Tuesday night, after go home from work, I turned on the television in the apartment. I seldom watching television here in Philippines.  Aside from the mostly Filipino-speaking television channels, I did not really like to watch. However, that night, at the HBO channel, currently playing movie Edge of Tomorrow: Live, Die, Repeat. Seeing the starting scene of the film, I remembered the first time you watch this movie in June 2014 (still time its premiere), after completion of the Final Assignment together with friends and my juniors in campus. It’s been a year and a half after all … time seemed so fleeting and moves so fast.

Edge of Tomorrow

Humans were told was fighting against Mimic, an alien who comes to earth. Mimic the shape is like an octopus skin like a stone. Very fast, smart, and do not hesitate to kill human beings without mercy. NATO military formed a federation of United Defense Forces (UDF) to set the war in Europe. Previously, the introduction of the exoskeletons have given UDF victory over Mimic in Verdun. Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), a spokesman for UDF and officer in the US Army, was summoned to London to meet with General Brigham, commander of the UDF. Inspired by the victory at Verdun, UDF intends to launch Operation Downfall, a massive invasion against Mimic on the coastline of France. Cage refused to join the vanguard of the army, then he was finally arrested and stripped of his rank. Cage then sent to a base at Heathrow Airport, England, where the troops are preparing for the invasion tomorrow morning. This was the beginning of this story.

The next morning, Cage along with hundreds of thousands of troops started a massive attack on the French coast. Turns Mimic has already know and anticipate the attack. Many troops were wounded and died. The attack failed miserably. Cage is not yet accustomed to difficulty walking or using a weapon. However, on one occasion, Cage managed to kill one Mimic with a grenade and died splashed blood. Cage then woke up in the morning before at Heathrow Airport, with the position and the same conditions. He was confuse, however, all recurring events such as the first time he came. Every time he died in the invasion, he repeat time and go back to the days before the invasion.

Time passed forward in the same way, then a step back every Cage died. After several dead and alive, through Rita and Dr. Carter, Cage finally found out that he killed Mimic is Alpha. When Cage watered by the blood of Alpha, he gained the ability to repeat the time back. Rita used to also have that power, however, an accident and blood transfusions made him lose that ability. However, to beat all Mimic, Cage must destroy Omega. Omega itself is the brain or controller of all Mimic in the world. Cage can know the location of Omega through the vision at certain moments.

Along with Rita (Emily Blunt), they continue to find the next step. Starting from the war exercises, running away from the beach, to choose a car for the dam in the Alpens. Everything seemed to be passed up to hundreds or even thousands of repetitions. Each failure, Cage had to make sure he died that his ability is not lost. Finally they came to the point that they need to Whitehall and asked General Bringham to provide the transponder  tools that have been created. This tool can ascertain the location of Omega if injected into Alpha or someone with the ability to repeat a time like Cage.

As he fled from Whitehall, Rita stabbed Cage with transponders, and eventually they learned that Omega is located under the Louvre, France. But the accident has made the ability Cage lost, because he had received a blood transfusion as experienced Rita first. Aware that there is no opportunity to reset again, they decided to try and kill the Omega on the night before the attack. To do this, Cage convince soldiers of the squad J (the unit in which Cage is placed in the beginning) to join them. Three hours before the invaders, they fly to Paris. However, Mimic defense force one by one team member died sacrificing themselves. Finally, Rita and Cage eventually arrived under the Louvre where Omega is located. It turns out there are Alpha is also in place. After talking each other, Rita eventually sacrifices himself to distract Alpha, so that Cage could kill Omega. Despite its speed, Alpha succeeded in killing Cage, but the grenade has been released and the it destroyed Omega. Omega was devastated, and Mimic was defeated.

This story then retreated and ended up at a time when Cage woke up again on the way to a meeting with Brigham. But conditions have changed, this time he attended a press conference where Brigham announced that Mimic been defeated. He went back to Heathrow Airport, Britain and met with members of the squad J and also by Rita.

Uncertainty is Fun!

Watching this film made me reflects back for a moment. Contemplating about tomorrow. Tomorrow is always a mystery: scary like a film, because we do not know the danger or bad events that would be happened. Maybe we will die. Or also experienced something bad. Or, we lose someone eho we loved so much. But, it also fun, because we can know what happens in the future and repeat today to obtain future in accordance with our wishes. Constantly repeating until we get the results we want. Fail the exam? Shoot yourself, then study hard the previous day. Is it fun?

But sometimes it not fun anymore: life gets boring. Imagine if we experienced the same thing dozens or even hundreds of times. Or thousand times like Cage. It must be very boring. Not interesting anymore. Maybe we are tired and frustrated because we can’t get what we want. It was not challenging, said people who like to be a challenge. Cage experienced it, until one day, when there is no longer the way to escape from the attack on the beach or to save Rita, Cage felt desperate and frustrated.

Maybe the future made us worry, but also excite ourselves. I know that the life is not endless moment until we die. Life would have been difficult but still interesting to look forward and experienced it, right? We make every effort to provide all the resources and efforts are also our hearts to do the best. That experienced by Cage and Rita also his friends when they learned of this only last occasion they beat Mimic. It also happens in our lives.

If I could return the first days of my coming to the Philippines. Can I? Living away from parents? Living in other country, with a language and culture that I did not know at all? How to interact with new people? How about getting lost? My mind is empty. Not much I know. Perhaps only a small piece of information obtained from the internet. I do not know what will happen the next day or at the end of the road, but I believe since now I can start trying to “coloring” -by doing best for all thing and also rely on God.

And now after more than a month in the Philippines, I was already accustomed to life here. Work, write, and also walking and seeing places on weekends. I can cook my own food so that it can save a lot of money. Similarly, the daily needs an affordable place. Everything is only by the grace of God alone.

Uncertainty–in fact–allow me (and you) to develop a life as possible. Strive and fight as hard as we can. Studying and working in earnest and prepare and develop themselves. Do not forget to also continue to rely on God. Enrich life with knowledge and new experiences. Uncertainty is fun!

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