The Harry Potter in us: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 review

“DO NOT pity the dead, Harry, pity the living. Above all, pity those who live without love. By returning you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed and fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say goodbye for the present.” – Albus Dumbledore

I am not a Harry Potter fan. I haven’t read a single book and that is probably the reason why no one would ever hear me ranting about film-not-the-same-as-the-book cliché most people would normally do. However, I was able to watch all eight films and must say that it is indeed an epic for this generation.

Screw these culture and tradition-freaks saying this ain’t good as it tackles wizardry or witchcraft or whatever they want to call it. This is film, for Christ’s sake!

It was also fortunate that I was able to watch the only Harry Potter 3D film on the world’s larget LG iMax Theather in Sydney, Australia. Giving credits to the film itself, watching in 3D is merely an ‘additional’ icing on the cake. I am not in any way saying that it was not worth 3D-watching, but the film itself boasts of superb execution of, well, errr… almost everything!

Harry Potter series twisted the moviegoers’ perception of evil — as most films depict the evil force as something so powerful it can never be stopped, giving viewers an impression that evil is something that cannot be defeated.

The Deathly Hallows part 2 showed that the dark force, no matter how powerful it may seem, is:

1. Succeptible to pain. It is many times showed that Lord Voldemort felt pain each time a part of his soul dies. From the cup, the Ravenclaw item, and the snake, it has been shown that you-know-who also feel pain, like Harry Potter.

2. Emanating fear. The part where Lord Voldemort walked back and asked the snake to follow him “to keep him safe” was precious. This would probably be my favorite scene. It is not always that we see in big screen movies that villains try to keep themselves alive for they are always portrayed of being “undestructible.”

3. Something that we can all overcome. The last film is full of hope. It gave us the twist of Harry Potter becoming stronger, and Lord Voldemort becoming weaker.

The vulnerability of Lord Voldemort, for me, made the film something extraordinary, different, and one which we would be able to teach the younger generation: “Evil, no matter how hard to resist, can be defeated.”  We are all Harry Potter(s), fighting each of our own evil within. This is Xy, #breakingthesilence.

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Lord Voldemort photo is broken from here.

National Opal Collection responds, apologizes, addresses concern

HERE ARE the responses from representatives of the National Opal Collection a day after the complaint was submitted. Further below is my final response provided in writing. I don’t want more drama onto this. Read on.

***Response # 1***

From: Sarah Cody
Sent: Thursday, 14 July 2011 11:13
To: Raymon So
Cc: Damien Cody
Subject: RE: National Opal ***FOR YOUR INFORMATION***

Dear Raymon,

We are deeply sorry to hear of your situation. We are not used to receiving complaints and we would like to sincerely apologise that you have been left to feel this way.

Raymon, I manage the Melbourne store and I’m actually in Sydney as we speak. This has allowed me to speak with the Sydney team.

Let me assure you that you are completely right in this situation and the staff member responsible has been notified.

To show my sincere apology, I would like to mail you a copy of our opal book written by our Directors so you can add to your opal knowledge. Please let me know your mailing address and I will mail this to you personally.

Raymon, I hope I have turned a bad situation into a good one. You are always welcome at The National Opal Collection.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Cody
Manager

***Response # 2***

From: Damien Cody

Sent: Thursday, 14 July 2011 11:45 AM
To: So, Raymon Cyril B
Cc: Sarah Cody; Ramlah Darker
Subject: RE: National Opal ***FOR YOUR INFORMATION***

Dear Raymon,

Thankyou for taking the time and trouble to write to us about the poor experience you encountered.

Please accept my sincere apologies for what happened to you and your guests.

At The National Opal Collection we pride ourselves on the normal high quality of service and product we provide. Your experience falls way short of our expectations and will be addressed so that it does not happen again.

I appreciate how dissatisfied you feel. Should you give us another chance and visit again, I hope that we can restore your confidence with a warm welcome and the friendly service you deserve. To this end I will ask Sarah to also send you a VIP card entitling you to a 30% discount on your next visit.

