Co-Incidences that Occurred in my life

Co-Incidence is (truly) a natural part of life. It happens when there is a reference to another element mentioned when a direct or indirect element is taking place. It may happen when one person is in the same place as one whom they already know, and it may even happen when one shares the same interest as another. Co-incidence may happen when we least expect it, sometimes there is one case where something did not go so well for us and then later a similar pattern is repeated, and it does rectify itself although this also may go vice versa and the way we accept it or not is how we chose to look at it and it is important to see it from a positive viewpoint which we do most of the time. Such a co-incidence has occurred twice in my life, both related to interests of mine and as a man of Paradise, one element has been Exotic (feeling of Paradise) while the other has not. Being a person of Asperger has helped me realize the patterns in these co-incidences and it is my deepest desire to share how these co-incidences worked and how I viewed them.

              Into the Blue vs Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

 

When I was 15, my parents tried to me to socialize, but it wasn’t until I turned 22 that their efforts paid off. In September 2005, the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory based on the book by Roald Dahl (and the second version of the book) was released in New Zealand. I watched it despite my hesitations because my parents wanted me to try new things as most parents normally do at that child’s age.

In those days, my dad would take my brother Rajat and me to the cinema as a tradition. He would drive us, buy our tickets, and pick us up afterward. When I watched the new film based on Dahl’s book, I was disappointed. The morbidity of one of the children, obsessed with candy and constantly eating, made the movie poorly made. Willy Wonka seemed rude initially, but his interactions with Charlie changed him and Charlie’s life due to the boy’s honest and patient nature. The film had some interesting additions not found in the book, like Wonka’s disapproving dentist father (played by Christopher Lee) and the exaggerated stubbornness of the other children. Overall, it felt like a waste of time.

When I left the theatre, I saw a poster for the movie Into the Blue, directed by John Stockwell, starring Paul Walker and Jessica Alba. It caught my attention, and I decided I had to watch it. Later, when my brother and I were looking for our dad, he surprised us by appearing and asking how the movie was. Not wanting to disappoint him (although I was not entirely organised with honesty in those days), I simply said, ‘It was okay.’ I can’t recall what Rajat said about the movie.

 

We were hungry and decided to grab fast food from the mall. Dad and Rajat chose KFC, while I opted for McDonald’s. The queues at the fast-food courts were long, and I noticed that most of the staff were women that day, which surprised me. Just as I was about to place my order, a staff member approached me with a pen and pad, asking for my order. I asked if I should order at the counter, but she said I could do even before I was there too. I ordered two cheeseburgers, one as a combo. Despite her poor customer service due to a seemingly strict appearence, her approach paid off as she efficiently took orders from everyone in line. Surprisingly, I recognized two staff members from my school, and they were glad to see me. Ronald McDonald made a special appearance, waving and greeting everyone. As we enjoyed our meals, there were additional attractions at the mall, including a woman blowing bubbles and a man making balloons for people. It was a truly unique day for all of us.

 

When we returned home, mum asked about the movie. I gave her the same ‘ok’ reply I gave dad. But in the following days, Into the Blue kept occupying my thoughts, and I was determined to see it. My mum and I share a close bond, especially since she understands me as a person with Asperger’s and shares many of my interests. One night, while we were talking about Star Wars, a franchise I am a fan of (although only as far as Episode I, IV, V and VI and whatever is related to them is concerned) and which she also loves, she heard me mention Into the Blue again and decided to help me watch it. Despite no one else being interested, my parents took me to the cinema, following our usual pattern: one of them purchasing my ticket, me watching the movie, and them picking me up afterwards. Dad bought my ticket as always, and they accompanied me to the counter. The ticket collector, who resembled actor James Earl Jones (who voiced Darth Vader, the central character of Star Wars), was friendly and guided me into the theatre. ‘Into the Blue’ had a proper release date in New Zealand, unlike Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which released later there. It made the circumstances of the two movies’ releases uniquely interesting.

 

Into the Blue features Jessica Alba and Paul Walker alongside Scott Caan and Ashley Scott. The story revolves around Jared (Walker) and Sam (Alba), a couple living in the Bahamas, and their friends Bryce (Caan) and Amanda (Scott) from New York. During a diving trip, they discover a wrecked plane and an ancient shipwreck filled with treasure. When Bryce and Amanda make a deal with a dangerous drug lord in order to retrieve the treasure, the couples must retrieve the drugs for the sake of retrieving the treasure or face serious consequences. As they navigate their predicament, suspicions arise about their acquaintance, Bates (Josh Brolin). The film combines thrilling action, shark attacks, and beautiful underwater photography, while also exploring themes of romance. It was a refreshing experience after the disappointment of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

After leaving the theatre, mum picked me up and asked the expected question, “How was the movie?” Proudly, I honestly replied for one of the first times in my life, “It was great!” With the night setting in, the streets were quiet, but we came across a gorgeous scene on our way home: two Pomeranians exploring a nearby bush while their elderly owner patiently waited. Once I reached home, I enjoyed the best sleep ever, satisfied with accomplishing my mission of watching a long-awaited movie.

