play Suspected

(On a woman who committed suicide by jumping from the fourteenth floor of an HDB block of flats; her family said she was unemployed, had been suffering from cancer for a year and had had a boyfriend who broke off with her when she told him about her illness.)

'No foul play suspected.'
Presence of ill-health, money problems, a broken love
affair
Is absence of foul play.
And so
Police file, newspaper report, family conscience
Can be closed and put away

In this case, there were all three, poor woman.
What about the suicide note?
That, say the police
Is even greater proof
That no foul play took place in this woman's death.

But there was plenty of foul play in my life
The woman must have thought
As she hurtled past
The pair of slippers later found by the railing

The one-room rented flat
The ex-lover
The incredible solitude
To meet the shocked upward gaze of a child on his
way to school,
And land near the shocked child's feet.
"Did you see anyone with the woman before she fell?"
asked the police.
"No, only the woman," said the dazed child truthfully.
"She was alone."
And that was yet more proof.

- Catherine Lim

I can't.

A leader in the future?

I'm sorry, I'm afraid not.
I'm simply
not good enough
miss the mark
imperfect.

I question too much.
I expect too much.
I say too much.
(I write too much.)

I will stumble all the younglings.
I don't know too many things.

I
am not even sure of
my
own
faith.

And the worst part?
I admit to them.
I show it all.

Sorry.
I don't think I am
the person you are looking for.

I don't even have a halo on my head.

Volcanic Lightning

There's also an aesthetic pleasure in watching lightning events: Any kind of volcanic lightning is just "supergorgeous," Uman said. "It's one of our best natural phenomena."

- from "New Lightning Type Found Over Volcano?"

Looks abit like... Mount Doom from "The Lord of The Rings" :X

Human Freewill VS God’s Will

This is probably one of the biggest debates, both in the secular world and in the Christian world. Is there human freewill, or is everything under God’s will, commonly known as fate?

It is no wonder why this is such a big debate. Whether you are Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, you want to know if what you have a choice in the things that you do, or is your god in control of every single thing in your life, including how much hair grows on your head. Even if you are an atheist, you are also likely to be curious if you have a say in life, or is everything under the bigger umbrella of “fate”.

At a glance, this argument seems simple enough. Humans either have freewill, or they don’t. But when one digs just a tiny bit deeper, things get a little complicated.

But before I go into that, let’s establish some things first. Human freewill and God’s will are two concepts that are highly irreconcilable. That is to say, if human have freewill in their lives, then God’s will is not going to have a say. If God’s will exist in our lives, then human freewill will be extinguished.

Why do I say that? Let me explain.

If there is human freewill, it would very well mean that human has control over the decisions he makes in his life. With that, it would therefore also mean that God has no control over the life of man, because control over one’s life cannot be shared. This is because human’s decisions in life will very unlikely coincide with that of God’s, and if control is shared, God will simply intervene and there will be no freewill on human’s side. Say we take up this camp of the argument, then that would mean everything in this world will be up to chance, and a complex interaction of human decisions.

So maybe we feel that this is not the case. That God’s will is the order of the day. Then there can probably be no human freewill. This is very simply because everything we do will be decided by the almighty, and we have no power to decide what we want to do. Power cannot be shared as well, as any intervention from God’s side will simply rob humans of their will. Why else would God intervene? Is it not to make sure that humans do things according to the way that he willed it to be?

Now that we have established these, let’s take a closer look at the issue. More than freewill is at stake here. If we slant to the side of human freewill, we are very much undermining the power of God in this world, or even destroy the very notion of God itself, and ultimately of religion. So really, it’s not as simple as going to one side or the other.

In this piece, I must first declare that I am not trying to solve this issue by finding out what is right and what is wrong. I simply know too little, and this limited knowledge does not allow me to answer any questions, or make any decisions for an issue as big as this. I only seek to explore the possibilities here.

Let us look at the reality. And I’ll take the Christian’s viewpoint here, simply because I am Christian and would therefore be not adequate to take any other viewpoint due to the lack of knowledge.

The Christian believes that Man has freewill, and that God has a foreknowledge of that freewill. Meaning, Man has the will to sin, and God knows beforehand that Man will be sinning. Simply put, Man can decide whether he wants to sin or not (therefore having freewill), but God already knows that he will sin (foreknowledge). So, here, if you have not realised it already, is a big contradiction. As explained earlier, these two ideas cannot exist.

