Monday, December 11, 2006

The Mysterious Hitchhiker - continuation of version 2

Carlo wondered where the girl had gone and if he was going to find her again. He was very excited when he met the girl.

A few days later, being unable to forget the girl and still remembering her beautiful but delicate figure, Carlos went to the same place where he took the girl. He found an old woman that made him have pity by the clothes that she was wearing. He noticed that the old woman was miserable and, in her eyes, there was only sadness. In spite of that appearance, he wasn't afraid and had the courage to ask the old woman about the girl's description and where he could find her.

The old woman was extremely shocked by his requests and started to cry when she began to reply. She told that the girl was her niece who used to live there but she had already died a few years ago and that she couldn't believe his story. She said that it was better if he would never appear again in that place and that she didn't like his bad joke.

He was very upset with the old woman but after a few minutes, when he was returning to his home, he started to think more about her words. He didn't know what had happened exactly on that night. It wasn't supposed to happen. "Why did it happen?", Carlo wondered.

Three months later, Carlo went to the cemetery to put some white daisies on his mother's grave. She had died a year ago and he was the only person that appeared to remember and miss his mother's soul. As he was leaving the cemetery, he noticed his jacket on another gravestone. He stopped to consider the bizarre situation for a few seconds and, with abrupt movements, he picked his jacket up, and was starting to run away when he saw the photograph more easily that had taken all the mystery away: the photograph showed the same girl that he had given a lift to. After that, he never forgot her...

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Friday, December 08, 2006

Assessment Task - Monday 4th December

Mystery Girl, the Mysterious Hitchhiker

Version 2 – Part 2

Carlo was worried… It’s been a week since he saw the girl and he was getting frustrated…
“What am I doing?”, he said to himself. “I’ve got to get her out of my head… It’s not my problem anymore…”. He tried and tried, but he just couldn’t forget that sad face and the looks on her eyes when he found her abandoned near the road in that miserable state…
It was raining… It’s been like that for days! He was seated on his sofa on a rainy Saturday evening.
Suddenly, and refusing to ponder anymore about the situation, he rose up, walked to the garage, got on the car, and drove silently, trying to remember exactly were he left the poor girl. The clouds gathered around, and no soon after that, the rain turned into hail… but he didn’t care at all…
“Why am I even doing this?”, he wondered while he turned another turn on the last roadblock. “What is this feeling I’m having?”
He parked the car in front of the fated place, and he was seen knocking at the door of her house. Yet, no response… He tried to shout, but he didn’t know her name.
He was inhaling some air for a desperate scream when he heard someone shouting at him from across the road. It was an old woman. “There’s no one there, sonny. That house will be demolished next Tuesday… Do you need an umbrella?”
Carlo was soaking wet, but he had frozen himself, not because of the cold and the hail, but he couldn’t believe what he had just heard… “What am I getting into?”, he thought.
He rushed to the car, thanked the old lady and about forty minutes later he was seated again on his living room’s sofa enjoying an hot cup of tea… He couldn’t feel much better…

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Homework

Here is my way of finishing the story of the girl on the road, hope you like it ^^


He woke up the next morning, sweating and wondered if all that was just a dream or did it really happened.

Still thinking about it for the whole morning, he decided to go out for a walk, aiming for the same old part of the town.

