wonderland

This Sunday I found a book in my garage, and it was probably one of the most beautiful books I had seen. It’s this fairly new copy of The Complete, Fully Illustrated Works by Lewis Carroll, with gold plated edges on the pages. It even has this satin ribbon for page marking.

I skimmed a few of the stories and poems because there was so many! Well duh. But seriously, one of the most prominent things about Carroll is his unique style: it’s definitely bizarre. His imagination knew no bounds, and that’s one of the reasons why he’s so famous. There is nothing else like his collection of Alice stories.

 Lewis Carroll employed John Tenniel, an established book illustrator, to bring characters like the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and of course Alice, to life. I was hoping to actually read more of Alice in Wonderland but I haven’t found the time to. I think it’s awesome how universal this story is too; it’s one of the world’s most frequently translated works, available in fifty-five languages. 

And of course the world of cinema has attempted to re-create this story. I’ve watched Tim Burton’s version and it’s quite trippy…but then again so Tim Burton.  Alice and Wonderland has also appeared in one of my most favorite video games, Kingdom Hearts. (But of course that’s because it’s collaboration between Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios.)

Hopefully I’ll be able to read more from this book!

Don't you, forget about me

Can you remember what you ate for dinner last night?

I find it crazy how we can remember the smallest detail from 5 years ago but not remember what TV show we were just watching 5 minutes ago. I always like to imagine that our brains are like a little office with versions of us running around sorting things (lol referencing Spongebob here). Sometimes things just fade to the back of our minds, like how you can listen to a song you haven’t heard in ages yet you know every lyric still. And then some events stand out in sharp clarity…perhaps due to some emotional attachment affiliated with it. Good and bad.

As for me personally, I've always had a very good memory. I can remember things quicker than the average person, and can memorize a lot at once. I don’t even know why; it just comes naturally. I never really understood why some people just forget to attend meetings and things such as that; I’m the type of person who’s always on top of stuff and reminding everyone of that said meeting.

My memory is definitely a gift and a curse. Like I said earlier, there are good and bad memories, and I remember everything. I’m not kidding. I remember exactly what people say to me. Of course, I’m still human and I forget to do things to. It seems like you only remember what you want to remember (i.e. doing the dishes). And then other times, you have horrible memories you want to get rid of….

Assumptions

When I was young, I always made my own assumptions about things. The more I grew up, the more I realized how incredibly narrow-minded I was. For instance:

• I thought Italy was located where New York state was until my family explained the concept of Europe
• I assumed that all "furniture" meant was just sofas and couches. So when someone referred to their bed and desk as furniture I gave them a weird look and said no it wasn't. They reciprocated with their own opinions.
• The best one is that I thought Labor Day was the day when mothers all over the world suddenly went into labor on that one specific day. The worst part was that my cousin (who is younger than me) pointed out how wrong I was. And this was only 3 months ago.

So you see, it's never safe to assume. Of course, I made these conjectures when I was still slave to shows like Maggie and the Ferocious Beast.

In the adult world, the more you jump to conclusions, the more dangerous it becomes. You'll make mistakes if you suddenly think one way; no communication leads to problems. Sometimes people get hurt because you don't stop and actually figure out what it is you're trying to well, figure out. And then you'll get the truth and the truth will be shocking. I don't exactly understand why people just can't tell you straight up what's on their mind? If everyone actually said what they were thinking then there'd be no miscommunications. One thing I hate about society is the fact that it forces us to adopt a verbal filter. Most of the time I say what exactly is on my mind, but according to SOCIETY I'm wrong in doing so. I'd just like to let anyone (if anyone is even reading this probably not but whatever) that I mean no harm. It seems like today, there are people who'll have that sugar-coated visage and a bitter interior. And then you have the people who seem "mean" on the outside but have their heart in the right place. So what to do?

(I know I just went on a little tangent but it's still relevant.)

So selfish, two words that could describe, oh actions of mine

It's always nice to gain perspective in life.

Around the holidays, it's the time when most people attempt to see what they really have.

And yet, when the holidays are over, it's back to being self-absorbed with our daily lives as ever.

So there I was on a Sunday night, struggling to come up with what to put on my Christmas list.

