I didn’t see this coming after 1hr and 57 minutes. I went out of the cinema deeply afloat, traveled for half an hour with their official movie soundtrack on play, stayed in bed ’til 2am, wide awake and in tears. Mind you, I have never cried over a movie nor a tv series in this entire life .. not until last night! You guys broke my record.

So here’s why. 

10 life realizations after watching the film.

1.) “Love is all or nothing, if you hold back, bakit ka pa nagmahal,” Ethan

Love is like a gamble. You either put your heart open at stake knowing that you may lose yourself in the game or refuse to gain anything that’s worth the risk. You choose.

2.) “Mahal kita pero mas mahal ko sarili ko,” Joy

They have put so much passion to Joy’s character; inspiring everyone with how she thinks of a better life for her family and for a fulfilling career. It’s never a question of selfishness nor self-centeredness because honestly, one cannot grow a sturdy kind of love without planting its foundation within themselves. We can only give what we have. So, self-love first! 💖

3.) May mga taong dadaan sa ating buhay hindi para mamalagi pero para baguhin ka.

I believe that we don’t meet people by accident. It’s just so funny how a person stay in our lives to accompany us in our journey while others may be short-lived but in any way they can, teach us a lesson that we can carry throughout this lifetime. People who are meant to stay in your life will always gravitate back to you no matter how far they wander and how long they have been away.

4. “Choice is only for the rich, ” Joy

The characters were the pure representations of our lovingly ‘kababayans’, working their way hard in abroad just to provide a good life to their families back home. True to her statement, almost all of us have to work with ‘too much effort’ for the things that we are not that into. With our duties and responsibilities, we walk ourselves to nothing but on a tightrope just to survive even if it means taking away what we truly value.

5. You can still be more

Joy cried frustratingly at Victoria Harbour with Ethan as she wants more in her life; if only she was given with the right opportunity. People always mistakenly incorporate with us the idea of being discontented and ungrateful whenever we speak of the term ‘wanting more’. But if we have that dream and we know that we have the potential to do so, I tell you, never ever doubt it cause it will lead you the way. 💯

6.) No matter how hard your situation is, life must go on. 

Remember how the whole story consciously involved the importance of time in every detailed scenes? From Joy’s alarm clock , the fast-paced life in the streets of Hong Kong, to them holding a watch necklace? Time is always ticking and it may seem to stop in every setback, failed relationships, and whenever we meet someone special. Nevertheless it should never hinder you to always hope for the best and love with all you can give.

7.) Wag kang matakot magmahal muli. 

Surely, this feeling will put us in a roller coaster ride of emotions but love shouldn’t be a state of feeling to be feared of. Let’s consider what Alfred Lord Tenneson’s famous quote have implied in here, “It’s better to have loved and lost than to never love at all.” It may drown and withhold you for a while but it will surely shape the way you handle your future relationships- bear in mind that I ain’t pertaining to romantic relationships in here alone but for all kinds.

8.) Sharing with strangers means no judgments. 

People always get the confidence to share their deepest thoughts to strangers because all a stranger can give is a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and a typical day-to-day advice base on what you have shared alone. In short, it’s one sided- no judgments.

9.) Take whatever the person can give. 

These were the only words of Ethan when he was told about never having an ‘us’ in pursuant of Joy’s life-long dream in Canada. It simply shows how unconditional his love for Joy is with the situation he is presented to. When we love, we appreciate every little thing that a person can offer and cherish every moment that we have with them without expecting anything in return. That’s how genuine and kind true love can be!

10.) At the end of the day, a person’s love may still not be enough to fill that missing piece in your heart. 

Do not live your life today trying to fit in any other person’s terms for you will still end up looking for that missing piece sooner or later. So whatever your heart desires to seek, make sure to go out of your way and find it. When that same person finds his/her way back to you after the long search and the feeling fires, read realization no. 1 😊

For those who are yet to see this masterpiece, here’s a quick synopsis:

Joy (Kathryn Bernardo) a domestic helper and Ethan (Alden Richard) a bartender, are both Filipino workers based in Hong Kong. The two stars unexpectedly collided one night and together, they journey through a story full of discovery between love, life, family and career. The film is directed by the one and only Cathy Garcia-Molina.

Photo credits to the rightful owners.