I only like the explosion-infused, action-packed, summer blockbusters to a certain extent. They tend to go in the way of Michael Bay: eye overload with little to no actual storytelling. The Avengers wasn't like that...ok not ENTIRELY like that.
First, it contained some great camera work. People tend to underestimate the power of good camera work. You can have all the neat special effects you want but if it's not presented in new and interesting ways the audience will get bored. Director/writer Joss Whedon shows you the action from every possible vantage point, it's like his camera is not burdened by the limits of conventional cinema. There is a moment when a character takes aim, then you see presumably what he is aiming at. At that moment the camera does a quick zoom and focus shot, something Whedon did many times in Firefly, and it has become kind of a signature of his. This comes from years of dedication and practice, but most of all incredible creativity and it really paid off for him in this.
Second, The music by Alan Silvestri was fantastic. His work always seems to have a layer of depth beneath it. While the good guys are fighting the bad guys we don't just hear a heroic anthem, it is layered with the seriousness of fighting a war. There are so many subtle and complex ways to stir emotion with music and Silvestri does a great job here.
Third, the story was there. It must have been nightmarish to take separate stories of six different comic book heroes and fuse them into one. I'll cut them some slack for the cheesy dialogue, because the plot stayed interesting and never branched into the formulaic. The writers made a funny and inspiring story about uniting against a common foe. The actors were spot-on and the characters had depth that the audience connected with.
Sometimes it's hard to know how much is enough. With multi-million dollar budgets the creators could afford to pump up the effects. There were many good things about the effects, like the aliens and fancy technology, I'm sure it will get a nomination in next year's Oscars. I applaud them for their ingenuity and creativity, but dock them several points for taking it too far. There were so many things for your eyes to focus on per second that mine actually started to hurt. So in that sense it did go the Michael Bay route. Watching in 3D made it worse. I'm also convinced that if you overload the audience's brain too soon they will be jaded and unimpressed by the end of the film.
Still, The Avengers was a fun heart pounding film that will be a treat for all those following the superhero saga. Comic book purists will no doubt find something to ridicule, but the common film enthusiasts will see it as the action packed adventure we've come to expect from our summer blockbusters. I for one am excited to see what Marvel comes up with next.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
May Day and Beltane
My Clothes still smell like campfire from this morning, and here's why...
I woke up naturally at 4 a.m. this lovely May-day morning, I blame the jet lag. I figured since I'm up I might as well participate in one of Edinburgh's May-day traditions.
I dressed for the cold and caught a taxi out to Arthur's Seat, the extinct volcano overlooking Edinburgh. Legend says that if a woman washes her face with the dew from the slopes of Arthur's seat on the first of May at dawn, she will be granted everlasting beauty. Now, I don't believe there's any truth to this claim, but its a fun tradition and I've tried haggis so nothing scares me.
I rode around to the highest point so I wouldn't have too far of a walk up to the top. It was cold, mystical and incredibly gorgeous but I couldn't see the sunrise because it was so misty. I didn't know when I needed to brave the dew so I walked back down far enough so I could see the city. I still couldn't see the sunrise with all the clouds in the way but I took a guess and washed my face. It was very peaceful up there, I loved the solitude and didn't even mind the cold.
At this time I began to get hungry. I started back down the slope intending to get breakfast in town when I happened upon a gathering of hippies covered in paint and playing with fire and drums. I literally just rounded the corner and they appeared there. My journalistic curiosity kicked in and I decided to see what was up. A very nice gentleman wearing red paint and almost nothing else kindly invited me to join them and I made my way over to them taking in the unusual sight. There were plenty of, for lack of a better word, normal people there mixed in with all the painted, costumed and horned specimens so I didn't feel like an outsider. I even saw one guy in a suit.
It turns out they took part in the annual Beltane celebration, which is an ancient pagan practice in which people drive the spirits of winter away to make way for spring. The party took place last night up on Calton Hill, then made its way to the after party in a local club. I caught the after-after party where the participants decided to gather together on the slopes of Arthur's Seat to eat, drink, smoke, play with fire, beat drums, and I'm pretty sure I saw the beginnings of an orgy.
My clothes smell like campfire because I was naturally attracted to the warmest spot. They were burning goarse bushes and I could have sworn they would catch themselves on fire but they apparently knew more than they let on. There I met a few friends who told me a little bit about the ceremony and offered me food and drink. Yes one of those drinks was tequila, and the other was Baileys but a Scottish shot is not going to kill me.
It was getting on in the morning (seven or so) and I had to get some food and find someplace warm. Another nice gentleman, this time with blue paint, walked with me and explained a little more about the tradition. It all begins with the Green Man. He is the symbol of spring, planting, growing, rebirth, fertility, etc. Every year in the beginning of winter the Winter King kills the Green Man and he is reborn or resurrected in the spring representing the Green Man's renewed reign over the world. The May Queen is kind of like the earth mother. According to the different legends she leaves the Winter King and either resurrects the Green Man and marries him, or gives birth to the Green Man and the spring cycle begins again. Either way the May Queen sounds like kind of a hussy. The Winter King kills the Green Man and she walks off with her child/husband's killer until such time as the Green Man returns.
In the celebration there are three main types of painted people. The red ones are supposed to represent chaos, they are all the bad spirits that the pagans are hoping to drive away. They typically play drums, dance and work with fire. The white ones represent the May Queen and her maidens (although I saw a guy in white wearing a corset). And of course the green represent the Green Man himself. Apparently these celebrations have nearly 10,000 people crammed on the hill together on April 30. I missed the party last night and it was pure luck that I happened upon it this morning. I should have charged my camera so I could get a few decent pictures, but I guess something like that is not easy to forget. All I know is I had an awesome time, I made some great new friends, and it's not every day you get to take part in a pagan ritual.
Happy Beltane everyone!
I woke up naturally at 4 a.m. this lovely May-day morning, I blame the jet lag. I figured since I'm up I might as well participate in one of Edinburgh's May-day traditions.
I dressed for the cold and caught a taxi out to Arthur's Seat, the extinct volcano overlooking Edinburgh. Legend says that if a woman washes her face with the dew from the slopes of Arthur's seat on the first of May at dawn, she will be granted everlasting beauty. Now, I don't believe there's any truth to this claim, but its a fun tradition and I've tried haggis so nothing scares me.
I rode around to the highest point so I wouldn't have too far of a walk up to the top. It was cold, mystical and incredibly gorgeous but I couldn't see the sunrise because it was so misty. I didn't know when I needed to brave the dew so I walked back down far enough so I could see the city. I still couldn't see the sunrise with all the clouds in the way but I took a guess and washed my face. It was very peaceful up there, I loved the solitude and didn't even mind the cold.
At this time I began to get hungry. I started back down the slope intending to get breakfast in town when I happened upon a gathering of hippies covered in paint and playing with fire and drums. I literally just rounded the corner and they appeared there. My journalistic curiosity kicked in and I decided to see what was up. A very nice gentleman wearing red paint and almost nothing else kindly invited me to join them and I made my way over to them taking in the unusual sight. There were plenty of, for lack of a better word, normal people there mixed in with all the painted, costumed and horned specimens so I didn't feel like an outsider. I even saw one guy in a suit.
It turns out they took part in the annual Beltane celebration, which is an ancient pagan practice in which people drive the spirits of winter away to make way for spring. The party took place last night up on Calton Hill, then made its way to the after party in a local club. I caught the after-after party where the participants decided to gather together on the slopes of Arthur's Seat to eat, drink, smoke, play with fire, beat drums, and I'm pretty sure I saw the beginnings of an orgy.
My clothes smell like campfire because I was naturally attracted to the warmest spot. They were burning goarse bushes and I could have sworn they would catch themselves on fire but they apparently knew more than they let on. There I met a few friends who told me a little bit about the ceremony and offered me food and drink. Yes one of those drinks was tequila, and the other was Baileys but a Scottish shot is not going to kill me.
It was getting on in the morning (seven or so) and I had to get some food and find someplace warm. Another nice gentleman, this time with blue paint, walked with me and explained a little more about the tradition. It all begins with the Green Man. He is the symbol of spring, planting, growing, rebirth, fertility, etc. Every year in the beginning of winter the Winter King kills the Green Man and he is reborn or resurrected in the spring representing the Green Man's renewed reign over the world. The May Queen is kind of like the earth mother. According to the different legends she leaves the Winter King and either resurrects the Green Man and marries him, or gives birth to the Green Man and the spring cycle begins again. Either way the May Queen sounds like kind of a hussy. The Winter King kills the Green Man and she walks off with her child/husband's killer until such time as the Green Man returns.
In the celebration there are three main types of painted people. The red ones are supposed to represent chaos, they are all the bad spirits that the pagans are hoping to drive away. They typically play drums, dance and work with fire. The white ones represent the May Queen and her maidens (although I saw a guy in white wearing a corset). And of course the green represent the Green Man himself. Apparently these celebrations have nearly 10,000 people crammed on the hill together on April 30. I missed the party last night and it was pure luck that I happened upon it this morning. I should have charged my camera so I could get a few decent pictures, but I guess something like that is not easy to forget. All I know is I had an awesome time, I made some great new friends, and it's not every day you get to take part in a pagan ritual.
Happy Beltane everyone!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Hunger Games Review
The Hunger Games was a fantastically made movie, everything from its adherence to the book to the choice of cast was impeccable.
The film follows the story of Katniss Everdeen who grew up in the poorest district in the utilitarian post-American country of Panem ruled over by the oppressive city known as the Capitol. One such tool of oppression the Capitol inflicts upon the districts is the hunger games, in which each district offers up a boy and a girl to compete in a televised fight to the death. Katniss volunteers for the games in place of her sister and the story reflects her experience in the games.
It was a great performance by both heroes, Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark). Each character was believable, I really felt like this could be real. Their portrayal was honest, understated and classy. If this is the caliber of films they make, I cant wait to see what they star in next. There were also some great moments from Donald Sutherland,(President Snow) Woody Harrelson, (Haymitch) and Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman).
One thing I especially like about the film is that it shows different points of view. The book follows the first hand account of Katniss, while the film gives you a look into what is happening outside the arena. The audience is shown things that nobody else sees including; the people controlling the games, the beginnings of dissent among the districts, and even secret meetings with high ranking officials.
Another good selling point was that it was not overly gory. In a plot that involves children brutally fighting to the death you would think there would be a lot of blood. The scenes showed just enough gore to make it frightening and impactful without crossing the line in to horror.
