Monday, April 21, 2014
Tutoring
I have to go tutor in an hour, and I'm absolutely dreading it. The kid I tutor lives fifteen minutes away, I tutor him for an hour, and his mom can talk for a solid ten minutes straight, so the whole thing is really a two-hour ordeal. It isn't that he's a bad kid; he really isn't. He has a horrible work ethic, he has very low respect for me, and he thinks that school is a joke, but other than that, he's great. I think that part of it is that he has Asperger's, so he only ever wants to be playing games. He is even writing a paper on why children should be allowed to use their phones at school; not for education, but for game-playing. I keep telling him that that is a very hard thing to prove, but he thinks that it'll be funny. He's never seen Harry Potter or Pokemon because his extremely Catholic mother thinks they're bad, but he wants to include a GIF of Umbridge at the end of his paper, as if that were possible. Once, he decided to steal my phone because he thought I was texting, when I was really looking up the answer to something. He wouldn't give it back until I left. The only good thing about this job is I get $40 a week and sometimes he gives me temporary tattoos.
Recitation
Yesterday, my sister asked me what Les Miserables was about. And I gave her a full, detailed, oral synopsis. I do this a lot, actually. After seeing a movie, I like to see if I can recount the entire plot by memory. I did it after Noah, after Cloud Atlas (that was hard), even after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2. I understand that it's probably incredibly annoying, especially when the person starts walking around and I follow them.
I don't know if it's a good thing to be able to explain a movie to a person within ten minutes. Why not just send someone to the theater for you and have them tell you what happened? Because plot isn't the only thing that matters in a movie. People put a lot of hard work into the music, the dialogue, the visual aspects, etc. That's why I found it incredibly hard to tell her exactly what happens in Les Miserables. First of all, there are three overlapping storylines at any given time. Secondly, it is a musical. They don't speak that much, they sing, so I found myself reciting song lyrics multiple times. Also, there is a tremendous amount of backstory and hidden motives that I couldn't really explain to the proper extent. That is why people make movies two hours long; it's impossible to wrap up a worthwhile story into a ten-minute, one-sided conversation. I can only imagine that after being told the plot of a movie, people think something like,"Well, that was a waste of time." But, I can never imagine going to a movie without feeling something important by the end.
I don't know if it's a good thing to be able to explain a movie to a person within ten minutes. Why not just send someone to the theater for you and have them tell you what happened? Because plot isn't the only thing that matters in a movie. People put a lot of hard work into the music, the dialogue, the visual aspects, etc. That's why I found it incredibly hard to tell her exactly what happens in Les Miserables. First of all, there are three overlapping storylines at any given time. Secondly, it is a musical. They don't speak that much, they sing, so I found myself reciting song lyrics multiple times. Also, there is a tremendous amount of backstory and hidden motives that I couldn't really explain to the proper extent. That is why people make movies two hours long; it's impossible to wrap up a worthwhile story into a ten-minute, one-sided conversation. I can only imagine that after being told the plot of a movie, people think something like,"Well, that was a waste of time." But, I can never imagine going to a movie without feeling something important by the end.
Babies
Obviously, yesterday was Easter. I went over my nana's house, as my family does every year, because all three of my aunts and my cousin live there with my nana. Every year around the holidays is when my aunts will typically let loose some story about me as a child, and last Christmas, I heard one from my aunt Teresa. Apparently, when I was a toddler, I didn't like anybody to touch my head, and for a good reason. I had gorgeous, curly, blond hair. Whenever it got wet or if anybody tried to play with it, I would yell, "DON'T. TOUCH. MY. HEAD." Naturally, this was pretty adorable. It's also kind of ironic that, now, not a day goes by that I don't braid somebody's hair.
The thing is, I don't remember any of this. I mean, I doubt that anybody can recall their infancy in great detail. After my aunt Teresa brought this up at Easter, she said that she had been talking about it with somebody that remembered me from that era. It was her ex-husband's cousin or something like that, and I don't remember ever meeting her. I think that's kind of unfair. As babies, or even as children, our parents show us off to everybody and tell embarrassing stories about us, and then, as teenagers or adults, when we meet those people again, all they know about us is that one embarrassing thing. And we don't remember, but we are expected to for some reason.
