The gospel according to boxes, Sam, and Andres

One day me and a good friend of mine, Sam, had coffee. I began to talk about the way sin has affected me in my life. I decided to illustrate it with broken wooden stirrers that Starbucks most generously gives out. I made boxes out of them and this is what we together came up with:

The Gospel according to Boxes.


Once there was a box. It was empty.




The box saw that other boxes were full. They had something inside of them. The box longed to be full.




It would go to the other boxes to try to feel full. When it was around them the box felt full.



When it wasn't around them it felt empty and then it became sad and more empty.





Then one day the box found something that filled it up, only to realize that later...




The box was just as empty as it started out, it did not last long for some reason.






Then some hands came and took the box and changed it. It was entirely different, it was new.




This new shape did not have to be filled up.

Lord of the Rings Continued (The One Tower)

I've decided to smash The Two Towers and Return of the King into one post. And I've made my own tower out of paper with my friend Stephen in honor of the movie. Ok maybe we just had a lot of creative energy.

First off, everything I said in the last post's "the-movies-are better" rant (that is the theaters) went wrong with my viewing of The Two Towers. Everything went wrong this time! My Fellowship screening was like a romanticized movie-going experience.

It was the kind you imagine when you're dressed in a tux and you are dropped off in a round about driveway by a limo driver. You escort your date to the movie, and you are seated by an usher in the absolute perfect spot. The lights go dim, and your beloved film begins. A small dog brushes past the other movie goers' feet and hops lightly onto your lap allowing you to pet him through the duration of the film. Fairies fly in and bring you popcorn, polar bears slide in with Coca Cola. Too far?

I appreciated the seeing the Fellowship because of the cinema lovers. This time Marcus and I went to Century Rio 24, the giant multi-plex in town that almost always delivers. We got there at about six thirty. Apparently too late.

I knew this, I had foreseen it.

We found a seat just in time near the front row. I was trying my best to be positive. But there were silly people to my right laughing at everything that loosely and vaguely resembled an innuendo. So, they were simply being stupid, because obviously there is nothing in Two Towers that comes close to such a notion. These people did not appreciate this film. I was LIVID! ANGRY! PIST even.

All in all, the Two Towers was great to see again, and the extended scenes added so much depth and detail. The transition between the end of Fellowship and the beginning of Two Towers was seamless with the additional scenes.

For the next film, Marcus and I decided to go to Cottonwood Mall on the Westside of town again. We had seen Fellowshp in that theater and managed to find perfect seats even though we had arrived just in time. We hoped to relive the perfect movie going experience with Return of the King. We got there about a half hour early this time and found some seats in the absolute perfect spot and enjoyed the heck out of it.

As the film started, the danger and the evil of the ring, which was not as much of a focus in the two towers, was apparent again with the opening scene of Smeagol turning into Gollum. This sort of ties all three films together. You feel the suspense and the mystery of the Fellowship and you understand Gollum a lot more from The Two Towers. Meanwhile, Gandalf and company are given a grand entrance as they walk through Fanghorn Forest into Saruman's country to deal with this wicked wizard.

As I've said before, Return of the King sort of ties up the first two films nicely. Fellowship has a tone of mystery and suspense where everyone is trying to figure out just what the ring is about. It is solely about the ring, with the Two Towers, the ring becomes something that is important, but is put aside for Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and King Theoden of Rohan to show their true courage. This is when it becomes a war film. The The Return of the King brings back the mystery and suspense of Fellowship while maintaining the obvious War Film quality of Two Towers but on a grander scale. This viewing helped me piece all of the films together and finally see them as one.

As I was watching Return of the King I realized that, as a whole, Lord of the Rings is the best film ever made. And I was watching it in theaters again. This was it. Wow.

I mean it has everything you need in a film. Love, War, Fantasy, Violence, Monsters, Beautiful people. Plus it doesn't rely on special and visual effects to tell a great story even though it is filled with oodles of CG trolls, wargs, and monsters. (For those who don't know CG is computer gernerated.)

Lord of the Rings has it all. A film like this will likely never be made again. Here's to the best in cinema.

ON OUR PAPER TOWER:

I came up with this amazing paper stacking technique which isn't that complicated or difficult to discover if you have extra construction paper and you have little to do.

You simply fold the paper like a fan and cut it to make strips. These stack beautifully. We spiraled it upward and made it taller in the center. I was super happy with the result.

It was fun to make, hopefully more pictures coming soon.

Fellowship of the Ring AGAIN?!