The next day, my family and I visited Orewa Beach with family friends. One of them was close to me while the other was not. We also went to a bookshop where I spent most of my time reading from the animal book section, particularly a book about sharks. As expected, it made no mistake in mentioning the famous great white shark and its association with shark attacks and the movie Jaws. However, shark attacks are unlikely, often due to mistaken identity or impaired shark senses and most sharks will normally back off after biting humans. The author of the book that became Jaws regretted the impact it had on sharks’ reputation and became an advocate for them. Coincidentally, I watched a film about sharks the previous night. Into the Blue mentioned Jaws, which further piqued my interest. In the future, I would delve into Jaws and other books by the author, such as The Deep. Into the Blue was a remake of The Deep and Subterfuge. (Tempting to say it is but in respectable terms that, Star Wars outperformed both Jaws and The Deep at the box office. Despite my initial disappointment with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I was excited to see Into the Blue, and I clearly favour the latter film.

 

 

 

 

Co – Incidences in these stories

 

• Both events involved going to the movies, but the first film was disliked and released worldwide in July, while the second film, which I enjoyed, stayed true to its worldwide release in September, including its release in New Zealand.

 

• The customer service I received the day I watched the films matched my thoughts about them. After watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I went to McDonald’s for lunch. While waiting in line, a restaurant employee approached me without a smile and seemed strict when taking my order. I didn’t pay attention to how she interacted with others at the time. However, on a later visit, a different person was much friendlier. On the same day that I watched Into the Blue the ticket collector was very friendly, directing me to the theatre. Their customer service added to my excitement for the movie. As I was leaving, I saw two Pomeranians sniffing in a bush, which felt like a gift after such a great day. What is not mentioned (until here) is that for two and a half years (the most being the year before), I was a fan of British singer Jamelia but it was on an unhealthy basis because being her fan did not allow me to indulge in other singers. Thanks to watching Jessica Alba on the scren for the first time, it not only established my fandom for Alba (on a healthy basis) but dropping Jamelia from my interests also helped me to enjoy other singers who I consider favourites such as S Club, Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder, Vengaboys, Aqua and Atomic Kitten, just to name a few.

 

• I already knew about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from the book by Roald Dahl that it was based on, but I prefer the original film over the second one. Surprisingly, I discovered that Into the Blue had indirect connections to literature through Peter Benchley, the author of the book that inspired Jaws. The day after watching Into the Blue, I coincidentally read a book about sharks, further connecting it to Jaws. This led me to learn about the association between sharks and Jaws, inspired by Benchley’s book, and the fact that Into the Blue was a remake of The Deep, based on one of Benchley’s books. I eventually watched The Deep 15 years after its remake

 

• Two years before the release of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Johnny Depp achieved box office success in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean (July 9th, 2003). It is a film based on the Disney ride of the same name, which I coincidentally watched and loved at St. Luke’s Theatre. Six years earlier, I saw Titanic (December 19th, 1997), a movie based on the true story of the ill-fated ship, the RMS Titanic, which sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage, becoming one of the most famous maritime disasters. To lift spirits after watching Titanic, I believe watching Pirates of the Caribbean is a good choice since both films are mentioned in the book Into the Blue, with Titanic symbolizing sadness and Pirates of the Caribbean symbolizing excitement. I find it amusing to speculate that if pirates had hijacked the Titanic instead of an iceberg striking it, there might not have been any casualties because pirates resort to violence only when attacked. While Titanic is a true story with some historical fiction elements, Pirates of the Caribbean is purely a work of fiction inspired by the fascination of its creator, Walt Disney, particularly with the renowned pirate Edward Teach, better known as ‘Blackbeard’ (1680 – November 22nd, 1718).

