Categories
For the Geeks

The Much Talked About “Mass Effect 3 Ending” As It Is Today

Here is a spoiler free bit.  Some of you have asked “Everyone says that the ending is bad, what do you think?  Shall I still buy the game?  Which installment shall I start first?  One, two, or three?”  I would say, don’t let what you read or hear dampen your journey.  True, some are outraged by the ending.  But there are also some who like it.  You can form your opinion when the time comes.  The beauty of an open ending is that you write your story.  You complete the ending.  It is back to the very root of role playing, the media of good old pen-and-paper.

You may jump directly into the third installment without playing the previous games.  Provided that you have the patience to read the in-game codex, you may still get a decent understanding of the lore.  Since you do not have a chance to form decisions in the last two installments, the game will decide for you.  The first play through is likely to take you 20 to 60 hours to complete, with an option to have a second play through for a better experience and outcome.  You won’t get to experience a full story this way.  But if you have limited time and resource, getting a taste of the game is better than having none.

Some would suggest new players to start with the second installment (first-person-shoot lovers I reckon).  Would you watch The Matrix starting from the second episode?  If you have 80 to 200 hours to burn, I strongly recommend to start from the beginning.

I hope this answer some of your questions.  Now, let’s talk about the controversial Mass Effect 3 ending, an ending that results in the game developer to expand this summer due to online feedback.  There will be spoilers from this point onward.  Be warned!

“I am Commander Shepard.  5 years I have traveled across the milky way in the name of humanity.  Is this really the end?”

SPOILER WARNING

The Year is 2186

It is hard to imagine that in less than 200 years, humans would travel across the milky way, encountering alien races, and realizing that we are a rather primitive race.  There are far more advanced races in the outer space that pay little attention to our humanity.  That is until a dark force launches a galactic level attack to all organic life.

The Reaper

Initially, no one believes Reaper exists.  It turns out to be a highly advanced machine race of synthetic-and-organic spaceships.  The entire sentinel race lies dormant within the dark space for thousands of years.  When it wakes up, the Reaper lays destruction to the entire galaxy by indoctrinating key organic leaders and collecting the organic life one-by-one for processing.  The suitable ones are dissolved and incorporated into Reaper’s gestalt consciousness.  Most are used as raw materials in building the Reaper troops.  During this cycle of extinction, none will survive except a very few.  After Reaper has done its job, it goes back to hibernation in dark space and waits patiently for the next cycle.  The few that are left behind will yet again populate the galaxy.  The cycle repeats.

Its Purpose?

The Reaper believes that in every cycle, there is a natural tendency to chaos.  Organic life will create synthetic life and once synthetic life reaches a certain level of intelligence, they will rebel against their creators.  Reaper’s job is to maintain this fragile balance by harvesting all the organic life at the end of each cycle leaving only a few for a reset.  Does this sound like Zion in The Matrix?  It sure does.

What creates the first Reaper?  When the galaxy is left alone, will organic and synthetic life form become one?  Is the Reaper trying to halt the evolution so that they will continue to be the most superior race in the galaxy?  The lore does not explain this bit.  I could only imagine.

Take Earth Back

Back to current year of 2186, the Reaper invades Earth.  With 400 processing centers killing 1.86 million human beings a day, it will take a decade for the Reaper to complete the extinction protocol.  The human resistance led by Anderson is not going to hold the Reaper for long.  Commander Shepard, that is you, needs to rally the races from across the galaxy to save Earth.  The problem is, why would other advanced races lend their support when their homelands are invaded by the Reaper?  What makes Earth so special?

The Crucible

Because human has discovered the blueprint passed down by previous cycles to build the ultimate weapon of mass destruction – the Crucible.  And we are building it.  The construction of this weapon of mass destruction has soaked up all the knowledge and expertise, as well as resources contributed from all races (or from most depending on how well you play your political game).  The Crucible has become the only hope galaxy has against the Reaper.  All is well but there is a missing component – the Catalyst.  Without it, the Crucible will not work.  No one knows what the Catalyst is.  It seems that all attempts in building the Crucible by the races from the previous cycles have failed.

The Human Politics

While Commander Shepard goes about getting other races on board, humanity is breaking up from within.  The organization Cerberus led by Illusive Man believes that human have found a way to control Reaper.  With Reaper by our side, humanity can rule the galaxy.  Hence, instead of human working together, internally, we are fighting against each other.  You may think that it sounds stupid.  But our human history says otherwise.

Shepard does not think that controlling Reaper is a good idea.  Because it is a power we do not understand.

The Citadel

The Citadel is a space station that has multiple functions.  It is where the Council and the ambassadors resides.  It is where a lone Reaper vanguard signals the invasion at the beginning of each cycle.  And, it is also the Catalyst as discovered by Illusive Man.  Needless to say, Citadel is an important asset to all life in the galaxy as well as to the Reaper.  When Reaper learns that human has discovered the secret to complete the Crucible, they transport the entire Citadel to Earth for protection.  Why Earth?  I suppose it is where their majority of forces are at.  And they have the knowledge that Earth will be where the final showdown takes place.

The Final Assault

After the Reaper knows the coalition’s intend to counter attack, the war is escalated.  All the war assets Commander Shepard gathered throughout the milky way have made good with their promise and they launch an attack to the Reaper on Earth.  Meanwhile, Admiral Hackett together with his feet is bringing the Crucible to be joined with the Citadel.  The only problem is that Citadel’s defense system has made it closed up from within.  In order for the Crucible to work against the Reaper, the best guess is that Citadel has to be functional.  Someone needs to get into the Citadel to open it up.

Since Reaper has opened up a conduit (or a vertical beam of light shooting from Earth’s ground up to Citadel in the sky) to facilitate the transport of human specimen for processing, the coalition’s plan is to launch a ground attack so that Shepard and the coalition forces can get to the conduit and hence reach the Citadel.  As expected, the conduit is heavily guarded by the Reaper.

The Little Boy

In the beginning of this installment, Shepard has found a little boy hiding in one of the buildings on Earth destroyed by the Reaper.  For some strange reasons, Anderson who is with Shepard does not see the boy.  Only Shepard can.  The little boy refuses to go with Shepard and evades the building by himself.

Just before Shepard leaves Earth to rally the alien forces, Shepard sees the little boy getting into one of the transport ships.  The ship does not make it and the little boy is killed in action.

