After my classes ended on Friday I took the opportunity to watch "Mirror Mirror". I originally wanted to watch "Wrath of the Titans" but I wasn't in the mood for a 3D flick (as much as I like to see Liam Neeson in action). I'll try not to spoil it too much but I may let a thing or two slip out so YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
So the trailer for this movie is:
The movie is directed by Tarsem Singh who has done a Pepsi commercial with Caesar Enrique, trippy film "The Cell" which stars Jennifer Lopez, and a film I have yet to see based on Greek mythology "The Immortals". If you've seen any of these films I guess it's safe to say the cinematography is the same but "Mirror Mirror" is more of a happier flick.
So basically it's a take on the Snow White tale, featuring the titular princess played by Lily Collins left under the care of the vain and wicked stepmother (a.k.a the queen) played by Julia Roberts. The kingdom under the queen has gone bankrupt so in order to save the kingdom from bankruptcy (and fuel her vanity) she makes it her life goal to marry someone who is rich which comes in the form of Prince Alcott played by Armie Hammer. Things do not go well for the queen as the prince takes interest in Snow White so the queen tries to kill off Snow White, only for Snow White to end up with the seven dwarves.
Now this does not follow the traditional tale where you have the damsel in distress where she has to be awaken by the kiss of a prince to be free of some spell. Snow White here actually kicks some ass (and there's a nifty montage. What film that features a character learning how to fight does not have a montage?). I'd personally put the prince in the "damsel in distress" position and from the trailer (and those who have seen it) may or may not prove my point.
As for who I recommend to see this film: everyone. There's action in the form of sword fights. There are also some things in the film that kids may not understand but will appeal to the adults (fan service maybe?). It's not" laughing by the seat of your pants funny" (though this could be due to my taste in humor) but you'll laugh (and the kids will do to as I was sitting next to a couple while watching this). Also it's an alternative take on the traditional story.
Overall I did enjoy the film. Don't forget to stay for the Bollywood number during the credits.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Now tell me who the loser is now?
So I gave in getting a twitter account. I probably still don't get the point of it but I did come across something this morning. This news article here from my hometown.
Stuntman Stu is a local celebrity in Ottawa. He's a radio host, sports announcer/emcee at Ottawa Senators games, and has made his own wine. Now motivation speaker against bullying.
So if there is someone that's been calling you a loser and other names, or if you are that person calling others losers and doing the name calling take a moment to think about who is the real loser.
If this about fame and popularity, take a look at Stu's story in the article and where he is now. Who knows where those bullies are? Did they ever think he'd become famous?
Or take a look at someone who has committed suicide or ended up dead as the result of bullying. Chances are if you're involved the someone's death you will be recognized but not as a hero and, who knows, end up in jail. (I guess an example would the Tyler Clementi case)
Now bullying doesn't just occur in the real world. The cyber world is the new playground. In the cyber world you can hide yourself behind a fake identity and probably mask your IP address too. You have the positive outlook saying like "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me" but in fact they do if you know what these words means. Ugly is the opposite of beautiful/pretty. Loser is the opposite of winner. With society's molasses-in-January acceptance of different gender orientations you have terms, whether they are derogatory or not, that enter people's vocabulary related to that. From there one can attack someone they know from school or aide in attacking others that they don't know. Also what can seem like a harmless joke can be interpreted as insulting to another so take that into consideration.
Though I have not seen Stu's talks (since I no longer attend high school) the article mentions a great analogy with a piece of paper (he does this with his morning show co-host by the way). How it works is you take a clean piece of paper (by clean as in no folds or tears) and you do things like crumpling it, stomping on it, throwing it on the floor . . . pretty much abuse the hell out of this one piece of paper then try to smooth it out. Now imagine that piece of paper is a person. As much as you try to straighten out that piece of paper the creases will remain. Even if the person lives another day they will still carry the scars, physical or emotional, caused by bulling.
I do have personal stories of being bullied during my school days but they do drag on if I post them here. From those experiences I've learned (and I probably will pass on those lessons if I do decide to have kids in the future) I've learned that one needs to take action but not aggression. Take action by saying you are being bullied. If you have a friend who is in that position, act as their witness. Aggression, such as punching someone or in my case throwing a rock in a non-vital area, can and will turn the tables around. Instead of getting justice for your cause the bully will end up as the victim. If it takes place on cyberspace report the e-mail/image/group. There is a reason why keyboards have the "prt sc" or "print screen" button and sites have moderators.
As for who the winner or loser is in these situations? If you are still alive today when after being told "the world would be better without you", you've won. If you stood up to the bully (depending on the action you took), you've won. If you've been told that you'll never succeed but end up as a celebrity, you've won.
