Saturday, 28 July 2018
A No-Maj Ponders Potter: The Deathly Hallows (part 1)
My godson is back for the penultimate post of his journey through the Harry Potter films! This time he brings us his review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 (2010)!
“If you thought that stuck up kid thinking he's the strongest magician of them all was already annoying, then get ready for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!
For those of you who, like myself, have been slightly annoyed by these films right from the start because they're based on a spoiled child who thinks he's better that everyone, maybe perhaps you shouldn't even look at this 2010 film since we're not even fifteen minutes into the movie and we already have nothing less than 6 Harry Potters. What happens is that, being a minor, Harry can be watched by the ministry and, to continue his journey fighting against Voldemort, it's necessary that his location isn't known. So 5 of his friends drink a potion that makes them look like him. This film not only causes a certain distress because of this multiplication of Potters but afterwards we still have to deal with the clones as each one retains its original voice tone. I didn't realize if the potion worked or if this is the worst disguise of the century, since if anyone has the idea of talking to them, the disguise is quickly figured out.
Suddenly, they all start to flee and I get even angrier because they disturb the lives of the poor people who don't go around casting spells. Someone is on the street minding their bussiness, living their life, and suddenly about fifteen witches street race past them. I had heard stories that there's always an uncle in the countryside who takes his nephew in the car or the tractor so he can see how good it is to drive and there are usually accidents. I just didn't expect this to happen to both Harry and Hagrid: drive the wrong way on a freeway with a side-car while competing with Voldemort's henchmen. At some point, Hagrid falls asleep while driving! Actually, if at the beginning of the saga someone asked me to take a guess on who'd drive on the wrong side of the street, I would place my bet on Dumbledore, given his advanced age and how elders are much more likely to have for this kind of "adventures". I didn't expect Harry Potter to be introduced to the world of illegal racing by a drunk and sleepy Hagrid, since he even looked like a nice giant.
At the end of the race I expected to see the pimped brooms and the losers paying their bets, maybe one or two punches from being sore losers, but all you see are all the Harry Potters going back to their original bodies at Ron's. We learn that the Mad-Eye was killed, no wonder. I wasn't too sad because the clones idea was his own. Ron, Harry and Hermione have to flee after an attack and go to London to infiltrate the ministry of magic disguised as officials. They manage to steal a Horcrux, a necklace from Professor Dolores, but they are discovered and have to flee to a forest where they practice shooting at the object to destroy the third fragment of Voldemort's soul. Since they are unsuccessful, Harry puts it around the neck to guard it, but he becomes extremely ill-disposed and cranky. I've had the same thing with wool sweaters because of the itching, there are clothes and accessories of very poor quality nowadays. They can annoy even the calmest person. We realized that Voldemort had saved up on his Horcruxes and probably went to Claire's to buy the necklace and the ring. Dumbledore had already complained about the poor quality of that pinchbeck and I even remember having a very annoying allergy in one of his hands.
The three friends walk out of the forest and it's not very clear where to, but as they show the tent where they live in different landscapes they also show a very serious Ron while the background music becomes more audible, this is the scenic sila for "he's up to something". And he was. At nightfall he fussed over Harry and got all pissed off, leaving the tent with a backpack. Fortunately, he returns soon after and he's the one who saves the Harry from drowning and who destroys the Horcrux with a beautiful sword swing! They all go to Luna's house, where they learn what the deathly hallows are and they get trapped, there is a battle and Dobby dies. He's killed by that witch who killed Sirius Black.
As always, here my opinion about certain characters:
Dumbledore: He was more useful dead in one movie than in four alive! Although Harry Potter expected a heirloom in cash and the Elder Wand, that pool ball will be much more useful and, together the objects the three friends received, will help finding the remaining Horcruxes!
Harry Potter: Although Harry is older and therefore less annoying than at the beginning of the series I still think one is enough.
Ron: I warned since the beginning that Ron needs to stop getting into Harry's problems and this time it seemed like he listened to me for a moment but then regretted it and went back.
The Good: They are always a step behind Voldemort, they didn't take advantage while he was in people's bald heads and now they're paying the price. While Voldemort was a fungus they might as well have sprayed someone's head with medicine for the lice or when he was a gecko someone should have stepped on him but now it's too late!
The Bad: Bellatrix is much more evil than Voldemort, if the hakehead doesn't start to pay attention the bad side may elect another CEO.
In conclusion: one of the best movies in the saga! It's very well structured and finally has a guiding line of action: the search and destruction of the Horcruxes. While some of the previous titles seemed to be guided by what the characters thought about doing, there is finally an action plan. Nice movie, yes sir.”