Yours Faithfully,

Damien Cody
Managing Director
The National Opal Collection

***The Breaking Response***

from	So, Raymon Cyril B
to		Damien Cody <damien@codyopal.com>, Sarah Cody <sarah@nationalopal.com>
cc		Ramlah Darker <info@nationalopal.com>
date		Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 1:39 PM
subject		RE: National Opal ***FOR YOUR INFORMATION***

Hi Damien/Sarah,

I appreciate your responses and action on this incident. This would definitely be on my list of least favourite days here in Sydney, but I am still thankful that you also took time on looking onto this. These friends from Manila are leaving tomorrow anyway, and it is just so disheartening that I was so proud to tell them how excellent the service your staff gave me when I purchased an item shortly a week ago but was turned around with this incident.

Knowing that you are addressing this suffices. I am not after anything [tangible], and I do accept the apology.

Regards,

Raymon So

An Open Letter to The National Opal Collection Management

THE NATIONAL OPAL COLLECTION
60 Pitt Street
Sydney 2000
Australia

To the Management:

This is to express my deepest disappointment as to how I, along with three visitors from the Philippines, were treated on the Pitt Street showroom in Sydney on July 13, 2011 – about 15 minutes before 4:00pm. A week ago, I went to your place to buy an opal necklace and was amazed of how friendly and accommodating the staff was so I was eager to take my friends, company trainees from our offshore location, to the showroom. They were given a promotional stub from their hotel, Oaks Maestri Towers in Sussex St., telling them of a free opal gift from National Opal.

I, being more familiar with the place, approached your staff politely, and I was shocked to find out that the old lady came back at me in ALL RUDENESS ONE COULD EVER IMAGINE, “Don’t do that. You have been here earlier! It’s not fair for us.” I told her, as nicely as I could, that it was the first time these three friends have gone to National Opal. Instead of toning down, she was still fuzzed and irritated, saying that it is not right for people to go back there and get as many opal souvenirs as they can. Luckily there were only a couple of customers around. How much humiliation could have our group had should there be a crowd of people in the place?

The old lady even mentioned: “They were the  three girls who walked in before! They live in the same hotel! They stayed here for the same number of months! Don’t abuse us!” WTF?!?! IN ALL OF YOUR STUPIDITY, if we are to put on a scam of TAKING AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE OPAL PINS, WHY WOULD WE GIVE THE SAME INFORMATION? Again, I explained, there are a lot of trainees on our company staying at that hotel. And then she went on with the same rant. Again. And again. And again.

THIS IS NOT FAIR. I FELT HUMILIATED; HOW MUCH MORE MY FRIENDS WHO CAME THERE JOLLY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OPALS (NOT JUST THIS FREE LITTLE OPAL PINS YOU SEEM TO BOAST OFF)? I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THAT I AM DEEPLY HURT WITH THIS INCIDENT. WE CAN BUY OPALS. WE DID NOT COME JUST FOR THE FREE SOUVENIRS. WE DID NOT GO TO YOUR PLACE TO BE HAMMERED BY HARSH, IMPOLITE, AND MALICIOUS STATEMENTS.

I ACTUALLY HAD PLANS OF ALSO SENDING SOME OPALS FROM YOUR STORE TO MY FRIENDS IN MANILA THAT’S WHY I HAD TO GO BACK THERE ALONG WITH MY FRIENDS. HOWEVER, AFTER THIS, THANKS, BUT NO THANKS. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO GIVE THE SAME QUALITY OF SERVICES FOR EVERYONE — LOCAL RESIDENTS OR VISITORS ALIKE.

If you have a specific complaints department, let me know. It is important that your management know this. This is the first time I ever experienced this kind of service in Sydney. FIRST TIME, AND HOPEFULLY THE LAST. OH, DEFINITELY THE LAST FROM YOU.

A VERY DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER,

Raymon So

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This is Xy, #breakingthesilence.

P.S. I don’t wish your business to go bankrupt. Karma has its own way; and I heard it’s a bitch.