The movie also gives foreshadowing and hints from book two, which provides a neat segue into the inevitable film sequel. It doesn't, however, leave you on a cliffhanger, as I felt the book did. In the film you get a sense that Katniss' trials are not over yet but there's hope of peace for now.
As with any book-to-film translation there will be something in the book that will have to be left out of the movie to save time. There were a few minor details I would have liked to see, like more Katniss-Peeta development, but nothing of major importance to the plot. They told the story very simply and very well.
Just a few things that bugged me, President Snow's mane of white hair was completely unlike how he was described, and it made him seem old and rather a pushover as opposed to dangerous. The set design on the cornucopia was very bizarre, it was a strange metallic spiky thing that seemed disjointed with the natural surroundings. It did however reflect the brutal sharp steel of the weapons it housed so at least it was somewhat cohesive. Lastly, the genetically engineered wolves that attack the players look more like pit bulls than wolves and did not resemble any of the fellow tributes like it should have. Other than that, basically everything was right on point.
The music was beautiful, it was fast and dangerous one moment and melodious and heart wrenching the next. It seemed to mix in perfectly with what was going on on-screen.
The special effects were pretty cool especially when they showed Panem's advanced technology and genetically engineered dogs. Their tricks with fire were my favorite, getting fire to look real is very hard and I think they did well under the circumstances.
The costuming was almost exactly how I imagined it. The people in the poor districts were dirty wearing plain clothing while those in the Capitol were extremely gaudy and over-the-top. It really brought home to me the kind of lives these characters were living, (I would have loved to have been an extra for the day).
All in all it was a very solid and satisfying film. I was drawn into this world and made a great connection with the characters and events. The visual elements were striking and memorable, the music perfectly matched to the plot, the acting was fabulous and the costumes were gorgeous, making for a fantastic package.
The film follows the story of Katniss Everdeen who grew up in the poorest district in the utilitarian post-American country of Panem ruled over by the oppressive city known as the Capitol. One such tool of oppression the Capitol inflicts upon the districts is the hunger games, in which each district offers up a boy and a girl to compete in a televised fight to the death. Katniss volunteers for the games in place of her sister and the story reflects her experience in the games.
It was a great performance by both heroes, Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark). Each character was believable, I really felt like this could be real. Their portrayal was honest, understated and classy. If this is the caliber of films they make, I cant wait to see what they star in next. There were also some great moments from Donald Sutherland,(President Snow) Woody Harrelson, (Haymitch) and Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman).
One thing I especially like about the film is that it shows different points of view. The book follows the first hand account of Katniss, while the film gives you a look into what is happening outside the arena. The audience is shown things that nobody else sees including; the people controlling the games, the beginnings of dissent among the districts, and even secret meetings with high ranking officials.
Another good selling point was that it was not overly gory. In a plot that involves children brutally fighting to the death you would think there would be a lot of blood. The scenes showed just enough gore to make it frightening and impactful without crossing the line in to horror.
The movie also gives foreshadowing and hints from book two, which provides a neat segue into the inevitable film sequel. It doesn't, however, leave you on a cliffhanger, as I felt the book did. In the film you get a sense that Katniss' trials are not over yet but there's hope of peace for now.
As with any book-to-film translation there will be something in the book that will have to be left out of the movie to save time. There were a few minor details I would have liked to see, like more Katniss-Peeta development, but nothing of major importance to the plot. They told the story very simply and very well.
Just a few things that bugged me, President Snow's mane of white hair was completely unlike how he was described, and it made him seem old and rather a pushover as opposed to dangerous. The set design on the cornucopia was very bizarre, it was a strange metallic spiky thing that seemed disjointed with the natural surroundings. It did however reflect the brutal sharp steel of the weapons it housed so at least it was somewhat cohesive. Lastly, the genetically engineered wolves that attack the players look more like pit bulls than wolves and did not resemble any of the fellow tributes like it should have. Other than that, basically everything was right on point.
The music was beautiful, it was fast and dangerous one moment and melodious and heart wrenching the next. It seemed to mix in perfectly with what was going on on-screen.
The special effects were pretty cool especially when they showed Panem's advanced technology and genetically engineered dogs. Their tricks with fire were my favorite, getting fire to look real is very hard and I think they did well under the circumstances.
The costuming was almost exactly how I imagined it. The people in the poor districts were dirty wearing plain clothing while those in the Capitol were extremely gaudy and over-the-top. It really brought home to me the kind of lives these characters were living, (I would have loved to have been an extra for the day).
All in all it was a very solid and satisfying film. I was drawn into this world and made a great connection with the characters and events. The visual elements were striking and memorable, the music perfectly matched to the plot, the acting was fabulous and the costumes were gorgeous, making for a fantastic package.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Ireland
On the first day we arrived in Dublin and immediately went on a walking tour. Our guide's name was Paul and he was extremely hungover but gave us a great tour. He was also really cute with striking blue eyes and his catch phrase, which I managed to catch on video, was ‘Happy Fucking Days.”
Paul took us all over Dublin showing us some great sights and giving us a lot of history. We learned about the castle and how it doesn’t resemble a castle at all because it was burned down and rebuilt. We learned about the statue of Lady Justice and her 4 flaws: she isn’t blind, she’s carrying an unsheathed sword, her scales keep tipping in the rain, and she faces the castle and the Crown not the city and her people. We saw the Spire from a distance, the biggest freestanding sculpture in the world, built in 2003 for the new millennium….only 3 years too late. It also has many phallic nicknames which I won’t go into here.
He took us past the arts centre where U2 won battle of the bands years ago before they became famous. After they won that night, they went across the street to a nightclub where they were refused entry, Bono replied with “don’t worry someday I’ll own this bar,” he came back and bought the whole block. This is in the Temple Bar area, a great block of shops and pubs, even though it’s a known tourist trap. We went past the place where Jonathan Swift lived near the 40 steps, and even the garden/helipad that royals and important people use when they come to visit.
The tour went a few hours longer than expected and we were starving by the time it was over. We ate at The Mercantile, a great pub, and went to check out the hostel. We got lost and I had problems with my hurt foot, before this trip I wandered around Edinburgh for 10 miles and must have done some major damage to my right foot, this whole trip it hurt very much to walk. We went on a pub crawl that evening which was super fun. The first bar, which was the Mercantile again, I got asked for my number by an extremely nice older gentleman bartender, which kind of made my night, I couldn’t cope with the heels and fell at the 3rd pub which was embarrassing but I changed and went back to the party.
When I went to go change my shoes, and the rest of my outfit since I can’t wear a skirt with ugly sneakers, I almost literally ran into a group of people who were taking a picture outside the pub. Without missing a beat these strangers pulled me into their picture and said smile! So now I am in some random group's picture and will probably always be remembered as that one girl they met awkwardly on the street, if they remember me at all. The third pub was my favourite. I had my first vodka lemon slice shot which was incredibly harsh, and listened to this old guy rock hardcore on a banjo as part of an Irish folk band. He reminded me of Jeff, the best guitarist I know.
We had a pretty good time with all the rest of the drunk people in the pub crawl with us, even though they started to become obnoxious after a time, as always happens with booze. There was this one guy who swerved drunkenly into me and nearly hit me. His friend said “don’t worry I’ll protect you,” and I laughed. He offered me his hand as we were walking and I thought he meant it as an introduction like to shake hands but then he weaved his hand into mine and this perfect stranger and I walked hand in hand down the street for no reason at all. Drunk guys are hilarious. Finally, Brooke came and rescued me. Later that night he was too drunk to stand but it was funny all the same.
At one of the next pubs the girls decided to take another shot, having taken pills for my foot I refrained but it was my round so up to the bar I went. It was worth it because I got to make eyes at a cutie who couldn’t stop staring at me. It was pretty funny and flattering, but he was too chicken to make a move. Too bad for him.
We finally ended up in a nightclub where we lit up the floor with our awesome dance moves. It was really fun to just bust out and let go of our worries. We danced with many random men and made eyes at more but we soon realized that this club housed a lot of gay men, not sure whether or not it was labelled a gay club, no women tried to dance with us, but there were a significant number of them there. At about 2ish we caught a cab home and crashed.
The next morning I slept in until 9:30-10ish but nobody else got up until around 11, we took a while getting ready and had an awesome breakfast/lunch next door at the Copper Alley Bistro. They had a Bailey's Cheesecake which was to die for. Next we walked to the Guinness factory, it was a pretty neat place and it was cool to see the city on the way, plus it came with a free pint of Guinness so who’s complaining?...Well I am, because I dropped my camera, just a tiny drop, 2 feet at the most, but it must have hit it at exactly the wrong spot because my screen is all messed up now. On top of that my foot was pretty much in agony all day. Any time I put pressure on it or moved it wrong, pain would shoot up my entire leg. I’m embarrassed to say it made me crabby and irritable. Unfortunately we couldn’t just stop walking, and I couldn’t expect the rest of the group to slow down for me. I just gritted my teeth and pushed on.
We also went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was beautiful from the outside but closed so we couldn’t see the inside, just another reason to go back. Brooke and I ate dinner at a really cool little Spanish place called Havana which had a great apple and plum crumble. We bought some champagne and OJ and relaxed in the hostel for the evening, we taught Kelsey and Meagan to play hearts and have been playing it a lot ever since.
The next morning we woke up and barely made the bus to Galway. When we finally arrived we didn’t get to go to the Cliffs of Moher because they were only running one bus a day, I'll just have to come back to Ireland to see them too, darn the luck. Instead we walked all around the city which was only about one square mile, if that. Galway was such a cute little town. The local Cathedral was beautiful and we went under the Spanish Arches and along the river. We also went through the shopping district and had afternoon tea in the greatest little tea shop called “Cupan Tae” which looks just like cuppa tea and made us laugh. We ended up spending about 2 or 3 hours there sipping tea and chatting, and I finally found some tea that I like, it was great. Later that night we ate in a nice little Italian place and went to bed pretty early because we had to get up early the next day to catch our bus to Cork.
Cork was a bigger town than I expected, and much more industrial, we called it the Glasgow of Ireland. We didn’t spend much time there, instead we took the bus out to Blarney. This was my favourite part of the trip, the town was so small and cute and quaint and I wanted to spend weeks there. Blarney Castle and Gardens were amazing.
