Yeah a 3rd blog entry in one day (after many months of silence)!
Anyway I had a French couch surfer girl coming here recently (Thanks Dan) (I’m French too, that helps). Anyway she took pictures of me surfing, so here we go, the proof I can do it!

Another pic, but not on the sea…

And a pic of Isabelle herself!

yeah the sea was pretty rough this day…

I have this health problem which I self-labeled as an allergy to car pollution as no one else was able to diagnose. Don’t know if it is really an allergy (I.e. an ill placed over reaction of the immune system over harmless compound found in the body) but it is caused by an external agent (in car pollution) and is wasting my life.

Anyway I was at the shopping center of my little village and feeling unwell. Granted there is a big parking with many car in my shopping center, but god I live in this little village, will I ever be safe? Worst it has steadily and slowly worsen over the last 17 years, and I was suddenly wondering if it will keep worsening or will finally improve now that I’m in a … better environment?

The same night I Googled a bit and found out that it is often the case that allergy worsen over time. I mean I don’t know if it’s a general rule or not, but from Google’s result it is at least obvious it happens often enough. From an other query it seems less common, although it still seems to happen, that allergy disappear.

Anyway while reading some fellow sufferer’s post, I found out someone speaking of desensitization. I remember reading about it in New Scientist, hence I thought it was still years away from the general public. But it seems not. Full of renewed hope I contacted 2 Allergy clinics, one in Brisbane and one in Coffs Harbour! Well it’s only Sunday and I contacted them Friday night, but I want to hope they could help me! Time will tell!

On a unrelated topic, as I was Googling, I stumbled upon this web site http://www.skeptics.com.au/, in fact I found this page about “the liver cleansing diet”: http://www.skeptics.com.au/articles/liver.htm. I found it an interesting reading. That reminds me about my theory about many alternative medicine (not all mind you, just most): I think they are placebo. Unfortunately for me, it is already clear enough (from my many past experimentation) that placebo is not working for me!

I have also a more daring “theory” (although I have no medical background and no facts to supports it, it’s just a conjecture, so don’t hold me on it), I have read that immune system is influenced by mood. Good mood will makes it stronger and conversely. I suspect Placebo is similar, belief that you will get better gives you inner strength and give your immune system strength as well. From that disease where immune system erroneously attack thing it shouldn’t (such as allergies for example) could even worst because of it I reckon! How about that?

For some reason, lately, I have been watching heaps of movies!

First, I will go directly to heart of the matter, and recommend a bunch of my latest favorites: “Travelers and Magicians”, “War Inc.” and “Gran Torino”.

Travelers and Magicians is a Bhutanese low-cost (could it have been otherwise from Bhutan?!) story in today’s Bhutan. It has a very nice atmosphere of mystery to it (That’s from the Magician part, I suppose) and very nice landscape and views.

War Inc. is a no brainer comedy, a very funny and light hearted satire of American politics. Set in some close future where private corporations rule the modern world, an assassin (John Cusack) is hired to kill the president of “Turaqistan” that the corporation Tamerline has just “liberated” in the 1st ever entirely privately funded war! In his cover as a show producer he is also organizing the marriage of some local pop star (Hilary Duff).

In Gran Torino a grumpy old guy (Clint Eastwood) who just lost his wife and his secretly haunted by some Korean war deed live a lonely life in a cheap neighborhood, estranged that he is with his remaining family. A chain of event will reluctantly bring him closer to his Hmong neighbors who see him as a sort of hero when he accidentally saved them from some local gangs.

Ho, I almost forgot “Slumdog Millionaire”, it could be described as a modern fairy tale happening in today’s Mumbai where we follow the life of a very poor kid from when a grew up (during a miserable childhood, yet one full of adventures, surprises and experiences) to the end where he win 1 million at a famous TV Show. Although it all happens during the show and the past comes as a recollection. There is more to it though, but I won’t disclose everything! (Plus now I know about my friend Abhi’s childhood! Muhahaha…)

Also, one of my favorite of the time, although it is a few years old already: “V for Vendetta”. Another political satire set up in some totalitarian future England. Where a “terrorist” fight for freedom of speech and to avenge some terrible and secret past misdeed done by the government.

One sentence from it would nicely lead to my second part. Eve’s dad (Eve is the Heroine of the movie) used to say that “Comedians used lies to tell the truth while politicians used lies to cover up the truth”.

Anyway it is a well known fact that story and movie helps spread role model and have an important impact on young adults behavior and expectation. Hence it always sadden me that American movies (Which have the bigger reach) usual depict shallow stupid girl and Yankee style alpha male thoughtlessly crushing anonymous side kick all of it slightly justified with some superficial black and white 2 cents moral values and philosophy.

A typical example of this over the counter 2 cents philosophy is … mm… if I may dare say “Star Wars”. Ho I love the special effects, the light sabers fights, the space ships, the Aliens, even the Jedi order have some romantic appeal. But to pretend it’s good against evil, righteousness against villainy, anger against peace, and the 2 cents moral values which comes with it… well maybe that is true… But I think it’s a misguiding philosophy, and it spoils lots of my fun and sadden me to see some people finding “valuable” moral values in that. It reminds me of things I despise, such as (if I dare be controversial once again) Nationalism and Religion.

However, what I was getting at is… I think American movies is maturing. It’s not alpha male any more. For example I love Brendon Fraser’s adventures movies. And undoubtedly he is the good guy and the hero in Mummy 1, 2, 3. Yet he is human, he makes mistake and sometimes situation makes fun of him.

Mhh.. I fear I am not very clear nor convincing. Doesn’t matter. All I wanted to say is I feel the American values, as spread out through its books and movies, are evolving toward a more nuanced, compromising, understanding, realistic view of the world. And that pleases me.

As a conclusion, far from the movie topic I started with, I want to say I hate “principles”, I love this anonymous quote about men of principle, that “Hitler was a man of principles too”. And I think compromise is a much greater and appropriate value.