Once he got there, he searched for the same doorway that he thought he had saw on his supposed dream.
Found it, it was a creepy old building, abandoned a long time ago, its only habitants are mice and roaches, scheduled for demolition in 1 week.
By forcing the door, he entered the decayed building holding the nose because of the horrible smell. As he went upstairs, he found a door, closed, untouched as it seamed, curiosity lead him to open the door but it was unlocked and the room, opposing the general aspect of the old building, was immaculate!
Inside the room, he found everything so tidy and neat and his coat was over the sofa. As he was reaching for it, he heard something!
"I’m glad you came", said a beautiful voice from the corner of the room. "I was waiting for you".
Of course he got scared, he even though of running, but something kept him there. "Why were you waiting for me?", he asked. "I... I mean, this building, tomorrow will cease to exist, everything here will disappear, my memories...", she sadly replied.
"Being dead and all, how’d she could have possessions?", he thought.
She talked again, in a sad tone, softer, looking down. "In 1980, I was dating a very beautiful boy, we were happy and we were getting married. We were young, but our love was so strong and strong, like the necklace he had given me on the first date we started dating! One fateful day, we had an argument over nothing, he left this room very angry and then I fell over that couch crying. It wasn’t our first fight, every couple have them, we’d fought over small things and over big things, but we never fought over nothing… He didn’t show up for dinner, so I decided to look for him, but in that day I forgot to wear his necklace…
It was pitch dark, still I followed the road to his parent’s home. He lived on the outskirts of the town, so after taking the bus I decided to walk the rest of the way. It got even darker…I was a bit afraid, but for him I’d walk till the end of the world! As I was closing to his home, I heard a noise. It was a car, high speeding, uncontrolled and that was the last thing I remember...". "Definitely she was hit by the car, died on the spot, haunting forever that road, hitchhiking to her home, but I was the first one to actually come here", he tought and felt in his heart the need to help. "I can’t find the necklace, help me look for it and please give it to him, It would make me so happy and finally I could rest in peace. I’m sure he’s still alive! Please…I beg you".
How could he say no? He agreed to help and searched everywhere but he couldn’t find it, sad for both, but he remembered her story and looked on the same couch where she had cried after he had left. There it was, between some pillows, dusty but clean. He opened it and inside there was a photo of both of them. They looked so happy! What a tragic end for this love story! As he had promised, he took the necklace and drove himself to the same road where he found her. There she was, waiting in the dark, in her white dress emanating peace and a pleasing light. He managed to see that she was sad as she pointed to a countryside house. He didn’t stop and continued until reaching the same house.
After all these years, there was still someone living there. He walked out of the car and a weak rain started. Knocked on the door and a kid opened it. He told the young boy to call his dad and a young man came. He looked different from the picture but then he explained that the person on the photo was his father, the kid’s grandfather.
The old man couldn’t come to the door due to his old age, he was dying.
With the necklace in his hand, he insisted to enter and talk to him, it was urgent! They led him to the upper room. When he entered, he saw that the room was exactly like the girl’s apartment.
The old man looked at him and immediately told him to leave and he refused, saying that he had to do a great favour, asked by a beautiful girl.
He told the whole story and at first he was not believed and the sick man called for their parents who rushed in ready to toss him out.
He insisted and showed the necklace, the room and the fight that they had.
He saw the old man crying and taking the necklace, he opened it and cried even more as he looked the photos.
Of course, he continued his life, got married, had kids... But was he really happy? He still loved her and suffered everyday of his life and now he was dying, without her. But now he had the necklace, he could die in peace.
And like he was struggling to stay alive just for this moment, his eyes closed and the last tear that flew from his eye, he had the necklace over his chest.
He was invited to the funeral, but he refused… but curiosity won over him and we went to the funeral, staying behind watching. The old man was buried alongside his love. Now they could rest in peace.
"Thank you, kind sir", he heard right behind him, scaring him of course.
Then, he looked behind and saw the girl and next to her the man of the photo, young and smiling. They were both smiling and, just like that, they vanished.
He let escape a tear and silently got in his car, driving to his house.

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Sunday, December 03, 2006

Mission Impossible 3


Mission Impossible 3 - "MI-III"

In Mission Impossible 3 (”MI-III”) Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). Ethan is an instructor; working no longer in the field. However, when his best student is captured by a ruthless arms dealer (Owen Davian), he decides to break out of retirement and go to the rescue once again.

I think this movie is packed with massive action scenes, really fateful to the Mission Impossible Series. Since Tom Cruise is one of the producers, he wants to go out with a bang. It’s loaded with all out action; so much action that it can be really quite unbelievable in some parts. I thought the plot was a little weak, however it is certainly better than “MI-2”.

I was very disappointed that Philip Seymour Hoffman (Owen Davian) had such a small role. He does have a couple of good scenes, but does not appear to be a main character. This movie is all about Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt).

The movie also has a lot of sceneries, since according to its plot, Ethan chases Owen all over the world, from Rome to Shanghai City, using high-tech and all sort of gadgets while protecting his secret identity from Julia, his fiancée (Michelle Monahagan).

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