Throughout this third installment, the little boy appears in Shepard’s dreams.  At times, the dream ends with the little boy engulfed in fire.  One time, the dream ends with both the little boy and Shepard engulfed in fire.

The Crash Landing

Back to the final assault, Shepard and the coalition have made a significant impact on the ground against the Reaper.  It is just a matter of getting the coalition transported to the conduit when Shepard’s ship unfortunately crash landed near the beam of light.  All of a sudden, the environment seems dreamy with Shepard and the coalition running to the conduit on foot, dodging fire power shooting from above.

After Shepard makes it to the conduit, Shepard is beamed into the heart of the Citadel.  There are piles and piles of dead human bodies awaiting to be processed.  The scene is unfamiliar and as Shepard enters the gigantic control room overlooking Earth, Anderson is already there.

And so is Illusive Man, who appears to have been indoctrinated by the Reaper.

Under the influence of the Reaper, Commander Shepard shoots Anderson, and then manages to convince Illusive Man that all that he has done is not for humanity, but for the Reaper.  After such realization, Illusive Man shoots himself.  Shepard reaches for the control panel and opens the Citadel up.

Is this the end?

Meet the Catalyst

Apparently not.  Even when the Citadel is operational, nothing happens.  Crucible, the weapon of mass destruction, is not doing what it is supposed to.  What is missing?

As Shepard suffering from multiple combat wounds collapses onto the floor, Shepard is ascended to the top of the Citadel and a ghostly figure that resembles the little boy Shepard has met at the beginning of the installment appears.  It turns out that this ghostly figure is the Catalyst.  He designs a solution for the Reaper to carry out what needs to be done in each cycle: bring order to chaos.  In the past millions of year, Shepard is the only organic life that makes it this far.  So, according to this ghostly little boy, this warrants a new solution.  Shepard has a decision to make.

Why then a human being gets to decide the fate of the galaxy?  Why doesn’t the Catalyst stick to the plan of ascending the older races (i.e. killing) and hence allowing the newer races to flourish in the next cycle?  Does the Catalyst believe that organic life has reached a stage whereby a final peace can be attained?  Or does the Catalyst believe that it is possible to build another Reaper race if need to?

What is the Catalyst?  Like the architect in The Matrix?  What does the Catalyst get out of this?

A New Solution #1 – Destroy the Reaper

Shepard is given three options.  One is to destroy the Reaper.  It appears to be something Anderson would do.  By choosing this option, not only the bad Reaper is destroyed, but also all other good synthetic life as well as major technology currently exists in the galaxy.  The ghostly little boy a.k.a the Catalyst thinks that by choosing this option, chaos will return.  Wouldn’t this go against all that the Catalyst has planned for?

Interestingly, whatever decision Shepard makes will lead to a destruction of all the Mass Relays in the milky way.  Intergalactic travel will no longer be possible.  I suppose from the Catalyst’s perspective, the sole purpose of the Mass Relays is to facilitate Reaper invasion.  Perhaps, this also hints that the Catalyst has decided to put the old solution to rest for good?

Not only that, no matter what, Joker – the pilot of Shepard’s spaceship – will leave Shepard behind and evacuate Earth together with Shepard’s squad mates.  A curious decision Joker has made.  I suppose it is an unspoken piece of story that Shepard must have signaled Joker for the escape.

Imagine for a moment that you are Commander Shepard.  You have no foresight what will happen, though you are presented with scenarios promised by an entity you did not know until now.  Would you order your spaceship to evacuate, along with the coalition forces that are fighting the Reaper in space?  There is no certainty that Earth will be saved (in fact, for some players, Earth will be destroyed).  Why take unnecessary casualty?  Evacuation, in this context, seems to make sense.

A New Solution #2 – Control the Reaper

This second solution seems like something Illusive Man would do.  Shepard could choose to control the Reaper.  But Shepard will die.  My interpretation is that before Shepard perishes, Shepard can issue one final order to the Reaper.  It could a retreat.  Or it could be anything else.  The ending never says.  It is up to your imagination.

A New Solution #3 – Synthesis

Neither of the first two solutions seem ideal.  A part of me believes (or made believe) that when the dust is settled, chaos will return. Reaper may in fact have a role to play in order to ensure the continuation of organic life.  A third option is to synthesize the two by combining the DNA of the Reaper and the organic life.  This becomes the pinnacle of evolution when we are part organic, part synthetic.

This is an attractive option because – again my interpretation – this could be the final test that says our universe is ready for synthesis.  Through Shepard’s action, organic life has stopped fighting against each other.  First time in the galactic history, all alien races stand united.  This could well be the reason why the Catalyst is giving Shepard a free will to decide the fate of the universe.  Reaper could be destroyed, but in doing so, chaos returns and a new Reaper will rise to bring order to the galaxy.  Reaper could be controlled, but the cycle may return.  Synthesis appears to stop the cycle and bring forth the ultimate peace.

There is a small price to pay.  Shepard has to pour his or her energy into the conduit in order to initiate the process.  In doing so, Shepard will cease to exist.

Decision, Decision

Option one appears to be the only option that Shepard may survive.  But many have sacrifice their lives to get to this far.  If this is it, wouldn’t it be selfish for Shepard to think of self perseverance at this final stage?  Wouldn’t self sacrifice be a beautiful ending to such a long saga?  An ultimate sacrifice as decided by the individual player and not by the game developer?

You get to choose to live or die.  You get to decide on the fate of the universe.  Before the final assault, while Commander Shepard is having a final word to the squad members, one has already hinted that the battle ahead will be both physical and mental.  Even Shepard has prophesied that he or she may not join them for a retirement but rather seeing them from Heaven (OK, Mass Effect has no religion so it s not explicitly written as Heaven).

On the record, I chose option three.

Indoctrination Theory

I felt good after choosing option three.  BioWare has mentioned that the journey of Commander Shepard ends in Mass Effect 3.  It is the pinnacle of evolution and it is an option that has to be earned through the three games.  Depending on your war assets, you may not have option three.  You may not even have option two.

After a few hours savoring the victory that is five years in the waiting, suddenly, something hit me.  Was I not supposed to kill the Reaper?  That was my mission, was it not?  To destroy the Reaper at all cost?  What was I thinking?  I did some research on the Internet and I have found this wondering video that explains a totally different interpretation: Indoctrination Theory.

