The Departure

It was a Japanese movie that won Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2009 Oscars and has earned $61,010,217 in Japan as of April 12, 2009.

This film is about Daigo who mistakenly got this job as an assistant coffinman. At first he thought the job 'Assistant Departure' is to do with travel agency. Not until his interview, he only found out that he is supposed to assist on the 'departed'. His job is basically to prepare the departed for encoffinment by helping the dead to change to new or favorite clothes, clean the dead and helping the dead to make up. After getting used to this job, for Daigo, it is a duty to give the dead a very last best look before moving the dead into the coffin and never be seen again. It is a job of respect and dignity. But to many people, it is a 'dirty profession' including his wife. He insisted in his job even when his wife left him. And until one day when one of his friend's mother passed away. He then only earned respect in front of all presents. Everyone thanked him for making their beloved so beautiful and they have never seen he/she so beautiful. In the end, his wife accepted him and is even proud of her husband and his job.

I really love the stone-letter story. It is about how people in the past used to express their feelings to their loved ones. It was not by writing letter, it was by giving stones. If the stone is smooth, it shows that you're happy; if the stone is rough, it shows that you're worry; the weight of the stone also shows that how much you love the person.

I watched this with Yang. We cried a lot as it is a very touching and meaningful movie. It reminded me a lot of my late grandad. My grandad passed away last year. He was supposed to celebrate his 88th grand birthday that year but couldn't make it. His funeral was held a week at my house because of having so many family members and friends visiting and also of his fame in the society.

I remembered seeing my grandad's closest friend paying his last visit to my grandad. The uncle was around 70 plus years of age, half crying half kneeling when he hardly believed that his best friend had passed away. I hardly see an old man cried so much in my life.

Then, my aunt from Taiwan made this last speech for him that she had the greatest dad on earth and if she is able to choose in future, she will without any doubts, be his daughter once again...

I remembered I was a hyperactive kid, loving to jump and climb here and there. There was once I climbed up the piano hiding away from all other cousins happily. Suddenly, my grandad opened his room's door and the piano was just in opposition of his room. When I knew he saw me, I was stunned, completely lost... I was then lectured by him. Indeed I was often being said as 'the head' and 'dai guai tao' by him. Therefore, he will lecture me the most as he felt I should bare most of the responsibilities being the eldest. To be honest, I hated very much when I was the one to be blamed and all the restrictions he set. Unfortunately, I never have any chances to apologize to him...

Even though he was a strict man, but deep inside he is a lovely and caring man. We all know he loves us even though he is no longer with us, he will still bless us no matter where he is. You will remain in my heart forever, gong gong!


Here is a little info on another superstar who just departed us. He is...
Michael Joseph Jackson (1958-2009)
HE was borned a talented entertainer. The seventh son in Jackson was unique enough to become a world's icon with his famous high-pitched voice, squealing and his dance moves (crotch-grabbing, moon walk, anti gravitation 45 degrees sliding aside...). He started singing at the age of 8, and being a regular member in Jackson 5 at 11. He went solo with his debut album "Got to be There". Later on when he had his sixth album "Thriller", it was the peak of his career, selling more than a million copies a week worldwide, a total of 109 million copies, making the best selling album of all time, winning record breaking of 8 grammy awards and the album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. Despite of being so rich and famous, he did a lot of charity including setting up 'Heal the World Foundation' which sent millions of dollars to help children who suffered from war and diseases.


The father of 3 (2 from his second wife who used to be his nurse and 1 from unidentified mother through artificial insemination) had a strong impact in popular culture, music industry, artistes such as Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Usher, Justin Timberlake etc, and also MTV. MTV was popularized by Michael Jackson's music videos which mostly have complicated dance routine and story line. Unfortunately, he was being badly criticized as a freak from mars as he had weird sense of clothing, half manly half girlish voice, his nose, his skin color, his hair, his eccentric character (having a chimpanzee named Bubbles as his companion)... and the fall toward his career was when he was being accused of child molestation with one of the children in his 17 million Neverland ranch. But the truth remain untold even though the king of pop is no longer with us. After a few searching, there are things that you might be doubting about MJ.

1. Skin pigmentation- he did it because he suffered from vitiligo (skin disease which will make part of the skin with lighter tone).
2. Rhinoplastic surgeries- He broke his nose in a complex dance routine in 1979 and had his first rhinoplastic surgery but caused him difficulty in breathing. He had altogether 3 rhinoplastice surgeries after the first unsuccesful surgery.
3. Chin lift- to make himself looked more manly
4. Diet- Wanting a dancer's body
5. Drugs- Besides having health problems (vitiligo, breathing problem...), he was under intensed pressure from being accused with child molestation and many other rumours, he ended up taking pain killers etc to release pain and stress

His death is still remain unknown. Some said because of drugs, some said cardiac arrest... But he was sure of coming back with his concert tour 'This Is It' which is just another month's time. The whole world was shock with this news and everywhere is paying tribute for him- radio, television, newspapers etc. Some were debating of the topic 'Is he better to be dead or alive'. Not long after the world icon demise, his album Thriller was sold out everywhere, earning profits worldwide.


Having seen what MJ has gone through (also being abused by his father when he was still a child), no one might understand how he felt... and indeed it is the greatest lost, the greatest blow in the music industry...
RIP, MJ.

References: Thanks to wikipedia.org and thestar.com.my