We are all equals regardless of social status, orientation, ability, skin colour or creed. We are all human beings. If only those tiny differences between us didn't seem so big . . .
Stuntman Stu is a local celebrity in Ottawa. He's a radio host, sports announcer/emcee at Ottawa Senators games, and has made his own wine. Now motivation speaker against bullying.
So if there is someone that's been calling you a loser and other names, or if you are that person calling others losers and doing the name calling take a moment to think about who is the real loser.
If this about fame and popularity, take a look at Stu's story in the article and where he is now. Who knows where those bullies are? Did they ever think he'd become famous?
Or take a look at someone who has committed suicide or ended up dead as the result of bullying. Chances are if you're involved the someone's death you will be recognized but not as a hero and, who knows, end up in jail. (I guess an example would the Tyler Clementi case)
Now bullying doesn't just occur in the real world. The cyber world is the new playground. In the cyber world you can hide yourself behind a fake identity and probably mask your IP address too. You have the positive outlook saying like "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me" but in fact they do if you know what these words means. Ugly is the opposite of beautiful/pretty. Loser is the opposite of winner. With society's molasses-in-January acceptance of different gender orientations you have terms, whether they are derogatory or not, that enter people's vocabulary related to that. From there one can attack someone they know from school or aide in attacking others that they don't know. Also what can seem like a harmless joke can be interpreted as insulting to another so take that into consideration.
Though I have not seen Stu's talks (since I no longer attend high school) the article mentions a great analogy with a piece of paper (he does this with his morning show co-host by the way). How it works is you take a clean piece of paper (by clean as in no folds or tears) and you do things like crumpling it, stomping on it, throwing it on the floor . . . pretty much abuse the hell out of this one piece of paper then try to smooth it out. Now imagine that piece of paper is a person. As much as you try to straighten out that piece of paper the creases will remain. Even if the person lives another day they will still carry the scars, physical or emotional, caused by bulling.
I do have personal stories of being bullied during my school days but they do drag on if I post them here. From those experiences I've learned (and I probably will pass on those lessons if I do decide to have kids in the future) I've learned that one needs to take action but not aggression. Take action by saying you are being bullied. If you have a friend who is in that position, act as their witness. Aggression, such as punching someone or in my case throwing a rock in a non-vital area, can and will turn the tables around. Instead of getting justice for your cause the bully will end up as the victim. If it takes place on cyberspace report the e-mail/image/group. There is a reason why keyboards have the "prt sc" or "print screen" button and sites have moderators.
As for who the winner or loser is in these situations? If you are still alive today when after being told "the world would be better without you", you've won. If you stood up to the bully (depending on the action you took), you've won. If you've been told that you'll never succeed but end up as a celebrity, you've won.
We are all equals regardless of social status, orientation, ability, skin colour or creed. We are all human beings. If only those tiny differences between us didn't seem so big . . .
Sunday, February 5, 2012
On grieving . . .
So on Friday I received news that my paternal grandfather died. Was I upset? Of course! My understanding, since I'm and adult and not 4 years old, is that I knew he was going to pass away eventually but the shock and surprise is when it happens. I mean with someone as such a great man who has lived through and seen so much I just wish I had one more chance just to speak with him. The last time I saw him was during my break between fall and winter semester. I wanted to tell him about my experience in Russia but the time I visited him he was sleeping (and if anyone wants to know how it went with my grandmother I refer to you with my complaint on appearing in photos). At least I got the chance to see him during that time than waiting so many months (the period after I got back from Russia and before I started fall semester I wanted to avoid anything that could spread in a nursing home).
What I know about my grandfather is that he was born in the Bjelovar region of Croatia. He survived World War II and after that ended up in England where he met my grandmother. When my dad and his twin were about 6 the whole family which consisted of them, my grandparents, and my grandmother's mother moved to Canada and settled in Toronto where eventually the family expanded by two more offspring. For as long as I can remember my parents and I would make trips to Toronto up to the time I was in sixth grade. During those times I remember some of my grandpa's routines: eating, reading the paper, listening to the Croatian radio program on CHIN radio, watching TV (usually a tennis game), and either walking or biking to the grocery store on Lawrence Ave. He would do some or all of these activities all before 6 or 7 pm, his bedtime. When my grandparents moved to Ottawa they lived with me until their house was built. I remember during hot summer days grandpa would sit on the porch shirtless. One day I took out an atlas and he would tell me about his journeys across Europe (one of the places he's been to was Austria. I remember that after I showed him photos/told him that I was there as part of my trip to Europe in back in 2006). After they moved into their house, most of grandpa's routines continued and I would see him on occasion. It was just recent, around 2010/2011 when I remember grandpa's health starting to take a turn for the worst. He had multiple trips to the hospital, stayed there for some time, until he was transferred to the nursing home (those were not the only time he has had trips to the hospital by the way out of relevance).