Under this theory, it is said that since Commander Shepard has proven to be a force to reckon with, it is of Reaper’s priority to indoctrinate Shepard in doing its will.  However, since Shepard’s will is exceptionally strong, this indoctrination process takes time.  This explains the dreams and vision Shepard has experienced (codex on Reaper indoctrination can be found in here), as well as all the discrepancies in the ending sequence.

What if, from the moment Shepard crash landed near to the conduit to the final moment Shepard finalizes a decision, nothing is real?  As in, it all happens inside Shepard’s head in this final stage of indoctrination?  Are you as an individual player being deceived to do Reaper’s will?

If so, this could be a monumental milestone in our video gaming history.  Millions of gamers are manipulated by the game developer to potentially choose an option to do Reaper’s will.  Some of us have forgotten our mission and our identity dies in the process.  This explains why option one is the only option whereby Shepard may potentially survive.  This is evident by the final clip when we see Shepard gasps and wakes up inside a pile of debris.  My interpretation is that after Shepard has fought off Reaper indoctrination will he or she wake up from the crash landing.  The war still goes on.  But it is likely that some may have already been beamed up into the Citadel and fired off the Crucible.  It could well be Shepard who does the honor of firing.  Either way, it does not matter.  The battle is won when the last Reaper defense to the conduit is broken, be it as Shepard being indoctrinated or not.

The Legend Continues

Like some of the European movies, Mass Effect 3 has an open ending that is up to our interpretation.  Regardless of the option chosen, there is a small video clip showing a grandfather telling the Shepard story to a little boy.  Whether or not you buy the indoctrination theory, humanity continues for at least a couple of generations.

In my opinion, while the story of Shepard ends here, the Mass Effect universe may continue.  We are introduced to some of the troops who broad the same transport ship and fight alongside with Shepard towards the end of this game.  The war may not be over.  For all we know, BioWare may create a new Mass Effect game from another character’s perspective.  Or they may make Mass Effect a massively multiplayer online game in the future.

Even when the franchise ends right here right now, it is still one of the best sci-fi themed video games we have seen in recent times.

“Who is going to inherit this helmet?”

Categories
Book Reviews Fiction

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin: Gruesome, with No Black and White

I did not choose to read this book.  Not exactly.  During my holiday in Bandung, I have finished the books I have intended to read.  I suppose I could start reading yet another Warcraft story.  Having read four in a roll, I need something more, shall I say, hardcore.  A Game of Thrones lies in Cynthia’s library.  I said to myself, why not?  HBO adapted the saga as a TV series.  It cannot be that bad.  So I dived into this mightily thick book of fantasy, without knowing what I was getting myself into.

I think, or rather I would advocate that in front of every book cover, there should be an advisory sticker like a film rating for movies or ESRB rating for video games.  This book, in my opinion, is unsuitable for the young adults.  It is bloody violent.  Children wield swords to kill (and then I watched The Hunger Games on a big screen wondering where this world is heading).  There are orgies, rapes, and prostitution.  Underage girls having sex.  Sibling having sex.  The most amazing thing is, there is no moral compass or whatsoever in A Game of Thrones.  There are no heroes, no villains.  Seldom characters are rewarded by doing the right things in life, nor they are punished to do the otherwise.  In fact, most of the time, it is the other way round.  Each chapter is filled with drama.  You could almost smell something bad, I mean really bad is going to happen.  Initially, there were surprises.  Then came the predictability.  Soon, I was numb.  I read somewhere that blood, sex, and money always sell on TV.  This book has them all.

Now, if I may accept a story that is so uniquely set up, in a fantasy world that has no black and white, a realm whereby treachery and brutality is the mean to survival, A Game of Thrones is a masterpiece.  So much details being poured into creating a world filled with a massive number of interlinked living and breathing characters.  Each character comes from a unique background.  Not only that, a history is crafted alongside with the main story.  On top of that, this first book of A Song of Ice and Fire saga to me read like a very long prologue.  In this Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a major conflict is brewing.  This realm is slowly pushed into war from within, a war fueled by vengeance, jealousy, and ambition.  At the same time, there is subtle politics in place that shapes the events.  And, there is something strange happening beyond the realm’s wall in the north.  Creatures unfamiliar to this realm are emerging.  Myths of the dragons start to appear.  Something is brewing.  Something big.  Something mysterious.  But you won’t find the answers in this book.  Because this book is the first of a long saga that is still work in progress.  You have to keep reading to find out more.

Unique to this book, the story is told from a set of characters’ viewpoints.  Each viewpoint corresponds to one chapter.  There are three major Houses in conflict.  House Baratheon, where King Robert belongs.  House Stark, where the king’s right hand man Eddard leads.  And House Lannister, descendants of the blood of Andal adventurers.  The viewpoints are presented by Lord Eddard and his wife Lady Catelyn.  Their daughters Sansa and Arya.  Their son Bran.  Eddard’s bastard son Jon.  Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf who is the brother of the queen (who is nothing like a dwarf).  Finally, Princess Daenerys Targaryen who is the daughter of the previous king and is now in exile.  The initial chapters were a torture to me.  Because I was not used to the shear number of characters and the strange tone used that is specially tailored to suit the lore of the realm.  After I got over the hurdle, I was not able to put the book down.  Switching from viewpoint to viewpoint makes the narrative refreshing, keeps the plot in suspense.  It is a slow and satisfying buildup to the final ecstasy.  The endings are shocking.  They open up more questions than providing the readers with answers.  I am eager to take on the next volume in this series to see more blood, more violence, more sex, and more shame and glory.

When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.

The above quote is in essence what this book is about.  After reading A Game of Thrones, I can understand its popularity.  I must admit, I have not read something quite like this before.

Categories
Drama Movie Reviews Romance

The Vow – What if One is to Lose Years of Memory?

Woah.  Just imagine.  If one is to lose years of memory, how would that change his or her life and those around?  While facts of life like who the parents are do not change over time, our recent hobbies, our career, love life, recently acquired skills, friends, things that we shouldn’t have done but did, and things that we should have done but didn’t  do.

That’s why my friends, blogging is good.  While one may forget where he or she stores the diary (if you have one), a website is [more or less] always there.  I see blogging as an extension of my memory, as well as the memory of some of those who are around me.

I guess reading recent events that one has forgotten is not the same as restoring one’s memory.  It is not the same as living it, is it?  And here we are, a movie inspired by true events.  The Vow tells a story of a married couple.  After a road accident, the wife has lost her recent memory.  To the new her, the husband is a stranger and her ex-fiance still gives her butterflies in the stomach.  The recent life changing decisions, all wiped off from her memory.  Given this unfortunately event, can the husband win his wife’s love the second time?

