In the first season of How to Get Away with Murder, each episode opened with a section relating to college student Lila's murder. At first it created interest and maintained suspense as the mystery went unsolved. At first it appeared to be an interesting and unique chronological setup. Soon though, it became tiring and old. The murderer's reveal in the finale felt abrupt and sloppy.
In the second season, though, all of the show's flaws not only persisted, but became even more annoying. The plots gradually became less interesting as well. The execution was poor and the organization distasteful. I do not fear vulgarity in the least, but How to Get Away with Murder has become all crime and no substance. It's a mess of murder, court cases, and social conflicts. Overall a disappointing watch.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Lydia
"Most beautiful moment in life, past or future?"
"When I feel the sweet embrace of death."
...
"My most beautiful time recently was we went to see the botanic gardens in Des Moines last month."
"What about it?"
"It was pretty. I saw a turtle and bought an air plant. Best of all, my brother wasn't there. It was really hot actually, but it was really pretty and people were nice."
"Do you love flowers?"
"I do. I have a garden in my room and outside my house. They smell so nice and they're pretty."
"Why were you there?"
"My mom was getting her green card, which was cool except for the drunk guy that was stalking us. That was uncomfortable... We were basically just procrastinating afterward. Definitely to avoid my little brother. Yep."
"When I feel the sweet embrace of death."
...
"My most beautiful time recently was we went to see the botanic gardens in Des Moines last month."
"What about it?"
"It was pretty. I saw a turtle and bought an air plant. Best of all, my brother wasn't there. It was really hot actually, but it was really pretty and people were nice."
"Do you love flowers?"
"I do. I have a garden in my room and outside my house. They smell so nice and they're pretty."
"Why were you there?"
"My mom was getting her green card, which was cool except for the drunk guy that was stalking us. That was uncomfortable... We were basically just procrastinating afterward. Definitely to avoid my little brother. Yep."
Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Anna
Anna was initially very resistant to answering this question, calling it "stupid" and "bogus". She sucks.
"Let me tell you a story. One of my favorite memories is from when I lived in Missouri. In our second house, we had a creek in our backyard. Every day we would go out to the creek and play in it. We had plastic boats that we would race down the little waterfalls. The deepest parts were like four feet deep, but I was really young and small, so we had to walk around the edges so I wouldn't drown and die. I would always get really fascinated with the water bugs, like how they float on the surface tension and everything. Every night we would set out our rain boots to dry for the next day. Sometimes it would rain overnight so we couldn't go the next day. I'd be so sad. I would say that these adventures were one of the things I miss most about living in Missouri."
"Let me tell you a story. One of my favorite memories is from when I lived in Missouri. In our second house, we had a creek in our backyard. Every day we would go out to the creek and play in it. We had plastic boats that we would race down the little waterfalls. The deepest parts were like four feet deep, but I was really young and small, so we had to walk around the edges so I wouldn't drown and die. I would always get really fascinated with the water bugs, like how they float on the surface tension and everything. Every night we would set out our rain boots to dry for the next day. Sometimes it would rain overnight so we couldn't go the next day. I'd be so sad. I would say that these adventures were one of the things I miss most about living in Missouri."
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Ashley
"Most beautiful moment in life?"
"That's going to happen or has happened?"
"Either or both, man."
"I'll do both, okay. Beautifullest moment in life.....beautifullest....oh my god"
"Beautifullest, ha."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. The most beautiful moment so far....wow, that is really depresssing that I can't think any beautiful moments so far."
"Most people can't immediately. It's fine!"
"You know, honestly, yesterday was a good day. I don't know, I just got this overwhelming sensation. Yesterday was April 16th. It was the first day off I"ve gotten from work isince February. Usually I work every day from 11 in the morning to 10 at night. But between two jobs. I mean, I internally scream almost every day."
"I'm screaming right now."
"Anyways, it was so nice out and I did not want to be inside. I was hanging out with my friends all day. I started off the day at the Polar Plunge. It's where you go into cold water, but you have a team with costumes and stuff. And-"
Jacob interrupts with "Eunho Kim is really hot."