Forget Netflix. The Movie Theater Still Matters

That's right, I prefer the babies crying, people telling you to shut up because of your geeky giddiness, people reading subtitles for their children. I would rather sit in a room full of respectable film appreciators who enjoy the cinema-going experience. I prefer that over sitting in a room by myself wondering which instant netflix movie I'm gonna let buffer while I wait for my tea kettle to boil. Going to the movies never felt so good.



I don't prefer the occasional drunks that wonder into Century 14 downtown Albuquerque multiplex, but that's beside the point.

Earlier this spring I discovered that The Lord of the Rings film series would be released to movie theaters again this year. My personal nerdometer rose to an all-time high. My friend Marcus said, "We'll be going to that one, right Andres?" I agreed, and--I don't know why I am surprised--but it has been the best experience I've had at the movies all year--Aside from making fun of the poor choices in Thor with my friend Jessie and witnessing the remains of a popcorn-induced vomit in the little boys room at Anchorage's multiplex.


Me Disappearing as a result of the ONE RING.

At least with Fellowship of the Ring you know that you aren't going to want your money back at the end of the night. Other movies like Thor, X-Men, Pirates, etc. They're pretty decent and they are fun and feel-goody and all that summer movie nonsense. They've got the explosions and pretty people. Fellowship has the pretty people (basically all of them) and great special effects of course, but the film is about much more than that. With the re-release of Lord of the Rings, or LOTR as we geeks like to abbreviate it, at least you know that your movie going experience will be worthwhile.

This was my second favorite viewing of Fellowship. The first time I saw it was obviously my favorite experience. It was great to be in a theater full of appreciating fans who are there to see it for maybe the 50th time. There is this positive energy you feel when everyone is enjoying the same thing you are--a great community experience. The film never looked and sounded better than this as far as I can remember. Peter Jackson isn't so much like George Lucas--that is he doesn't try to sell his movie anyway he can find a way to and in every format. (Lucas now wants to make his Star Wars into 3D, really Lucas?) Jackson is reasonable, a great artist and businessman when it comes down to it. This was a "rare" event as he called it.

Though the girl next to me told me to shut up, I knew it was because she was wanting to enjoy the film and I wasn't too offended because I knew we were being obnoxious with our giddiness. When the child was having the subtitles read aloud to her, I thought she was probably seeing it for the first time and I was glad that she was! What a special moment. I just wish her mother wouldn't have read the poetic lines so monotone and matter-of-factly. Imagine: "I love you Aragorn" (or whatever the line is) spoken by your least favorite college professor behind you.

I teared up at least three times in this viewing. The obvious ones:

• When Gandalf dies.
• When Borimir dies.
• When Sam and Frodo share that moment at the end. (Sam nearly dies.)
• That's right, 'dies' is in red. Perhaps a reference to Legolas' line in The Two Towers?
  

The Not-So Obvious reason I teared up:

• When the movie began and all of that amazing cinematography came and went in montage, it's enough to make a grown up fan-boy throw a slumber party even at 23. (Am I really getting to re-experience this masterpiece?)

Stuff I was surprised by this time around:

• The amount of times frodo falls. (When stabbed, in Moria (at least 2 or three times), when being chased by wraiths and he jumps onto raft, when Borimir tries to take the ring, off the historic platform at the climax of film when he takes ring off.
• How many close-ups Peter Jackson chooses to use and how far in he goes. I forgot how intimate the scenes between Arwen and Aragorn are, that is how close the camera gets to them. I'm not uncomfortable by this, it works great! Jackson likes to get in really close to his characters eyes.
• All of the helicopter shots. I am always surprised by it every time I see this film. Fellowship has the most and the most beautiful of the three. It's a regular tour of New Zealand's country side--the country has to give Jackson and crew credit for bringing in so many tourists looking for things like Gollum and cave trolls. It's beautiful cinematography.
  

I never appreciated the extended edition of this film probably because I have never seen it in theaters before or in its full context. (I would often go through the films and watch the added footage.) I had some doubts about spending this money to go see a film I had already seen before. But truthfully I have never seen this film in theaters. I've seen its shorter version before. This one is better and I am glad I am going to all three parts of it.

A city by the sea

Anchorage. That's where I'm at currently. it has several bonuses. The most obvious one is that it is a mountain city sitting at the sea. That is there are trees and animals that you would normally see at 9,000 feet in New Mexico, but at sea level--Tundra is at an unbelieveable 2,500 ft (ish). The sun rarely sets save for about 4 hours in the summer, so people don't know what they're missing when they go to the big apple thinking that NYC never sleeps. Perhaps that city is full of walkng zombies feeding on vodka, but this city, in the summer time, takes a thoughtful wink at night and is up bright and early the next day choosing wisely, like polar bears, to hibernate during the winter. It's a city that breaks all the rules.