I started to complain that I couldn't decide what exactly to put on it, since

everything was either too expensive or there was so many things I wanted. 

And then I really sat there, absolutely disgusted with myself. 

I mean, there are kids out there who would kill

for like, a Christmas colored ribbon scrap and I'm complaining that I have too

many options to choose from.

Wat?

It just goes to show you how first world our problems are. We're so caught up in our technologies

and frivolous little activities that we don't realize how much we truly have. It's always

been every man for himself, but nowadays I think we, as a whole, have

taken that to the extreme. Would it really hurt to try and consider

others for a change? Or is it natural in human nature to

ignore the welfare of our fellows? Maybe, maybe not. There are some people

out there who are in touch with their philanthropic side.

Take for example, my mother. She is perhaps the most self-less person I have 

ever know. I'm not kidding, she would do anything for me or any of

my siblings. She gave up her life in another country; she completely left her family,

not to mention her job, education and worldly possessions, all to fashion a new life 

for the kids that didn't even exist yet. Then she had to endure the journey to America itself,

a grueling week-long boat ride with no more food than some stale bread and water.

And here I am. Perhaps this is why I am also a little ahead of my years, since 

there is no way I could think of gambling my mother's sacrifice by doing something really stupid.

So that's a tiny little story about a third-world (sort-of...was Vietnam third-world in the 1960-70's?)

person and their struggle. Here's a video demonstrating many people's current "dilemmas"...

Thanksgiving time

There's seriously something magical about this time of your. 

Without fail, there's this spark of excitement in the air when you realize it's holiday season. One of the best things about Thanksgiving (besides the carb-overload) is the fact that it serves as a landmark till the next biggest holiday: Christmas.

But this post isn't about Christmas; it's about the fourth Thursday of every November and why on this day we feel the need to give out gratitude and astronomical turkey portions! Thanksgiving is the national holiday honoring the early settlers and their harvest feast known as the first Thanksgiving. You can read up on the origin here:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/history/first-thanksgiving/

I really love everything about this holiday. The sense of family union and festive thanks

is what it's really about. This year, I am more than thankful for my crazy but lovable

family, my health, my education and of course my cat.

       

                       I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! :3

there's art in our blood

 “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
― Pablo Picasso

I was just thinking about art in the everyday world. I always feel a respect for artists, probably because I'm not the most creative person myself. Things like wall murals, graffiti, and street art are what I think of as "outdoors art". I was just Stumbling and I came across some borderline amazing street art (one of the coolest ones, IMO, on right). I also loved (and still do) to count the number of carts a train has as it goes by. The highest one I ever counted was 97. And usually I would spot some graffiti on the carts, some decent, some phenomenal. To me, graffiti presents a story behind the actual spray-paint. Every time I saw it I'd just ponder about who actually did it.  Honestly, some people just have that flair for art.

It's also interesting to think about how graffiti artists have a negative connotation: usually people associate them with people who come from grungy neighborhoods and bad social etiquette. But of course, we all know it's bad to generalize..
Art is incredible in the way that there are endless ways to convey it.
It really is in everything, and despite the fact that I called myself inartistic earlier, I know that everyone has the ability to create their own art.

Candy is veddy veddy good.

So, due to Chris Christie's executive order to post pone Halloween, today I am passing out the finer things in life: high fructose corn syrup and smiles. The thing about candy, it connects people. It will remain a favorite treat for people of all ages from cradle to grave. Apologies for making that sounds morbid, but hey, when in Halloween :D

I always have exceptional difficulty when asked to pick a favorite of something, but for candy especially I suffer from a brain aneurism. Just kidding. My favorite candy is anything that has caramel or chocolate-mint in it, like those Andes after-dinner mints that don't actually count as candy but I'm still going to anyway. I also like Milky Ways, Life Savers gummies, Kit-Kats, gummy bears, Butterfingers and Whoppers holla. I'm going to give you a brief history on the Andes mint candy though, because it truly is my favorite.

Officially, they are called Andes Creme de Menthe Thins, a candy with one mint-green layer sandwiched in between two chocolate-brown layers. It's also wrapped in this signature green and silver foil.