 

• A trailer for another film played at the screenings of both movies. It represented The World’s Fastest Indian, a true story based on New Zealand motorcyclist Burt Munro (25th March 1899 – 6th January 1978) portrayed by (Sir) Anthony Hopkins. The film was released on December 7th. Later, I discovered that Hopkins had turned down the role of Charlie’s grandfather Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was eventually played by David Kelly (11th July 1929 – 12th February 2012). I watched the Burt Munro biopic seven years after Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Into the Blue. Before Into the Blue, Paul Walker was already known for The Fast and the Furious franchise (which I saw a few years later) before being cast in Into the Blue. Interestingly, Tim Burton, the director of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was impressed by Walker’s performance in the first two Fast and Furious films (released on June 22nd, 2001, and June 6th, 2003) and offered him the role of Willy Wonka. However, Walker turned it down due to his dislike of the script and fear of damaging his romantic image. Instead, he chose to work with Jessica Alba in Into the Blue, directed by John Stockwell, who had also cast Walker based on his performance in the Fast and Furious films. This allowed Johnny Depp to be selected for the role of Wonka, given his close friendship with Burton and their previous collaborations. Since Into the Blue, I have made it a point to watch nearly all of Alba’s movies, and the best ones (in order of release and/or interest) are.

Never Been Kissed (April 9^th 1999)

Honey (December 5^th 2003)

Sin City (April 1^st 2005)

Fantastic 4 (July 8^th 2005)

Barely Lethal (May 29^th 2015)

El Camio Christmas (December 8^th 2017)

Killers Anonymous (June 28^th 2019)

 

 

 

Prefer to travel to Singapore more than India

“I first fell in love with Singapore during my initial visit in 1999 at the age of nine. I revisited the country in 2003 and 2005 while transiting on the way home from holidays. However, it wasn’t until 2007, during another transit, that I truly realized my deep affection for it. Singapore, along with Kenya, New Zealand, China, Uganda, Thailand, Malaysia, Ireland, South Africa, and Namibia, represents Paradise to me. These places, directly or indirectly associated with Lions and Tigers, which I consider symbols of Paradise, hold a special significance in my life. In 2009, I celebrated my ten-year anniversary of discovering my love for Singapore by taking a holiday there. Aside from being a representation of Paradise, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Singapore’s national animal is the Lion, my favorite animal. These travels inspired me to include travel as one of my hobbies, focusing on places that evoke a sense of Paradise. I still have yet to visit Southern Africa, Thailand, Ireland, Malaysia, and Uganda, and eagerly anticipate the day when I can. It’s worth noting that I visited Kenya before Singapore.

When traveling between New Zealand and India, it is necessary to stop in Singapore both ways. In 2007, during my transit in Singapore, I realized I found Singapore more interesting than India. While India is considered part of Paradise, its level of Paradise is not as high as that of Singapore or Kenya. Singapore’s level of Exoticness exceeds that of India the United States, and Japan. Singapore is the only place out of China where Chinese constitute the majority of the population, and Indians form the second largest Singaporean population. India’s relations with Singapore are comparable to those with China, Thailand, and possibly even stronger than its relations with New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa and Ireland. Personally, I have no issues against India since I was born there and have family ties and interests there. However, Singapore along with New Zealand, surpasses India in terms of Paradise levels and organization.

I love traveling on Singapore Airlines, the best airline in the world, thanks to their exceptional hospitality, passenger care, and incredible flight entertainment called KrisWorld. On my trip to Singapore, I enjoyed watching the Bollywood film Love Aaj Kal, starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, despite not finishing it. It’s a shame that the film isn’t associated with the esteemed Chopra-Johar Family, the most powerful film family in Bollywood. My journey with the airline was as exciting as the destination itself, where I explored various attractions such as the SG River, the City, Zoo, Chinatown, Little India, and Sentosa. I also had the pleasure of reconnecting with my parents’ friends, Ravi and Malini Menon, and their daughter Mythili, who was my childhood playmate (although she was studying in London at the time). Additionally, I formed a wonderful bond with their helper Victoria Acosta and got to meet their adorable King Charles Cavalier Spaniel named Ginger. Another family I visited was my father’s cousin, Kedar Wagle, his wife Kanika, and their children, Kunal and Kimaya, who are now permanent residents of Singapore. Kedar has been there since 1999.

I felt sad when my visit to Singapore ended, and I wasn’t as excited about traveling to India. Kedar and Malini understood my feelings, especially Malini, who is like a second mother to me. She reassured me that I should look forward to the India trip and reminded me that I could always come back to Singapore. At the airport, the man checking our passports noticed my sadness. When I expressed my longing for continuing my Singaporean holiday, he smiled and echoed Malini’s words. As the flight took off, my sadness began to fade, knowing I could return someday. Although I wasn’t entirely excited about India, I looked forward to reuniting with my other family and friends. To distract myself, I enjoyed watching movies on Singapore Airlines, as I always do.