My sister-in-law dropped me off in the heart of its down-town district. How could anybody be bored in this forest of coffee shops, pubs, art, the ocean, and trains humming along, and people doing things (whatever they do). I got to talk to some of those interesting alaskans. One was an artist at a local gallery who showed me his interesting discovery of an angel snowflake phenomena that happens on his very own peice of land. My first step into the Alaskan wonderland was beggining as this fantasia of a discovery opened my eyes again to the creativity of my maker. (That's what the ice angels are like--the faeries in fantasia the disney animated classic). They're called Ice angels or Ice puppies.

Later that day I ran long and hard--well for me. Sea level was an easier place to run. And the feeling was as if I was running high at a 8,000 level altitude. It was like I was cheating nature I was running so fast, my lungs not heaving as much. Another girl runner winked at me as I heaved past with my dark skin and the locks of my hair tied back. Maybe I like this city.

Above: me running long and hard on the beach of Anchorage.

I do. A lot. The girl part was meant to be funny, but not the best part of my day. I sat and meditated on the beach though the tide seemed miles away. The locals warn you of mud flats which cause you to die if you sink in them properly and without help. I imagined myself stuck in mud waiving my hands wildly for help as everyone in Anchorage ran and walked by without a care in the world taking in their beautiful state and city much like their 2,000 dollar-a-year payment just for living here.

But no seriously, I sat on a log and just thought. Just meditated. I thuoght so much about what Jesus said "I make all things new." The book I'm reading now Faith on Edge quotes C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity where he talks about God taking people and remodeling them like a house. At first it seems obvious the things that need trimming and fixing. But later on things are torn down and what seems brutal actualy ends up being better than you imagined. Instead of a house, God is making himself a palace to live in. Lewis' words not mine.

Like this city, which was so new to me, a true winter wonderland that breaks all the rules. A paradise on earth. Though as beautiful as it is on its own. God's palace is unimaginably greater. I'm not gonna settle for mediocre.

How to Make the Most out of Your Insomnia in Socorro, NM

Last weekend I went to an Intervarsity conference with some cool people down in this small, but cultured podunk town called Socorro, literally in the heart of New Mexico. My Socorro friends often criticize Socorro for its lack of anything entertaining. As someone who had the privilege to experience Socorro (which literally means a plea for "help" when translated to English) at night, with my 20-100 vision, in all of its glory (Socorro), I have to beg to differ just this once.

It all started when my friend Marcus Mayfield and I were up till about 1:30 or 2 ish. Is that right? We we were talking with our friend Molly White (or something:) about nerdy things like the important things missing from the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies, such as Tom Bombadil. We finally managed to make it to the men's quarters of this church that we were retreating at, and I exhaled my asthmatic CO2 into an air mattress and lay down. I was extremely tired, and was hoping that my caffeine crash would kick in--it did not. Before I knew it, I was counting sheep and praying that God would cure Marcus' curious case of snoring. There was also someone else having a 3 in the morning DTR down the way on his cell phone. I finally got tired of this nonsense and got up, there had to be a better place to sleep! Surely!

I went outside to see if the kitchen door was open--it was not. I went back into the guys wing and decided to get my pillow and walk to my car. Maybe during the day it had trapped some heat or something--it did not. I turned it on for a good 15 minutes to heat it up, and even moved it to a darker part of the parking lot. I was happy and warm, so I turned off the car and cracked open the windows so I would not die of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. I tossed and turned, I counted sheep, before I knew it someone else was walking around the parking lot with a cough.

"Was I imagining this?" I thought. There was someone walking back and forth coughing. I decided to ignore it, I didn't want to look up and frighten anybody, so I tried again to go to sleep. Still someone coughing. I was angry at this point, "doesn't this idiot know I'm trying to sleep in here?!" I thought and sat up abruptly. I saw no one. After a while the cougher walked away and I never heard from him/her again. My stomach was hurting and I was hungry. I tried going back inside, but I was locked out. This was a terrible injustice that had been done to me. I could not sleep and I could not get inside a Christian building to get help.

"What is open in Socorro?" Walmart.

I knew that it was not far away. I drove over with my contacts locked up inside the church and decided to pick up some tums and snickers. Great combination right? Well forgive me, but it was 4 in the morning and my thinker was not working. There was hardly anybody on the roads (except for the street lights and there inability to be in focus for my eyes), and less people in walmart save for the one register that was open, register #1 and the friendly janitors and workers restocking the shelves. After paying, I walked out with my checkered pajamas and the XXL purple sweater that Marcus let me borrow because I had forgotten one over the weekend.

