Write a guide for how to celebrate Christmas in a galaxy far, far away . . .
Star Wars is easily one of my favourite epic story arcs out there, so there's really no way getting around this writing opportunity. First off, let's talk nerdy here and be realistic: The whole narrative of the Star Wars saga is proudly known as taking place "a long time ago". So, what specifically does this entail? How many years ago? Since you ask me, prompt of the day, my answer for you is just no. I don't even think it's remotely possible for a "galaxy far, far away" to celebrate Christmas. Yes, "Bah Humbug" me all you like. Though honestly, there have been duels between red and green lightsabers, so what do I know?
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Thanksgiving is just behind the corner, and of course, I thought I'd do the cheesy thing by writing a list of what I'm most thankful for. Now that I'm finally free from the shackles of heavy schoolwork I was given just these past two days (seriously, some classes crunched in a heap of material at the last minute), I thought it would be a great opportunity to reflect on the thing I tend to take the most for granted throughout the year: I want to express my gratitude for my parents. I know, I know - it’s quite a no-brainer to come up with this in terms of “What am I most thankful for?", but it’s very important. Although I may not think about it often, I’m really quite the inhibitor of stress for my parents. In no way am I a perfect child; Besides academic work, I will procrastinate on anything and everything if you so let me (getting my driver’s license, for instance, has been “in the planning stage” for about a year now). My parents get frustrated with these flaws of mine, but they do everything they can to help me change these habits for the better, and encourage me at the times I feel the most vulnerable. They don’t have to come see the band perform in ice cold weather on a Friday night. They don’t have to pay for countless photo packages of my string of school activities. But they do so anyway. And for that, I am truly grateful.
" No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. " The quote above is one of my favourite sayings. It has influenced me in more ways than one, and it is always something I look back to when I find myself trying to cope with a certain situation - or in other cases - certain people. The rest of this post will most likely end up turning into a rant-fest, so, without further ado, here is your warning. As much as it saddens me to admit, not a day passes by when I don't hear at least one degrading comment towards an individual. Now, I'm fortunate enough to be surrounded by a lovely circle of friends at school, but I know this isn't the case for every classmate of mine. In truth, I’ll pick up bits of conversations here and there as I pass through the hallways in-between classes, and my eyes widen at some of the awful comments I overhear. No, I’m not trying to pry (nor do I know who specifically these individuals were talking about) but I do care about this ridiculous behavior, and I cannot tolerate it. I wish I could understand what makes such hateful comments the only thing worth talking about. What is it about putting down others that makes oneself feel so superior? I truly pity people who have nothing better to do with their time than discouraging others whose personality, interests, and passions that may differ from theirs. Can't we all just get along?
" Are you an introvert or an extrovert? What are some stereotypes that aren’t true for you? Because my writing ideas have been at a solid level of zero this week, I was desperate enough to search for a prompt that would get my brain to function at least a little faster. So, I ended up coming across the one I pasted above, and frankly, I've got quite a bit of opinions forming already. To answer the question simply, I would consider myself to be an introvert, and I'm sure many other people I know would agree. Sure, I tend to be reserved and a bit quiet at times, but that's not to be confused with the main characteristic that tends to accompany the definition of an introvert - "antisocial". I'm sure many other people would agree when I say that this is a sad stereotype. Now, there are people out there who are both, but I, for the record, am not one of them. I love to spend time with my close friends and family. While social gatherings are enjoyable, I will admit that I do like time to myself to delve into my passionate interests outside of the classroom. Do I wish I was more extroverted? Yes and no. In certain situations, I feel as though it would be beneficial to be instantly recognizable, but as for others, I'm not so sure. For me to be 100% extroverted is for me to be a complete different person, and frankly, I wouldn't want that. I always think before I speak, and . . . could you really -actually- picture me talking at a loud volume for once? (◜௰◝)
" Who is the monster and who is the man? " With all the recent excitement and obsession over Disney's new computer-animated hits - Frozen, Wreck it Ralph, Big Hero 6, and Inside Out - the company's traditional way of animating has been greatly disregarded. Now, don't get me wrong - these new films are brilliant and all, but I feel as though they're lacking that special something that the classic hand-drawn animations embodied. Of course, as you can infer from the title of this post, I am here to elaborate on a movie that, in my opinion, is the most under-appreciated animated motion picture Disney has ever made. The Hunchback of Notre Dame in itself is vibrantly detailed, and is cleverly made up of the most complex themes I've witnessed in a Disney film. It's animated storytelling at its finest. If you were to have asked me what I thought of this movie when I was six years old, I'm sure my answer wouldn’t fall short of saying how much I loved singing along to the music, laughing at the gargoyles, or how I was convinced that I was as beautiful and clever as Esmeralda. What I may not have been able to tell you, however, was what issues and ideas the dark story dealt with. I’ve had the idea about writing a post like this ever since I had re-watched it about a month ago, and I’m finally coming around to it now. Where do I even start? I will say that this film had me in tears toward the end - I mean, between the wave of nostalgia and my ability to finally comprehend the true meaning of the film, how could I not? One scene in particular I may recall being utterly appalled by is that of Frollo’s vile and not-so-romantic “Hellfire” serenade about his conflicting attraction and hatred for the tempting gypsy Esmeralda. That portion of the film had always scared me as a child, but for me to finally understand the drive and meaning behind a tormenting scene such as that has really opened my eyes to the beauty and complexity of this film. Disney, you little rebel, you.