Don't miss the next review on the second part of the Deathly Hallows! If you haven't yet read the previous ones you can find them here:
“If you thought that stuck up kid thinking he's the strongest magician of them all was already annoying, then get ready for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!
For those of you who, like myself, have been slightly annoyed by these films right from the start because they're based on a spoiled child who thinks he's better that everyone, maybe perhaps you shouldn't even look at this 2010 film since we're not even fifteen minutes into the movie and we already have nothing less than 6 Harry Potters. What happens is that, being a minor, Harry can be watched by the ministry and, to continue his journey fighting against Voldemort, it's necessary that his location isn't known. So 5 of his friends drink a potion that makes them look like him. This film not only causes a certain distress because of this multiplication of Potters but afterwards we still have to deal with the clones as each one retains its original voice tone. I didn't realize if the potion worked or if this is the worst disguise of the century, since if anyone has the idea of talking to them, the disguise is quickly figured out.
Suddenly, they all start to flee and I get even angrier because they disturb the lives of the poor people who don't go around casting spells. Someone is on the street minding their bussiness, living their life, and suddenly about fifteen witches street race past them. I had heard stories that there's always an uncle in the countryside who takes his nephew in the car or the tractor so he can see how good it is to drive and there are usually accidents. I just didn't expect this to happen to both Harry and Hagrid: drive the wrong way on a freeway with a side-car while competing with Voldemort's henchmen. At some point, Hagrid falls asleep while driving! Actually, if at the beginning of the saga someone asked me to take a guess on who'd drive on the wrong side of the street, I would place my bet on Dumbledore, given his advanced age and how elders are much more likely to have for this kind of "adventures". I didn't expect Harry Potter to be introduced to the world of illegal racing by a drunk and sleepy Hagrid, since he even looked like a nice giant.
At the end of the race I expected to see the pimped brooms and the losers paying their bets, maybe one or two punches from being sore losers, but all you see are all the Harry Potters going back to their original bodies at Ron's. We learn that the Mad-Eye was killed, no wonder. I wasn't too sad because the clones idea was his own. Ron, Harry and Hermione have to flee after an attack and go to London to infiltrate the ministry of magic disguised as officials. They manage to steal a Horcrux, a necklace from Professor Dolores, but they are discovered and have to flee to a forest where they practice shooting at the object to destroy the third fragment of Voldemort's soul. Since they are unsuccessful, Harry puts it around the neck to guard it, but he becomes extremely ill-disposed and cranky. I've had the same thing with wool sweaters because of the itching, there are clothes and accessories of very poor quality nowadays. They can annoy even the calmest person. We realized that Voldemort had saved up on his Horcruxes and probably went to Claire's to buy the necklace and the ring. Dumbledore had already complained about the poor quality of that pinchbeck and I even remember having a very annoying allergy in one of his hands.
The three friends walk out of the forest and it's not very clear where to, but as they show the tent where they live in different landscapes they also show a very serious Ron while the background music becomes more audible, this is the scenic sila for "he's up to something". And he was. At nightfall he fussed over Harry and got all pissed off, leaving the tent with a backpack. Fortunately, he returns soon after and he's the one who saves the Harry from drowning and who destroys the Horcrux with a beautiful sword swing! They all go to Luna's house, where they learn what the deathly hallows are and they get trapped, there is a battle and Dobby dies. He's killed by that witch who killed Sirius Black.
As always, here my opinion about certain characters:
Dumbledore: He was more useful dead in one movie than in four alive! Although Harry Potter expected a heirloom in cash and the Elder Wand, that pool ball will be much more useful and, together the objects the three friends received, will help finding the remaining Horcruxes!
Harry Potter: Although Harry is older and therefore less annoying than at the beginning of the series I still think one is enough.
Ron: I warned since the beginning that Ron needs to stop getting into Harry's problems and this time it seemed like he listened to me for a moment but then regretted it and went back.
The Good: They are always a step behind Voldemort, they didn't take advantage while he was in people's bald heads and now they're paying the price. While Voldemort was a fungus they might as well have sprayed someone's head with medicine for the lice or when he was a gecko someone should have stepped on him but now it's too late!
The Bad: Bellatrix is much more evil than Voldemort, if the hakehead doesn't start to pay attention the bad side may elect another CEO.
In conclusion: one of the best movies in the saga! It's very well structured and finally has a guiding line of action: the search and destruction of the Horcruxes. While some of the previous titles seemed to be guided by what the characters thought about doing, there is finally an action plan. Nice movie, yes sir.”