I drove back and tried to sleep again, but could not. At around 5 in the morning I was having day or night dreams about McDonalds breakfast. I thought about the money in my wallet and how I could afford such a beautiful morning delight. My wallet was gone though. I KNOW I payed for those tums which I had safely placed in the glove compartment the next time I had a tummy ache. So where was my wallet?

When I got back to walmart to check, there were two young people hanging out at the counter, doing nothing but there was nothing to do. I asked them for the wallet and the lady in the back office yelled at me, "What is your name?" I did not have to use my whole "Andres but my first name is Casiano" routine for this situation I thought. I just said stupidly "Casiano Salazar." And she handed me my wallet with the look that had "you're a moron" written all over it--I knew this information already though.

At McDonalds I did not want to appear to be a homeless guy even though my exterior and possibly my stench suggested otherwise. My clothes were too baggy, and my hair was in a tangled mess. I said "Hello!" as dignified as I could. And I pulled out my wallet and said, "I would like the # 1 with an extra sandwich." And trying harder I asked with all of the posture and poise I could muster, "How are you this morning?" He looked at me and replied, "just fine." I sat down in this newly refined coffee-shoppe-esque McDonalds and ate my breakfast like a hungry man after a sleepless night. Soon lots of high schoolers walked in. Then another bus of high schoolers walked in, there were about 30 or 40. Some were wearing FFA jackets. I pitied them.

I remembered the early FFA mornings I would have to endure in high school. I would have to go and do some silly competition like judge land or categorize beetles and butterflies properly. I realized that some of them were staring at my unhealthy demeanor and I wrapped up my breakfast and left. I was too shy to get coffee at the counter for fear of the FFA kids judging me too quickly. I wanted to put a sign on my chest that said, "I couldn't sleep last night and I am just visiting from the nearest city Albuquerque and we're staying at a Baptist church where there are people snoring and I got locked out!" but I couldn't. So I had to get my coffee at the drive through.

God showed me a beautiful sunrise that morning. I drove to the top of a hill and looked at it as I sipped my coffee, and I asked him, "What is the deal?"

By the time I got back to the church, I was there in time to help cook breakfast, so I did my best to.

My friend Ashley suggested that I drink black tea to wake up--I had to lead a bible study later that day. It really did help.

At the end of the night, I realized that what I experienced that night in Socorro was funny, lucky, silly, remarkable, coincidental, and catastrophic all at the same time. I'm glad it happened, though I wouldn't want to do it all over again.

-Andres

The cool thing about Albuquerque Comic Con

I was fortunate enough to go to the Albuquerque Comic Con this year with my friend Stephen, a cartoon artist here in town. I expected the con to be completely lame judging by the website which was entirely oldschool 90's HTML with one long front page like Myspace. All of the guest celebrities weren't that well known, but were framed in red on the front page and some of the images changed as you scrolled over them! Celebrities like the former hulk, the guy that played all the oompa loompas in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the guy who played the young Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones, and the guy that played the wookie in Star Wars. What bothered me about the celebrity room was that all of these people were treated and were almost treating themselves like museum pieces that could speak, answer questions, and have their pictures taken.

The con was complete with local artists, superheroes, and villains. At comic con you could be anybody you liked. If you dressed up like Darth Vader and looked authentic enough. You were Darth Vader. People were asking each other, "Did you see Darth Vader?" They never said the words, "Did you get to talk to the guy (or girl) dressed up as Darth Vader?" Because that's not who they were. Batman, Iron man, princess leia, and many others were at this comic con. Because at a comic con, you can be anybody you like.

How to Make Anything Festive

Making anything festive is easy. With home ingredients such as sleigh bells and cinnamon anything can be turned into a Christmas something. Take for example a chest of doors: simply tie red bows on the handles and it becomes a "Christmas Chest." (Note that when an object becomes a Christmas (Blank) it must be instantly transformed into a Proper Noun.)

Remember to keep things simple and stick with Red and Green. They are Christmas Colors for some reason.

For Food: Pumpkin or Cinnamon are the most common ingredients for anything dessert-like. Consider coffee--normally the coffee with sugar and cream is a non-seasonal delight, but froth up the milk a little bit and throw some cinnamon on top (pumpkin spice powder for extra points) and wala! It's Christmas Coffee.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Nutmeg, Pumpkin Spice, pine nuts, nuts, berries, (ginger only in gingerbread cookies), brown sugar, molasses, cloves, vanilla, all function as Christmas ingredients.

