Kung Fu Panda

I watched the animated movie “Kung Fu Panda 2” the other night and really like it. In the first movie, panda Po was accidentally chosen as the Dragon Warrior to fulfill an ancient prophecy. He joined his idols, the legendary Furious Five – Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monke; under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu; to fight against the vengeful snow leopard Tai Lung.

In this second movie, Po’s new life is threatened by the emergence of a formidable peacock villain, Shen, who plans to use an unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. Po must look to his past and unlock the strength he needs to defeat Shen.

Other than the funny characters, interesting story line, well designed action scenes and top class animation, some of the dialogues are full of humor and modern philosophy. Below are some memorable quotes from the movies.

Master Oogway: Your mind is like the water. When it is agitated it becomes difficult to see, but when you let it settle, the answer becomes clear.

Master Oogway: You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There’s a saying: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”

Tai Lung: You can’t defeat me! You … you’re just a big … fat … panda!
Po: I’m not a big fat panda. I’m THE big fat panda.

Master Oogway: One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.

Tai Lung: Finally … oh, yes … at last, the power of the Dragon Scroll shall be mine!
 [He opens the scroll - and stares at it]
Tai Lung: It’s … it’s nothing!
Po: It’s okay. I didn’t get it the first time either.
Tai Lung: What?
Po: There is no secret ingredient. It’s just you.

Po: How can kung fu stop something that stops kung fu?
Master Shifu: Remember, Dragon Warrior, anything is possible when you have inner peace.

The Soothsayer: Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are, it is the rest of your story, who you choose to be.

Po: Nothing’s unstoppable except for me when I’m stopping you from telling me something’s unstoppable!

Po: I just found out that my dad, might not really be my dad.
Tigress: Your dad, the goose?
[Po nods]

Shen: How did you find peace? I took away your parents, everything, I scarred you for life …
Po: See that’s the thing, Shen, scars heal.
Shen: No they don’t … “wounds” heal.
Po: Oh, yeah … what do scars do? They fade, I guess.
Shen: I don’t care what scars do!
Po: You should, Shen. You got to let go of the stuff from past – because it just doesn’t matter! The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now.

 

Today is a Present

In the movie “Seven Pounds”, a girl who might die at any time due to her possible sudden heart failure was in love with a guy. One night, they played a “what if” game. The girl said, “What if I get a donor for my heart? What if the heart works and my body doesn’t reject it? What if I have more time to live?”

The guy answered after a pause, “What if we got married? What if we have children? What if we grow old together?”

And they hugged. The girl finally got a donor, had the heart transplant and survived. The donor – the guy she was dating.

Everyone can play this “what if” game to their life.

What if I studied harder and got a better exam result?
What if I took another course in the University?
What if I accepted the other job offer?
What if I got the courage to ask her out on Valentine Day?
What if I met her before she met him?
What if I cared about them more?
What if I had been more patient and avoided that argument?
What if I saved up more money than spent them without thinking?

The list goes on and on. It’s interesting how the choices we made and our actions can change the path of our life. However, there are no parallel universes (hopefully you are not a quantum physician) and we cannot go back in time to make all the right decisions and result all the appropriate outcomes. We always like to look back at the past – our golden youth and sweet memories, and also all the chances that slipped through our fingers in those years.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that’s why it is called the “present”. Misery is optional, success is possible. The choice is up to you. Hug the ones you love, learn and do what you like, give up your bad habits, live your desired lifestyle. When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness. I like the quote from Dan Brown – “If not me – then who? If not now – then when? If not this way – then how?” Put the past behind, put the future into proper perspective, and live each day as if it might be your last, for one day it will be. So, pursue your passions and make the right choices now. Make your life matter!

How Much Can You Love?

After married for more than 50 years, my parents keep arguing every day. It seems like just the voice from one of them can simply lead to a heated argument. I wonder they may divorce one day in their seventies. Looking at them, marriage is like a process that turns a person that you once loved most to the one you eventually hate most. People would think marriage can last for a life time before, now people wonder how long their marriages can last. New definition about relationship such as one-night stand and speed dating are surfaced. How much can you love another person? How long can you share your life with your other half without feeling bored?

True love may only be found in movies and dramas nowadays. For example, even Jack knew that there was no arrangement for him to get off the Titanic, he still persuaded Rose to board the lifeboat. They looked at each other when Rose’s lifeboat was lowered down to the sea. Rose then realized that she could not leave Jack and jumped back onto the lower deck and reunited with him.

In the “Twilight” movies, Bella did not want to grow old while her vampire boyfriend Edward stopped aging at 17. Oddly enough, she asked Edward to transform her to a vampire. However, Edward did not want her to sacrifice her life for him and suppressed the temptation to suck her blood. Realizing the danger that he and his family posed to Bella, Edward ended their relationship and left with his family.

And in the Japanese drama “Proposal Daisakusen”, Ken was stuck in the situation to provide a speech in the wedding as the best friend of the bride Rei, who he loved for a long time. However, Rei was going to marry someone else. After a formal start, Ken could not control his emotion and confessed his love to Rei. Below is part of his touching speech.

“For 14 years, during happy times, difficult times, times of suffering, the one who always spent time with Rei, the one who would be able to make her happy, I seriously thought that I am the only one who could do that. The one who knows her best is me.

But in the end, these are just thoughts inside my heart, because not once have I been able to become honest about it in front of her. Though I always have been near her, the words I thought I would say someday, I haven’t been able to say it after all.

That one thing … never did I say it. I … I … was in love with Rei. Honestly, if I say so, even now, I am still in love with Rei … But, she is getting married to someone today. Though it’s excruciating for me, she will get married. Because her place in my heart is so vast, the struggle for me to arrive at these words has taken an extreme amount of time.

Rei. Congratulations on your wedding. Please be happy. If you don’t … I really won’t forgive you.”

Even if it hurts and the ending is not perfect, you have to let the one you love be happy.