All along, I thought The Vow was a romance comedy.  OK, comedy or not, it is a technical definition.  At the end of the movie, inside the theater, TK on my left said, “This is not a comedy”.  Cynthia on the right said, “This is not a comedy”.  Fine.  Cynthia did cry.  It is an emotional drama.  There are tons of on-screen chemistry between the main characters, in a moving plot.  We felt the pain and joy, and everything else in between.

I am a fan of Rachel McAdams.  To me, she could well be one of the most charming actresses in Hollywood.  Cynthia seems quite pleased with the rather handsome looking Tatum, whom I wish he would supplement his acting with some danceing (he is good at it I remember).  The Vow is about seeing a glass half empty or half full.  It is a story of a second chance not to be used to wipe off the past, but to relive the good and the bad once again.

Categories
Action & Thriller Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

The Hunger Games – Better Than I Expected, Despite Moral Conflict

I thought to myself, so this is one of those ‘reality show’ inspired movies, where audience seeks to be entertained by watching contestants battling each other to death.  Worse still, we are looking at contestants of age between 12 to 18.  Do we need another one of those movies?  And why the children?  Is this social liberation or a download spiral of human morality?  Who would enjoy seeing children of that age bracket killing eliminating each other?  Increasing, media violence has raised concern across the board.  I feel that we are pushing the limit further down.  Movies like Hunger Games.  Books like Game of Thrones where children wield swords and girls under the age of 14 have sex.  Some video games that are violence in nature played by children.  What would the long term repercussion to our future generations be if we endorse violence at that age bracket?  I do not know.

Now, if I may throw my moral hat away, ignore the conflict inside of me when seeing children of age 12 to 18 hacking, shooting, or killing each other with wits, The Hunger Games is a wildly entertaining movie.  It is said that because 12 districts have in the past committed treason against the central government, each year, each district must pick 2 tributes – a young boy and a young girl – to play the Hungers Game.  Only one will survive.  There is an overarching philosophy revolving around this.  Since I don’t quite get it or finding it quite silly, I shall not elaborate here.

24 contestants are placed in a game location and there is only one survivor.  The rest of the 23 contestants would need to die.  Yes, death to them all.  We love it.  There are tons of twists in the plot.  Because it is after all a TV show, it must be entertaining, especially to the ‘sponsors’ who may influence the process.  In short, not only do the children require to kill off each other, they have to do it in style.  They need to, kill to entertain.  The audience, including us, loves watching this.

Jennifer Lawrence plays the main character who represents District 12th.  I did not like her or find her attractive in X-Men: First Class.  Neither do I find her attractive in The Hunger Games.  Having said that, I grow to like her character as the plot unfolds.  She seems rather suited for this movie.  Genuinely innocent, and determined to stay alive.

I found myself shivering throughout the 142 minutes long movie.  The plot is intense.  More so, was the air-conditioning in the theater.

Categories
Linguistic

End of Spanish Learning Era?

Four long years, Cynthia and I have studied Spanish in Singapore at Las Lilas School.  Over Whatsapp, one classmate mentioned that he is considering to drop our class and join another one.  One that is not as taxing as our advance level.  Another classmate reminded us that she too is leaving because her student visa is expiring.  She needs to go home.  This thought has lingered in my mind for quite some time.  And I have discussed this with Cynthia.  So, I followed the cue and mentioned that we too have decided to end our Spanish studying journey.  One classmate typed in Whatsapp, “Is this the end of an era?”

I suppose the answer is no.  There is no reason not to continue learning, outside a classroom setting.  I feel that, for quite some time, I have hit the plateau.  My passion seems to have deflated a little, when I am not getting as much from the 2 hours lesson as I used to.  There is an increased slowness in trying to comprehend the course materials during the class.  It is like a running marathon.  If you are not fit enough, after a while, you would simply walk and then, stop.  Linguistic ability is never my strength.  Having said that, I am most delighted to make it to this far.

To that, I thank my teachers at Las Lilas.  You are the most cheerful, knowledgeable, patience, and encouraging ones.  I also thank my classmates.  What a fun bunch you are.  And I thank my wife Cynthia for supporting me throughout the journey.  All the real time translation in whispers.  No, I won’t forget.

So what’ next?

Ten weeks ago, at the end of the 10-lesson course, I asked around the table to see if we were continuing.  One said, “What are we going to do if we are not?”  Cynthia and I found it rather amusing.  Indeed, for the last 4 years, every Tuesday we devote 2 hours learning Spanish.  Our dinner has always been a mad rush.  By the time we are home, it is ten o’clock.  This Tuesday, after we bid our farewell to our classmates and to Amelia, our beloved Spanish teacher, Cynthia asked me in private, “What are we going to do on Tuesday?”

I don’t know.  I miss making music.  That seems like eons in the past.  Come to think on it, that question never pops up in my head.  I can always find something else to do.  Enough time we have spent learning Spanish inside a classroom.  It is time to take what we have learned and have fun with the real world.  Watch some Spanish YouTube.  Read some Spanish news.  Chit-chat with Spanish chicas, or chicos.

Categories
Book Reviews Non-Fiction

Night and Low-Light Photography by Alan Hess – Packed With Good Tips For Beginners

Normally, I prefer not to review non-fiction books on my holidays.  However, it is good to hear that Wiley publishes photography books as well.  So I grabbed a copy sent by my contact earlier on and was eager to read more on a topic so close to my heart.

For new photographers, night photography, especially under low-light condition, is likely one of the toughest challenges faced.  Our human eyes adapt to low-light well.  More often than not, as a beginner, what you see from the LCD screen at the back of your camera under these conditions seldom resembles to what your eyes see.  Many I know of struggle with flash photography so much so that they would rather not to use a flash at all.  I too have gone through that journey of frustration and experimentation.  I would say Alan Hess has done a good job in explaining the basic mechanics in Night and Low-Light Photography.

What I like about this book is that it reads more like having someone talks me through the basic, and not a book full of theories.  The author takes his time to explain the different gears required getting the job done.  Hess also in multiple instances explains the fundamental variables and their relationship such as ISO, shuttle speed, and aperture.  Other important topics such as exposure, white balance, metering, and digital noise are covered as well.  I often find myself having to explain the same set of attributes when approached by new photographers.  Hess’s explanation is clear and he uses plenty of illustrations to drive home his points.