CAUTION: Do not add ingredients to ANY foods in the name of Christmas. Ingredients must be strategically placed.

For Music: Add sleigh bells to any song, and it will become a Christmas Carol. Start with Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." If you have sleigh bells, chime them to the music and you'll be surprised how this sinful melody becomes an instant Christmas classic.

Also, adding boy choirs to the ensemble is an extra bonus.

The funny thing about berries. For some reason berries signify Christmas. I'm sure I could do tons of research to try and understand why berries mean Christmas or why mistletoe means Christmas, but I choose to remain ignorant on this subject for the sake of my blog. If you're super curious, some links: here and here. But for whatever reason a table with a red tablecloth infested with images of poinsettas looks even more festive with a centerpiece of berries of some sort. You never eat the berries of course, they're usually fake. But they are Christmassy for some reason. I recently decorated an entire glass case full of fake berries and Christmas lights at the Tea Shop I work at. All of the tea pots and cups were perfectly ordinary--that is they were very nice on their own and had no seasonal signifiers until the berries brought out their inner bowl full of jelly.

More on Food.

Hispanic Foods: Tamales, red chile, posole. Red chile is used because by this time it was seasonally ripe. Back in the day, they didn't have freezers to keep green chile nice and fresh, so the tradition of red has kept. It's appropriate that the colors of Chile match the colors of Christmas.

Other American Foods: Turkey. that's all. Turkey is perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas for some reason. It's seasonal because________.

Harry Potter 7 Anticipation

Harry Potter 7 anticipation.

Before I go see Harry Potter, I must prepare myself mentally for several things. First and foremost: I know that the films don’t resemble the books exactly and it would be impossible for them to mimic my imagination or J.K. Rowlings exactly. It would be silly to expect that the things I want to see will look exactly as I imagined. Even it were close, it wouldn’t be exact.

2^nd) I must not expect it to be everything I hope for and more, or else my expectations will be ruined. Like when I thought the Two Towers was going to be the most awesome movie ever, I was very disappointed to find that it was a very different film than I expected it to be at my young 9^th grade age. I have sense come to terms with the film and it brought me to tears on the last occasion I saw it.

3^rd) I’ve seen very tiny parts of the film already. Sometimes I can’t help but look at short clips online. Plus the trailers give you some idea of what is to come. There were some interviews detailing a certain scene towards the end. I won’t go into detail, but it wasn’t visually ruined for me, but I’m aware of the content. Either way it’s in the book, so it’s not super ruined.

What is it to ruin a story anyway? Aren’t almost all stories the same? When watching Harry Potter, the previous films, we’re not worried about the story being ruined for us, we just want to see how this extraordinary piece of literature is translated visually and filmically. How do these British filmmakers envision Rowling’s work? How does this collaborative process bring a story that a single person wrote to a moving images medium? These are questions we ask when approaching a film based on a film—especially one so close to our hearts.

The Ring

The Ring was not that scary for me, even the first time I watched it. That doesn't mean it wasn't a great horror film, or (as I learned in this viewing) that it isn't terrifying for others.) It uses a journalist heroine protagonist (Naomi Watts) to discover the ghosts story. It acts very much like a documentary in this regard. I've been writing and thinking a lot about what documentary is. I'm under the assumption that documentary is a way of uncovering truth, a way of exposing by gathering documents-- by interviews, video footage, written documents, and images--and presenting them to someone is a fashion that is narrative-like, though it doesn't follow actors and characters as a ficticious narrative film. A documentary tells a story of a person, or an incident, but it is not a narrative film at all like the Ring obviously is.

Obviously the reason it reminds me of documentary is because of its tendency to use actual documents or evidence that is gathered by our heroine to uncover the bits and pieces of information that is known about the "actual" main character--as I'd identify her--the ghost Samara Morgan. The narrative does not identify Samara as a ghost per se, but I'm going to call her that because it is the way she functions, and it is how she is identified in the original Japanese title--for which this title is based--Ringu. The uncovering, the expository nature that The Ring has going for the ghost Samara is precisely what is scary about this film. There is very little known about Samara, it begins with the very vague and yet strangely beautiful video tape that ensures your death seven days after viewing it. (Following a viewing of the video is a phone call with presumably a child's voice that says "seven days" in a creepy whisper.) Because the film starts off with very little information about Samara, the ghost, it pretends to be about this video tape that promises death, mainly because several people have died seven days after viewing it. Later, with the discoveries that Rachel (Watts) has made, the horror must lie not with the time of death based on the video tape, but the ghostly aspect of Samara as she is being understood, and her unexplained way of communicating with Rachel's son.