"Yeah, it's true!" Obviously I agree,
Ashley resumes. "Okay, glad we got that out of the way. Anyways, the Polar Plunge is where you dive into cold water with a team and it goes towards the Cedar Rapids Special Olympics. I went with R.E.M. Iowa, because I work with R.E.M. Iowa. We were the Coca Cola polar bears, which meant I had to wear a white t-shirt and white shorts. And, I don't have any natural colored bras, so that was fun. I had to change immediately. I don't know, from there I feel like it just got better. The weather was so nice. It felt almost like a spring awakening for me. Not like the musical, like it awakened my soul and brought out a whole new level of happiness for me. Later, I went to a glass blowing demo and saw a guy from my past, which was awkward. We avoided each other."
"What was the weather like?"
"Oh my gosh, so the past week has been cold and rainy and windy. Just awful. Then I wake up and it's just this gorgeous sunlight. I went outside and I had a pair of shorts on and I was perfectly okay. Like, I hate pants. Pants are a nuisance to society and I love it when I can just wear shorts. Now that the weather is getting nicer and the nights are getting nicer, I just wanna be out. I have never had the urge to be outside more than I have when I became an independent adult."
---
"So, I beautiful moment in the future. People have different values. Everyone knows this. Everyone believes something different, which is why everyone has a different personality and a different background. I will own up to it....I am a hopeless romantic."
"I think that's a good thing to have."
"You have to hold on to something in this crazy short life. So, I've have these ideals of a perfect relationship, which I need to stop because I know it's never going to actually happen, yeah. But I think every moment in a relationship should be beautiful. There are just certain things that you can find and just fall in love with like the way someone flicks their hair back, or when they drum their fingers on a table and you can just take comfort that they're there. Those are little beautiful moments for me. I want it, but it's so hard to achieve? That's the scary thing about relationships. Feelings can change like the drop of a pen. You can't have those little moments without taking a chance on a relationship."
"That's going to happen or has happened?"
"Either or both, man."
"I'll do both, okay. Beautifullest moment in life.....beautifullest....oh my god"
"Beautifullest, ha."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. The most beautiful moment so far....wow, that is really depresssing that I can't think any beautiful moments so far."
"Most people can't immediately. It's fine!"
"You know, honestly, yesterday was a good day. I don't know, I just got this overwhelming sensation. Yesterday was April 16th. It was the first day off I"ve gotten from work isince February. Usually I work every day from 11 in the morning to 10 at night. But between two jobs. I mean, I internally scream almost every day."
"I'm screaming right now."
"Anyways, it was so nice out and I did not want to be inside. I was hanging out with my friends all day. I started off the day at the Polar Plunge. It's where you go into cold water, but you have a team with costumes and stuff. And-"
Jacob interrupts with "Eunho Kim is really hot."
"Yeah, it's true!" Obviously I agree,
Ashley resumes. "Okay, glad we got that out of the way. Anyways, the Polar Plunge is where you dive into cold water with a team and it goes towards the Cedar Rapids Special Olympics. I went with R.E.M. Iowa, because I work with R.E.M. Iowa. We were the Coca Cola polar bears, which meant I had to wear a white t-shirt and white shorts. And, I don't have any natural colored bras, so that was fun. I had to change immediately. I don't know, from there I feel like it just got better. The weather was so nice. It felt almost like a spring awakening for me. Not like the musical, like it awakened my soul and brought out a whole new level of happiness for me. Later, I went to a glass blowing demo and saw a guy from my past, which was awkward. We avoided each other."
"What was the weather like?"
"Oh my gosh, so the past week has been cold and rainy and windy. Just awful. Then I wake up and it's just this gorgeous sunlight. I went outside and I had a pair of shorts on and I was perfectly okay. Like, I hate pants. Pants are a nuisance to society and I love it when I can just wear shorts. Now that the weather is getting nicer and the nights are getting nicer, I just wanna be out. I have never had the urge to be outside more than I have when I became an independent adult."