The first three chapters of Night and Low-Light Photography talk through the basic.  The last chapter on digital postproduction is useful if you use Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop Elements.  Bear in mind that the chapter on postproduction mainly focuses on night and low-light photography.  Postproduction workflow, for instance, is not covered in this chapter.  Although I don’t use either tool for postproduction (I prefer using Nikon digital filters instead), it does read a bit too simplistic for me.  Maybe it is good for a start.  You may need another book to study the topic better.

Between the first three chapters and the last are chapters devoted to different scenarios.  Scenarios range from indoor shots (people, weddings, and concerts) to sport photography, from nighttime sky to outdoor shots (city and landscape).  For each scenario, the author shares with us many tips cumulated from – I assume – his personal experience.  He also details out the recommended settings and steps used.  Like where you should stand and what moment you should capture if you are a wedding photographer.  Like how your model should pose.  And much more.  I enjoy reading the chapter on Light Painting the most.  Perhaps because it is something I have yet to try (hence I presume the rest of the chapters may well be an enlightening read if I was a new photographer).  I am not a big fan of HDR photography.  But that is also covered briefly in this book, in case if HDR is your cup of tea.

There are a few photographs printed in this book that are inspiring.  I like the Ferris Wheel the most, and some of his concert photographs.  Most of the photographs, though, appear a bit bland to me.  Some, I wish the photographer would stand and point the camera slightly differently so as to get a more symmetric shot, or compose the picture better.  One photograph of a moon, the photographer used a setting of 1/400 second, f/8.0 and ISO 500.  Maybe he did not use a tripod.  Since the moon is pretty bright in nature, I would think that it is possible to use a different setting with a better ISO (for example, see my moon photograph here that uses the same f-stop).  Granted, perhaps the author’s intend is to illustrate his technical points, rather than articulating the art within.  There are other photography books that are full of inspiring printings (such as books by Scott Kelby).  This book does not appear to be so.  Having said that, the most important thing is for you to grasp the fundamental of night and low-light photography.  So that you can go out there and confidently create your beautiful shots.

ISBN-10: 1118138228
ISBN-13: 978-1118138229

Categories
For the Geeks

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Beta Test – First Impression

Hooray!  Blizzard has sent me a beta invite for the testing of their upcoming expansion Mists of Pandaria.  Not that it was a huge surprise, really.  Because I have signed up for their annual pass deal and I know, eventually I will get an invite.  Still, it is good to get a rather early invite as I have been a loyal subscriber since its 2004 launch (OK, my payment lapsed for a couple of months because my credit card has expired but they really should have follow-up).  One of the first 200,000 lucky ones, I am.

“Oh my, guess what I saw when I first logged into the beta test server.  So many pandas!  I think I am getting panda phobia!  Note: Each panda you see in this picture represents one online player.”

I enjoy beta testing.  The last one I did was for the upcoming Diablo III.  I get to see an evolving product, based on testers’ feedback.  That gives me more insight on Blizzard’s design strategy (like how they value UI friendliness in Diablo III looking at the tweaks they do).  If you do get a WoW beta invite, here are some friendly reminders to make your journey more rewarding:

  • Beta means that it is an unfinished product, although Blizzard does reveal beta at its finest quality.  You get to see its beauty at its rawer form.  But you also get to see some rough edges.
  • The server is going to lag like crazy, regardless of your network performance.  It could be frustrating.  Hey, look at the bright side.  How often do you get to see hundreds of online players crowded in one place?  Nightmare no doubt.  But you would cherish this insane moment looking back.

“So I created a female pandaren.  Character customization seems to give me 14 face options.  Unlike the male pandaren, there is no customization option for the female face shape.  Just different color patches. Is it because we are at the beta stage?”

Female Pandaren

I don’t think I would try out the 85-90 high level zones in this beta testing.  Because I want to save the experience for my 10 characters.  Moreover, I don’t want to be sick of it by the time Mists is released.  What I do not mind is to try out the new pandaren starting area a couple of times since at most, I would only experience it once when this expansion is live.

The new pandaren race – silly as some may say – is down right adorable, especially the female pandaren.  I must say though, the female race looks a bit plastic to me, almost like a robot in her god forbid cuteness.  Maybe just a matter of getting used to.  Also, I observe that not all customization features are opened as of now.  The male version’s face customization varies the shape of the face.  The female version seems to vary the color pattern only.  I am not sure if it will be the case for the live version.

You can have a black and white pandaren that looks more like a panda.  Or you can have an orange version that in Cynthia’s words, looks more like a fox.  Female orange pandaren comes with a big orange tail too.  Alternatively, if you wish, you could have a hybrid look.  Black and white face with an orange body and in the case of a female pandaren, a fat orange tail instead of a tiny stub.

Female pandaren, in my opinion, is a bit short and plump.  I think I may roll a male pandaren when the time comes to save me some money to do a sex change later.

“Stop humping that scroll you silly pandas!  How are we supposed to click it when there are so many pandas crowded at it?!  Note: The trick is to pan the camera as show and keep spamming right click on the top right corner of the scroll.  You will get it eventually.  Also, if too many pandas are standing on top of the quest giver, press SHIFT-V and interact with the NPC’s green name plate instead.”

New Monk Class

It has been a while since Blizzard releases a new class for World of Warcraft.  So I rolled a monk class.  This new class is quite possibly what I look forward to most when Mists is live.

Some online reviewers describe the new monk class plays like an arcade game, combo-like button meshing and all.  I was a bit weary when I first heard about.  After experienced 11 levels of playing a monk, it is not as dramatic.

True, there is no more auto attack.  It plays like a rogue and shares the same energy pool concept, except that the combo points are not with the enemy but upon the monk herself.  This new resource called Chi can be accumulated up to 4 points.  Chi does not dissipate over time, unless you log out.  Some abilities generate Chi while others consume it.  For example, at level 1, you can consume 40 energy, perform a Clobber, and whack your target with your weapon (in my case, a staff).  Clobber generates one Chi.  You can also consume a Chi and whack your target with your hand – Tiger Palm – while you regenerate energy.  Tiger Palm deals more damage when the target is above 50% health.  So common sense would tell you to whack your enemy with your palm at the beginning of the encounter.  Perhaps even unload your Tiger Palm at that early stage when you have excess Chi.