Don't miss the next review on the second part of the Deathly Hallows! If you haven't yet read the previous ones you can find them here:
- A No-Maj Ponders Potter: The Philosopher's Stone
- A No-Maj Ponders Potter: The Chamber Of Secrets
- A No-Maj Ponders Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban
- A No-Maj Ponders Potter: The Goblet of Fire
- A No-Maj Ponders Potter: The Order of the Phoenix
- A No-Maj Ponders Potter: The Half-Blood Prince
Sunday, 15 July 2018
20 Struggles of Wearing Glasses
Some might think of glasses as a fashion statement but those lucky people are blessed to forget some people actually need glasses to see the world around them. This past week I was looking at some Instagram stories and got to one of Sónia's about how naïve people with little to no diopters, a fancy way of measuring someone's blindness level, are. So that got me inspired. As someone who has been wearing glasses for almost 20 years (which is about 70% of my entire life) I feel highly qualified to bring forward the problems of having to wear glasses. In all honesty, this post is also a way for me to vent.
I was destined to have myopia and my childhood was molded by it. I didn't wear contact lenses until almost adulthood and back in early 2000's, when I started wearing them, wearing glasses wasn't in at all. Actually, I would love it if someone could explain to me how not being able to see properly got into fashion. I get the sunglasses part, don't get me wrong. But why, why would you wear glasses with no lens graduation if you don't actually need them? When did being blind become the new in?
So without further ado, let me just enumerate a few problems common to everyone who has over 5 diopters and clearly everyone else doesn't have to deal with:
1 - You won't be able to see anything when you wake up in the morning and thus
2 - It's super important to you to have your glasses within an arm's reach of your bed (what if some emergency happens and you need to quickly leave the bed?).
3 - You won't be able to see anything while taking a shower.
4 - When you don't have your glasses on, you can't distinguish anyone because every face is nothing but a blur.
5 - Which makes going to the beach a very complicated activity (if you don't have any contacts).
6 - Or any swimming activity.
7 - When it rains they get wet and you can't see properly.
8 - They will steam up in surprising and unplanned placed and you won't be able to see .
9 - You need to clean them regularly (and you need to be wearing certain types of fiber to be able to do it properly).
10 - They leave nose imprints.
11 - Changing clothes with them on is a challenge.
12 - When people try your glasses and get amazed by how blind you are.
13 - When they fall off your face.
14 - You can't lie down with them on without squishing and/or
15 - Breaking them.
16 - They are so expensive.
17 - Again, why do we have to pay so much money to be able to see?
18 - After a certain point, the lenses become so thick it's ridiculous.
19 - They also start making your eyes look weird when you have the glasses on.
20 - When you have to get new glasses but you can't see how you look because you don't have your glasses on.
This is our struggle (and I could keep going), so again, why did the fashion industry thought being blind is the new in?
I was destined to have myopia and my childhood was molded by it. I didn't wear contact lenses until almost adulthood and back in early 2000's, when I started wearing them, wearing glasses wasn't in at all. Actually, I would love it if someone could explain to me how not being able to see properly got into fashion. I get the sunglasses part, don't get me wrong. But why, why would you wear glasses with no lens graduation if you don't actually need them? When did being blind become the new in?
So without further ado, let me just enumerate a few problems common to everyone who has over 5 diopters and clearly everyone else doesn't have to deal with:
1 - You won't be able to see anything when you wake up in the morning and thus
2 - It's super important to you to have your glasses within an arm's reach of your bed (what if some emergency happens and you need to quickly leave the bed?).
3 - You won't be able to see anything while taking a shower.
4 - When you don't have your glasses on, you can't distinguish anyone because every face is nothing but a blur.
5 - Which makes going to the beach a very complicated activity (if you don't have any contacts).
6 - Or any swimming activity.
7 - When it rains they get wet and you can't see properly.
8 - They will steam up in surprising and unplanned placed and you won't be able to see .
9 - You need to clean them regularly (and you need to be wearing certain types of fiber to be able to do it properly).
10 - They leave nose imprints.
11 - Changing clothes with them on is a challenge.
12 - When people try your glasses and get amazed by how blind you are.
13 - When they fall off your face.
14 - You can't lie down with them on without squishing and/or
15 - Breaking them.
16 - They are so expensive.
17 - Again, why do we have to pay so much money to be able to see?
18 - After a certain point, the lenses become so thick it's ridiculous.
19 - They also start making your eyes look weird when you have the glasses on.
20 - When you have to get new glasses but you can't see how you look because you don't have your glasses on.
This is our struggle (and I could keep going), so again, why did the fashion industry thought being blind is the new in?