---
"So, I beautiful moment in the future. People have different values. Everyone knows this. Everyone believes something different, which is why everyone has a different personality and a different background. I will own up to it....I am a hopeless romantic."
"I think that's a good thing to have."
"You have to hold on to something in this crazy short life. So, I've have these ideals of a perfect relationship, which I need to stop because I know it's never going to actually happen, yeah. But I think every moment in a relationship should be beautiful. There are just certain things that you can find and just fall in love with like the way someone flicks their hair back, or when they drum their fingers on a table and you can just take comfort that they're there. Those are little beautiful moments for me. I want it, but it's so hard to achieve? That's the scary thing about relationships. Feelings can change like the drop of a pen. You can't have those little moments without taking a chance on a relationship."
Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Mary
"Most beautiful moment in life, go."
"Alright, ummm...when I first learned English and when I was actually able to understand what the heck was going on [in English]. So, I learned English as a second language because I only spoke Vietnamese as a child. But then when I first went to kindergarten, everyone spoke this alien language called English. So, I was like 'What the heck is going on?' So my counselor and my older sister had to help me learn English."
"What was it like being in kindergarten and not knowing English when everyone around you used it?"
"Terrible. The first day I went home, I was like 'Mom and Dad, what is this language that people are speaking? I can't understand them! They're not speaking the same language I'm speaking.' It was terrifying. And every time we had writing tests, like can we write our name and everything, I knew what my English name was—that was the only thing I knew how to say in English—but I could even write it down. So every time we had little writing tests, it'd just be little squiggly lines and drawings."
"How long did it take you to become comprehensive?"
"Well, I finally learned how to speak English near the middle of the year of kindergarten. And then, I was able to read it, but the odds of being able to comprehend it were still really low. Like I was able to understand most of it, but when we read little stories and had say what happened, I was like 'What am I doing?'"
"What feeling did you have when you realized you could [understand English]?"
"Oh my god, it was amazing. I was like 'I can finally understand what the shits going on!' -laughs- Because, like, I had a really elementary understanding of English for the longest time, then my teachers and my librarian, near fifth grade, kind of helped me get interested in books. They'd be like 'Oh! You should read this and this.' so then I started reading a lot more too and surprisingly, I like it."
"What was the social effect of not knowing English? Were you kind of isolated?"
"Um, yeah. I felt isolated for a good half year in the beginning, but for the most part it just felt kind of really terrifying because you're the only one who doesn't know what the heck is going on and you feel different because you're not like them."
"Alright, ummm...when I first learned English and when I was actually able to understand what the heck was going on [in English]. So, I learned English as a second language because I only spoke Vietnamese as a child. But then when I first went to kindergarten, everyone spoke this alien language called English. So, I was like 'What the heck is going on?' So my counselor and my older sister had to help me learn English."
"What was it like being in kindergarten and not knowing English when everyone around you used it?"
"Terrible. The first day I went home, I was like 'Mom and Dad, what is this language that people are speaking? I can't understand them! They're not speaking the same language I'm speaking.' It was terrifying. And every time we had writing tests, like can we write our name and everything, I knew what my English name was—that was the only thing I knew how to say in English—but I could even write it down. So every time we had little writing tests, it'd just be little squiggly lines and drawings."
"How long did it take you to become comprehensive?"
"Well, I finally learned how to speak English near the middle of the year of kindergarten. And then, I was able to read it, but the odds of being able to comprehend it were still really low. Like I was able to understand most of it, but when we read little stories and had say what happened, I was like 'What am I doing?'"
"What feeling did you have when you realized you could [understand English]?"
"Oh my god, it was amazing. I was like 'I can finally understand what the shits going on!' -laughs- Because, like, I had a really elementary understanding of English for the longest time, then my teachers and my librarian, near fifth grade, kind of helped me get interested in books. They'd be like 'Oh! You should read this and this.' so then I started reading a lot more too and surprisingly, I like it."
"What was the social effect of not knowing English? Were you kind of isolated?"
