New chapter

He who knows no hardships will know no hardihood. He who faces no calamity will need no courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of troubles.
Harry Emerson Fosdick

Tomorrow will be the first day of class, at least for me. I will be facing another chapter, not to mention another challenge, in my life as I embark on graduate studies. I know it will be hard. I call it "self-inflicted suffering" since I believe I will be tackling a semester of papers, recitations, reporting, group works, etc., at the same time proving myself to be a good employee by not compromising my duties in the office.

But how hard it may be, I know that it will be worth it. May God guide me and give me wisdom in every class discussion, project or paper. I believe this challenge will not be given to me if I cannot handle it.

Snow White & the Huntsman - A review

Thanks to my sister's free advanced screening tickets, we got to watch Snow White & the Huntsman. The film 's cast is led by Kristen Stewart (Bella of Twilight), Chris Hemsworth (Thor of Avengers), and the South African actress Charlize Theron. 

The movie is a visual treat. It reminded me of The Lord of the Rings. Medieval ages is my favorite period in Western history and this movie made me desire once more to have lived in the said era. However, just like a failed product disguised in beautiful advertisement, what made up for the special effects lacked the depth of the actors concerned. Stewart is the same Bella I saw in probably the worst movie of the Twilight saga (and of Hollywood) - New Moon. I found Charlize Theron a bit of OA. You can be wicked and abominable without exaggerated shouting. Maybe I am just not used to seeing her a kontrabida. Chris Hemsworth's performance here is better than his Thor character. He is believable as a huntsman but I did not see that he was falling for Snow White until the last parts of the movie. 

Just like the recent box-office hit Avengers, Snow White & the Huntsman left me empty. Great movies make you think. Great movies make you say 'what if?' Great movies can send a significant message that can change one's outlook in life. Unfortunately, Snow White & the Huntsman failed to accomplish such.