The castle is in ruins but is steeped in history. Of course we couldn’t go to Blarney Castle and not kiss the Blarney Stone, which gifts all those who kiss it with eloquence. I went first, then Meagan. Kelsey and Brooke needed a little convincing but finally did it. It’s a scary experience because you have to lay down and lean back over the edge of the castle and you have to literally bend over backward to get to it, you feel like you are going to fall. It gave me an adrenaline rush though and we had the most fun taking pictures all around the castle and gardens, it was a truly beautiful place. It also had a poison garden full of a huge variety of poisonous plants and herbs. I thought that was the most unusual thing to have growing just outside of a castle but it was really neat and informative. We ate an early dinner at a great pub/hotel in Blarney. I sat next to the fire, it was so comfy. I had a really awesome dessert called a fruit pavlova which was basically all kinds of fruit mixed in a cream and meringue mixture, I have never eaten a dessert like it.
The next day was all about getting ready to leave, we woke up, window shopped in Cork, then had a 5 hour bus trip back to Dublin where we caught the plane home. We arrived home about 10 p.m. and I had to get started on my biology report due the next day, it was a long night at the end of a fantastic trip. I can’t wait for the next adventure.
Paul took us all over Dublin showing us some great sights and giving us a lot of history. We learned about the castle and how it doesn’t resemble a castle at all because it was burned down and rebuilt. We learned about the statue of Lady Justice and her 4 flaws: she isn’t blind, she’s carrying an unsheathed sword, her scales keep tipping in the rain, and she faces the castle and the Crown not the city and her people. We saw the Spire from a distance, the biggest freestanding sculpture in the world, built in 2003 for the new millennium….only 3 years too late. It also has many phallic nicknames which I won’t go into here.
He took us past the arts centre where U2 won battle of the bands years ago before they became famous. After they won that night, they went across the street to a nightclub where they were refused entry, Bono replied with “don’t worry someday I’ll own this bar,” he came back and bought the whole block. This is in the Temple Bar area, a great block of shops and pubs, even though it’s a known tourist trap. We went past the place where Jonathan Swift lived near the 40 steps, and even the garden/helipad that royals and important people use when they come to visit.
The tour went a few hours longer than expected and we were starving by the time it was over. We ate at The Mercantile, a great pub, and went to check out the hostel. We got lost and I had problems with my hurt foot, before this trip I wandered around Edinburgh for 10 miles and must have done some major damage to my right foot, this whole trip it hurt very much to walk. We went on a pub crawl that evening which was super fun. The first bar, which was the Mercantile again, I got asked for my number by an extremely nice older gentleman bartender, which kind of made my night, I couldn’t cope with the heels and fell at the 3rd pub which was embarrassing but I changed and went back to the party.
When I went to go change my shoes, and the rest of my outfit since I can’t wear a skirt with ugly sneakers, I almost literally ran into a group of people who were taking a picture outside the pub. Without missing a beat these strangers pulled me into their picture and said smile! So now I am in some random group's picture and will probably always be remembered as that one girl they met awkwardly on the street, if they remember me at all. The third pub was my favourite. I had my first vodka lemon slice shot which was incredibly harsh, and listened to this old guy rock hardcore on a banjo as part of an Irish folk band. He reminded me of Jeff, the best guitarist I know.
We had a pretty good time with all the rest of the drunk people in the pub crawl with us, even though they started to become obnoxious after a time, as always happens with booze. There was this one guy who swerved drunkenly into me and nearly hit me. His friend said “don’t worry I’ll protect you,” and I laughed. He offered me his hand as we were walking and I thought he meant it as an introduction like to shake hands but then he weaved his hand into mine and this perfect stranger and I walked hand in hand down the street for no reason at all. Drunk guys are hilarious. Finally, Brooke came and rescued me. Later that night he was too drunk to stand but it was funny all the same.
At one of the next pubs the girls decided to take another shot, having taken pills for my foot I refrained but it was my round so up to the bar I went. It was worth it because I got to make eyes at a cutie who couldn’t stop staring at me. It was pretty funny and flattering, but he was too chicken to make a move. Too bad for him.
We finally ended up in a nightclub where we lit up the floor with our awesome dance moves. It was really fun to just bust out and let go of our worries. We danced with many random men and made eyes at more but we soon realized that this club housed a lot of gay men, not sure whether or not it was labelled a gay club, no women tried to dance with us, but there were a significant number of them there. At about 2ish we caught a cab home and crashed.
The next morning I slept in until 9:30-10ish but nobody else got up until around 11, we took a while getting ready and had an awesome breakfast/lunch next door at the Copper Alley Bistro. They had a Bailey's Cheesecake which was to die for. Next we walked to the Guinness factory, it was a pretty neat place and it was cool to see the city on the way, plus it came with a free pint of Guinness so who’s complaining?...Well I am, because I dropped my camera, just a tiny drop, 2 feet at the most, but it must have hit it at exactly the wrong spot because my screen is all messed up now. On top of that my foot was pretty much in agony all day. Any time I put pressure on it or moved it wrong, pain would shoot up my entire leg. I’m embarrassed to say it made me crabby and irritable. Unfortunately we couldn’t just stop walking, and I couldn’t expect the rest of the group to slow down for me. I just gritted my teeth and pushed on.
We also went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was beautiful from the outside but closed so we couldn’t see the inside, just another reason to go back. Brooke and I ate dinner at a really cool little Spanish place called Havana which had a great apple and plum crumble. We bought some champagne and OJ and relaxed in the hostel for the evening, we taught Kelsey and Meagan to play hearts and have been playing it a lot ever since.
The next morning we woke up and barely made the bus to Galway. When we finally arrived we didn’t get to go to the Cliffs of Moher because they were only running one bus a day, I'll just have to come back to Ireland to see them too, darn the luck. Instead we walked all around the city which was only about one square mile, if that. Galway was such a cute little town. The local Cathedral was beautiful and we went under the Spanish Arches and along the river. We also went through the shopping district and had afternoon tea in the greatest little tea shop called “Cupan Tae” which looks just like cuppa tea and made us laugh. We ended up spending about 2 or 3 hours there sipping tea and chatting, and I finally found some tea that I like, it was great. Later that night we ate in a nice little Italian place and went to bed pretty early because we had to get up early the next day to catch our bus to Cork.
Cork was a bigger town than I expected, and much more industrial, we called it the Glasgow of Ireland. We didn’t spend much time there, instead we took the bus out to Blarney. This was my favourite part of the trip, the town was so small and cute and quaint and I wanted to spend weeks there. Blarney Castle and Gardens were amazing.
The castle is in ruins but is steeped in history. Of course we couldn’t go to Blarney Castle and not kiss the Blarney Stone, which gifts all those who kiss it with eloquence. I went first, then Meagan. Kelsey and Brooke needed a little convincing but finally did it. It’s a scary experience because you have to lay down and lean back over the edge of the castle and you have to literally bend over backward to get to it, you feel like you are going to fall. It gave me an adrenaline rush though and we had the most fun taking pictures all around the castle and gardens, it was a truly beautiful place. It also had a poison garden full of a huge variety of poisonous plants and herbs. I thought that was the most unusual thing to have growing just outside of a castle but it was really neat and informative. We ate an early dinner at a great pub/hotel in Blarney. I sat next to the fire, it was so comfy. I had a really awesome dessert called a fruit pavlova which was basically all kinds of fruit mixed in a cream and meringue mixture, I have never eaten a dessert like it.
The next day was all about getting ready to leave, we woke up, window shopped in Cork, then had a 5 hour bus trip back to Dublin where we caught the plane home. We arrived home about 10 p.m. and I had to get started on my biology report due the next day, it was a long night at the end of a fantastic trip. I can’t wait for the next adventure.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Wandering
Hey guys,
I just got home after a very long wander. For those who don't know I like very much to go wandering, especially in a new place. A wander is exactly as it sounds, an aimless walk with no real plans or intentions. I usually wander to explore, it's a way of getting my bearings and understanding the place I live in. I like to feel the endless possibilities and see just exactly where the path ends. Usually I pick a direction or a vague place I would like to see and I head toward it. Usually I change my mind halfway through, but I always end up in a cool place.
Previously I wandered to the city center where I took one road out until my feet were sore and I could trek no further. Another time I went into a new part of the city and found the path along the river which I took all the way back to my home. One of my more recent excursions was when I went north until I reached the sea and followed a bus route until it ended. At first I just explored the city, until it wasn't enough for me anymore and I felt the compulsion to branch out further.
Today I needed another wander. It was a beautiful day so I decided to stretch my legs and enjoy the sunshine. First I had to turn in an assignment so I walked about a mile round trip to campus for that. I didn't want to shop or go indoors so I stuck to the parks and green areas. I went through the meadows, intending to go to Grassmarket, changed my mind and ended up in Holyrood Park where Arthur's Seat and the Salsbury Crags are. I meant to explore these paths a little to scope them out for my family, they're coming to visit soon and I want to show them cool places.
I found a cute little duck pond completely full of birds. The swans were particularly elegant and beautiful. One path that might be good for the family is a little hill topped with some ruins that overlooks the city, I think they'll like that. Once I was on a certain road I had to see where it ended, and once I got pretty far down I realized I can go and see the North Sea.
By the time I got to the water it was late afternoon coming up on sunset. I sat and contemplated for a while just gazing into the depths. I finally got up and started heading back by a new path I found on my phone (GPS is the best thing about having a smartphone). I found out I was no longer technically in Edinburgh, but in Duddingston. I walked up a great old cobbled road that looked like it came straight out of the 1800s and past some beautiful old houses and a golf course. I then walked along the other side of the big park on the path by Arthur's seat, made my way across the meadows and back home. All in all, it was a 10 mile trek, the longest I've ever walked in one day.
And the day ain't over yet...
I just got home after a very long wander. For those who don't know I like very much to go wandering, especially in a new place. A wander is exactly as it sounds, an aimless walk with no real plans or intentions. I usually wander to explore, it's a way of getting my bearings and understanding the place I live in. I like to feel the endless possibilities and see just exactly where the path ends. Usually I pick a direction or a vague place I would like to see and I head toward it. Usually I change my mind halfway through, but I always end up in a cool place.
Previously I wandered to the city center where I took one road out until my feet were sore and I could trek no further. Another time I went into a new part of the city and found the path along the river which I took all the way back to my home. One of my more recent excursions was when I went north until I reached the sea and followed a bus route until it ended. At first I just explored the city, until it wasn't enough for me anymore and I felt the compulsion to branch out further.