"Um, yeah. I felt isolated for a good half year in the beginning, but for the most part it just felt kind of really terrifying because you're the only one who doesn't know what the heck is going on and you feel different because you're not like them."
Everything Before Us (2015)
Everything Before Us is the debut movie of Wong Fu Productions. Though this is their first full length film, the crew of Wong Fu are no strangers to video. Since 2006, the team, led by Philip Wang, Wesley Chan, and Ted Fu, have released video after video on YouTube. Their content includes short films, comedy, and more. The Wong Fu Productions channel currently has 2,645,381 subscribers.
Everything Before Us takes place in the near future where there relationships are on the level of finances, By that, I mean that there are relationship scores, much like credit scores. Overseeing these affairs is the D.E.I., the Department of Emotional Integrity. The D.E.I. headquarters is just like the D.O.T., in terms of waiting setting. Once called, people register relationships, terminate, etc.
Elitism was a prominent outcome of the relationship score system. Those of high scores looked down on those with low scores. Establishments like clubs and bars had minimum score requirements for entrance. Places that allowed low scoring individuals were viewed as trashy.
The separation between work and personal life was eliminated. Relationship scores directly affected employment, college entrance, loans - everything. One mistake in a relationship could rob you of a job or cancel any chance of entering a study abroad program.
The D.E.I.'s claims of having a widespread positive effect on relationships seems to be greatly defied in the film. In a bar scene, we can actually see Randall, an active employee at the D.E.I. alone and looking very burdened. This brief glimpse has impact, as Randall is not only the character in all of the D.E.I. relationship consultations, but is introduced in the beginning boasting about the department's necessity and social significance at a high school.
Though there are cliches here and there, I would recommend Everything Before Us. It's thought provoking and has a very subtle dystopian feeling. It's recently become available on Netflix.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Accom(pany)lishment
Just yesterday, I traveled a couple of hours to Des Moines to attend an arts awards ceremony in which I won first place in photography (high school division) and gave a short speech. Of course, in the thanksgiving part of my speech, I could not gloss over the fact that I didn't work alone.
It was December when I had an idea to take some photos using mirrors. As the mental image developed further, the idea to include suspended cranes emerged as well. I knew, most definitely, that I would need to assemble a team. My father and I sought out two mirrors to reflect into each other, and he lent me his rig (which he used to create a hood when painting model planes). Next, I found my model, shared my idea with her, and got even more excited. She and I met to adjust the height of the setup, as well as the arrangement of suspended origami cranes. Of course, I would need to assemble a team to hold the mirrors. Fortunately, a few friends were available.
The morning of the shoot was cold, painfully so. Not only were we cold, I also had everyone meet at sunrise. Furthermore, that mirrors were heavy and cut off circulation in the hands/fingers. It was a long, treacherous ordeal.
Without the hard work of those friends, the vision I had would not have been brought to fruition, reminding me that we often need other people to help us succeed. Those people should be appreciated and never taken for granted, as they're not required to help you. In short, "teamwork makes the dream work."
Setting Significance
I'm picky when it comes to the music I listen to, and even more critical about what I play in accordance to the time of day, weather, season, general mood, etc. As a result, I have an excessive amount of playlists for very specific times and settings. Similar to my musical habits, I prefer the books I read to match the season I'm in. In fact, the degree to which a book I read matches my real-life setting significantly impacts my reading experience.
During winter break, a couple of fitting book that I read were Murakami's Dance, Dance, Dance and After Dark. Both were set during winter, so I was more immersed in the story and scenes as they weren't so different from that I was living in at the time. I read Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki during two very gloomy days. They featured an overcast sky, chilled temperatures, and grey tones, similar to the story's setting and prominent mood.
On the other hand, I also read Sputnik Sweetheart during those frigid times. Afterward, i wasn't sure if my lack of a fulfilling reading experience stemmed from shortcoming in the actual writing or my own lack of relation in surroundings. Sputnik Sweetheart is distinctly summery. Both parts in Japan and Greece were characterized by an overbearing summer heat and suffocating humidity. While the characters were sweating profusely, I was wearing three layers in an attempt to stay warm. Though I would visualize scenes, I couldn't quite grasp the physical feelings and atmosphere of the story. Upon finishing the book, my takeaway feeling was just meh.
