My Oxford Year Movie: When the present is all you have

The Netflix movie My Oxford year is about an ambitious American woman who got a scholarship in Oxford.  She had all it planned - with her notebook where her bucket list was written.  She even wanted to have a political career back home.   But life has different plans for her.  

My favorite quotes:

1. Just because something is fleeting, it is not meaningful.

2.  Every moment is an opportunity to learn, to grow, to change, and to make a difference.

3.  Sometimes the hardest lessons in life are the ones that bring the most growth.

4.  Life is not about avoiding pain.  It's about finding the things worth hurting for.

5. You can love someone and still let them go, if it means they'll fly higher.

This movie is not just a rom-com, it's about living life to the full, the courage to change your plans and get out of your comfort zone, and the bittersweet truth that some pages of your life is short BUT unforgettable.

Warning:  Tissue is needed when watching this movie.

Straw 2025 Movie

 

The movie Straw which was shown this year, 2025, is all about the struggle of a single parent.   A mother who underwent different struggles one after the other that led her last "straw" to break.  The movie shows resilience in a world that is too indifferent.

Here are five (5) lessons we can take away from this movie:

1. Silent struggles.  Burdens are not always visible.  Some people are just carrying their struggle silently.  Straw reminds us to be kind to everyone because we may never know what someone is going through.

2.  Unjust system.  Let's not turn blind eyes to those who have been treated unfairly by the system - advocating fairness and supporting those in need.

3. A mother's love.  This is the fuel that motivates a mother to do the impossible.  As they say, "only a mother can do".

4. Whatever you do or say, you will still be judged by society.  Anything we do could be judged harshly by society without first seeing the nig picture.  The movie challenges us to think before judging immediately.

5.  Resilience to overcome.  Surviving is overcoming all our struggles in life.  It is not avoiding hardships.  It is finding strength to overcome.

Straw is not just a movie.  It is a mirror of reality.  It shows everyone is struggling, so be always kind.  What's your view about this movie/.  Write in the comment below.

Doll House (Baron Geisler and Althea Ruedas)

 "Kaya pala Doll house!" (that is why it's called Doll House?) I uttered as I watched the ending of the Netflix special movie that stars Baron Geisler and Althea Ruedas.  It really redeemed the career of Baron Geisler after all the not so good things he has done that made a fall of  his career.  Althea Rueda is really a natural child actress.  No acting is needed at all.  She is very good.  If you really want a tear duct exercise, watch this movie but I have warned you, this movie is simple but a really tear jerker.  The song Pangako is my LSS now he! he! he!  Watch the version of Althea here Althea Ruedas - Pangako.

As much tears I have shed watching this movie, I have learned some few good things to share.  Here are some of them:

1.  Win or lose, you have to fight for your dreams, whatever people will say.  As advised by Tito Clyde (Baron Geisler) to little Yumi (Althea Ruedas) when she was planning to audition in a school play.  Come to think of it, if we focus on our dreams, it will come  true.  People can say all they want but if you know what you want, go and get it!

2. Just say "sorry" when you have done wrong.  Advised from a child, so easy to say and do...well, for child yes BUT for adults with hardened hearts, how?  We are always reminded to have a child-like heart even if we have grown as an adult.  Life may become complicated, doing something wrong to somebody or somebody may have wronged us, hopefully a simple sorry will appease it all.

3. What is important is you have tried and did your best.  Isn't true? If we give our best into something, that effort cannot be matched to anything.   We might get what we want, win something or not, what is important is we gave everything we could.  Winning is not everything after all, how we did it is.

4. Remember the happy days even if you heard of bad things.  We have our good and bad days but it helps remembering good things if we come across bad days.  Good vibes only as they say. 

5. People are not ready because of unfulfilled promises.  Face it!  However we might want to run away from the ghost of yesterday, somehow, somewhere and someday we still have to face it.  Do not wait to come unprepared and face the consequences of yesterday.  Face whatever it is head on, otherwise we will get caught unprepared because of these unfulfilled promises.

This movie is a real tear jerker but it makes us realize that it is never too late to redeem yourself if you have done something not so good in the past.  Fulfill that promises and do not wait for a long time to regret it.