Today I needed another wander. It was a beautiful day so I decided to stretch my legs and enjoy the sunshine. First I had to turn in an assignment so I walked about a mile round trip to campus for that. I didn't want to shop or go indoors so I stuck to the parks and green areas. I went through the meadows, intending to go to Grassmarket, changed my mind and ended up in Holyrood Park where Arthur's Seat and the Salsbury Crags are. I meant to explore these paths a little to scope them out for my family, they're coming to visit soon and I want to show them cool places.
I found a cute little duck pond completely full of birds. The swans were particularly elegant and beautiful. One path that might be good for the family is a little hill topped with some ruins that overlooks the city, I think they'll like that. Once I was on a certain road I had to see where it ended, and once I got pretty far down I realized I can go and see the North Sea.
By the time I got to the water it was late afternoon coming up on sunset. I sat and contemplated for a while just gazing into the depths. I finally got up and started heading back by a new path I found on my phone (GPS is the best thing about having a smartphone). I found out I was no longer technically in Edinburgh, but in Duddingston. I walked up a great old cobbled road that looked like it came straight out of the 1800s and past some beautiful old houses and a golf course. I then walked along the other side of the big park on the path by Arthur's seat, made my way across the meadows and back home. All in all, it was a 10 mile trek, the longest I've ever walked in one day.
And the day ain't over yet...
Friday, January 13, 2012
Indecision
It's 2 a.m. here in Edinburgh and I am still awake thinking about my future. I wanted to just sit back and enjoy my year here but the further I go the more I realize that big life-changing decisions are just around the corner, and I do not feel ready to face them. All my life I have had trouble with indecision, is usually ask someone else to decide or put them off entirely.
With any luck I'll graduate this semester, which means I will be free to choose just about any path. If I get a full-time job here and a work visa I could feasibly stay here forever. But then what about my family? I have always been extremely proud of the close bonds I share with my family and my friends. I do not know how long I can maintain these vital relationships via letters and Skype. My cousin is having a baby, how am I supposed to be a good and loving aunt from so far away? What will happen when my brother settles down with a wife and kids, what if I meet someone special here?
When I think about how much I miss everyone from home I feel miserable for wanting to stay. Except I love it here. Living here has been almost a magical experience, and I would be heartbroken if I had to leave. The problem is I would be just as heartbroken if I weakened these family ties I hold so sacred. If I stay here I'm guaranteed to live hand-to-mouth for many years. If I go home I might be able to get a small reprieve, but I will be stuck in the black hole that is Bakersfield, and I want something more for myself. I also am afraid of looking and feeling like a failure, forced to come home to mommy and daddy because I can't hack it in the real world on my own.
Sometimes I still wonder about being a writer. Everyone likes to voice their opinions the fact that I do it on paper doesn't make me special. I fear for the world of print media, because it may be dwindling slowly into oblivion, and job-wise that does not bode well for me. I started this blog in hopes that I would be noticed, that somehow I could stand out and get ahead, but everyone is blogging now, and there's nothing to set me apart.
I sometimes wonder where I would be now if I followed a different dream. For years I wanted to be a pyrotechnician so that I could design fireworks. For some reason or other, I decided it was too hard, that I needed to be better at math, chemistry and physics, and I asked myself would it really be worth it? When I saw the fireworks light up the sky heralding the New Year I thought maybe it's not too late to go for it. The first time I interviewed a source for my school paper and later when I saw my name in print, I remember feeling that same awe. Maybe it has just been too long since I have actually written for a publication, so I have lost the thrill. Maybe all it takes to get that spark back is writing professionally again.
I want to travel the entire world and see everything there is to see, but as always money is the issue. I promised myself I would travel Europe while I was here. I wanted to be off somewhere new every weekend, but money runs short and plans change. I might have to stay here a while because at this rate I cant afford a flight home. Maybe instead of the journalism field I could go into the tourism field. I could get paid to go places and write for travel guides or magazines. I think one of my many dream jobs might be National Geographic, where I could get paid to go somewhere new and exciting and write about my adventures. As I imagine this the question comes back to me, what about family? When will I find time to see them again? When will I find a place I can call home? and is it really worth it?
Another dream is to be a film critic. Not just a film critic of course, there's no room in journalism for a one-trick pony anymore. I would have to write many things but if I can write about the wonderful world of cinema occasionally I think I could be happy. I might even like working in the classic film field, like with Turner Classic Movies writing about film history and the Golden Age. The questions now are: how do I get my foot in the door? and will I be able to support myself this way.
Up until now these have all just been dreams, the life I contemplate while I'm still in school 'figuring it out.' The time has come to figure and figure fast because soon I will be out of comfy college life and in the real world with a massive student debt and no promised career and no one to hold my hand and do it for me.
All of these paths are laid before me and there is no certainty as to where they lead. I am afraid of making the wrong decision but I can't be indecisive forever.
And that is what is keeping me awake at 3:25 a.m.
With any luck I'll graduate this semester, which means I will be free to choose just about any path. If I get a full-time job here and a work visa I could feasibly stay here forever. But then what about my family? I have always been extremely proud of the close bonds I share with my family and my friends. I do not know how long I can maintain these vital relationships via letters and Skype. My cousin is having a baby, how am I supposed to be a good and loving aunt from so far away? What will happen when my brother settles down with a wife and kids, what if I meet someone special here?
When I think about how much I miss everyone from home I feel miserable for wanting to stay. Except I love it here. Living here has been almost a magical experience, and I would be heartbroken if I had to leave. The problem is I would be just as heartbroken if I weakened these family ties I hold so sacred. If I stay here I'm guaranteed to live hand-to-mouth for many years. If I go home I might be able to get a small reprieve, but I will be stuck in the black hole that is Bakersfield, and I want something more for myself. I also am afraid of looking and feeling like a failure, forced to come home to mommy and daddy because I can't hack it in the real world on my own.
Sometimes I still wonder about being a writer. Everyone likes to voice their opinions the fact that I do it on paper doesn't make me special. I fear for the world of print media, because it may be dwindling slowly into oblivion, and job-wise that does not bode well for me. I started this blog in hopes that I would be noticed, that somehow I could stand out and get ahead, but everyone is blogging now, and there's nothing to set me apart.
I sometimes wonder where I would be now if I followed a different dream. For years I wanted to be a pyrotechnician so that I could design fireworks. For some reason or other, I decided it was too hard, that I needed to be better at math, chemistry and physics, and I asked myself would it really be worth it? When I saw the fireworks light up the sky heralding the New Year I thought maybe it's not too late to go for it. The first time I interviewed a source for my school paper and later when I saw my name in print, I remember feeling that same awe. Maybe it has just been too long since I have actually written for a publication, so I have lost the thrill. Maybe all it takes to get that spark back is writing professionally again.
I want to travel the entire world and see everything there is to see, but as always money is the issue. I promised myself I would travel Europe while I was here. I wanted to be off somewhere new every weekend, but money runs short and plans change. I might have to stay here a while because at this rate I cant afford a flight home. Maybe instead of the journalism field I could go into the tourism field. I could get paid to go places and write for travel guides or magazines. I think one of my many dream jobs might be National Geographic, where I could get paid to go somewhere new and exciting and write about my adventures. As I imagine this the question comes back to me, what about family? When will I find time to see them again? When will I find a place I can call home? and is it really worth it?
Another dream is to be a film critic. Not just a film critic of course, there's no room in journalism for a one-trick pony anymore. I would have to write many things but if I can write about the wonderful world of cinema occasionally I think I could be happy. I might even like working in the classic film field, like with Turner Classic Movies writing about film history and the Golden Age. The questions now are: how do I get my foot in the door? and will I be able to support myself this way.
Up until now these have all just been dreams, the life I contemplate while I'm still in school 'figuring it out.' The time has come to figure and figure fast because soon I will be out of comfy college life and in the real world with a massive student debt and no promised career and no one to hold my hand and do it for me.
All of these paths are laid before me and there is no certainty as to where they lead. I am afraid of making the wrong decision but I can't be indecisive forever.
And that is what is keeping me awake at 3:25 a.m.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Zoo and pub
Hey everyone. In case this is your first time following me I last left off during my Christmas break from Uni, right after my friend and I got home from Paris.
Today I visited the Edinburgh zoo, one of the most famous zoos in Britain I am told. They had just gotten in a pair of pandas and so that was the main focus of the exhibit. They are beautiful creatures but my particular visit was a bit lackluster. The handlers did not let them out of their indoor exhibits and so they laid around the whole time, sleeping and having a poo.
My favorite part would probably have to be the penguins, they were the liveliest and most spirited of the animals and they were so cute waddling around. at around 2 they went on their daily "march" around the street. They have apparently done this every day for the past 50 years since one of the employees left a door open by mistake and some penguins wandered out. This walk is optional, they don't entice the penguins out with food or anything so it consists of whichever penguins want to walk. It was very cute.
I also had fun watching the big cats, the birds and the sea lion (who incidentally swam right up to me and left before I could get my camera out.)Another cool part of the zoo was the Living Links exhibit which show different animals along the links of human's evolutionary chain. (that and baby monkeys are so cute!)
For the evening's festivities I decided to go pub hopping, something I had done a few times before. I go to one pub have a drink and a chat and go on to the next. Tonight I started out with the Ghillie Dhu (very Scottish by the sound of the name.) I was a fine place, mostly full of middle aged middle class men just off of work. I stayed for a drink then left.
Right next door was a place I had been dying to try: The Rat Pack. Those of you who know me know that I am a huge Rat Pack fan, anything to do with those guys or their kind of music and I immediately begin to salivate. I had even more reason to salivate tonight because just after I arrived three of the most beautiful young men I have ever seen came in. Turns out one of them was playing a gig tonight on piano and his two friends had come to watch. We were the only ones in the pub and they invited me to join them. At some point midway through the first half hour of that set and I decided to forsake my pub hopping plans and see where this night was headed.
I seem to have had a good track record lately, first I'm hanging out with two gorgeous guys at a rugby game, now it's three in a piano bar, fingers crossed for four tomorrow!
But seriously, I had absolutely the best time singing along and talking and cheering and making merriment with everyone. If I had not met them, I would have probably gone home early and been in bed by 10, how boring. Instead I stuck around enjoying the company and the music. Three hours later the set was over and it was time to head home. They invited me back to their place, just a train ride away near Glasgow, and I was tempted but had to decline. They generously dropped me off at my place, so I didn't have to spend money on a cab, and went on their way. I was hoping for a kiss goodnight from one of them but alas... not tonight. But who knows what the future will bring? I got lucky tonight, I wandered into the right pub at the right time, maybe I'll get lucky again.
and for tomorrow...Christmas Market in Prince's Street Gardens.