With my finding of how heavily I'm impacted as a reader by setting, I've shaped my reading plan with season in mind. For example, this summer, when I go to the Philippines, I'll re-read Sputnik Sweetheart in hopes of relating to the protagonist as he's living in intense island heat. Learning about these traits I have as a reader will hopefully allow me to grow.
During winter break, a couple of fitting book that I read were Murakami's Dance, Dance, Dance and After Dark. Both were set during winter, so I was more immersed in the story and scenes as they weren't so different from that I was living in at the time. I read Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki during two very gloomy days. They featured an overcast sky, chilled temperatures, and grey tones, similar to the story's setting and prominent mood.
On the other hand, I also read Sputnik Sweetheart during those frigid times. Afterward, i wasn't sure if my lack of a fulfilling reading experience stemmed from shortcoming in the actual writing or my own lack of relation in surroundings. Sputnik Sweetheart is distinctly summery. Both parts in Japan and Greece were characterized by an overbearing summer heat and suffocating humidity. While the characters were sweating profusely, I was wearing three layers in an attempt to stay warm. Though I would visualize scenes, I couldn't quite grasp the physical feelings and atmosphere of the story. Upon finishing the book, my takeaway feeling was just meh.
With my finding of how heavily I'm impacted as a reader by setting, I've shaped my reading plan with season in mind. For example, this summer, when I go to the Philippines, I'll re-read Sputnik Sweetheart in hopes of relating to the protagonist as he's living in intense island heat. Learning about these traits I have as a reader will hopefully allow me to grow.
Rudimentary Things
As the weather warms up, of course I, somewhat calling myself a photographer, feel a desire to go out in the tolerable weather and take photos. Similar to the reemergence of vegetation in the springtime, ideas have begun to sprout in my ind at a quicker pace. I've itched to do a multi-person portrait series for a long while and have brainstormed topic after topic. One that I believe I will follow through on is "Feel Good Photos" - photos capturing what makes someone feel content or happy.
In the past few days, I asked my friends what their personal answers were. I got detailed answers like "hearing light rain falling onto the ground", "the feeling of climbing into a cool bed after showering, hugging a pillow, and going to sleep happy", "coming home from school and seeing my god waiting for me...she gets excited and licks me while her tail wags like crazy", and "when it rains and I'm in a safe dry place listening and observing". There were also short answers like flowers, pizza, thumbs, face, hair, calves, dew, clavicles, dancing (improv), hanging out with good friends, and intelligence.
What I noticed from all these answers was that they were all very basic things, or candid moments. Rather than exciting and expected things like winning a contest/competition, getting a good grade, etc., the things that people really cherish and hold on to are relatively regular and more relaxed times/things.
In the past few days, I asked my friends what their personal answers were. I got detailed answers like "hearing light rain falling onto the ground", "the feeling of climbing into a cool bed after showering, hugging a pillow, and going to sleep happy", "coming home from school and seeing my god waiting for me...she gets excited and licks me while her tail wags like crazy", and "when it rains and I'm in a safe dry place listening and observing". There were also short answers like flowers, pizza, thumbs, face, hair, calves, dew, clavicles, dancing (improv), hanging out with good friends, and intelligence.
What I noticed from all these answers was that they were all very basic things, or candid moments. Rather than exciting and expected things like winning a contest/competition, getting a good grade, etc., the things that people really cherish and hold on to are relatively regular and more relaxed times/things.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Themes of Connection and Fate in Kafka on the Shore
(contains spoilers)
Like many novels of Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore touches upon several abstract concepts and themes of life. I'm about halfway through the novel, and these a couple the themes I look forward to exploring more as I continue.