Sunday, 1 July 2018
Trip to Belgium & The Netherlands (Part 2: Or the Land of the Windmills)
Today I bring you part 2 of my trip to Belgium and The Netherlands, all about the land of the windmills! You can check out, if you haven't before, the first half of our journey in part 1: the land of the waffles where I talk about what we visited while in Belgium.
So I left the first part when we were in Antwerp and that's where we caught the train to Amsterdam. We were counting on being able to buy our tickets using the machines in Antwerpen-Centraal but apparently those self-service machines only sell national train tickets so we ended up having to wait in a long line for international trains and spent around 70€ for the two of us. The journey was around two hours and when we arrived in Amsterdam Centraal we walked all the way until the Nova Hotel, where we checked in. The whole hotel staff is very friendly and helpfull and it they serve a good breakfast with plenty of offer. There's a supermarket (Albert Heijn) a few meters away where we bought our dinners and a pharmacy in the back street. Our first impression is of how many people were in the streets, that avenue was absolutely crowded.
From the hotel we walked to the Dam Square where we saw the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and the National Monument. From there we walked to the New Church (De Nieuwe Kerk), the Old Church (De Oude Kerk) and the Church of Saint Nicholas (Sint-Nicolaaskerk). We then walked back to the hotel through the Red Light District and that's completely different from any other reality and totally normal for the citizens living in that district.
On our second day in Amsterdam we woke up early because we had our visit to Anne Frank's House scheduled for 9h, which is the first spot in their timetable. You have to buy your tickets online two months ahead and while you have a time to get inside the museum you don't have a specific time to get out so I believe the best time to see it properly is the first time in the morning where there aren't a lot of people inside. I had reread Anne Frank's Diary to prepare myself for this visit but I was honestly a bit disappointed since it doesn't have any furniture (Otto Frank's decision) and for someone who has the diary very fresh in her head, the visit in the house doens't add a lot of information. It is, however, interesting to see how they lived. The last part of the visit shows us a few testimonials from people who knew Anne and her family, their destiny after being found and some pages from her diary. After the visit, we looked at Westerkerk and walked towards the Van Gogh Museum (where we didn't go because of how expensive it is) and the I Amsterdam Sign, which was absolutely packed with people and is pretty much impossible to take a picture without having someone next to you (I didn't even try). From there, we went to the Magere Brug, the Bridge of 15 Bridges (where Reguliersgracht meets Herengracht) and the pretty Bloemenmarkt where we bought tulip seeds as souvenirs.
We spent the third day in the Netherlands roaming outside Amsterdam by train. The tickets are not very expensive but you have to pay an extra fee for the ticket (I didn't quite understand what that fee was all about, only that I had to pay it), which makes them 1€ more expensive and you have the option to pay with card only (and, in some of the machines with coins and they don't give you change). We went north first and got out in Haarlem (20 minutes journey) where we visited the Town Hall, the Grote Markt, the St. Bavo Church and the Molen De Adriaan, a pretty 18th-century riverside windmill. From the station, we headed towards Utretch, which is about 45 minutes away by train, and is a very picturesque little town. We visited the Dom Tower (Domtoren), and St Martin's Cathedral (Domkerk) and roamed around for a while. Even though we ended up not going there, I recommend Zaanse Schans in Zaadam and if you go around March/April, the Keukenhof in Lisse where you can see multicolored Dutch spring flowers (it was unfortunately closed by the time we got to the Netherlands, so do check their schedule before booking the trip).
We spent the morning before departing to the airport in a boat tour through the canals of Amsterdam. We bought our ticket in the hotel, where we got a nice discount, and caught the boat in Prinsengracht, near Anne Frank's House. They had an audio tour so it makes it a nice way to get to know the city, learn a bit about its history and take pretty photos. Once again, our flight to Lisbon was delayed by over one hour so we ended exactly as we started the trip.
Overall, despite being a very pretty city, we were surprised by the amount of bicycles we saw in Amsterdam (even though we knew well ahead how they bike everywhere) and how dirty the canals were. People in Amsterdam must be very used to the type of rain that doesn't really make them wet because it was a constant while we were there and they didn't even bother using the umbrella. Our debit card didn't work on the supermarket but it worked when withdrawing cash in the ATMs so we're not exactly sure what happened with it - I would be cautious anyway and bring extra money just in case. Also, let me just add how pretty most tourists goes there to freely smoke weed and it gets annoying having to deal with the smell (it got stuck in my hair for days). As always, the pictures here are just a small sample so if you're curious about the places I've mentioned you can check my instagram.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