I realized recently that I'm turning into one of those people. I have three first cousins once removed, all five and under. There is Adela (5), Isla (3), and Jack (2 months). Adela and Isla live in Virginia and I only see them once or twice a year, and I already get the feeling that they don't remember me. I'm the one that taught Adela how to make dinosaur noises and played with them every day for a week when they stayed at my cabin, but I know they'll never remember any of that. It's a trap. You play with the cute baby but the adults are the only ones that remember, and when the baby grows up all of the adults talk about it. Nobody wins. I suggest that nobody plays with babies.
The thing is, I don't remember any of this. I mean, I doubt that anybody can recall their infancy in great detail. After my aunt Teresa brought this up at Easter, she said that she had been talking about it with somebody that remembered me from that era. It was her ex-husband's cousin or something like that, and I don't remember ever meeting her. I think that's kind of unfair. As babies, or even as children, our parents show us off to everybody and tell embarrassing stories about us, and then, as teenagers or adults, when we meet those people again, all they know about us is that one embarrassing thing. And we don't remember, but we are expected to for some reason.
I realized recently that I'm turning into one of those people. I have three first cousins once removed, all five and under. There is Adela (5), Isla (3), and Jack (2 months). Adela and Isla live in Virginia and I only see them once or twice a year, and I already get the feeling that they don't remember me. I'm the one that taught Adela how to make dinosaur noises and played with them every day for a week when they stayed at my cabin, but I know they'll never remember any of that. It's a trap. You play with the cute baby but the adults are the only ones that remember, and when the baby grows up all of the adults talk about it. Nobody wins. I suggest that nobody plays with babies.
My Body
Everybody has insecurities. I'm probably more confident than a lot
of people, and I honestly don't think about what I look like often. I believe
that no matter what clothes a person wears or what they put on their face or
hair, their appearance has no bearing on their personality. I'm sure that if
you asked people who don't know me, they wouldn't be able to tell you who I am
by what I look like.
But, like I said, everybody has
insecurities, and I recently read something in an old magazine about how
letting your fears out in the open can help you forget them (like that balloon
thing on Zoey 101). It said that sometimes your problems aren’t even problems,
so I’m going to act like my own sassy BFF and make some pros for these cons.
My Head
Cons Pros
|
My skin isn't the best.
|
Fair
skin is considered beautiful in many places.
|
|
I
have a few pimples and blackheads.
|
Nothing
some Proactiv can’t fix.
|
|
I don't like how my nostrils are fully visible from the front.
|
Button
noses are freaking adorable.
|
|
I
have a scar in the corner of my left eye.
|
Scars
are unique.
|
|
My
hair breaks a lot and I have tons of split ends.
|
Once
you donate it, problem solved.
|
|
My
front teeth turn inward.
|
Not
even bad enough for braces.
|
My
Torso
Cons Pros
|
I’m
overweight.
|
Not
obese. So what? Your stretch marks look like the Finger Lakes.
|
|
My
nails are inhumanly long and creepy.
|
Cut
them or get a manicure.
|
|
My
shoulders are kind of broad (it’s a German thing.)
|
Show
some pride for your heritage. At least you don’t have backne.
|
|
My
breasts could be bigger.
|
They’ll
grow.
|
|
I
have a ton of birthmarks in weird places.
|
One
of them is shaped just like the Big Dipper.
|
My
Lower Body
Cons Pros
|
I
have big hips (another German thing).
|
All
the better for child-bearing.
|
|
My
knees are weird.
|
So
are everybody else’s. Knees are universally weird.
|
|
My
feet are big.
|
It’s
not like you can bind them.
|
|
My
second toe curves outward.
|
They
kind of look like they’re swaying.
|
I recommend that people do this. When you forget
your flaws, it’s easier to remember that someday, you’ll meet somebody that likes
them. Hopefully, not all of them, because that would be concerning, but enough
to make you appreciate your body and make it a better representation of
yourself.