Connection
There's an abundance of connection throughout the novel. The two protagonists, young Kafka Tamura and the elderly Nakata's fates have been connected in an unexplained way. There's foreshadowing with the mention of Nakata's shadow, which is rather faint. He's recommended to go and search for its other half. The first major connection made between Kafka and Nakata occurs on the night of the murder of Kafka's father, Koichi Tamura. In Nakata's storyline, Tamura sr. is the peculiar "Johnnie Walker", a cat murderer and soul collector. That night, Nakata awakens after the murder with clean clothes, the blood stains simply gone. Several miles away, in a different city, Kafka finds himself with the past few hours of his memory gone and covered in blood.
Fate
Fate is a prominent theme so far. As with many things, Nakata and Kafka contrast in the idea of fate in their lives. Nakata has just lived a life where things happen to him. There was an accident that ruined his life, his cousin took all of his life savings but a few hundred dollars, he's alone and doesn't do a lot. Despite his misfortune, he's never felt bad about it or dissatisfied. Instead, he just accepts it and carries on. Even where i am in the book, he's travelling with no legitimate destination in mind, just "west". Kafka, on the other hand, has some sort of wild life prophecy strongly resembling the prophecy of Oedipus Rex. The concrete nature of his destiny is furthered in the uncanny lyrics of "Kafka on the Shore", a song.
Like many novels of Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore touches upon several abstract concepts and themes of life. I'm about halfway through the novel, and these a couple the themes I look forward to exploring more as I continue.
Connection
There's an abundance of connection throughout the novel. The two protagonists, young Kafka Tamura and the elderly Nakata's fates have been connected in an unexplained way. There's foreshadowing with the mention of Nakata's shadow, which is rather faint. He's recommended to go and search for its other half. The first major connection made between Kafka and Nakata occurs on the night of the murder of Kafka's father, Koichi Tamura. In Nakata's storyline, Tamura sr. is the peculiar "Johnnie Walker", a cat murderer and soul collector. That night, Nakata awakens after the murder with clean clothes, the blood stains simply gone. Several miles away, in a different city, Kafka finds himself with the past few hours of his memory gone and covered in blood.
Fate
Fate is a prominent theme so far. As with many things, Nakata and Kafka contrast in the idea of fate in their lives. Nakata has just lived a life where things happen to him. There was an accident that ruined his life, his cousin took all of his life savings but a few hundred dollars, he's alone and doesn't do a lot. Despite his misfortune, he's never felt bad about it or dissatisfied. Instead, he just accepts it and carries on. Even where i am in the book, he's travelling with no legitimate destination in mind, just "west". Kafka, on the other hand, has some sort of wild life prophecy strongly resembling the prophecy of Oedipus Rex. The concrete nature of his destiny is furthered in the uncanny lyrics of "Kafka on the Shore", a song.
Hardest Time in Life: Danielle
With all my posts on people's most beautiful moments in their life (Danielle, here), I decided I should include the opposite as well. I believe you can learn so much about a person by knowing what hardships they've faced. After all, as Leo Tolstoy said, "Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story."
"Would you feel okay talking about a hard time?"
"Yeah, I guess, but it might take me a while to think of one. Wow, that sounds awful to say."
"Nah."
"Never mind, it didn't take it long at all. It's more like a collection of memories. Basically just all the times my dad and brothers have made some sort of snide comment or joke about my weight. Ever since I was 6 or 7, I'd say."
"Could you describe the situations and what they'd say as well as how you felt?'
"I don't know. One just happened a while ago. I found some old coffee filters in our kitchen drawers and said 'Wow dad, they've been in the drawer since I was a small child.' And he stood there for a second and said 'First things first, you were NEVER a small child, let's get that straight.'"
"Jesus Christ."
"Yeah, my dad and brothers are kind of assholes. One of my brothers always brings up this story of when I was a kid and I was in the middle of eating lunch and asked mom what was for dinner. And then my other brother would always call me tubby and beat me up and stuff. So yeah, those were the worst times in my life so far."
"He beat you up?!"
"Yeah, it happened to me a lot as a kid. It's the main reason I hate him so much now."
...