In 1921, Andrew Kanelos opened a small candy store in Chicago, Illinois. Andes Mints got their start in the North Side neighborhood, and were a local treat for many years. While Kanelos initially called his store "Andy's Candies" in reference to himself, he quickly found that men did not like giving boxes of candy with another man's name to their wives and girlfriends. As such, he changed the spelling of the business to "Andes Candies". In 2000 Andes was sold to the Tootsie Roll Industries and is still popular to this day. 

In the US, Andes mints are a popular after dinner mint, which can be found at popular restaurants, including Olive Garden. The mint used at Olive Garden is a special flavor manufactured exclusively for the restaurant chain, but it is taste-wise similar to the Mint Parfait flavor; containing the same layers, but at different ratios. The common size Andes mint is 1.5 x .75 x .25 inches, weighs 4.75 grams and contains 25 calories. A larger size is available, measuring 2 x .75 x .25 inches, weighing 9 grams and containing 47.5 calories. 

(src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andes_Chocolate_Mints)

Halloween just reminded me how much I love candy in general. But I'm going to end my post here because currently there is a very impatient Peter Pan and a banana banging at my door for some Reese's. Odd how trusting we are on this one holiday. Excited for a stranger's hospitality. Mmmm, Anthrax.

Head up, nose down

Growing up as a first-generation kid, I’ve always known I was different from my peers. I looked different from everyone, didn’t speak their language and hardly understood anything for that matter. I didn’t practice the same religion, didn’t watch the game every Sunday, or knew any of the music people were always saying they grew up on. 

Being different made me feel as if I didn’t belong. (How cliché did that sound.) There was always the taunts about my ethnicity, which I even knew at my age was wrong. I’d like to say that I’ve always been mature for my age. Starting when we were young, my father had always instilled a considerable amount of discipline and modesty in me and my family. Every night we’d have to be at the dinner table or we’d be in trouble (home before dinner, always!) We’d also have to learn proper etiquette, such as no elbows on the table, don’t use your own utensils to touch the communal platter of food, etc. We’d also learned many life lessons from him, the kind that doesn’t come from pencil and textbook but more hands and sweat. It’s the kind of wisdom that’s shaped only by a soldier’s repertoire. There was one quote that always sticks out in my mind: “You were given two ears and two eyes but one mouth”. I’m sure some of you have heard this but I still try to pay heed to this saying, which means that you should listen and look twice as much as you speak.

Couple this mantra to my naturally-shy and observant behavior, you could say that I pick up a few things from people. This is why I’m always surprised (and to be more frank, exasperated) when I hear others talking about the superficial and unworldly, like how they have to wait a week before snatching up the latest product with an apple on etched on it. It’s never about material possessions or physical appearance: these things fade. Like some crazy trend. Like relationships. Like anything. That’s why it’s important to know who you are and your place. I’m not exactly sure where I’m headed with this right now, but I just hope there are more people out there who realize the same things I do. I guess what I’m trying to do is to spread a message of humility for this week. Try not to brag about how many followers you have on Instagram. Learn to appreciate everything for its worth, and not just when it’s gone. 

And actually help people instead of hoping they’ll fail.

Astrology

If there's one thing I'm fascinated about, it's astrology. Now, I don't put all my faith into those phony daily horoscopes, but sometimes they can be on point. In my opinion, astrology itself is eerily accurate. Astrology was founded approximately 6000 years ago, even predating religion! Ancient astrologers charted the movement of planets and stars and made predictions about eclipses, upheavals, famine and fortune.  They developed calendars for marking and measuring the passage of time.

I know when some people hear of the word, they immediately scoff and assume it's wrong. But it's not. If you just take the time to Google your birthday and figure out your sign, you'll be amazed at how well certain characteristics of yours are displayed on the page. I almost always make a prediction of what someone's sign is just by observing their behavior. Of course, most of this stuff is heavily influenced and isn't always correct, due to factors like domestic upbringing, life-changing events and the emotionally damaged.