This ghost is someone who needs to be discovered, she wants to be known and the deadly video-tape is what actually is her expository medium however vague it may be. Before her death, her nature was masochistic and she was seen as deranged in need of help from mental facilities. The video is actually very beautiful as a short film in terms of the images that are chosen. Some are not horrifying but simple and poignant. Their montage-like characteristics attempt to speak a message using the images as signifiers. The images do not make sense on their own though, nor does the video make sense as a whole. As a video, it speaks of suicide and death, which is all it is trying to do.

MY BLOG

Here is some insight and information on this blog.

I've had this blog since I was in high school. At first I wanted to write about the movies but realized that it isn't a topic I want to write about on a regular basis. I will write on them when I can or feel compelled to, but for now it will be a lot of stuff on life.

This is definitely a practice blog. I hope to get a "real blog" started when I can. This means it will be publicized when I feel more confident in my writing and when I have a more coherent topic and style. I started out being terrified of posting anything, now I am learning to just write more freely on the web without worrying as much about people's thoughts or critiques.

I notice that I enjoy making lists about the things in my life. The things I like, and the things I dislike. It could actually be a great place for others to make such lists. I don't simply make the lists, I elaborate on the specific listing, and analyze the litts themselves before and after they are posted. It's something that has been a lot of fun and I want to do more. I think there will be a day when I'll try to make my blog more widely read and received by friends and strangers on the web. But for now, I'll keep practicing and getting better!

Reasons for practicing:
1) you get better
2) practice makes perfect
3) you can analyze and fix mistakes.
4) others can help you improve.

Moving. And other Stuff I hate.

I noticed that I post blogs when I feel great about myself and when I'm having a good day. I journal when I am not feeling good. So either way, I'm writing!

I was at church on Sunday a couple of weeks ago. Yes I do attend church most of the time. Me and the pastor (Mike Potter) at The Foothills have something in common. We both HATE moving. He stressed that 'hate' was a harsh word and should only be used when you really mean it. (Note: This is not what the sermon was entirely about, he goes deeper than "what not to hate.")

I hate moving because it is so hard to get settled, it is difficult to cope with the change and transition. I love my new room and the new things, but it is hard for me to move on from anything it seems.

Why I hate moving:

• Change. Change is usually great, but that doesn't mean it is easy. Change happens everyday, even if it's just changing your clothes.
  
• Furniture. Moving furniture is usually hard and other people claim to "love" moving it. I do not, obviously. I could drop a desk on my toe and break it, I might fall and break the furniture itself, I could scratch the floor. There are so many factors when moving furniture. I hate taking these risks. I'd rather not move.
• Boxes. EVERYWHERE! I thought that maybe I might fit my books in one box, the stuff on my desk in one box, and the stuff on my dresser in another. No, by the time I packed up my whole room, I had about 15 boxes sitting in the living room ready to go.
  
• Stuff you don't think of. As soon as I finished packing everything, I realized that I still have stuff in the bathroom and the kitchen. As soon as I finished with those, I realized there was more.
  

What I learned about moving this time was that YOU HAVE TO DO IT! There are deadlines. Rent and Lease is business.

The most important lesson about moving though was that it is about CHANGE. Change is inevitable and it must happen. Because I hate moving, I hate change. In order to fully appreciate life, I must learn to embrace it. Whenever something different happens, yes it is really hard to let go of the past, but it is so healthy and important to move forward.

I keep stuff.

I tend to keep everything. I just moved and realize that I have so much useless crap. I keep things for the sake of holding on to the value that it has to me personally.

top 5 useless things I found in my room:

1) A red dread-lock in a zip lock bag. That's right. My friend Josh, about two years ago used to have dreads. He cut them. I kept one. I still have it. :0 Which excites me cause now I can..... oh right do nothing with it.

2) A wig. I have a black wig that used to belong to my cousins. I stole it. This is for all of the movies and plays that I will be doing this year. I will make sure and write everything around this black wig.

3) Chocolate. I don't know why I have some random chocolate bars that I never ate. It's like I kept them there and planned on eating them later or something. Who puts off chocolate?

4) Birthday cards. They are honestly so hard to throw away. "But this one has mickey mouse on it." I say to myself. This one is the annual funny card that my uncle Robert sends to me, I have to keep a record of this so that when I grow old I can make a museum of funny uncle Robert-like birthday cards. Every time I go through the birthday cards I open the envelopes to make sure that I didn't miss any cash that my family may have sent me.