Ta ta for now.
Today I visited the Edinburgh zoo, one of the most famous zoos in Britain I am told. They had just gotten in a pair of pandas and so that was the main focus of the exhibit. They are beautiful creatures but my particular visit was a bit lackluster. The handlers did not let them out of their indoor exhibits and so they laid around the whole time, sleeping and having a poo.
My favorite part would probably have to be the penguins, they were the liveliest and most spirited of the animals and they were so cute waddling around. at around 2 they went on their daily "march" around the street. They have apparently done this every day for the past 50 years since one of the employees left a door open by mistake and some penguins wandered out. This walk is optional, they don't entice the penguins out with food or anything so it consists of whichever penguins want to walk. It was very cute.
I also had fun watching the big cats, the birds and the sea lion (who incidentally swam right up to me and left before I could get my camera out.)Another cool part of the zoo was the Living Links exhibit which show different animals along the links of human's evolutionary chain. (that and baby monkeys are so cute!)
For the evening's festivities I decided to go pub hopping, something I had done a few times before. I go to one pub have a drink and a chat and go on to the next. Tonight I started out with the Ghillie Dhu (very Scottish by the sound of the name.) I was a fine place, mostly full of middle aged middle class men just off of work. I stayed for a drink then left.
Right next door was a place I had been dying to try: The Rat Pack. Those of you who know me know that I am a huge Rat Pack fan, anything to do with those guys or their kind of music and I immediately begin to salivate. I had even more reason to salivate tonight because just after I arrived three of the most beautiful young men I have ever seen came in. Turns out one of them was playing a gig tonight on piano and his two friends had come to watch. We were the only ones in the pub and they invited me to join them. At some point midway through the first half hour of that set and I decided to forsake my pub hopping plans and see where this night was headed.
I seem to have had a good track record lately, first I'm hanging out with two gorgeous guys at a rugby game, now it's three in a piano bar, fingers crossed for four tomorrow!
But seriously, I had absolutely the best time singing along and talking and cheering and making merriment with everyone. If I had not met them, I would have probably gone home early and been in bed by 10, how boring. Instead I stuck around enjoying the company and the music. Three hours later the set was over and it was time to head home. They invited me back to their place, just a train ride away near Glasgow, and I was tempted but had to decline. They generously dropped me off at my place, so I didn't have to spend money on a cab, and went on their way. I was hoping for a kiss goodnight from one of them but alas... not tonight. But who knows what the future will bring? I got lucky tonight, I wandered into the right pub at the right time, maybe I'll get lucky again.
and for tomorrow...Christmas Market in Prince's Street Gardens.
Ta ta for now.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Arthur's Seat
Sorry this is a bit out of order, I was so busy with school I didn't have much time to write. I climbed Arthur's Seat, the inactive volcano here in Edinburgh, with my friends Kelsey and Maria recently, but I wanted to talk about my trip to Paris first so it was still fresh in my mind.
We went in the early afternoon after class one day. My friends are in such good shape that I couldn't keep up with them as they climbed like billy goats up the steep hill. It didn't help that I stopped every few seconds to take pictures, but they were very nice and patient and waited for me.
The journey to the top was very tiring, my legs felt like jelly up there but the view was spectacular. It was absolutely worth the climb. Since the sun sets so early here in the fall I was able to catch the sunset over the city and got some great shots. there was a 360 degree view of everything around, and I was really happy to share that sight with my friends. The wind was blowing really hard, so you could literally lean over the edge and the wind would hold you up. Don't worry I didn't actually try this, and you shouldn't either, but it was pretty cool.
I am doing this photo project where I bring a plush of Woody from Disney's Toy Story around on my trips and take pictures of him in various interesting or historical spots. I brought him to Arthur's Seat but forgot to take any pictures of him until I was already on may way down the hill. I managed to get some good ones though, which I have posted to facebook.
My friends had to be back by a certain time but I wanted to get more pictures of the sunset so I told them to go on ahead. I followed a different path down the hill and it was a much gentler slope and easier to navigate in the dark. I also got some great pictures on the other side of the hill so I'm glad I took the long way. It was a very long walk home but if I keep walking like I did that day I'll be in shape in no time.
I plan on going back up to Arthur's Seat on the first of May. It is said that at dawn on May first if you wash your face from the dew on the slopes of Arthur's Seat you will be granted eternal youth.
Thanks for reading, take care.
We went in the early afternoon after class one day. My friends are in such good shape that I couldn't keep up with them as they climbed like billy goats up the steep hill. It didn't help that I stopped every few seconds to take pictures, but they were very nice and patient and waited for me.
The journey to the top was very tiring, my legs felt like jelly up there but the view was spectacular. It was absolutely worth the climb. Since the sun sets so early here in the fall I was able to catch the sunset over the city and got some great shots. there was a 360 degree view of everything around, and I was really happy to share that sight with my friends. The wind was blowing really hard, so you could literally lean over the edge and the wind would hold you up. Don't worry I didn't actually try this, and you shouldn't either, but it was pretty cool.
I am doing this photo project where I bring a plush of Woody from Disney's Toy Story around on my trips and take pictures of him in various interesting or historical spots. I brought him to Arthur's Seat but forgot to take any pictures of him until I was already on may way down the hill. I managed to get some good ones though, which I have posted to facebook.
My friends had to be back by a certain time but I wanted to get more pictures of the sunset so I told them to go on ahead. I followed a different path down the hill and it was a much gentler slope and easier to navigate in the dark. I also got some great pictures on the other side of the hill so I'm glad I took the long way. It was a very long walk home but if I keep walking like I did that day I'll be in shape in no time.
I plan on going back up to Arthur's Seat on the first of May. It is said that at dawn on May first if you wash your face from the dew on the slopes of Arthur's Seat you will be granted eternal youth.
Thanks for reading, take care.
Paris
I just recently got back from a 3 night trip to Paris with my friend and flatmate Brooke and I cant even begin to describe what an amazing time I had.
We took off on the morning of the 11th and arrived just after 10 in the morning at Beauvais airport. We didn't know this at the time but the airport was actually about an hour drive away from the city centre, so if you ever plan on flying to Paris via Beauvais make sure you have a ride into town. We had booked a shuttle a few days before so we were all set.
We stayed at the Hotel Moris Grands Boulevards and that was the best decision we made. It was situated in the center of town right next to a metro and we had the room to ourselves. If we had booked a hostel it would have not been much cheaper, it would have been away from the city, and we would have had to share with many people. It wasn't time for check in yet so we put our bags down and hit the city.
The first thing we did was take the metro to the Eiffel Tower. I have seen many and more pictures of this but nothing can prepare you for such an awe inspiring sight. We got off the metro, climbed up the stairs, turned a corner and there it was. We were pretty far away and still I had to crane my neck up to see the top. We walked across the square and the street and arrived at the base. each of the four legs was a building where you could buy tickets. It was cold and cloudy so there weren't very many people there and we didn't have to wait too long in line.
You have to take two separate lifts to get to the top and they are packed full of people. We went so high that we literally disappeared in the clouds. From the top it was hard to see out too far but it was still incredibly beautiful. We took many pictures and had a lot of fun. If there were such a thing as past lives I think I worked on skyscrapers in one of mine because I was very comfortable being up so high, in fact I wanted to go higher. After a while my hands became numb despite the gloves I was wearing so we decided to go back down.
By then it was time we checked into our hotel. there were a couple of bad reviews online about the walls being too thin and the room being too small but it was just perfect for us. There were two comfy twin beds a view of the courtyard, and a bath, a real actual bath. Brook and I were really excited about that because we only have a tiny shower in our flat. It then became our plan to each take a bath that night sipping on French champagne and eating chocolates.
Next stop: Shopping.
We went to the Galeries Lafayette and looked around at the incredible luxury imagining the day when we can afford to drop 500 Euro on a simple cocktail dress. The first floor was about a quarter of a mile square and it was entirely filled with shoes. The second floor was just as big and housed makeup perfume and jewelry. The next three floors held different styles of clothing and we had a good time picking out really ridiculous clothing and laughing at the extortionate prices. We looked for a restaurant inside but found they were all just as expensive as the clothing so we wandered around looking for a good place to eat.
We found a cute little pizzeria and I had BACON PIZZA, no lie. My French is extremely limited so I thought it was supposed to have ham but it was actual bacon, and it was so good. That was probably the most unexpected meal I've ever had. Also, bottled coke is so much sweeter in Paris, so we had a lot of that. After dinner we wandered around for a bit. It was a bit rainy but somehow the moisture kept it from being too cold. Paris at night is stunning. It is lit up with Christmas lights and decorations and reminds me of a little village except it goes on forever.
We got the champagne and chocolates and went back to the room and stayed up all night drinking and talking, didn't manage to get that bath though.
The next morning we accidentally slept in late so we rushed out to seize the day. It was much clearer than the day before so we took full advantage of it. We got ourselves lost trying to find a Lolita store for Brooke. Lolita is a type of dressing very popular in Japan which projects ultra-girly innocence and there was one such shop in Paris. We had fun looking at all the super cute dresses and accessories and Brooke bought herself some super cute socks.
A funny thing happened while we were still looking for the store, a homeless lady approached us begging for money. We told her sorry but we didn't have anything for her and she kept at us. We told her we had no cash only a card and she said you can buy me food with your card then, I couldn't believe her gall, that has never happened to me before. Finally she gave up but I was getting so frustrated with her. Other than that, most people were incredibly nice and helpful, and even better, everyone spoke English.
After that we went to see Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle. Sainte Chapelle was the single most gorgeous room I have ever seen and it was good we went on a sunny day because the light streamed in through the stained glass and thousands of colors lit up the room. It seems a little silly but tears actually welled in my eyes when I saw it.
Next we walked all the way to the Musee d'Orsay only to find out it was closed on Mondays. I was bummed because we had walked all that way and poor Brooke got blisters all over her feet and I didn't get to see a museum. That's OK though cause I'm sure I'll get another chance. We walked just a little way farther and hopped on the giant Ferris wheel in the Place De La Concorde. It was sunset by then so we got to see the city lighting up. It was so cool to look at the Eiffel Tower and other various monuments from there. The traffic in the square was incredibly packed, we were so surprised that anyone could drive in those conditions, but there they all were below us, honking away at each other.