Spirit Animal
I've been thinking a lot about spirit animals lately. People usually say that my spirit animal is a bunny rabbit, due to my flexible nose and sweet appearance, and I don't disagree. I like rabbits, and I think that I am similar to one in some ways, but I don't think that it describes every aspect of my personality. I'm not all nice and cuddly; in fact, people who know me well might not even think of those words at first. I can be incredibly sarcastic and sometimes even unintentionally mean. I would never run away from a fight like a rabbit would, although I might not put myself on the front lines. I take pride in my intelligence, even though I'm not the smartest, which is probably a flaw. I like a good romantic comedy, but at any given moment I'm even more likely to watch a horror film. I'm a classic middle child, always trying to stand out, but never in public. I'm an INFJ and a 9w1, which I'm still trying to come to terms with.
The point of this post is, I don't know of a single animal that can completely capture every aspect of any person. Humans and animals are different; there aren't straight lines that can be drawn between them.
The point of this post is, I don't know of a single animal that can completely capture every aspect of any person. Humans and animals are different; there aren't straight lines that can be drawn between them.
Supernatural
Lately, I've been really into the show, Supernatural. Right now, I'm up to the eleventh episode of season three, which means that I've seen 54 episodes, which are around 40 minutes each. That means that I've spent 2160 minutes, or 36 hours, watching Supernatural over the past week. It has been so bad that while I was at my cabin I would wake up at nine or so and immediately start watching Supernatural, then, if it was ten at night and I was still awake with nothing to do, I would watch another episode. It's become almost like an obsession, but the dependence isn't quite as deep as other shows I've watched. When I was binge-watching shows like Doctor Who or How I Met Your Mother (both of which began in 2005, like Supernatural), I would actually spend twelve hours a day watching the television and I physically would not want to get up to do anything else. With Supernatural, I can take a break whenever I want, and I suppose that's healthier. I don't think it has anything to do with the show's quality, and there is plenty of suspense, but I find that I'm able to delay myself in going back to the show. If I continue at the same rate, I might be able to finish all nine seasons by the end of the school year.
From the Au to the Cu
Last Saturday morning, I dyed my hair red. This was done on a whim, but I've been thinking about dying my hair for a long time. In the seventh grade, I dyed my hair brown, which was a huge mistake. It didn't fit me at all, so I removed the dye, and after that, I swore that I'd stick with my natural hair.
On Friday morning, my mom asked me to go with her to buy a new canopy for our cabin in Pennsylvania. She also asked my sister, and we all went on the 45 minute drive to the nearest Target. On the way, my sister asked my mom if they could pick up some hair dye at Target. Both my mom and my sister dye their hair, so I started thinking, "Why don't I?" I liked the color of my hair, but it was starting to get old. I knew that I would want to go back to blonde, but it wouldn't hurt if I dyed it once and removed it after a few weeks. So, I bought two boxes of dye, and the next morning, I used it. I was really worried, because it looked really red while it was wet. I even got my entire family to sing Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid.
I actually kind of like it, though. When it dried, it got kind of coppery. It isn't radically different from my old hair; in fact, the ends of my hair still look kind of blonde. My family have all said that they like it, and I think that it suits me well. I still know that I will end up removing the dye, but for now, I'm going to enjoy being a ginger.
On Friday morning, my mom asked me to go with her to buy a new canopy for our cabin in Pennsylvania. She also asked my sister, and we all went on the 45 minute drive to the nearest Target. On the way, my sister asked my mom if they could pick up some hair dye at Target. Both my mom and my sister dye their hair, so I started thinking, "Why don't I?" I liked the color of my hair, but it was starting to get old. I knew that I would want to go back to blonde, but it wouldn't hurt if I dyed it once and removed it after a few weeks. So, I bought two boxes of dye, and the next morning, I used it. I was really worried, because it looked really red while it was wet. I even got my entire family to sing Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid.