5) A Dead Rose. I got the rose when my new grandma Vivian came to hear me sing in DECEMBER. It is JULY now. I kept it because I may have wanted to create an animation about decaying and dying flowers. Thanks Grandma Viv for the rose, I kept it for the movies.


So. For every little object I assign some kind of personal value. Every little thing has some kind of identity and purpose for me. I have a box full of stuff that I simply cannot get rid of because it is full of magazines with pictures I like that could potentially be used for collages. Yes collages. I have another box with nothing but ticket stubs. Someday, (when I'm fifty or sixty) I will make an album, or I will somehow arrange my ticket stubs in some kind of order to where I can take a good look at all the movies, plays and basketball games I attended.

It is hard to let go of these objects. Some things I keep because people give them to me, others I keep because they remind me of someone, or something. It is silly to think that these objects contain the same value as the people that once held them. Because someone somewhere once held this one thing it leaves a mark that is hard to get rid of. The mark, is of course me not being able to let go of something. Once I realize that the value is in the person, place, or thing, I can let go of that object.

The Documentary Stigma

Here's the thing about documentaries. Admit it, once you saw the word documentary as the title of this post, you (all 2 of my readers) probably thought or did at least one of the following:

1) (Immediately navigate away from this page)
2) Documentaries...boring!!
3) (After skimming over the word Documentary you didn't realize you had read it because your mind has been trained, over the years, to just ignore it.
4) You really wanted to be interested because you feel like because it says documentary, there must be something important. You couldn't for the life you, make yourself interested.
5) You guilted yourself into reading this.

I really want to watch more documentaries. I really really do. But I can't bring myself to. Why is that? I always hear from people: You have to watch Bowling for Columbine, Food Inc, Man on Wire,

I can't think of anymore. Why can't I think of anymore? Anyway. It's something that I'd like to do.

A Tea Co. pt. I

I work at a place called A Tea Co. This is short for the Annapolis Tea Company. So yes, I work at a tea co. I heard about this job from one of my friends who worked there before me (Marcie). It was a great way to fill my Saturdays, and I get money at the same time.

At the tea co, we have over 130 varieties of tea, a full menu, and free wi-fi. Sometimes we don't get a lot done, but we enjoy each others' company for the slow periods of time. Because ATeaCo is tucked away in the corner of this plaza called the "Scottsdale village," It is not a well known plaza, and the tea company is even more unheard of. Most people that enter our doors wander upon the place as if it could only exist in some alternate reality, and they are lucky enough to find this hidden gem. That's what it is.

I've learned a lot about teas. I am still lacking so much knowledge in this area (and in many others.) Some things I've learned about tea:

1. Anything can be iced. Anything. I can put ice on anything and wala! There you go. Would you like some iced Yerba Mate? Yes I can go to the back, and get some green chili soup and serve it to you iced. [warning, the green chili will still be spicy.]
   
2. Add milk to anything and it becomes a latte (even tea), lattes are more expensive, lattes mean business. Moo juice=Moola.
   
3. Black Tea and Green Tea steep at different temperatures and at different times. I know there is good reason for all of this, I've done this wrong a couple of times. Good thing my boss is forgiving, and good thing the lady at the counter ordering doesn't know the difference. "Excuse me, I'd like my green tea steeped with the proper water at the proper time!." (Disclaimer: I steep tea properly 99.9% of the time.)
4. Red Tea is not tea at all. Well it isn't from the tea plant. It is from a bush called rooibos, from South Africa. No one knows how to properly pronounce it (except maybe my boss). I pretend to know how. (Roy boss) (Roo-E-Bos) in Spanish: (rrrruivos).
   
5. White Tea is not one of my faves. It is pretty and smells great, but give me something Green, or Black with some heavy cream. Yes I do take cream with my black tea. Not milk, haters.
   

One morning, I was sitting at the restaurant called "Anne's Soup Kitchen" which is just across the way from ATeaCo and I realized that it was filled with mostly senior citizens. "I am a lucky man," I said to myself. It took these people their whole lives to find the Scottsdale village, I managed to find it in my twenties.

The tea company attracts a lot of seniors [citizens] and women. One of the questions I was asked when Brian (my current boss) interviewed me was, "Are you good with elderly people?" I said yes. That is what you say at all interviews regardless of your capabilities. You say yes. Truthfully, I am frightened of old people. I basically don't know what to do with people who are below the age of 12 and older than the age of 70 unless I am related or acquainted. Even then it isn't all that easy. For the record, I have tried my best to interact in an un-alien-like manner (and by that I mean with the most respect I can muster) when interacting with seniors at the tea company. Besides, the older ladies think I'm foxy.