Once your enemy drops below 35%, you can perform a Blackout Kick that has a 3 second cool down.  Blackout Kick consumes 2 Chi and it refunds 1 Chi if the target is dead by your kick.  So in effect, it would consume 1 Chi if you kick properly.  The so-called combo move is really how you wish to optimize your abilities based on the target’s health.  You cannot spam Clobber because that consumes energy.  You cannot spam Tiger Palm because that consumes Chi.  And you cannot spam Blackout Kick because not only does it consume Chi, it has a cool down.  With a potential to specialize into tank, melee damage, and heal, the new monk class sounds interesting.

All you need to do is pray that you don’t lag.  Because there is no auto-attack to save you.

“The artwork of the new pandaren starting area is colorful and beautiful.”

The Pandaria Artwork and Quests

While I am not overly excited by the oriental theme (strange eh given my background?), the artwork is colorful and beautiful.  A lot of work must have poured into the new starting area.  The oriental music background sounds good too. Unlike the Cataclysm new races’ starting areas, in this upcoming expansion, Blizzard has minimized phasing technology so much so that it does not matter at which stage of the quest line you are at, you can always see your friends.

Truth be told, I am not against phasing technology.  The downside is that the world around you seems a lot emptier than it really is.  Players at a different stage of the quest don’t necessarily see each other’s presence.  Till today, I still think that the goblin’s starting area is the best, out of all.  Tight storytelling, full of colors and insane humor.  Questing in the new pandaren starting area appeared to be a bit bland, initially.

“OK, I need three carrots and three turnips.  Where shall I begin?”

The quests in pandaren staring area can generally be broken down into a few types.

  1. Help someone to kill some unpleasant enemies.
  2. Help someone to collect some useful items.
  3. Take someone to somewhere.
  4. Go somewhere with someone.
  5. Defeat a mini boss.

#1 and #2 often go hand-in-hand.  So in Mists, you can almost predict what your next quests are going to be.  To be honest, I yawned (staying up till wee hours trying to defeat server lag didn’t help).  But I got through them nonetheless.

“What is this creature following my panda?!”

Maybe I am getting too old for this expansion.  Mists seems to have a playful undertone to the entire setup, unlike the previous expansions.  You wake some creatures up.  Play with some creatures.  As a pandaren, you start off as a neutral race.  You get to interact with two pandaren NPCs that are supposed to help you decide if you wish to join the Horde or the Alliance at the end of your journey as an initiate.  Later in your starting area, you get to interact with traditional Horde and Alliance races as well.  I wish Blizzard could work more quests into this part of the journey, to give players a better sense of which fraction their way of life is to be.  As of now, it feels a bit too shallow.

In retrospect, I really enjoyed the blood elf and draenei starting areas.  The quests take you to around level 20 and reward you with some good blue quality items.  For pandaren starting area, provided that everything stays the same as beta, you will get to level 11, and wear a set of white inferior items.

I am quite a sad panda.

“When you roll a panda, you start on top of a giant turtle who has a Chinese name.”

Closing Thoughts

I must admit that I am not overwhelmed with the new race’s starting area.  Maybe because I was not playing with my friends and the server lag was understandingly horrible (no complain on the latter).  The new female pandaren artwork is a bit too cute and plump to my taste.  The overall artwork though, is beautiful.  The quests are still linear, not much innovation I have seen except the one you have to stand on top of a log to dual with other NPC monks.  The entire journey, coupled with the server lag, took me 5 hours to complete.  That includes reading the quest text.  By then I have chosen which side I am on.  When this is live, I would not expect anyone to spend more than 3 to 4 hours on this starting area, which is kind of short.

The new monk class though, sounds promising.  Now, I wish we have tri-spec instead of dual-spec.

“My life is for Horde!  Hellscream took me in with open arms, not without a very scary and lengthy speech (or wall of text).  When will Blizzard give us more voice acting?”

Categories
Diary

Meet Hairy And Berry

Ain’t these fellows cute?  To the right is a Wind Rider Cub.  Cynthia and I call him or her Hairy.  We are still debating whether Hairy is a boy or girl.  And to the left is a Gryphon Hatchling whom we call Berry.  Its sex too is undetermined, for now.  For those who are curious about what they are, well, they come from the online game World of Warcraft.  Wind Riders are the flying creatures that take Horde players to destinations within the continents while Gryphon’s service is to the Alliance.  These 22cm tall real life plush toys are soft and cuddly.  I wish there is a larger version though.  When you buy the toys, you get the in-game pets too.  Check out the cubs here and the hatchling here.  It is advertised that these toys are available for a limited time only.  So hurry!

By the time you read this, Cynthia and I are holidaying in Indonesia.  It is a family visiting trip with little Internet access.  I, or rather we, have been looking forward to a break for months.  I would be spending the whole day reading by the garden, disturbing my mother-in-law, and terrorizing my brother-in-law’s kids.  As for Cynthia, catching up with her mother and brother, niece and nephew.  I can imagine I having some sort of video gaming and Internet withdrawal syndrome here in Indonesia.  I may have already read a few books by now.  I think I would miss my website the most.  And I hope that my readers understand this rather lack of update during my break.

2012 is disappearing in an accelerated rate.  So many things are happening.  Every week is flooded with news and new releases of anything and everything.  I can imagine by the time this entry is published, I may have started to compile ten-things-I-want-to-do-when-I-return-to-Singapore.  Top of the list would be to watch The Hunger Games.  I heard that is good.

So tell me, what do you think?  Are Hairy and Berry boys or girls?

Categories
Diary

A Typical Day – Reload

Couple of days ago, I wrote an entry called A Typical Day.  As I keep reading the entry, I realize that last Tuesday is not as typical as it sounds.  Is there such a thing as a typical day?  Or every day can be special?

So I want to try once more, penning down what happened this Thursday.

7am

I love you, my avid readers.  You know exactly what I am going to type here.

7am my alarm clock rings.  I spring out of my bed in my usual vigor eager to face the day!  OK, I have to admit that my body feels somewhat stiffer than yesterday.  Last night was a tiring night.  I had a call with a business champion from UK till 8.30pm.  By the time I grabbed my chicken rice dinner, by the time I grabbed a cheap can of Japanese beer from a convenience store, and by the time I gave up waiting for Cynthia who was having a business dinner, I returned home at 10pm.  I bathed, then I played Mass Effect 3.  The robots I vanquished in the game came haunting me in my dream.  Because of that, I did not have a good sleep.  In my dream, I was the prey.  My stronger than usual desire to pee in the middle of the night saved me from my nightmare.