I actually kind of like it, though. When it dried, it got kind of coppery. It isn't radically different from my old hair; in fact, the ends of my hair still look kind of blonde. My family have all said that they like it, and I think that it suits me well. I still know that I will end up removing the dye, but for now, I'm going to enjoy being a ginger.
Friendship
Like I said briefly in my last post, I went to see Noah with a friend. Without mentioning any names, I'd like to discuss my relationship with this friend and with others.
I've known this girl since I was three. Her aunt used to babysit me and my siblings, so I used to hang out with her and her siblings a lot, since both of my parents worked on weekends. We used to watch movies like Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, or eat chicken nugget dinosaurs and macaroni. I didn't know why at the time, and I doubt I even noticed, but I stopped seeing her when her aunt stopped babysitting me and she went to a different school. However, in second grade, she transferred, and we were in the same class.
We were best friends until sixth grade. I slept over her house practically every other weekend, and we watched movies like Jeepers Creepers and The Haunting in Connecticut while eating pizza. But, in December of sixth grade, she had to move again, this time to another school district. For about a year, we maintained this friendship, and I slept over even more often. I even went to Ocean City for a week with her family.
In the eighth grade, we stopped, and I don't know why. It always seemed like every time we asked the other to hang out, the other one was busy. I tried inviting her to birthday parties, but since I joined STAC, it was kind of awkward to have just one person who didn't know what was going on. I didn't even bother to invite her to my fifteenth birthday, but I asked her to hang out the next weekend. Going to see Noah was the first time I saw her since then.
I have felt extremely guilty for a long time for a number of reasons. This isn't the only friendship that I've let go to waste, and I don't know if that is a flaw in my character or if it really is natural to grow apart from some people. I feel like once I joined STAC, I met these great new people and neglected my old friends. To be fair, some of them weren't that great, and dropping them was more or less intentional, but there were some people who didn't deserve it. I love the friends I've made in STAC, but I'm terrified that when they graduate I won't have anybody. I won't have friends to go to prom or graduation with. Even when I take midterms or finals, I have to scrounge around to find people to hang out with, and even they are casual acquaintances at best. Lately, I've been hearing about all of these Sweet 16's, and I haven't been invited to any. This isn't the classic nerd exclusion, either, because I know that there are people that like me, but it might be my fault that I don't put enough effort into friendships. That's why they either slip away or fail to form, and why the most stable friendships I have were formed by my sister.
I've known this girl since I was three. Her aunt used to babysit me and my siblings, so I used to hang out with her and her siblings a lot, since both of my parents worked on weekends. We used to watch movies like Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, or eat chicken nugget dinosaurs and macaroni. I didn't know why at the time, and I doubt I even noticed, but I stopped seeing her when her aunt stopped babysitting me and she went to a different school. However, in second grade, she transferred, and we were in the same class.
We were best friends until sixth grade. I slept over her house practically every other weekend, and we watched movies like Jeepers Creepers and The Haunting in Connecticut while eating pizza. But, in December of sixth grade, she had to move again, this time to another school district. For about a year, we maintained this friendship, and I slept over even more often. I even went to Ocean City for a week with her family.
In the eighth grade, we stopped, and I don't know why. It always seemed like every time we asked the other to hang out, the other one was busy. I tried inviting her to birthday parties, but since I joined STAC, it was kind of awkward to have just one person who didn't know what was going on. I didn't even bother to invite her to my fifteenth birthday, but I asked her to hang out the next weekend. Going to see Noah was the first time I saw her since then.
I have felt extremely guilty for a long time for a number of reasons. This isn't the only friendship that I've let go to waste, and I don't know if that is a flaw in my character or if it really is natural to grow apart from some people. I feel like once I joined STAC, I met these great new people and neglected my old friends. To be fair, some of them weren't that great, and dropping them was more or less intentional, but there were some people who didn't deserve it. I love the friends I've made in STAC, but I'm terrified that when they graduate I won't have anybody. I won't have friends to go to prom or graduation with. Even when I take midterms or finals, I have to scrounge around to find people to hang out with, and even they are casual acquaintances at best. Lately, I've been hearing about all of these Sweet 16's, and I haven't been invited to any. This isn't the classic nerd exclusion, either, because I know that there are people that like me, but it might be my fault that I don't put enough effort into friendships. That's why they either slip away or fail to form, and why the most stable friendships I have were formed by my sister.