"I'm fine with it, though. Overall, my childhood was great. I'm just sharing the absolute worst parts. "
"Yeah, but still..."
"Meh, my mom made up for all of it. She's a really good mom. I forget about it sometimes, but I know I'm really lucky to have had her."
"Would you feel okay talking about a hard time?"
"Yeah, I guess, but it might take me a while to think of one. Wow, that sounds awful to say."
"Nah."
"Never mind, it didn't take it long at all. It's more like a collection of memories. Basically just all the times my dad and brothers have made some sort of snide comment or joke about my weight. Ever since I was 6 or 7, I'd say."
"Could you describe the situations and what they'd say as well as how you felt?'
"I don't know. One just happened a while ago. I found some old coffee filters in our kitchen drawers and said 'Wow dad, they've been in the drawer since I was a small child.' And he stood there for a second and said 'First things first, you were NEVER a small child, let's get that straight.'"
"Jesus Christ."
"Yeah, my dad and brothers are kind of assholes. One of my brothers always brings up this story of when I was a kid and I was in the middle of eating lunch and asked mom what was for dinner. And then my other brother would always call me tubby and beat me up and stuff. So yeah, those were the worst times in my life so far."
"He beat you up?!"
"Yeah, it happened to me a lot as a kid. It's the main reason I hate him so much now."
...
"I'm fine with it, though. Overall, my childhood was great. I'm just sharing the absolute worst parts. "
"Yeah, but still..."
"Meh, my mom made up for all of it. She's a really good mom. I forget about it sometimes, but I know I'm really lucky to have had her."
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Most Beautiful Moment(s) in Life: Danielle
A little background: Danielle is a friend I've known for about three years. I met her at Asian Alliance Club when I was in eighth grade (I went to high school part-time). We bonded over a mutual interest in Korean pop culture and continued to grow closer in and out of color guard. She graduated last year, but we still frequently talk and occasionally meet when she returns from college.
"Tell me about the best times of your life."
"That's seriously such a difficult question. I've been thinking about it for the past 10 minutes...Okay, I'm between 2."
"You can do both!"
"Okay. The first one is when I went to Japan, but it wasn't the fact that I was in Japan. (A/N this is the same Japan trip as Jacob.) It was the people I was with. We would all head down to convenience stores and buy different foods, then go back to one of our rooms all together and just sit and talk about what all happened that day. And we made TONS of jokes and shared our food. We'd all reminisce. We did that basically every night."
"What were your favorite foods?"
"I liked the sandwiches, but we also tried tones of chips and breakfast foods."
"So how did that impact your friendships?"
"Well now I"m really good friends with Tyler and I still try and keep in touch with Jacob and Taylor. I see Brenna pretty often too. Oh yeah, I cried when everyone left Japan. That was the last time I remember crying for something that happened in my life and not because of a TV show. I'm always thinking about ways for the Japan crew to reunite. We all want to plan a bowling trip and invite Sensei."
"What exactly were you feeling as you left?"
"When I left or when the rest of the group left? 'Cause we left at different times."
"Both times."
"Okay, when they left I was really sad. I didn't want to be apart from them. I wanted them to stay so we could have more fun times. And when I left, I was ready to go. I had been walking everywhere every day, constantly in motion, so I was ready to go back and rest, but I didn't sleep on the plane at all and was just so exhausted on the way back."
"When was the last time you all met up?"
"All of us? ...Not since before school started. Actually that's wrong. Since coming back, there's never been a time when all of us were together."
"So what about your other memory?"
"It was my friend's 16th birthday party. We went the the PlayStation (laughs). Basically, we were all like 'Aren't we too old to be here?', but when we actually went in, we had soooo much fun. The others started a ball fight with all the kids For some reason, all the kids liked me and thought of me as one of them, so I joined forces to wage war against the 'big kids'. It was just a stupid fun time and we all felt like little kids again. I don't know, it's just a precious memory. It's fun to imagine Cahill and Chelsea and all of us plaing around in the PlayStation with a bunch of 5-8-year-olds."
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