We went back to the hotel to get all dressed up for a fancy dinner. We went back to the Eiffel Tower to get night pictures and had dinner at a nice restaurant. I had steak with Bearnaise sauce and wine and for dessert we split chocolate macaroons with raspberry, it was all so delicious.
The next day was Disneyland! we hopped on the metro and about 45 min later we were there. Disneyland Paris is SO cool. It has five lands: Main street, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. Like the one in SoCal it had rides like Indian Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion but each were different in some way. Haunted mansion was much scarier with a sort of killer bride theme and more corpses, also I didn't see a hidden mickey in the ballroom. Indiana Jones was based on the Temple of Doom and most of the ride was outside. Both Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain went upside down, which was scary on Space Mountain because you're entirely in the dark. The park was so empty, we never waited more than 10 minutes for a ride. And we ended up doing everything twice. I thought I saw a hidden mickey in Pirates in the treasure room but was unable to get a good picture. We took tons of pictures, rode the rides, watched the parade and shopped. One weird thing about Disneyland Paris was that it closed at 7 pm instead of 9 or 10 like we expected, but by then we were done and ready to go home anyway.
For our last dinner in Paris we went to a Creperie, which we thought was only fitting. We each had savory crepes and for dessert we split a chocolate, banana and apple crepe which was very bizarre but tasty. We went back to the hotel, each had a bubble bath and some more champagne and watched the movie Stardust in French. Foreign language actually improved the movie, which was cheesy and stupid to begin with but we had fun making up funny dialogue and guessing what would happen next. We did the same thing with an old episode of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman which I swear featured Fabio.
It was loads of fun but it was over way too soon. We woke up the next morning and got ready to go home. The weather must have sensed our moods cause that morning it was gray and dreary again, but our time had come. We got home in the late afternoon and I spent the rest of that day and the next trying to finish my essay. I turned it in today and I am so happy and relieved to finally be done with school until mid January.
Pictures soon to follow, thanks for reading.
We took off on the morning of the 11th and arrived just after 10 in the morning at Beauvais airport. We didn't know this at the time but the airport was actually about an hour drive away from the city centre, so if you ever plan on flying to Paris via Beauvais make sure you have a ride into town. We had booked a shuttle a few days before so we were all set.
We stayed at the Hotel Moris Grands Boulevards and that was the best decision we made. It was situated in the center of town right next to a metro and we had the room to ourselves. If we had booked a hostel it would have not been much cheaper, it would have been away from the city, and we would have had to share with many people. It wasn't time for check in yet so we put our bags down and hit the city.
The first thing we did was take the metro to the Eiffel Tower. I have seen many and more pictures of this but nothing can prepare you for such an awe inspiring sight. We got off the metro, climbed up the stairs, turned a corner and there it was. We were pretty far away and still I had to crane my neck up to see the top. We walked across the square and the street and arrived at the base. each of the four legs was a building where you could buy tickets. It was cold and cloudy so there weren't very many people there and we didn't have to wait too long in line.
You have to take two separate lifts to get to the top and they are packed full of people. We went so high that we literally disappeared in the clouds. From the top it was hard to see out too far but it was still incredibly beautiful. We took many pictures and had a lot of fun. If there were such a thing as past lives I think I worked on skyscrapers in one of mine because I was very comfortable being up so high, in fact I wanted to go higher. After a while my hands became numb despite the gloves I was wearing so we decided to go back down.
By then it was time we checked into our hotel. there were a couple of bad reviews online about the walls being too thin and the room being too small but it was just perfect for us. There were two comfy twin beds a view of the courtyard, and a bath, a real actual bath. Brook and I were really excited about that because we only have a tiny shower in our flat. It then became our plan to each take a bath that night sipping on French champagne and eating chocolates.
Next stop: Shopping.
We went to the Galeries Lafayette and looked around at the incredible luxury imagining the day when we can afford to drop 500 Euro on a simple cocktail dress. The first floor was about a quarter of a mile square and it was entirely filled with shoes. The second floor was just as big and housed makeup perfume and jewelry. The next three floors held different styles of clothing and we had a good time picking out really ridiculous clothing and laughing at the extortionate prices. We looked for a restaurant inside but found they were all just as expensive as the clothing so we wandered around looking for a good place to eat.
We found a cute little pizzeria and I had BACON PIZZA, no lie. My French is extremely limited so I thought it was supposed to have ham but it was actual bacon, and it was so good. That was probably the most unexpected meal I've ever had. Also, bottled coke is so much sweeter in Paris, so we had a lot of that. After dinner we wandered around for a bit. It was a bit rainy but somehow the moisture kept it from being too cold. Paris at night is stunning. It is lit up with Christmas lights and decorations and reminds me of a little village except it goes on forever.
We got the champagne and chocolates and went back to the room and stayed up all night drinking and talking, didn't manage to get that bath though.
The next morning we accidentally slept in late so we rushed out to seize the day. It was much clearer than the day before so we took full advantage of it. We got ourselves lost trying to find a Lolita store for Brooke. Lolita is a type of dressing very popular in Japan which projects ultra-girly innocence and there was one such shop in Paris. We had fun looking at all the super cute dresses and accessories and Brooke bought herself some super cute socks.
A funny thing happened while we were still looking for the store, a homeless lady approached us begging for money. We told her sorry but we didn't have anything for her and she kept at us. We told her we had no cash only a card and she said you can buy me food with your card then, I couldn't believe her gall, that has never happened to me before. Finally she gave up but I was getting so frustrated with her. Other than that, most people were incredibly nice and helpful, and even better, everyone spoke English.
After that we went to see Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle. Sainte Chapelle was the single most gorgeous room I have ever seen and it was good we went on a sunny day because the light streamed in through the stained glass and thousands of colors lit up the room. It seems a little silly but tears actually welled in my eyes when I saw it.
Next we walked all the way to the Musee d'Orsay only to find out it was closed on Mondays. I was bummed because we had walked all that way and poor Brooke got blisters all over her feet and I didn't get to see a museum. That's OK though cause I'm sure I'll get another chance. We walked just a little way farther and hopped on the giant Ferris wheel in the Place De La Concorde. It was sunset by then so we got to see the city lighting up. It was so cool to look at the Eiffel Tower and other various monuments from there. The traffic in the square was incredibly packed, we were so surprised that anyone could drive in those conditions, but there they all were below us, honking away at each other.
We went back to the hotel to get all dressed up for a fancy dinner. We went back to the Eiffel Tower to get night pictures and had dinner at a nice restaurant. I had steak with Bearnaise sauce and wine and for dessert we split chocolate macaroons with raspberry, it was all so delicious.
The next day was Disneyland! we hopped on the metro and about 45 min later we were there. Disneyland Paris is SO cool. It has five lands: Main street, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. Like the one in SoCal it had rides like Indian Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion but each were different in some way. Haunted mansion was much scarier with a sort of killer bride theme and more corpses, also I didn't see a hidden mickey in the ballroom. Indiana Jones was based on the Temple of Doom and most of the ride was outside. Both Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain went upside down, which was scary on Space Mountain because you're entirely in the dark. The park was so empty, we never waited more than 10 minutes for a ride. And we ended up doing everything twice. I thought I saw a hidden mickey in Pirates in the treasure room but was unable to get a good picture. We took tons of pictures, rode the rides, watched the parade and shopped. One weird thing about Disneyland Paris was that it closed at 7 pm instead of 9 or 10 like we expected, but by then we were done and ready to go home anyway.
For our last dinner in Paris we went to a Creperie, which we thought was only fitting. We each had savory crepes and for dessert we split a chocolate, banana and apple crepe which was very bizarre but tasty. We went back to the hotel, each had a bubble bath and some more champagne and watched the movie Stardust in French. Foreign language actually improved the movie, which was cheesy and stupid to begin with but we had fun making up funny dialogue and guessing what would happen next. We did the same thing with an old episode of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman which I swear featured Fabio.
It was loads of fun but it was over way too soon. We woke up the next morning and got ready to go home. The weather must have sensed our moods cause that morning it was gray and dreary again, but our time had come. We got home in the late afternoon and I spent the rest of that day and the next trying to finish my essay. I turned it in today and I am so happy and relieved to finally be done with school until mid January.
Pictures soon to follow, thanks for reading.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Going Plaid: School
First of all I want to say sorry for not posting sooner. Life is really catching up to me here in Scotland.
I have heard for years that other school systems are much better than those in the US, and I assumed that I was going to have my work cut out for me here. Not only is the grading system vastly different (70% is an A) I thought their expectations would be much higher. I was simply wrong.
This is week 8 of school and so far I have been breezing through. True the first few weeks are easy, and all the work comes at the end but I was very surprised at how the same effort I make at home is working just fine for me here. It's a big relief because I was under the assumption that when it came down to the middle of the trimester I would no longer see the light of day shut away in my room studying and writing papers.
I also have never had a more exciting and beautiful campus. Napier has many campuses and I think I lucked out with the best one. It's called Craighouse and it used to be a mental hospital, but don't let that creep you out. It is situated on top of a hill with a fantastic view of the city. (and at night no one can hear you scream muhahahaha j.k.) The main building is like a castle with a magnificent great hall where they hold wedding receptions just about every weekend. The classrooms themselves are all different, one is a beautiful yellow and blue room with white detailing all over the place, another is a large dark wood paneled room with an alcove in the corner, a fireplace and a window. The classes are also in all different places, there's rooms right off the great hall and there's hundreds more to be found if you like to explore.
And you have to explore it too because it's like a maze, there are 3 wings and each wing has its own staircases that lead you to the different floors, but once you're on the 5th floor in the East wing for example, you cant just walk over to the 5th floor in the West wing because they're not connected. They say its set up like that so the mental patients had a harder time getting out, very clever. On my explorations I found many disused rooms and offices and once even a hidden dark spiral staircase that lead all the way down and out of the building, I was afraid to open the door at the bottom though, because I thought it might set off the fire alarm. My friends say it's creepy but I think it is so much fun. There is a little tower at the top of the highest point and it is my goal to find out how to get up there. I've already been to the highest accessible room but maybe there's a door that leads to the roof.
One of the best things about my campus is its nature paths. There are dozens of dirt paths that lead off the campus in different directions, one of them even leads to another campus. I had a great time one day getting lost in the woods, but before you freak out I was never really lost, my phone has GPS. It was great to see all the beautiful trees and paths that opened up to grassy hills and even better views of the city. It's starting to get cold so I need to do as much exploring as I can before the first snows come in.