So far into the school year this fall, I will say that I've been pleasantly surprised with how productive I've been with my time in comparison to last year. It's been a big improvement, and I'm happy with my changes in study habits. If I am given time to work on a project, or study for an upcoming exam, I will try to get a head start on it most definitely. Unfortunately, I'm sad to say that this week has been an exception - I forgot to take my music folder home the other night, and I was unprepared for my band lesson the following morning; and my writing inspiration has been irritatingly slow, which results in my prompts taking significantly longer to write. My ambition for the week seems to be nonexistent, and procrastination has been knocking at my door. Now, whether or not I'll open that door - that's something I'll find out in the days to come. With all joking aside, I think everyone is ready for Thanksgiving break. It can't come soon enough.
" If you could live in one movie - forever - and not be able to come back, what would it be? " This question pains me. How am I possibly able to give an answer to this? While I could sit here and list off movie after movie, I should at least narrow down my choices some way or another. I would love to travel to a world very different from my own (and still be able to survive for a good amount of time to experience it to the best of my ability). The dilemma of this question is, in fact, the question itself. Although the possibility of traveling to any reality of my choosing is desirable in its own right, I very much love my life here in the sense that I can watch all of these diverse movies without having to worry about being chased by a sadistic villain without a moment's notice.
I'm not one to get to too mushy and sentimental about such a thing coming to a close, but the only three performances for the school play are this coming weekend, and it's just another milestone to check off my list during my Junior year. The practices that have occupied these past couple of months have gone by extremely quickly, and the fact that production weekend has already arrived is just unfathomable. I swear, weren't auditions only a couple of weeks ago? I'm confident our performances will go as well as we have heavily practiced these past couple of nights, and I can only hope they reflect the efforts we have all put into making this show as memorable as we have hoped. Like I've come to realize in my favourite movies, every role - no matter how small or large - is equally important when telling a compelling story; and this fall's cast was certainly a joy to be a part of.
Unless you're specifically a member in the class mentioned above, I'm sure you've never really heard of it, much less have any familiarity of what it's actually about. My curiosity in animation and computer graphics has grown a lot in the recent year, and thanks to this class in particular, I am able to pursue and explore that interest in an independent manner. To put it simply, VREP stands for "Virtual Reality Education Pathways". Does that make me sound a bit like your stereotypical computer geek? Perhaps - but seeing as I'm the only girl in the class, I'd like to think I'm taking a few of my fellow classmates by surprise. Were if I could, I suppose I'd sit here and ramble on about the Blender program and how I can turn a grey, default cube into a ball of fire, but you probably couldn't care any less about how I am able to do that. (But, I simply needed a topic to write about for a sufficient blogpost for the day, so here I am.) As an example of the animation level I could potentially attain, I will say that the Blender program I dabble with in VREP was used in the making of this commercial. See the background of the Statue of Liberty and the flowing water? That was all modeled and animated using the very program I use in class.
" What are the most quotable movies of all time? "
5. | Robin Hood: Men in Tights - " Oh, they call me Little John. But don't let my name fool you. In real life, I'm very big. " - Although I cannot recall line per line from this movie by heart, this Mel Brooks film never ceases to brighten my day for it's blatant stupidity. Any film that is medieval in setting is bound to be watched by yours truly, so it was really a no-brainer as to why I had seen it in the first place. It's the only comedy with such an idiotic excuse for a sufficient script that I've come to love. Men in Tights is just so terribly bad that it's a masterpiece.
4. | The Lord of the Rings - " You shall not pass! " - Whenever the end of the semester begins to draw near, and exam dates fill up my busy calendar, this quote very much exemplifies my greatest fear. Indeed, Gandalf the Grey, I certainly shall not pass if I do not study. 3. | The Wizard of Oz - " There's no place like home. " - Whenever I'm on a lengthy get-away vacation, I may find myself mumbling this quote more often than I'll admit. And on another occasion - just because I'm older now doesn't mean I'm any less scared of the dark. If I have to go outside to take out the trash late at night, I may end up singing " lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! " as I run back up the steps to my front door. 2. | Home Alone - " Bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen. " - What can I say? The characters are clever. The duo of spunky criminals brought in a new wave of inspiration for the stereotypical side-kick antagonists, and Kevin McCallister's witty dialogue is the perfect recipe for a holiday favourite film. After I go out to dine and pay for my entrée at the counter, or when I hand my check to the man delivering my pizza at my front door, I always have the urge to wink and say, "Keep the change, 'ya filthy animal." 1. | Aladdin - " All right, Sparky, here's the deal. If you wanna court the little lady, you gotta be a straight shooter. Do ya got it? " - Okay, yes, I may have ranked this one in the number one slot out of sheer personal preference, but I'm not going to lie - I can quote the living heck out of this film. Every time I rewatch it I discover something I hadn't noticed before, which is a rather hard feat for an animated film to uphold for being viewed as repeatedly as it has on my account. It's such an energetic and vibrant medium of storytelling, and the ebullient Genie spews an endless spectrum of celebrity impersonations - in a way, the film is very much like an ode to the famous figures of yesteryear. |
— Initially, this page was where I documented my daily prompts for a writing class in high school, but I'll continue to post my thoughts here every once in a while. I might also post some dissertations / research I've done here in college. categories:archives:
April 2018
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