As for the grieving aspect I believe I was even more upset when my paternal grandfather died than when my maternal grandfather. I was maybe 4 when the latter died and my understanding of death wasn't at the level of those around me. I've only knew my maternal grandfather for like . . . not even a year (maybe like 8-10 months). With my paternal grandfather I felt it. Not only was I on an emotional roller-coaster I was feeling the physical aspects of it as well. That night I got a headache, my sinuses were inflamed, and I was exhausted (coming from the fact that it takes more muscles to frown than smile). I took the advice of someone who told me to rest and I did. I felt refreshed and a calmed down after that (and a good cry just to clear out my sinuses). I do get teary teary-eyed at times at I type this but I'm human and I feel.
Another thing that has come to mind is something I remember saying to my aunt. The relationship between her and my dad has been strained for some time but I'm thinking whatever those were they got put aside. I remember saying "I don't want the next time everyone gets together be at a funeral" or something along those lines and ever since then I have been avoiding contact with her as much as I want to see my cousin grow up. I wanted to avoid a second situation where the unspeakable/unknown reasons for the strained relationship come up as topic. At the same time I don't want to answer questions like "do you keep in touch with so and so while you're in such place?" Anyway my curiosity is to my cousin is how he handled grandpa's death. Was he like me when I was his age (4)? I guess it's one of those things I'll eventually find out when I return. I guess I'll just have to put aside my fears and assumptions once I return home after the semester's over.
I don't know who will be reading this but if someone who has been through the same I appreciate your comments and your stories. I am aware that I put out some personal stuff on here as I am also sharing this post with family and friends whether they read this or not.
Love you and miss you grandpa.
What I know about my grandfather is that he was born in the Bjelovar region of Croatia. He survived World War II and after that ended up in England where he met my grandmother. When my dad and his twin were about 6 the whole family which consisted of them, my grandparents, and my grandmother's mother moved to Canada and settled in Toronto where eventually the family expanded by two more offspring. For as long as I can remember my parents and I would make trips to Toronto up to the time I was in sixth grade. During those times I remember some of my grandpa's routines: eating, reading the paper, listening to the Croatian radio program on CHIN radio, watching TV (usually a tennis game), and either walking or biking to the grocery store on Lawrence Ave. He would do some or all of these activities all before 6 or 7 pm, his bedtime. When my grandparents moved to Ottawa they lived with me until their house was built. I remember during hot summer days grandpa would sit on the porch shirtless. One day I took out an atlas and he would tell me about his journeys across Europe (one of the places he's been to was Austria. I remember that after I showed him photos/told him that I was there as part of my trip to Europe in back in 2006). After they moved into their house, most of grandpa's routines continued and I would see him on occasion. It was just recent, around 2010/2011 when I remember grandpa's health starting to take a turn for the worst. He had multiple trips to the hospital, stayed there for some time, until he was transferred to the nursing home (those were not the only time he has had trips to the hospital by the way out of relevance).
As for the grieving aspect I believe I was even more upset when my paternal grandfather died than when my maternal grandfather. I was maybe 4 when the latter died and my understanding of death wasn't at the level of those around me. I've only knew my maternal grandfather for like . . . not even a year (maybe like 8-10 months). With my paternal grandfather I felt it. Not only was I on an emotional roller-coaster I was feeling the physical aspects of it as well. That night I got a headache, my sinuses were inflamed, and I was exhausted (coming from the fact that it takes more muscles to frown than smile). I took the advice of someone who told me to rest and I did. I felt refreshed and a calmed down after that (and a good cry just to clear out my sinuses). I do get teary teary-eyed at times at I type this but I'm human and I feel.
Another thing that has come to mind is something I remember saying to my aunt. The relationship between her and my dad has been strained for some time but I'm thinking whatever those were they got put aside. I remember saying "I don't want the next time everyone gets together be at a funeral" or something along those lines and ever since then I have been avoiding contact with her as much as I want to see my cousin grow up. I wanted to avoid a second situation where the unspeakable/unknown reasons for the strained relationship come up as topic. At the same time I don't want to answer questions like "do you keep in touch with so and so while you're in such place?" Anyway my curiosity is to my cousin is how he handled grandpa's death. Was he like me when I was his age (4)? I guess it's one of those things I'll eventually find out when I return. I guess I'll just have to put aside my fears and assumptions once I return home after the semester's over.