The classes themselves are fun too. I'm meeting a lot of cool new people and learning great things. In Modern Drama I just did an excerpt from The Glass Menagerie where I put on a hammy southern accent. In music we're studying modern musical movements from the late 1800s to present day, and in Global Current Affairs we just got done discussing the Occupy Wall Street movement and how it is spreading to a global level. I am going to have a discussion with my program coordinator here and see if I can join the Feature Writing course next trimester because if I can I will be able to graduate this spring!
I'm also learning something new outside the classroom: improv. There's a comedy group called the Improverts who put on a show every week, much like Who's Line is it Anyway, and host free workshops on the weekends. My roomate and her boyfriend instantly befriended the group and they all convinced me to go to a workshop. It was so much fun. I'm not very good at making things up on the spot but it's worth getting up there for a few minutes just so you can experience how funny everyone is.
That's all for the moment but now that I'm making myself sit down and write you should keep on the lookout for more posts.
See you next time!
Kt
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Going Plaid 2: The first week and Fringe
The plane from Newark arrived late so straight after Tom and Eunice (the wonderful amazing glorious family that agreed to house me and love me and take care of me this year) picked me up. We went to their place dropped off my stuff, changed called the family, and immediately went out for the whole day. We went to the fringe festival, got tickets for 3 different programs High Jinx with the Hamiltons, Wedding Band and Silence in Court. The Hamiltons are a celebrity couple, the husband is an ex politician who left politics because of a scandal, and together they started this chat show. They featured guests who were all having shows at the fringe so it was good to watch them first that way we could figure out what was worth seeing and what wasn’t. It was a fun show and from watching it we decided to see one of the featured artists in his little play Wedding Band. It’s a typical wedding and the singer and his mates are making all the preparations to play that night. The main character was great but his friend stole the show, it was funny and simple and sweet.
Next we walked around Edinburgh for a bit, we went all down the Royal Mile. (the road that leads from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace) the road was cut off from traffic and the streets were lines with touists street performers and an endless sea of people handing out fliers for their fringe shows. Then we had dinner at a Californian restaurant. It was pretty good too, I didn’t realize that there could be a wholly Californian restaurant, but I liked it immensely. After dinner they asked me if I was tired yet and wants some sleep, and of course I was too excited, I was starting to feel tired but I couldn’t let that stop me.
Our last show was a great drama. I basically presided over a rape case, and I totally called it. The premise is the audience is the jury, there are no witnesses and no evidence, just his story against hers. You hear them out and you get to cross examine them. The actors and actresses had to be very fluid in their lines and had to be ready to answer our questions. The way the end was done changed each time depending on the verdict, and it was by far my favorite fringe show.
Edinburgh is BEAUTIFUL! I can’t believe how incredibly gorgeous it is, the buildings are all artistic in design and structure and you can tell there is a story and a history in every brick, in every cobblestone. I spent the whole time gawping at the view, it is really just sensational, I didn’t even bother to bring out my camera that first day, I was too much in awe, plus I would have really looked like a tourist. That night we caught a cab home, talked to my parents once more and finally went to sleep.
End of Day 1
On Day 2 I slept in until noon. But each day I began to get more and more on track with the time difference and over my jetlag. Some days we went out, other days I went out with Ross and Julie. (Tom and Eunice’s daughter and son in law) We walked in and out of the closes (alleys) listened to folk music, wandered through Grassmarket (a great part of town) and saw a lot of street performers. My favorite part of that week was going to Camera Obscura with Tom. A camera obscura is a camera or type of pinhole camera placed up high with a 360 degree view of the city, it is projected down into a small room where people can see, but that was just the beginning. This place was 7 floors high with something new and fascinating on each floor. On one floor is a bunch of history, old pictures of Edinburgh when the city was being built and modernized, pinhole camera photos and so much information. Other floors featured optical illusions holograms and play areas like photo booths that morph your face, a make your own kaleidoscope program, an infrared camera, and a mirror image camera. There were also a mirror maze room, a morph mirror room, a tricolor shadow room, a 'leave your shadow behind on the wall' area and so much more. It costs something to go to the actual camera obscura show but I think free to visit all the rest of the floors, and its right on the Royal Mile where the real heart of the city is.
Our last experience with the Fringe festival ended on a somewhat sour note. We went to see a comedy chat show, where people from the festival talked and did bits from their routines. It was completely vulgar. I am usually all for people having a right to say whatever they want, its what freedom of expression is all about, but someone should have warned me what that show was, and I wouldn’t have gone, because I was literally cringing in embarrassment. I was so uncomfortable that I sank lower and lower in my chair and wished I was anywhere else. I knew that Tom and Eunice were just as uncomfortable as me but we didn’t have an easy path to the door and were too cowardly to walk out from the front row. They all used crude language, which in itself I wouldn’t have minded much, but the subject matter was mostly about sex and just gross for grossness sake. We learned our lesson from that show and vowed to never again be shy about leaving a show you don’t like.
I went sightseeing and shopping and wandering around. One day Tom and Eunice said “go off wandering for a bit” they gave me bus fair and set me off. I went over to the west end of Prince’s street, the main shopping strip, walked over to the Scott Monument (my favorite building) and wandered back to the place I’ll be staying for the year. From there I caught the bus back to Tom and Eunice’s house. They were proud that I figured out where to go and how to get there on my own.
The jetlag and pushing myself out into the cold lowered my immune system a bit and I caught a small cold on the last few days. It didn’t move down to my chest thankfully, just lingered in my sinuses. Eunice knew just how to take care of me, she made me soup and gave me ibuprofen and gave me vapor rub to put on my chest within a few days it was gone. She also wouldn’t let me out of the house one day until I had my jacket and scarf on. It’s really sweet the way she takes care of me.
The rest of the week was just me getting used to the city and getting ready to move in. Next post I’ll share my first experience in my new flat and Fresher’s Week.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Going Plaid- Getting Ready
A Year’s hard work has gotten me to this point. It was
September of last year when I walked into my international student’s office at
my local university and asked about coming to Scotland. When I first asked they
said they don’t have, in their school’s study abroad program, a school in
Scotland that I could go to. They had programs for Manchester and Ulster and
London, but not where I had hoped to go.
That was when I discovered the International Student
Exchange Program, ISEP. My University had just begun to provide this program
for students and it included two options for study in Scotland, Napier in
Edinburgh and Strathclyde in Glasgow. I decided Napier had a better
communications program and Edinburgh would be a more ideal setting for me (even
though my biggest Scottish crush, David Tennant is from Glasgow.) As part of
this program, though, I would have to pay for all my own tuition and housing,
rather than exchange with a student in Edinburgh for a lower rate. This meant getting
my hands on a considerable amount of money, but that wasn’t going to stop me. I
applied constantly for scholarships and in the end I took out loans.
I had been working on my application all throughout that
quarter in between my classes and was ready to submit it by November, but the
due date for the application wasn’t until March. I had some time to dream and
contemplate and sweat it out before discovering that I was accepted.
Once accepted, this is when the real work began. I first
applied for loans; after all, what’s the point in coming to Scotland if you’ll
run out of money after the first month? I got together what savings I had and
put away all the money from my part-time job to help pay for this. I got a tip from a friend to try a certain
loan company and they accepted right away.
My fees for the year, which included my tuition and housing amounted to
$22,000. I already had a little saved and a little more coming from my local
university, so I asked the loan company for 23,400 when I could’ve been safe and
asked for 25,000.
The company accepted that amount and sent the money to my
school, which the school promptly rejected. CSUB said I did not need nearly
that much to live on and they were only prepared to accept 12,000. I then
showed them that my fees alone greatly outweighed the amount they were prepared
to loan me. I filled out a lot of forms
and made a lot of calls to raise the amount to its proper place, and it almost
worked. In the end the school settled on 19,000 from the loan company and I
stopped fighting that losing battle.
I still don’t understand my school’s decision to only accept
19,000 even though the loan company was already prepared to give me the full
amount. What should it matter to the school how much I owe a private company?
Surely I am an adult and know exactly what I am doing, and surely I would know
better than they do the cost of living the country I’ve been researching for a
year.
Despite all this, I was very excited; I had removed another
obstacle from my path. My next step was to apply for a visa. Since I would be
here for a year I needed the Tier 4 general student visa, which is much harder
to get than a simple student visitor pass. I waited very impatiently while the
border agency first told me I had not sent the right paperwork and if I didn’t
send it within 3 days they would reject my visa. They next told me I didn’t
have enough money to live on over here, so I needed to provide proof that I was
receiving a loan and was only waiting on the school to give me the money.
While I was still waiting my parents threw a huge going away
party for me, in which my favorite local band Whiskey Galore played for me.
Family and friends came from all up and down California and brought me gifts
and hugs and warm wishes for my trip. It was a wonderful party and I’m glad
everything worked out, ( I would’ve been very embarrassed giving all the gifts
back if it didn’t.)
More than anything else I was afraid my visa would get
rejected and my plans for Scotland would come to a screeching halt. I wasn’t
going to give up if it did, but if i couldn’t get approved in the allotted
time, then school would start without me and I would be stuck. I waited for what felt like an eternity, and
finally I got the news that I had been accepted.
For the first time I was sure that I was going, and the
elation I felt was just incredible. Here was a moment I had been dreaming
about. I started making lists of things I would need to pack, things I would
need shipped over and things I would need to do once I got there.
Next on the agenda:
arrange a flight and find out when to arrive. As soon as all my family heard
about my plans they were all excited as well. My aunt told me she had a friend
that was born and raised in Edinburgh and her parents live there still and that
I should meet them. I asked if there was any way they might find me a place to
stay in Edinburgh for a week before I can move into my flat, and they said
you’ll never find a hotel this late, everyone’s in town for the fringe
festival, so why don’t you come stay with us?
I couldn’t believe my
luck, here was a family, who I never met, prepared to take me in and show me
around the city and generally be there for me all year! My family and I met
them (one in person, one via Skype) and we made arrangements and asked tons of
questions. In the end they became my fairy godparents, I would have been so
completely lost without them.
So I went shopping and packed and bought a laptop, packed,
researched everything, and packed some more. I got my flight arranged for the
24-25 of August and it only cost me about $650, really awesome for
an international flight. The week
preceding my departure was fun but difficult. There were so many friends and
family members I wanted to see one last time before leaving and I had
difficulty squeezing them all in. In the end we just had an open house and
anyone could see me if they wished.
