The Bodhi leaf

As I have mentioned in my previous post, I had spent two and a half months at camp since the beginning of this year. During one of my Buddhist learning sessions in the camp, I got this Bodhi leaf that has a unique feature from my Buddhist teacher. I thought of sharing these photos that I took of the Bodhi leaf with you.

You might think it's a handmade leaf, but even making the leaf seems impossible, don't you think?

This Bodhi leaf was naturally picked from its tree. According to my teacher, she immersed the leaf into water for a few weeks, until the lamina fell off. She then used a toothbrush to brush the leaf carefully, as it will tear off easily. As you can see, it's very delicate and fragile, but unique and can be used in any way, such as a bookmark or for decoration.

What happened?

Wow, it's been a long time since I write in here. I'm sorry for doing so as I was trapped in camp for the past two and a half months, getting busy with training and roll calls. Thank god it finally ended. But I'm not going to waste my time talking about this, I'm going to update you and this blog with the latest movie that I just watched - The Hunger Games.

I went to watch that movie yesterday. It was good. Super-thrilling and exciting. My friend introduced me to this movie at first, and I thought I might find it interesting.

The film at first features the life of a family and the people that live in poverty. Then there comes the selection of two representatives from each district in Panem that will take part in the Hunger Games. The following are the parts in the film that I find intriguing:

one - Katniss replaced her younger sister, Primrose, in taking part in the Hunger Games. I guess that's what every elder sister would have done for their younger sisters. I shall respect Katniss for that.

two - So everyone thought Peeta Mellark was weak and that he won't survive in the game, and the other competitors look at him as if he was the prey. But their impression towards him changed as soon as they witnessed him lifting the heavy weight and threw it without any obstruction, to everybody's surprise.

three - Katniss shot an arrow at Seneca Crane's apple just to get the judges' attention, as she was pissed that they were not paying attention when she was taking the test. Again, kudos to Katniss!

four - The competitors killed each other, fighting; men were killing women with the most cruel methods just to obtain the weapons and surviving kits, in order to defend themselves so they can remain alive. Similarly, people nowadays betray and cheat one another, without shame, just for money and their own benefits.

and five - Rue was Katniss' alliance, and they have developed a closer relationship after some time, as if they are no longer enemies to each other but a pair of biological sisters. Rue was then killed by Marvel, and her death strongly affected Katniss.

The Hunger Games are like those reality competition that broadcasted in televisions (like The Amazing Race, Wipeout, The American Idol etc.). But the difference is that the lives of the competitors that participated in the Hunger Games are not spared and they were not shown mercy by the creator of the game. Instead, they are to fight among themselves, kill if they have to, until the very end. Consequently, they are either dead or alive.

Thirteen Reasons Why

"Out of sight

Out of mind

Out of time

To decide

Do we run?

Should I hide?

For the rest

Of my life

Can we fly?

Do I stay?

We could lose

We could fail

In the moment

It takes

To make plans

Or mistakes..."

-30 Minutes, by t.A.T.u

So thank you, Justin. Sincerely. My very first kiss was wonderful. And for the month or so that we lasted, and everywhere that we went, the kisses were wonderful. You were wonderful.

Thirteen Reasons Why are one of the very few novels that I truly enjoy reading. At times I even took the initiative to reread the whole story just for a better understanding of what exactly had happened to the main character, Hannah Baker. If you read the novel, you will find her explaining how thirteen events affected her life in different ways, eventually causing her to make the ultimate decision to kill herself. Betrayal, vengeance and ignorance are some of the factors.

So basically, the novel is trying to let the readers know and understand that one should think before taking an action, whether you're doing it on yourself or someone. Because what you did affects the others, just like what Hannah said in the novel.

Photos credits to Ólafur Kolbeinn, Mikko Lagerstedt and Julie V. These are some of the beautiful pictures that I came across while I was searching for photos at flickr to update my gallery. I think these pictures fit nicely with the novel, don't you think?