I watched Public Enemies on the plane—a movie about American gangster John Dillinger. Johnny Depp played the lead role, alongside Christian Bale and other notable actors such as Channing Tatum and Stephen Lang (not to mention kickboxer Don Frye). The film explored the FBI’s mission to hunt down Dillinger and his associates. On the flight, anattendant made a mistake with my meal order and apologized multiple times. Despite the mix-up, I remained polite and even found it symbolically fitting as I was leaving Singapore for India. I shared my experiences of both countries with the attendant, who overturned her worries as a result.

The India trip was good, thanks to reuniting with family and friends, but the Singapore trip holds the utmost significance for me since I consider that (one of the many forms of) greatness. Since then, my parents always ensure that after visiting India, I spend a few days in Singapore, my favourite place in the world. It truly embodies paradise and I cherish visiting it as much as I can.

 

 

Co – Incidences in these stories

 

• Evidently, the India trip wouldn’t have happened without the Singapore trip. Earlier, when we used to visit India and transit in Singapore, it was with different families. One of them was the Alexander Family (Mohan and Lorraine and their children Jonathan and Samantha), but they moved back to India to start a business. In 2007, we started transiting through Singapore with the Menon Family after they moved then three years earlier. In 2009, I went to Singapore independently to celebrate the anniversary (even though at the time I was still discovering myself as a person) before going to India. Since then, depending on circumstances, I usually stop in Singapore on the way to India. The Alexander and Menon Families no longer live in Singapore, but Kedar is still there as a permanent resident. I also found a contact, Rosemary Lim, who helped me as an editor, write a book on Singapore. I plan to visit Singapore soon to explore more attractions and meet everyone again, including Rosemary and her family.

 

• Flying to Singapore was a great experience for me as it’s a destination I eagerly anticipated. Although I also visited India, my passion for it was not as strong as for Singapore due to the latter’s higher level of exoticism, similar to the United States and Japan. It’s interesting that on the way to Singapore, the trip was exciting with excellent customer service and entertainment. On the other hand, my enthusiasm for the trip to India was lower, and while the flight entertainment was good, I received somewhat poor customer service. However, I don’t believe the person who did this poor service intentionally did it, and after explaining my perspective with patience, she understood I wasn’t angry at her.

 

• The Bollywood film Love Aaj Kal, which I watched on the way to Singapore, is what I wished I had seen when traveling to India. Similarly, I saw Public Enemies while en route to Singapore which I wishe I had seen when on the way to Singapore. Both films were released in 2009, with Love Aaj Kal on July 31st and Public Enemies 30 days before that (on July 1st). Despite both countries having internationalism, Singapore’s appears higher than India’s. It’s possible that Public Enemies was not available on my flight to Singapore and Love Aaj Kal was absent on my flight to India. Nevertheless, I maintain my viewpoint that Singapore’s internationalism is superior. Public Enemies featured Christian Bale in a supporting role, and over time, I theorized that Batman (which Bale was noted for playing at the time) drew inspiration from our relationship with Lions and Tigers, encompassing fear, popularity, justice, balance, respect, embodiment, and admiration. The popularity of Lions and Tigers surpasses that of Batman. Furthermore, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, starring Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne (which had no connection to Tim Burton’s Batman films where Michael Keaton played Batman), may have unintentionally drawn inspiration from the story of George Adamson, an Englishman who transformed from a wildlife warden to an advocate for lions. I credit Kedar for introducing me to the book that inspired the movie, as I knew little about George until then. Similarly, Sang Nila Utama, the man who discovered and named Singapore, believed he saw a Lion there, although it may have been a Tiger instead.

 

The End

 

References (those that are not mentioned here are not of interest to me and thus not part of Paradise while those that are indeed are among my interests and make me think of Paradise)

 

 

 

Into the Blue vs Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

 

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Yates, M. (June 17th, 1977). The Deep [Film]. Paramount
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Talbert, D. (December 8th, 2017). El Camio Christmas [Film]. Netflix
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Owen, M. (June 28th, 2019). Killers Anonymous [Film]. Lionsgate

2005-2009

 

 

Prefer to travel to Singapore more than India

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Raidooni, F (Executive Producer) & Ullman, F (Director). (2007). South Africa [Documentary]. N.A: Global Television
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Raidooni, F (Executive Producer) & Ullman, F (Director). (2007). Namibia [Documentary]. N.A: Global Television
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Raidooni, F (Executive Producer) & Ullman, F (Director). (2007). Africa’s South [Documentary]. N.A: Global Television
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Raidooni, F (Executive Producer) & Ullman, F (Director). (2007). Thailand [Documentary]. N.A: Global Television
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