Harry Potter 7, Part 2

A nice little candid of Gabe

My favorite writer is Anthony Bourdain, in part because of his humor, in part because of his content, but beyond all else, his ability to curse, and do so effectively so as to heighten his prose. Now, as someone who aspires to serve in public office some day in the very distant future, it would be unwise to publicly write a curse word that so effectively describes what I feel, having just watched with my Costa Rican companions the final installment of the Harry Potter movie series. Excuse the french and the self-incrimination, but I am thoroughly mind-fu**ed (I've decided to compromise in the spirit of the Washington debt-ceiling talks). Appropriately humorous, ever dark, well scored, and faithful to the original text, Harry Potter gave me and my movie-mates goose bumps repeatedly during the film. I hate to sound like an HP dork -- which I am not -- but there are times when this muggle can't resist (excuse the stupid joke). The New York Times article I've attached below perfectly describes the emotions: we've grown up with these character, watched them mature -- intellectually, magically, sexually -- and the final movie proved a profoundly satisfying end. Harry's son and classmates waved off their parents as the audience saluted this decade long adventure goodbye. If I may add just one observation, which I believe has yet to be mentioned -- the entire film had a recurring motif of the Revolutionary War. As Harry became master of the Deathly Hallows and destroyed that power for the betterment of future generations, so too did the colonists (and especially Washington), armed with newly-won freedom, submit themselves to a constitution and a codified system of laws that protected liberty and limited power for generations to come. The film is a must see.

Please read: http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/movies/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2-review.html?ref=movies

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As this was our final full day in Costa Rica, I thought I'd very briefly mention two things that happened. First, Jimmy, Gabe, John, and I took a 2 hr hike to las antenas, which afforded us excellent views of San Jose at the cost of lactic acid, shortness of breath, and sunburn. The hike was steep but worth it. Second, today I met Luis Liberman, the Vice President of Costa Rica. He lives in Gabe's building, and we ran into him on the elevator this afternoon. He has a surprisingly soft handshake.