I don't know who will be reading this but if someone who has been through the same I appreciate your comments and your stories. I am aware that I put out some personal stuff on here as I am also sharing this post with family and friends whether they read this or not.
Love you and miss you grandpa.
Friday, December 30, 2011
To appear or not appear in trip photos
So recently I went to visit my grandparents since I did not have the opportunity to see them after I came back from Russian and before I left for St. John's. I'd though it be a great idea to show them my photos. Grandpa was asleep so I ended up trying to show grandma the photos. Turns out that grandma would be interested if there were more photos of me in them than just photos of objects and structures and scenery.
Personally if I'm on trips without my parents I do not appear in the photos I take. Why is that? I'd like to describe my trips as though my perspective and not that of the camera. I'll have pictures of the people around me but not one of myself.
I understand that if there's no photo of me it may be hard to believe that I was there. I am not a professional photographer so some of the photos I take will be blurry. Though I may decide to appear in one or two photos I do not feel like I should be in every shot. Maybe some, like my grandmother maybe, find photos boring if there's no people in them.
So to appear in these photos or not? I think this is a personal choice. Of course if you have an online photo album there is the choice to display whatever photos you want. You may have photos of yourself but only disclose those to certain people.
Personally if I'm on trips without my parents I do not appear in the photos I take. Why is that? I'd like to describe my trips as though my perspective and not that of the camera. I'll have pictures of the people around me but not one of myself.
I understand that if there's no photo of me it may be hard to believe that I was there. I am not a professional photographer so some of the photos I take will be blurry. Though I may decide to appear in one or two photos I do not feel like I should be in every shot. Maybe some, like my grandmother maybe, find photos boring if there's no people in them.
So to appear in these photos or not? I think this is a personal choice. Of course if you have an online photo album there is the choice to display whatever photos you want. You may have photos of yourself but only disclose those to certain people.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
30 Day Blog Challenge: Days 29 & 30
Day 29 - Tell us about the most interesting person you have encountered at school or around campus.
I don't think there is a single person that can take this spot. I have met a lot of interesting people, a couple of them I have already mentioned in posts during this challenge (Latin instructor and the people who suggested to change my major). Then there are people I've encountered from joining up with the fencing club and the tall guy I had a wee bit of a crush on.
As for instructors there are a couple (technically 3) of them I can add to this list. There is one of my linguistics instructors who taught me historical linguistics and Old Church Slavonic. He recently just retired from teaching but he's a great guy to listen to and speak with. The second is my Russian instructor I had for 3 years. In a way I can describe him as Major Major from Catch 22 (not there when you need him, there when you don't) but he's a bit of an important guy with Canada-Russia relations which explains him being away most of the time. He has an unconventional way of grading people but again is an interesting guy to listen to when he recalls his stories of Russia and past students. The third is an instructor I had for a film course. The course he taught was a course on Russian Film after 1992 (and also keeps a blog on Russian film too though most of it caters to his students). Again a great person to talk with.
Day 30 - What are your favorite and least favorite things about college?
Time goes by so fast. That fills in both positions for favourite and least favourite things. Unlike high school which for me the semester still continued after winter break before the second semester, a semester at my university lasts about 14-16 weeks. It seems like plenty of time but once that date of that final paper approaches it's hard to believe that you made it this far (unless you decide to drop out and change paths).
And from now on no more blog challenges since I don't come here often.
I don't think there is a single person that can take this spot. I have met a lot of interesting people, a couple of them I have already mentioned in posts during this challenge (Latin instructor and the people who suggested to change my major). Then there are people I've encountered from joining up with the fencing club and the tall guy I had a wee bit of a crush on.
As for instructors there are a couple (technically 3) of them I can add to this list. There is one of my linguistics instructors who taught me historical linguistics and Old Church Slavonic. He recently just retired from teaching but he's a great guy to listen to and speak with. The second is my Russian instructor I had for 3 years. In a way I can describe him as Major Major from Catch 22 (not there when you need him, there when you don't) but he's a bit of an important guy with Canada-Russia relations which explains him being away most of the time. He has an unconventional way of grading people but again is an interesting guy to listen to when he recalls his stories of Russia and past students. The third is an instructor I had for a film course. The course he taught was a course on Russian Film after 1992 (and also keeps a blog on Russian film too though most of it caters to his students). Again a great person to talk with.
Day 30 - What are your favorite and least favorite things about college?
Time goes by so fast. That fills in both positions for favourite and least favourite things. Unlike high school which for me the semester still continued after winter break before the second semester, a semester at my university lasts about 14-16 weeks. It seems like plenty of time but once that date of that final paper approaches it's hard to believe that you made it this far (unless you decide to drop out and change paths).
And from now on no more blog challenges since I don't come here often.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)