Here's a basic breakdown of signs and all that jazz since I now know you're dying to figure out what your sign is. (That is, if you don't know it already =D)

                                               There are 12 signs total: (in order)

Taurus	Bull	April 20 - May 20
Gemini	Twins	May 21 - June 20
Cancer	Crab	June 21 - July 22
Leo	Lion	July 23 - August 22
Virgo	Virgin	August 23 - September 22
Libra	Balance	September 23 - October 22
Scorpio	Scorpion	October 23 - November 21
Sagittarius	Archer	November 22 - December 21
Capricorn	Goat	December 22 - January 19
Aquarius	Water Bearer	January 20 - February 18
Pisces	Fish	February 19 - March 20

They are then further divided into four main elemental signs: Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) and finally Water (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces). Honestly you'd have thought Aquarius would be a water sign, but it's not! Sometimes there is a little overlay when it comes to the dates. People born on the ending/starting dates of an astrological sign is said to be born on a cusp. People born on cusps tend to reflect both qualities of the adjoining signs.

I was born September 20th, so I'm a Virgo. Virgos are said to be analytical, reliable, practical, critical and the biggest "perfectionist" of the signs. A lot of people say that I appear to be "cold" when you first meet me, but that's only because I internalize a lot. My mind is always racing, full of never-ending to-do lists and figuring out what my next move will be. One thing I need to work on is just to learn how to relax, and not over think everything so much!

I will never get tired of reading about astrology. There is a vast quantity of information on astrology out there, so research it up. I'm aware of how corny that sounds..

Pet peeves

A lot of things can annoy someone.

Whether it's the neglected history assignment sitting in the depths of your locker or getting up at 5:00 A.M. to put bread on the table, the list goes on. Many of these responsibilities don't belong to any one person, but sometimes a person can develop a pet peeve for them. However, most pet peeves are idiosyncratic, and on a smaller scale to boot.

The phrase "pet peeve" was coined around 1919, but it actually came from the word "peeve" in 1911. Peeve came from the word peevish, which means irritating. You can get more background information from here: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/526328.

Personally, I have a whole list of pet peeves that I can't think of right now but I'll just pull out what I remember. One in particular is when certain [illterate] people say they hate reading. I MEAN C'MON. If you don't like to read, then how about stopping it altogether? Then we can see how well you'll get along in everyday life. Like not being able to read stop signs. Or how much that Wawa coffee costs. Ok I need to stop. But I'm not going to. I was at Barnes and Nobles this Saturday and I was just thinking how many books there are in this world. The degree is such that anyone is bound to find something they like. That's the part that gets to me, that people will judge the concept of reading just because they have to read some bland book for academic purposes. Young ones, or maybe just immature people altogether, therefore associate reading as "nerdy" and "boring". 

Just no.

You can read up in whatever interests you. Mystery, science, non-fiction, Harlequin even.

I can't even begin to describe how badly I want to buy every book when I go to B&N. 



Unfortunately, my $40 gift card did not fail to nudge my shoulder while my nose was buried in every shelf.



What's your pet peeve?

Walden

This weekend, I decided to enrich my brain by reading some neglected literary classics in my personal library. I chose to re-read Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, a story/journal that was published seven years after Henry ended his stay in a small cabin near Walden Pond.


Critics have said Walden doesn’t even have a central theme, but the meaning is quite clear: for us to follow his example of independent thinking and being. He hoped his book would establish him as the foremost spokesman for the American transcendentalist movement. Some would say Thoreau is “America’s bachelor uncle” and has a writing style to pique a reader’s annoyance. However, I enjoy all of his clever puns and allegories. Walden is unique in the way that it can’t be classified into any one literary category; it’s a memoir as much as a hand sounding the alarm.

With all that, I’ll draw the attention back to his allusions. In chapter 3, Thoreau alludes to none other than the Phoenicians from Homer’s The Odyssey. He also references The Odyssey itself, which amused me. There is also another section where he comments about idly reading The Iliad. I read this when I was younger and had no idea what half of this stuff meant. I find it easier and more enjoyable to read when I understand certain allusions, and what are the odds that Henry would make references to what I was reading in a mundane high school class? Usually I find that most classics move me to yawns, but I like to try new things every once in awhile. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for more tiny surprises in lit! Woo.

       (THIS IS A REAL SIGN SITUATED IN THE WOODS NEAR WALDEN POND — LOCATED IN CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS)