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| cool?"The only true currency in this bankrupt world... is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." -Almost Famous
so i've been wondering about this awhile- is there truth behind the perception of the world being divided with those who are cool and those who aren't? it seems to start in grade school, when you suddenly realize there's one main table that everyone wants to sit at. even though the cafeteria is really divided into rows and rows of tables, there's always at least one table that is home to the most popular, aka coolest, guys and girls. i'm not exactly sure about the science of this- how people switch in and out, or the frequency, or even what divinely seems to define these people as cool. if i were to put a term to it, i suppose i might define it as charisma or the ones that people seem to gravitate towards. the people whom others want to be around whether it be because they've got the right balance of looks and personality. maybe it's something else altogether such as they were a preformed clique. all i know for certain is that are some who definitely do NOT fall into this category.
by no means of their own, these otherwise-wonderful human beings are not identified with that "lure you in" quality . you can spot them in a crowd like a brownie on newport beach. they might stand awkwardly or seem slightly apart for some reason. there are those who try to fit in- desperately. they cling to the brief taste of 'coolness' by repeated phone calls, self-invites, or prolonged lingering. (and no, i'm not describing the normal behavior of adolescent boys trying to ask a girl out)
but what i do wonder is- if and how this factors in the real world? the larger, all grown-up, more interesting world? like when you start college and you suddenly realize there's a whole lot more out there than the typical stereotypes you grew up around, and it's ok to be into or do whatever it is you enjoy. does the cool/uncool factor really apply then? people are so different, and everyone's perspective varies. the world opens up, and reality widens. one person may not respect another, but other people find that person to be amazing.
yet, why is it every now and then, i find a flicker of that cool vs the uncool remnant. the media feeds this idea, the beautiful embrace it, the powerful ride it, but is it real? does it exist? or is it something we merely propagate without thought? i can only offer possibilities, ponderings, hunches really... but i'm just another uncool monkey depositing a penny for my thoughts.
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| some people will always be misfits of society, no matter what they do.
my opinion- it's all good, just roll with it. | | |
| Critics' ChoiceMovie Reviews- the past break has been spent catching up on LOTS of sleep and LOTS of movies. If I were anyone else, I'd probably be alllll movied out.
Namesake- B for the gen public, B+ for all my Indian viewers. Pretty good, gets you in your Asian guts and wrings your heart with all the lil references to folks.
My Blueberry Nights- C+. makes me cry that my Norah Jones got stuck in this movie... unfortunately it wasn't anything particular that was awful, just that everything in gen was blah. the story wasn't strong enough to grip you, the characters weren't compelling enough to care for, lines weren't unique enough to catch your attn. the only redeeming qualities were that actors were pretty and you wanted to pull for Jude Law's wistful butt even though you're not sure why.
Dreamgirls- A-. surprised that majority of this movie was a musical, but it was done well. liked the fact that jen hudson was a main attraction, and they did a pretty good job integrating the 3rd original dreamgirl with a minor storyline, in addition to giving beyonce her usual i-look-doe-eyed-but-i'll-secretly-get-you-back-sucka-cuz-i'm-a-WOman- role. the story line was decent from what i vaguely recall based loosely on history, the music was fitting, and the acting was great.
hmmm for some reason I really can't recall the others. more updates possibly later | | |
| Cultural Orphans
Our parents emigrate dreaming of opportunity. They come, suitcases brimming with personal belongings, expectations, and worries. In their largest aspirations, they imagine lives in which their little ones will grow up strong, happy, and financially secure. However, clinging to these dreams are interesting beliefs on culture. Some are quick to shed the past and step boldly into an alien culture. Others refuse to let go of traditions, believing that the home country held the right answers albeit not for socioeconomic conditions. I question the practicality of such attitudes for their children, who are inevitably held bound between two cultures. They cannot alter this position- it is a fact due to their environment. Furthermore, if such past cultures are to be held, then how can their children honor them without adequate knowledge of their significance? It is assumed that children rooted out of these native backgrounds will supernaturally understand the weight of 'better' traditions, while adapting successfully to the ones in which they are actually engulfed. And even more, they never completely belong to a different environment without letting go some of that past. Otherwise, to truly ease comfortably into this new world, the children of immigrants are forced to put on an understanding, if not acceptance, of the environment in which they live. Some succeed, others do not.
How do you bridge that gap of the two worlds that is thrust upon you? How do you embrace the good of both and eliminate the rest, without battling the constant pressure to conform? It's a hard war. And much like the current conditions of the Middle East, from where I stand, a victor has yet to emerge. | | |
| introspection with a Christian bentmy mood has been shifting as rapidly as paparazzi favorites. i am in a great period of change, as a loved pointed out. so i suppose it's quite natural for me to feel a little lost and confused as i swing from giddy and confident to extremely nervous and fearful of my fate. however, part of my worries stem from a feeling of immaturity, an unnatural sense of uncertainty on who i am and what i believe in, and wondering when all of these questions would sort themselves out. while i was never a strongly confident person (aside from foolish moments of arrogance), i completely despise feeling so weak- so unsure of myself, so low on self esteem. normal sentiments, but ones you hope to have overcome after a certain number of years on Earth. in retrospect, i suppose these are the lessons that keep me humble and train me in the ways of humility. i hope to become disciplined and change what needs to be changed. there are so many lessons being scattered across my weaving path, and God only knows where he leads me. on good days, i recognize that my only true competition in life is myself. no one else's achievements bear weight on my own capabilities, my own struggles and ambitions. no one else's goals should oppress or surpass my own. i am my own person, and therefore i seek to be all that I can be. considering others missions should only help me to refine my own. as i get older, i trim away the excess- holding too tightly to possessions [and worries] that i cannot take with me or will not help me in the afterlife. at the same time, wisdom in all matters, including monetary, is a virtue i strive to achieve. most of all, a certain knowledge or confidence in oneself... now that is a lesson that bangs a strong tune throughout my life. again and again, i see how that acceptance will distinguish certain individuals from others. nor do i mean the shallow, false confidence so many radiate. rather, it is a calm clear assurance softened by humility, now that is what i seek. that is what i admire. that is who i respect. people are so quick to impress with their wallets, appearance, connections, and quick tongues. including myself, most definitely myself. are these things really what matter? in our soul, the answer is clear. and yet, our outer mentality shouts otherwise. i wonder, why are we so quick to play these games of political, social, and mental ambiguity? why do we not speak plainly? seek to do good. honor virtues with sacrifice, and love the Lord above all others. for me, acknowledgement of God brings all things to clarity. including the need to let go of all that would hold me back. may i lean not on my own understanding but rather Trust in him for all things. | | |
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