On the Road

Now that we have our car back, we listen to music of our choice.  Or rather, my choice.  And that is, Katy Perry.

Cynthia and I seldom fight over the car stereo.  She let me have it.  It is hard to define couple compatibility.  Letting somone to have the control over song choice is one.  In return, I let her have the TV remote control.  I watch anything that she throws at me.  Dogs.  More dogs.

There is a report on newspaper today.  Jessie J was in town and apparently, she sang 15 songs and she sang them well.  I knew she would sing well in live.  I doubt she would perform more than an hour or an hour and a half with only one album in her pocket.  Perhaps when she releases more songs, I may consider forking out some money to watch her performance.

Katy Perry

You must be thinking, I am crazy over Katy Perry, can’t stop talking about her.  I have a theory.  To the female audience, a female singer having a voluptuous body is a liability.  I further speculate that to the male audience, it is the complete opposite.  No wonder Cynthia did not like Katy Perry.

But, you know me.  I value song craftsmanship and music delivery more than … ahem … physical appearance.  The One That Got Away is my favorite track.  The music sounds so happy, but the story seems so sad.  I am a hopeless romantic.  The lyrics hit me like a homing missile.  The song speaks to me.  Katy Perry speaks to me.  I am in love, with her music.

9.05am

One buddy of mine sent me a non-work related email.  COE – a certificate that allows Singapore residence to own a car for 10 years – for cars above 1,600cc has breached the S$80,000 mark!  I cannot imagine how much my car would cost today.  The news further mentions that a similar phenomenon was seen in 1994, when that piece of certificate cost S$95,000 to S$110,000.

I hit reply and joke with my buddy that mid 90’s was round about the time when I was ditched by my ex-Singaporean girlfriend.  She did not think that I could provide for a certain level of lifestyle.  Seconds later, he replies that it is funny.  I hit reply and type that back then, it was not that funny, lol.  Send!

OK, that isn’t the complete picture.  But you know how history is written by those who type out blog entries in black and white.  There you have it.

9.53am

Feedback of the business requirement definition (BRD) document written for the Financial Markets folks starts to arrive at my electronic mailbox in batches.  After more dings and dongs, I have finally get a consented picture.  I made an update, and more updates, and I hit that send button at 11.46am.

One trusted colleague of mine who is holding onto a DHL parcel filled with books sent by a publisher for my review seems to be missing.  I inquire further and find out that she is on medical leave.  I guess, not today.

Lunch

Sophie Kinsella and I have a connection.  The library has messaged me saying that my reserved copy of Kinsella’s new novel is availability for collection.  I have been jumping up and down in joy since I received the news.  This morning, I have a plan on how to conceal this library book after the collection.  You see, a guy like me carrying a chick-lit novel painted in pastels under the broad daylight is not cool.  But like all things in life, I have forgotten to bring an envelope.  So I have to proudly proclaim my deep affection to chick-lit on a public street full of people, during lunch hours.

I call Jason, my old time buddy who now works a couple of blocks away from my office building, to join me for lunch.  I have no clue what girls talk about when they meet.  But here is a laundry list of our lively conversation.

  • He talks about Sony Playstation 3.
  • I chip in on the new Mass Effect 3 video game.
  • He talks about a flying man who mounts a pair of rocket engines behind his back.
  • I talk about last week’s Formula One in detail, breaking it down into drivers, car technology, engineers, and politics.
  • He talks about GP Motor because he is a bike lover.
  • I bring the topic back to Formula One.
  • A waiter who looks like someone straight from a Japanese anime comes to our table and asks: what base [of the pizza] would you like?  My friend answers round.  I answer tomato.  That is so funny!  I can’t stop laughing.
  • My friend says he wants to change his mobile phone.
  • I say why not get an iPhone (you wouldn’t believe I said that right?!)
  • He says he wants an Android.
  • I say I am thinking of getting an iMac.
  • He screams, “You?!”  He knows how much I dislike Apple.
  • He asks if an alien race visits Earth and wants to know three must-read novels that are entertaining, what would I recommend?
  • I say the first one is easy.  The Unbearable Lightness of Being written by Milan Kundera.
  • He replies: the unbearable what?
  • I continue.  If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino.
  • He says: what?!
  • I speak slowly, mouthing each word in perfect pronunciation, with an Italian accent.
  • He asks: is that even a legit sentence?
  • Duh.  As for the third one, it has to be one of the books by Doris Lessing.  I haven’t decided on which one of hers I like the best.  By then he seems to lose interest.  So we talk about movies.
  • Over the library counter, while I collect the chick-lit, Jason asks out loud, “You read chick-lit.  Are you gay?”  He speaks slowly, mouthing each word in perfect pronunciation, with impeccable Singaporean accent.
  • Duh.

You see.  Guys don’t think of sex all the time, in contrary to what you girls think.

PS. I have to say there is this particular girl I see in the mall …

More Updates

After lunch, I return to my desk and continue updating another BRD document.  This one is content intensive.  And I do need to think pretty hard.  I have a forum to attend hosted by my boss’s boss’s boss at 5pm.  I have to work faster!

4.21pm

I hit that send button and the Word document has instantly been disintegrated into a finite, albeit long string of one’s and zero’s, flashed down through the cable at the back of my laptop, and into the false flooring.  This string of invisible wave form hits the network exchange box and is transmitted to a computer server in chucks.  Within nano seconds, chucks of my beloved document are reconstructed into its former glory, ready for the recipient to perform yet another round of review.

4.45pm

My contact in UK messages me via instant messaging, asking for clarification on BRD #1.  I really need time to prepare for the 5pm forum!

4.55pm

My contact in Singapore calls me, asking for clarification on BRD #2.  He finally gets that I have another meeting to attend.  He possibly hears me running up the stairs, in an enclosed area full of echos.  Let’s talk tomorrow, he says.  I hope that he doesn’t mistakenly think that I pick up his call inside a loo with one hand on the phone and another hand on …

Nah.  I can never do stuffs like that.

5pm

It is my first time being so up close and personal with my boss’s boss’s boss.  A forum is for a group of people to meet face-to-face and to contribute ideas.  As always, there are some who speak a lot.  There are some who are perpetually quiet.  I strike a happy medium between the two extremes.