Noah
I saw the movie, Noah, last Saturday with a friend. I was looking forward to seeing it because it was supposedly an epic retelling of the biblical tale, and also because it had Emma Watson. I thought that it was great, although there were a few plot holes.
The movie focused on a man named Noah(obviously), his wife, Naameh, their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their adoptive daughter, Ila. After being siblings for ten or so years, Shem and Ila fall in love, but Ila is barren from being stabbed as a child and doesn't want Shem to settle for her if they can't have kids. However, after Noah's grandfather, Methuselah, blesses her, she is healed and gets pregnant. Noah is very upset with this because he thinks that mankind has to end, so if the child is a girl, he will kill her to prevent her from repopulating the earth, and if it is a boy, it will become the last man. Ila ends up giving birth to twin girls, but Noah decides not to kill them because he loves them too much, and decides that his family will repopulate the world after all. By the end of the movie, I was thinking to myself, "Did everybody just agree that Ham and Japheth are going to have sex with their nieces?" It was one thing for Shem and Ila to be together, because they weren't actually related, but if Ham and Japheth have children with their children, then their children will have to have children with their cousins, if that makes any sense. I know that people say that everybody on Earth is related, but I still find that degree of incest unsettling.
Another flaw I found, which was not so much a flaw as a possible intentional directorial decision, was that all of the characters were dressed in these postmodernistic, bohemian, earth-toned, clothes. When I think of biblical times, I always think of both men and women wearing, for lack of a better word, dresses, with their heads covered. In the end scene, Naameh is wearing pants, Ham wore something that looked like a hoodie during the majority of the movie, and they all seemed to wear rubber-soled boots. These clothes seemed like they would be worn by a fashion-backward hipster, or perhaps a homeless person, not a family who lived thousands of years ago.
Despite these flaws, I did think that Noah was a great film. Both the graphics and the symbolic metaphors were beautiful, and overall, it made me want to go to church.
The movie focused on a man named Noah(obviously), his wife, Naameh, their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their adoptive daughter, Ila. After being siblings for ten or so years, Shem and Ila fall in love, but Ila is barren from being stabbed as a child and doesn't want Shem to settle for her if they can't have kids. However, after Noah's grandfather, Methuselah, blesses her, she is healed and gets pregnant. Noah is very upset with this because he thinks that mankind has to end, so if the child is a girl, he will kill her to prevent her from repopulating the earth, and if it is a boy, it will become the last man. Ila ends up giving birth to twin girls, but Noah decides not to kill them because he loves them too much, and decides that his family will repopulate the world after all. By the end of the movie, I was thinking to myself, "Did everybody just agree that Ham and Japheth are going to have sex with their nieces?" It was one thing for Shem and Ila to be together, because they weren't actually related, but if Ham and Japheth have children with their children, then their children will have to have children with their cousins, if that makes any sense. I know that people say that everybody on Earth is related, but I still find that degree of incest unsettling.
Another flaw I found, which was not so much a flaw as a possible intentional directorial decision, was that all of the characters were dressed in these postmodernistic, bohemian, earth-toned, clothes. When I think of biblical times, I always think of both men and women wearing, for lack of a better word, dresses, with their heads covered. In the end scene, Naameh is wearing pants, Ham wore something that looked like a hoodie during the majority of the movie, and they all seemed to wear rubber-soled boots. These clothes seemed like they would be worn by a fashion-backward hipster, or perhaps a homeless person, not a family who lived thousands of years ago.
Despite these flaws, I did think that Noah was a great film. Both the graphics and the symbolic metaphors were beautiful, and overall, it made me want to go to church.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
A Piece of Advice
Don't interrupt people unless you have something important to say. Even if the conversation seems utterly frivolous. You can take inspiration from even the dumbest conversations and you never know what somebody will say if you give them the chance. Besides, nobody likes an interrupting dick.
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