If God has a foreknowledge that Man will sin, it cannot equate to freewill simply because Man no longer has any choices to make but to sin. This means that God already knows that you will sin, and you will then be saved or not, and then go to heaven or hell (this is the Christian stand). Simply put, God knows where you will end up in the end, heaven or hell, and whatever you do, to be saved or not to be is already pre-determined because God has already decided so, or rather, foreseen. Your choice is already foretold, it’s already decided. If that is so, then what choice do you actually have? What’s the point of making the choice even?

If Man has freewill, he can then choose to not sin, but that would undermine the God’s omniscience. If Man does not sin, that would mean that God was wrong. And if God was wrong, He is not perfect. And if He is not perfect, He cannot be the God that we perceive Him to be. God will be torn down.

Now now now, that is a little blasphemous isn’t it? I have basically torn down an argument that so many Christians hold in order to uphold the fact that we have freewill and that God is omniscient. But let’s try to salvage it a little.

The earlier argument stands on the point that God foresees our actions because He already knows the end and result. But let’s twist that a little. Let’s say God does not have perfect knowledge of what’s going to happen in the future, but just simply a perfect knowledge of us as human beings. The fact that He created all of us (assuming that this is true) would very much qualify this statement. So He has to have a perfect knowledge of EVERYONE in this world, because He created everyone.

Now let’s assume that God has a mind that far overpowers any super computer in this world. And using the knowledge that He has of everybody (note, it’s not the future that he has knowledge of, but of people), He uses a calculation to map out all the possibilities that everyone will encounter, how these possibilities will affect the person’s choices in life, and how these choices will affect the future of this person. If that is the case, it is highly possible that God is capable of calculating the future of a person. Calculating the future (also termed “suan ming” in Chinese) is not the same as knowing the future. This would thus give Man a certain degree of freewill.

But the Christian will not accept this argument, even if it means satisfying their concept of freewill and God’s foreknowledge. And the only reason for this is because they will want to believe that their God is omniscient. If God is omniscient, He will have to have perfect knowledge of the future. However, at the same time, the Christian also wants to believe that he has freewill, he wants to tell the people around him that it is their choice whether or not they want to be saved (although in his heart, he probably knows that God has already foreseen it). The Christian will want to tell you that it is in his freedom whether or not he wants to carry out God’s will.

That would of course sound like a very convincing argument. God has a will for us, and it is up to us whether or not we want to carry it out. It seems to satisfy the contradiction, but it really does not. Because if God is omniscient, He already knows whether or not we will carry it out, and if He knows, what freewill do we have? Everything is already determined in this case, and I am only repeating arguments presented earlier. If we exercise our freewill and do something that God has not foreseen, that would undermine His power of foreseeing, and He is no longer omniscient.

Ultimately, the concept of human freewill and God’s will and omniscience can never be reconciled. It is a contradiction. As much as Christianity tries to present it as a whole and satisfy the best of both worlds, the contradictions still remain and arguments to present it as a satisfied whole remain flawed.

That is how Christianity works. Until today, it remains a religion that is flawed and filled with contradictions and loopholes. However, that doesn’t mean we should abandon it all together. It is just like any other religion. There are always points for contention, but that is only to be expected. Religion is man-made, and man-made things are never perfect.

Rather than using flawed arguments to cover up something that is imperfect, perhaps it is better that we accept these imperfections as they are and keep exploring. The moment we stop exploring religion is the moment we stop learning about it. Nobody is right or wrong because nobody knows the answers anyway. Aren’t we all in the same journey of discovery?

Monster

The flu bug is on the loose now.

Friends are all suffering from the ravage.

I should start eating healthy, sleep early, and drink more water.

I think I failed to achieve the "sleep early" part already, with this post at 2.38am.

And to all my friends who are under influence of this tiny but devastating monster, please get well soon. I'll be praying for all of you. :D Remember to eat healthy, sleep early and drink more water!

Here's a friendly hygiene message to remind everyone to please cover your mouth when you sneeze. A little act of hygenic kindness goes a long way: for your image and for the sake of everyone around you.

in the afternoon

the sun beats down
on our already
Sunny island.

the tarmac road
responds with
a little heat-wave mirage.

"Aiyoooo!
So
HOT!"

the auntie in her
elaborate jewellery
exclaims.

she proceeds to
open an
Umbrella.

News Reporting

Very educational, yes yes.