Values....

Watched : Memoirs of a Geisha
Directed : Rob Marshall
Cast : Zhang Ziyi, Datuk Michelle Yeoh, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe



Some people claim to have values and principles that bring them through life. Some don't.
Where do we claim these values as ours and what shapes our lives?

*Think think think*

I watched Memoirs of A Geisha today with Radika. There was where the whole issue of values came to mind. I'll talk a little bit about the movie, so, if you have not watched the movie yet and do not want me to spoil the movie for you, don't read ahead. But, I'll try my least to not spoil it for you yet be able to express how I feel.

I guess, the world of a geisha is not a good world in itself right? If there can be a seperate world that is.

The emphasis on beauty, on being flamboyant, on being self-dependent....The de-emphasis on the worth of our body. I was rather disturbed by it all. Talk about values eh?

The whole idea about being someone to attract the person whom you love and the extend one would go to achieve that. The idea of selling yourself to the person whom you love (your body that is). The whole idea of being self-dependent, that if you depend on others, you'll not get what you want. In the last scene, you'd see that when you are so determine to get what you want and in doing that, you do not bother about how the other party feels. In the end, you owe that person a super big apology but no amount of sorries can help because she's gone through so much pain and hurt - all because you were selfish! Yes, she gets what she wants but I question how much she'd really enjoy the love he can give her because of the hurt he's brought upon her.

Then, there's also issues about forgiveness and about holding grudges... I was reading a chapter in Waking the Dead, and it says it's a choice to be angry, a choice to forgive...I agree. I know sometimes (or rather, most of the time) we don't see it as our choice. But, it is! Example, I was rather angry, disappointed and sad over the incident that happened a few days ago (concerning miffy). The idea of getting angry with Julia came as an option to me. But, I reasoned and said, "No, I shall not be angry with Julia" (because of various reasons). So, I made a choice! Then, there's this bigger temptation to get all angry with all the guys in the van (who went ahead to see miffy off). This was more difficult to fight, but in the end, I said "No, I shall not be angry with them" It's all a choice! I struggled with it for a while but in the end, I said "No more being angry with them" and I took a different turn. I started to look at why did God allow this to happen. It had very different outcomes. I started to see what God wanted to teach me through this experience. I started to see if there's anything in me that God wanted to correct. I started to see the lessons. It's a choice!

The same way you make a choice whether to follow God or not. In making the first choice to follow God, subsequently there will be other choices to make. It sometimes boils down to whether we are conscious about the choices we make and whether we make those choices deliberately or not.

Another thing about the movie that struck me was the portray of beauty and the worthlessness of the body. It's so easy to want to be beautiful. I've always been against wanting to be beautiful. That's why sometimes people can make remarks about me not bothering about wanting to be beautiful. Atrocious right? I think I've learnt recently about the okay-ness of wanting to be beautiful. It's who God made us to be. But most of the time we want to be beautiful for specific reasons and these reasons are important in determining the okay-ness of wanting to be beautiful. The Geisha wanted to be beautiful to be part of his world. So, what if we are born ugly? Would we never be accepted in anyone's life? Quite pathetic eh!

In wanting to be part of his world, the geisha gave up the value of her own body. How sad!! To give up your body, whether as an art or not, is not OKAY! It is not good. It is not how we should treat our bodies! And I'm so scared when teenagers watch this movie and then they get all this bad values in their head (worse still, in their hearts). We all know how society is getting more and more liberated - even in our morality! and this would definitely be a source of encouragement for ladies out there to be more liberal about their bodies and for men to be more liberal about sex (even purity of marriages). Oh no.....

Maybe I'm looking too much into the movie. *sigh*

God, may you protect our hearts.....