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Tuesday, March 30, 2004
comments on passion's reviewFrom: JSStelly, what I see is that you had explore it very deep. But something is missing here. I think the more important is the essence of the film. I do not want to argue the situation of the crucifixation. But I am very sure that there are still many ways to express Jesus' pain, love, and teachings. And it is not by the way Mel has done. I watched 'King of King' when I was six, and I can still remember all the scenes until now. Tear for pain, and smile for love. Don't be very expressive, come on! Simply just deliver the message. I am not Jewish nor a good Christian, but I don't get a point from Mel's film. He can hate Jews, or whatever, but his film is exposed to all of the world. What did actually he want to make? A thriller? What is his purpose to make this bloodshed film? Sorry to Mel, but a film made by an action-film actor for a commercial purpose is totally different from a film made for a worship purpose. Definitely!! stelly @ 9:17 AM Wednesday, March 24, 2004 review : the passion of the christ thanks to long weekend i finally managed to see this controversial movie which has been continuously talked about. the film shows us the last twelve or so hours of jesus' life - the most horrific & suffering chapter. there is blood and blood everywhere! the scourging scene is full with details of savage beatings and sadistic practices of the roman soldiers. one brutal scene remains etched into my mind - it is when the soldier uses rope to stretch right arm of jesus to fit the nail-hole, while his left arm is already pounded with a big nail (and as the nail is driven into his hand, the film shows a flashback of jesus' sermon on the mount, when he's teaching that we must love our enemies... so ironic). the emphasis on violence in this film might be shocking. it's definitely not for children!
nevertheless, i love the brief flashbacks illuminating events in jesus' past. mel gibson tries to remind us of who the person was before he was physically tormented. one of the very moving flashbacks where i teared up was this one scene where mary sees jesus stumble & fall to his knees while carrying the cross. mary then thinks back to a time when jesus as toddler falls as he runs along a gravel road & mary does what is only natural: she rushed to pick him up & comfort him by saying "i'm here"... then the film comes back to the crucifixion time period & shows mary running to her now adult son & whispering the same thing... however she can only watch helplessly this time. the most meaningful flashback has no dialogue. it makes u reflect on your relationship with your parents & be grateful for their unconditional love given all this time. in my opinion, this movie put emphasis on women's role. it's centered especially on mother of god, mary. the feminist gibson (if i can say that) shows the depth of woman's feeling through mary -- what mary was going through when she must deal with the great grief of seeing her beloved son suffer so much, eventhough she knows this is what he was born for. the film also shows the love between mother & her child. everybody must be moved by mary's love for her son. rumor had it that this film is anti-semitic. i think those who have that thought must be narrow-minded individuals. romans & jews - ALL took part in mocking & torturing jesus. jesus himself is jews. to hate jews would mean to hate god. just ridiculous! other interesting highlights recorded in my memory: - the single drop of water that fell from heaven as jesus died - the words pontius pilate addresses to the priests when they bring jesus in front of him: "do u always punish a man before u judge him?" - satan was played by a woman with a man's voice dubbed & the face was made up to look androgynous (genderless) -- according to christian beliefs, satan was an angel & therefore they should be sexless - as angels sexless - the original language used makes it truly international movie - everybody in the world gets exactly the same experience imho, it's not a bad film yet it's not a great one either. its center on jesus' crucifixion only misses a lot of thing of jesus' life. but who am i to judge... i cannot even make a single film. ;) after seeing any movie, i simply look for something to be learned. i guess this film reminds us all that we should not easily condemn others simply because they are different from the mainstream. the jewish leaders in this film feel threatened by jesus because he's different -- his teachings are different, the way he teaches is different; at age 12 he asks in depth questions to the scriptures teachers & all those present are amazed with his understandings & answers to questions posed to him, he debates the pharisees, he criticises the temple, he washes his apostles' feet, ... & so on. people just need to open up their hearts and minds before making any judgement. stelly @ 2:36 PM Wednesday, March 10, 2004 losari coffee plantation - resort & spa i knew losari resort the first time from dewi magazine. the photos looked so artistic & the brief article raised my curiosity. so without thinking further, i put losari on my places-to-visit list when i travel to central java. and it proved to be a great place located in a great valley.
losari is a small village in magelang regency, about two hours drive from semarang. it is far from the city crowd & simply connecting semarang to yogyakarta. i bet u'll have an unique experience of being in the middle of nowhere. it's certainly different from other places i had ever visited in java.  the 5-star boutique resort, opened in late 2003, is situated in 22 acres of land 900 meters above sea level. modern spa & 26 villas of various sizes - ranging from 100 to 135 sqm, are built facing the natural surrounding of green hills. designed in classic javanese styles, the villas are furnished with antique indonesian furniture, air-con, dvd player, tv/cable, internet connection... u name it! all villas are named after famous mountains like gunung sumbing, merapi, sindoro, merbabu, & andong. after performing little survey inside one of the villas, tommy & i posed in front of the king-sized bed & wonderin' secretly at the same time whether we'll go back there again for our honeymoon. *wink wink*
the only original old building in the area is the indies-style manor mansion. it was built in 1928 by dutch architect & served as the home for the owner of the plantation. (brief history on losari coffee plantation: it was originally established in 1928 by a dutchman under the name of "karangrejo coffee plantation" & was operated until the 1960s when it was sold to a colonel in the indonesian army. the colonel & his family operated it until it was purchased by pt lupita amanda in 1992 & since then has been transformed into a luxury resort & spa & renamed "losari" - after the village in which it is located. the owner is gabriella teggia, an italian who has lived in indonesia for about 40 years & the wonderful composition of traditional javanese architecture was designed by andrea magnaghi of rome) it is now furnished with javanese antiques & paintings, & used as the gathering spot for guests - as the dining room, library, music room & a multifunction area. {InFrontOfTheFarmHouse} 
{InsideTheClubHouse} 
this old dutch-style estate has become an exclusive resort, offering beautiful mountain scenery & a great escape for anyone who's willing to spend their times inside the nature with nature sounds all around. to emphasize the colonial setting, an original 19th century teak railway station office was brought in from the town of mayong. teggia brought it there because it was just being ignored. it now functions as the resort's lobby. upon entering the railway station, we will be greeted by old photographs of trains from around the country. {InFrontOfTheReceptionCenter} 
for anyone of u who loves travelling & architecture & even spa treatments (they provide "hammam" - a real turkish bath), it is worth your visit! u can first have yr lunch in its java red restaurant which serves gourmet mediterranean recipes & nouvelle indonesian cuisine (beware of the quite expensive price list but be ready for the sweet dessert complimentary) & ask their guide to accompany u to explore the area (enjoy his extra hospitality). {My Choice : Soto Ayam à la Losari}  stelly @ 8:40 AM Monday, March 01, 2004 SayHiToMyMan'sShoe stelly @ 6:35 PM |
