A week of new beginnings!
Firstly, we started on our IPPT training again! Still the push-your-limit style... the uphill sprints and so forth. Due to the cold and humid weather (which will end with this week, I think), we could actually see the condensed water vapour being emitted from our bodies. "Smokin'!"
Got a haircut and a pair of new spectacles as well! This time I chose a plastic frame, not too thick, transparent. I think it would somehow give a smart look.
And my colleagues brought me for my first bowling game!
Watched Death Note 2, and Erika Toda was all over the place, and she was... Uuaaarrgh... Kawaiiiii~!
OK, Toda aside, there were quite a lot of deviations from the original Manga story, but I think they all sort of made sense. L made a surprisingly brilliant move in the movie. Light in the movie was quite close to the one in the Manga but his leaving the piece of the Note with Takada's name written on it was, to me, way below Light's expected level of caution and intelligence.
The story of Death Note also got me thinking about some issues. Like capital punishment, the definition of justice, and most importantly forgiveness. Even though I would never call Light "good" (I wonder if he ever loved anyone), the fact is there were the victims of crime (e.g. Misa), with their broken lives, placing their hope in Kira (Light's alter ego), a killer of criminals who go scot-free.
I guess most readers who feel uncomfortable about Kira's killings (like me) feel so because deep down in their hearts, grace, i.e. favour for the undeserving, is at work. Somehow we just wish that those criminals still be given the right to live on.
Of course, even though I'm Christian, I still struggle with forgiveness. After all I've not experienced something that ruined my life so much as having your loved ones killed, so I cannot say things like "It is not right for victimised parties to wish for the culprit's death." Sometimes when I look at reports on murder and rape, I will also feel that the culprits were better off dead.
Forgiveness. It's the answer to the classic question "What would Jesus do?". Yes he had the right to tell us to forgive. He himself forgave millions for humans for their sins before and after he came to Earth. Even on the Cross he prayed "Forgive them".
I don't know what else to say.
The issue of forgiving major criminals or not would always trouble me I think.