We departed for lax early the next morning. We went along
the freeway singing tunes and having a good time. We stopped for breakfast and
Mum had to constantly be doing things to keep the tears from welling up. But
she’s been incredibly strong throughout this whole thing, given the
circumstances. We got to the airport, got my luggage checked and it was time to
say goodbye. I didn’t have much time, by then it was 11 and my flight left at
noon. Several rounds of hugs and kisses
later I was heading off to my terminal.
For once going through security was a breeze, I didn’t beep,
they didn’t screen and rescreen my things and I was clear to go. I wanted to
say a quick online goodbye to my friends but there was no wifi in the terminal.
I texted my two besties and boarded my plane.
My first flight was about 5 hours to Newark. This was just
after the earthquake and just before Hurricane Irene. On the plane I put on my
soft music and my noise cancelling headphones put a mask over my eyes and
zonked out. I don’t think I slept deeply for very long, I remember fading in
and out a lot. I was sitting in the middle with a guy on either side of me, and
we were in the exit row so we had some extra legroom. The guy to my left was a workaholic;
he had one laptop on his lap and another on his tray table and was switching
back and forth. The guy on my right was a ninja, while I was fading in and out I
detected some movement on my right, like he was getting up; by the time I took
off my mask he was already in the isle heading toward the bathroom, I didn’t even
feel him go past me.
Once in Newark I found out where my next terminal was, had
some food, and went exploring. I had a little time so I skyped my parents and
tell them I was ok. Boarding began from the second plane, and I found out I had
a row to myself. This plane was nice, I got 3 pillows and 3 blankets and 3
screens to watch movies or TV, play games, or listen to music. I played around
a little but needed to get back to sleep.
I woke up as we began descent over Scotland; I looked out the window and
saw patchwork green fields and a deep blue ocean.
We landed, I gathered my things and set off to begin my
adventure.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
This film is the culmination, the epic finale of seven books, eight films, billions of dollars and is what millions upon millions of fans have been waiting for. It was important that the makers of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 come through for us. I, as a long time and admittedly biased fan, had very high expectations for this movie, and all in all, it did not disappoint.
When I first heard that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would be split into two films I was outraged. I thought once again here was a chance for the filmmakers, including author JK Rowling, to rifle through the world’s pockets and take everything they could find. I thought they would ruin a perfectly good storyline just to make an extra few million. I resented their decision to split the book until I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
To my surprise, the story flowed well and stayed as true to the books as possible under the circumstances. Looking back, I realize this couldn’t have been done nearly as well if it wasn’t split. DH2 did enough back-story to get you caught up but mostly just moved smoothly onward from where DH1 ended. They could have made both movies a bit longer and more detailed, after all why split up the movies if, when you put them together again, it’s not even as long as Gone with the Wind? It would have been so much more worth it, I feel, if they were each 3 hours long; (no longer than each Lord of the Rings film) and I’m sure they could have filled in the time very nicely for both DH1 and DH2.
That being said, it was still very well done. It was exciting and thrilling and fascinating in a way that only the world of Harry Potter can provide. Most of that was thanks to the visual effects department. Make up wardrobe and CGI were all brilliant. There is a particularly powerful scene where the people of Hogwarts are gearing up for battle. What follows is a great digital animation sequence showing statues coming to life and a protective barrier springing up to guard the school. Since this is a wizard battle, they fight with magic. There are no swords to choreograph, no weapons, just little sticks waving around; and it’s up to the special effects department to painstakingly digitally add in all the flashing lights and make believe creatures, which they did to enormous success.
Additionally from the visual effects department, there was a nice use of age-changing technology. There are moments where some key characters are portrayed younger or older. Normally someone new would be brought in to portray the older or younger person, but it’s much harder to make the audience believe that this stranger on screen is the same character they have been identifying with for years. This technology allowed them to use the same actors, rather than bring in someone new, and the effect was nearly flawless.
As far as the plot goes, they could have mentioned the Deathly Hallows more, after all it’s only the title of the movie. This essential part of the story got shunted sideways to make room for the rest of the film and as a result I feel it is very lacking in explanation. All it would have taken was a few seconds of well-chosen dialogue at the end to successfully summarize the significance of the Deathly Hallows, but they didn’t do it.
The end battle was great to watch. It really captured the essence of the book well, though the final Harry/Voldemort faceoff could have been done better. The book shows it as a seven-page dialogue, where Harry reveals some key information, and if repeated on film exactly as in the book, it would have looked very anticlimactic. I don’t begrudge them spicing it up a little, but dueling and dialogue don’t go together, and this key information needed to be revealed somehow. They added a cheesy few lines that were not effective and only made the fight look awkward. Furthermore, everyone in the castle was supposed to be watching this epic battle. This is the crucial moment, the reason the stories exist and I think it would have had more impact if all fighting around them stopped as both sides watched Harry and Voldemort’s final duel.
By far the best scene was when Harry enters the memories of supposed dark wizard Severus Snape. Alan Rickman deserves an Oscar for his performance in this role. He is nothing short of captivating and I don’t think Rowling herself could have asked for a better actor to play this role. All throughout the series Snape has been the most dynamic and most mysterious character; his story finally comes together and becomes the pivotal point of the film. They needed a phenomenal actor to convey this character and Rickman was perfect.
The acting from all the cast was very well done, I particularly enjoyed Helena Bonham Carter’s portrayal of Bellatrix Lestrange, and Matt Lewis as Neville Longbottom. There are only a handful of moments in any film that I can say are better than the book and Neville’s monologue is one of them. It was heartwarming and defiant and really shows how courageous he is in the face of danger. Another moment I enjoyed more than the book was Harry’s speech to Snape; it was much more powerful and fantastic than what I had imagined. It also was great to see a number of characters returning from previous films to help in the fight.
The reason it has taken me so long to write this review is I had not yet had the opportunity to see it in 3D. Now that I have I wish I had just written the review. DH2 in 3D was OK but not great. There were quite a few parts that really needed 3D, like the battle scenes, that somehow just fell short. I felt like I was still watching it in 2D. The day has come and gone where 3D needs to be gimmicky with pop-outs and stuff flying in your face at every moment. Instead, 3D is supposed to enhance the overall experience. For me, at an extra three dollars per ticket at the box office, I was hoping the 3D version would be a little snazzier and it just wasn’t. The biggest 3D moment was when a certain dark wizard is destroyed and he disintegrates into many pieces. The ashy bits of him float up in your face and it feels so gross. Apparently, that scene the best they could do with their 3D technology, but it was an overall unpleasant effect and the least appealing of the pop-out moments.
Composer Alexandre Desplat should be commended for his great use of music. It was very soft and subtle; it didn’t overpower the scenes at all. It was dark and dangerous and then switched to hopeful and uplifting in all the right places. He also went back to basics. There were threads of the original score from the first film woven into this score, which enhanced the magical feeling of it and made me remember how it all began. Equally as impressive was the use of silence, in the most vital moments the silence and stillness made the scenes extremely powerful. Not a shuffle of snacks or even the sound of breathing was heard in the theater at these moments. I haven’t heard a Harry Potter score this brilliant since Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004.
Overall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a great success. It was much more accurate and more fun to watch than many of the others. There are rumors that this film will have a huge number of deleted scenes which will be included in the DVD, and I hope this is true. I really want to see if anything that was lacking will be made up for with these scenes. I will definitely be seeing it again and I hope you all will too. I do suggest watching DH1 as a sort of refresher course before you see DH2, especially if you haven’t read the books (though if you haven’t by now, what is wrong with you?)
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Your Car Doesn't Care
Driving is like a rite of passage in this country, especially for teens. Nobody can describe that feeling of exaltation when you get behind the wheel on your own for the first time. As a new driver your possibilities are limitless. You can take a road trip to the coast with your friends, your parents can send you out to pick up groceries, and you can sleep in on weekday mornings because you know you won’t have to catch the bus to school.
Whether it was given to you as a 16th birthday present, or you built it up from scratch; a person’s relationship with their car is almost akin to that of family or friendship. You take care of your car and give it what it needs, and in return it works reliably for you, doing what you want it to do and taking you where you want to go. Your car doesn’t judge you, doesn’t discriminate, and doesn’t care about what else you do while you’re driving.
Your car doesn’t care how you look, with your fruit-flavored shimmery pink lip gloss or your XXL mascara. It won’t tell you you’re fat, or pimply or wearing too much makeup. Your car doesn’t care if you’re not wearing shoes, because those spike heels you wore to the prom are too uncomfortable to wear now.
Your car doesn’t care that you don’t buckle your seat belt. After all you’re only driving five minutes away from home, what’s the worst that could happen?
Your car doesn’t care if you’re going to be the next singing sensation on American Idol, or a multi-platinum rap star. It doesn’t care if you spit the maddest lyrics or belt out that high note while the radio plays your favorite song.
Your car doesn’t care that you are a dancing diva, that you can bust a move to any beat, any time, any place. It doesn’t applaud for you when you strut your stuff at the traffic light.
Your car doesn’t care that you absolutely MUST hear that song on your IPod, or that it takes you a few minutes to look for it. It doesn’t care that your stereo is hard to navigate or that you have to look away from the road to do it.
Your car doesn’t care how well you multitask, that you can read a book, finish that crossword or wrap up your homework assignment due today. It won’t be impressed that you pulled an all-nighter studying for that big exam, and that sleep is about to catch up with you.
Your car doesn’t care that your friend just texted you the biggest news: that she won a pair of Lady Gaga tickets and you’re coming with her to the concert. It doesn’t care that you just HAVE to respond with a quick “OMG LOL :D,” with your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road. It doesn’t listen when you say you can handle it because you have the fastest thumbs in the west.
Your car doesn’t care that your boss is calling to tell you off for being late to work again, or that you have to answer her RIGHT NOW otherwise you may lose your job. It doesn’t have any sympathy for you when you can’t afford Bluetooth, and have to hold the phone up to your ear.
Your car doesn’t care about the crazy parties you go to, or how well you can hold your liquor. It doesn’t mind that you drive home afterward, even though you know it’s against the law. It doesn’t respond when you tell yourself you’re still OK to drive.
Your car doesn’t care how daring you are, that you are not afraid to race your friends, play chicken, or set your own personal land speed record.
Your car doesn’t care that you juggle too many tasks, and says nothing when you put those tasks at a higher priority than your own safety.
Your car doesn’t care when a little boy chases his ball into the road, or that you are too distracted to notice him. It doesn’t warn you to look out, brake, or move out of the way.
And your car doesn’t care if you end up splattered on the pavement.
So, just who are you trying to impress?
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