In Good Company

So, the last two weeks I was with my parents, and still with work. Just happened to be a bad time to take a leave, so I sneaked in some off time here and there. Worst was when I went to pick up my eldest sister from Batam, a day before the Hari Raya holiday. Thought it'd take the whole morning so I'd still be able to "show face" in the afternoon; it took me a full day instead. The queues! The traffic of Indonesians crossing over to Singapore for the week-long vacation was stunning. The immigration officers actually let me on the express lane, me being a pass holder, together with my sis, who's actually not. That saved us probably another two waiting/starving hours. I was so happy given the priority that when I related it to Yesie, she said, "Made you love Singapore [more than our homecountry] now?" =D

When I go home for holidays, it isn't hard to settle into the routines my mom had set up for years (daily laundry + home cooking + cleaning and other stuff moms do). Here living on my own, I've of course developed lazy habits (at best weekly laundry + home cooking + cleaning and other sloppy stuff moms don't quite approve). So during the period, having a real family in the single-living space kinda threw my balance off a little.

Nevertheless, it was a happy affair. =) Though there were times I felt quite guilty for being a horrible guide, given my horrible sense of direction. My father found the way around much better than me. But you see he gave his sense of direction to my eldest sis, and I got his book and music obsession instead. And my mother gave her sense of fashion to my second eldest sis, so she doesn't expect me to be of much help with the shoppings either. *excuses* But when I was contemplating this inside a store in Bugis, the shop happened to start playing Christina Aguilera's Beautiful, and then I felt much better. ;P Gotta love that song.

Now my parents are back home, and I'm back to my usual routines. Karaoke to start off. =D The Chinese horoscope my parents read said that our types tend to spend our money on hobbies; true enough it seems. ^^0

Then, I've wanted to watch The Prestige, but Eka wasn't interested, and my other friends who were interested had already watched it while my parents were here. This movie isn't really one I felt *really* compelled to watch, compared to say Dragon Tiger Gate or Death Note, for which I wouldn't mind going by myself if nobody else liked them. But yesterday I suddenly got the impulse, so I just went for it. =)

The last time I did this was for the Japanese film Nobody Knows (Dare mo Shiranai) two years ago. It was also the first time I went to a movie alone. Similar circumstances. At that time, I was much more of a single-fighter than I am now -- don't really remember, but I think I wasn't seeing Eka as often back then, and I hadn't joined my current badminton group. As Eka told me, she had thought I was so much of an independent girl in university; so she figured it wasn't such a big deal watching movies by oneself, and she started to do just that -- before we started being movie buddies, that is. In truth, I'd been going for a lot of things alone (classes/meals/shopping), but up until Dare mo Shiranai, movies were one thing I never went alone. A bit ironic, ya?

So I suppose my decision to go watch The Prestige alone was more to test out if I can still be as independent as I used to, when I need to be. After all, company is a blessing but getting dependent is a little scary. (Yeah, I'm individualistic like that.) Also I wanted to know how pathetic it really felt, actually -- that should just be our perception, shouldn't it? *convinces self*

As it turned out, patheticalness was not the issue so much as the genre. I might be fine watching movies alone, but perhaps not movies like The Prestige. I need the outlet. =P And it wasn't a good idea to watch it on the 9.30pm show either, but that was the best option I could get this late after the opening.

The movie was very good in its intrigues. Very dark and haunting. The violent scenes were not so much graphic as strongly suggestive, which just made them freakier. I was covering my mouth almost all the time. It didn't help that before the movie I was flipping through a book on "1001 Movies You Should Watch Before You Die" (something like that) that featured classic thrillers like Frankenstein and Dracula and even had a scene capture of *PG alert* someone's eyeball being sliced alive. XS

Anyway, I made it through, though I closed my eyes at the last scene for the absurd fear that Hugh Jackman's pale face would do something to frighten me. It wasn't like this was a horror or even something close like The Omen... Still, I navigated shakily through Great World City's rather confusing corridors (okay, that's just me) to find an exit that was still open (it was near midnight) and eyed random shadows warily until this morning -- but all in all it really was worth watching. =)

And to close off, one of my favourite songs that inspired the title. Maybe, one's best company is really oneself? Hm. =)

I love the best of you
You love the best of me
Though it's not always easy
Lovely? Lonely?

We will walk in good company

-- "The Valley", k.d. lang (Jane Siberry cover)