6.05pm

After the forum, I continue my online messaging with my contact in UK.  Looks like more work needs to be done.  I have a party organized by my boss’s boss to attend.  My UK contact understands.  There is always tomorrow.

After I have shutdown my laptop, I pop by my department’s area and ask if anyone need a ride for the party.  We gossip on who our next matchmaking target would be.  And etc.  We giggle.  It is girls’ talk, plus one man – a man who enjoys reading chick-lit.

7.15pm

The drive to Riverside Point is brutal.  There are at least two road accidents along the highways.  I often eat first, before any party, or media event, even though food is served at the venue.  I choose Subway, because I know exactly what to order and what to expect.  At the queue, in front of me is an old Western man.  He drops his walking stick while ordering his sandwich.  I hesitate, wanting to see how flexible his body is when he picks it back up.  Well, one day I will arrive at that age.  And I want to know what I will be able to do.

Of course I don’t have the heart to see that.  So I quickly – after a few nanoseconds of hesitation that really doesn’t count – pick up the walking stick and hand it over to him.  He seems delighted.

7.50pm-ish

I am late!  The party is already in full swing.  Drink and food is served.  People are having a great time.  It is good to catch up with some colleagues and external business contacts.  Some are local.  Some fly in from overseas.  Is it work?  Sure it is.  While I am at it, why not have fun out from it?

I have one pint of fruit beer that looks like watermelon juice.  And several pints of ice water thereafter.  Someone has ordered ultra spicy buffalo wings.  The watermelon juice has painted my face pink.  These wings turn my face red, bright red.  I forbidden anyone to take a photo of me.  I do not need a Facebook disaster to haunt me for the rest of my life.

During the party, I have overheard a story.  A funny story.  A story with a morale.

In one village, there was a sage who had a problem.  He wore a loincloth, the only piece of garment he wore round his waist.  Every time he hang his cleaned loincloth for drying, a rat came by and bite a hole onto it.  What should he do?  He consulted his friend and his friend told him to get a cat.  Because cats chase away rats.

So the sage bought a cat.  But the cat did not chase after the rat.  It kept running away from home.  The sage returned to his friend and asked, “What should I do now?”  His friend answered, “You have to feed your cat with milk!”

Because the sage was a busy man, more often than not, he forgot to buy milk home.  The cat was not fed and the rat was still there chewing onto his loincloth.  The sage visited his friend again for advise.  His friend then proposed, “Why not get a cow?  You can milk your cow to feed your cat.  Problem solved!”

The sage listened to his friend and bought a cow.  Then he realized that it took time to milk a cow and the task was tedious.  He just did not have the time!  Now that his problem escalated, he approached his friend again.  His friend gave it a thought and said, “How about hiring a helper to help with your domestic work?  She can milk the cow and you can carry on with your work.”

When the village learned that the sage was living with a young maiden, there was an uproar.  How could a wise sage stay with a young maiden under the same roof?  That was preposterous!  Now that the sage ended up with a bigger problem, all because of a piece of loincloth, he turned to his friend in desperation and asked, “Tell me.  What shall I do now?”

“Marry her”.

10.10pm-ish

The party is great.  But I am getting sleepy.  My boss seems a bit tipsy.  So I offer to send him home.  My another colleague asks if I could drop her off to a train station near my home.  I offer to send her home instead.  I mean, it is getting late.  I don’t have the heart to drop a lady in the open dark.  Who knows what sort of monsters spawn out when the clock strikes twelve.

I drive to the east, and then to the west.  By the time I reach my home in the north, I have clocked in a total mileage of 150km for the day.

11.30pm

Cynthia greets me at the door.  After a long day at work, seeing her renews me.  I am happy.  All my tiredness melts away.  That is a magical moment.  Cynthia is magical, even though she looks half asleep.  Time for a hot shower!

Midnight

Time now is twelve and I am stuck with a movie review deadline.  I keep hitting the wrong buttons, typing in the wrong words.  I must persist.  There is a deadline to meet!

1.07am

I hit that publish button.  The review for Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is live!  Mass Effect will have to wait.  I submit my entry via electronic mail.  Now, I need my bed, bad.

Categories
Comedy Movie Reviews Romance

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen – Good Humor, With An Enlightening Spirit Within

I overheard in the radio one evening that Emily Blunt has rejected quite a few movie proposals lately including Captain America.  Yet she has decided to take on Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.  Emily is a great actress.  So I was curious.  Why salmon fishing?  When omy.sg offers two movie preview choices, subconsciously I picked this one.  I am happy that I did.

This movie begins with an unusual business proposal to set up salmon fishing in Yemen.  At the same time, there are some conflicts happening in the Middle East and the UK government is desperately looking for some good news to orchestrate.  When an government official played by Kristin Thomas catches wind of this rather bizarre business idea, she immediately lends her support on this matter.  It is funny that she cares not about the salmon, but the potential political gain.  Emily Blunt plays an investment consultant while Ewan McGregor plays a subject matter expert in fishing.  It is Harriet Chatwode-Talbot versus Dr. Jones.  I chuckled at the pronunciation of the names spoken so many times with a British accent throughout the movie.  The interaction between Emily and Ewan is light and playful.  Kristin as a supporting role is quite honestly a gem to this casting.  Such good actors, they are.  I smiled and chuckled.  The story does get a bit more serious towards the end.  All in all, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is full of humor and original ideas.  Great acting, with a witty script.  If British romance comedy is your cup of tea, this film is not to be missed.

On a more serious note, for those who are not familiar with the world map, Yemen is somewhere in the Middle East.  To create a fishing area in a desert area seems absurd.  Comparing fishing to religion also seems absurd (among many other things in the movie).  But with an open heart though, both activities require patience and faith, and a hope that something good may happen.  To think deeper, the storyteller tries to tell us that love comes from hope which requires patience and faith.  This movie transforms the simple act of fishing into something bigger, embracing lovers and a community alike.

If not for my blogger friend JoV, I would not have known that Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is originally written as a novel.  Do drop by her website and check out her book review.  She highly recommends the book.  I have this belief that when the story is good, the movie is often good too.  I have not read the book so I do not know how well this book is being adapted.  In the movie, the shifting in the relationship dynamic seems a bit abrupt to me.  I may need JoV to verify for me.  I suspect it is because the movie may not have the luxury of time in the development of a love story.  Other than that, the rest of the movie flows nicely, from beginning to end.