All in all, it has been a great place to work. Not only for the working environment, but also for the knowledge I'm gaining and for the good friends I've made.

Top Movies of the Decade

Everyone is posting their top movies of the decade, Here are mine for now, things might change as I remember, or decide that one movie is actually better or worse than the other. I haven't seen all the movies of the decade so it will be impossible and unfair for me to post things like Muhollad Dr., Zodiac, or No Country for Old Men (which I know, I should see it already.)

This list is subject to change as I see more wonderful films that I missed this decade. Also my taste often changes. Sometimes I go back and say to myself, "What was I thinking?" enjoy.

Here are some honorable mentions.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Ang Lee.

Like I said, it opened the eyes of American moviegoers to the incredible work of Chinese filmmakers and it paved the way for a new era in Martial Arts epic filmmaking. (At least in the United States.) After Crouching Tiger movies like Hero and House of Flying Daggers and Jet Li's Fearless were released.

House of Flying Daggers (2004) Zhang Yimou

Speaking of Martial Arts epics. This one is a love story with lots of confusing twists and some intense fights involving bamboo and continuous punches and elbows to the chest. There is a scene where it seems like they fight so long the seasons change. There is some cheesiness to the film like the change of seasons. But it is a beautifully shot film and a twisted love tragedy.

The Prestige (2005) Christopher Nolan

Too bad that this and The Illusionist came out the same year. Too bad that I saw this before The Illusionist. This one stuck with me more. A story about achieving glory first and doing anything, even if it means something unethical to gain success and win the hearts of people. Wonderfully thought provoking. A nice Batman vs. Wolverine story.

Atonement (2007) Joe Wright

The first act of this movie is incredible. One of the best first acts I've seen. It is a film on its own. Almost. The rest of the film is not rich as the first act but it functions just fine.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2002)

Yeah I really do like this movie. And you do to, just admit it yourself. The sequels were a crazy mess of a visual joy ride in the land of pirates, but this one was a nice piece of Hollywood and Disney. It showed that Johnny Depp still exists to the world, Kiera Knightley is more than a beautiful woman in a corset, and that Orlando Bloom does in fact act the same in all his movies.

Pan's Labyrinth (2007) Guillermo Del Toro

Beautiful. This is my cousin's favorite film, and with good reason. The faun itself is something to look at and wonder how it was thought up and how a creature could be so terrible and yet so loving and beautiful. This movie boasts one of the scariest monsters and still most talked about monsters. My roommates often make impressions of the monster with the eyes on his hands.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Michael Gondry

If only you could forget about things like pain and agony and your ex-lover. Jim Carrey....that's all I have to say. Kate Winslet can do anything, that goes without saying. It is not that Jim Carrey can only do comedy, or I was surprised by his take on a dramatic role, it's just that I'd never seen him in a dramatic role before, but this was a lovely piece of work.

The Lovely Bones (2009) Peter Jackson

A lot of people did not like this movie. I did. See it and tell my why you hated it. I will tell you why you're wrong.

Crash (2005) Paul Haggis

Not many people saw this film in theaters when it was released in May of 2005. They did see it when it was nominated and eventually won Best Picture at the Oscars. It was a "terrible injustice" to its rival Brokeback Mountian. Because Academy voters did not vote for Brokeback this made them "homophobic." Wouldn't it have made them racist if they didn't vote for Crash though?

Why The Return of the King and The Two Towers did not make my top 10.

?????????

??????

I decided to pick my favorite of the three and leave the other two out so that I can make room for the others on my list. Also because it is difficult to decide if they are one giant film or three individual films. Can one film stand alone with out the other? I've decided that since they're all so different in tone, to look at them as three different films in one long story. All the editors were different after all. It is as if you are handing one story to three different interpreters. It's not cheating. It's my list, i can do what I want. While these two films are incredible, and definitely will be remembered as some of the best in cinema history, the first one is the one that started them all and will have a special place in my heart. I remember leaving the theater with a life changing experience and eventually deciding to make movies because of Fellowship. It may not technically and theoretically be the best of the three--in fact, I think that The Two Towers is the neatest in terms of story--but Fellowship is certainly my fave.

And now, my Top Ten!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Alfonso Cuaron

Yeah, I know, Harry Potter is on my list, but you wanted to put this movie on your list too. I had to after all, this is the decade of Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Alfonso Cuaron was the first director to put some style into J.K. Rowling's world. He tilted the camera to the side slightly so you could see what else was going on outside of the narrow-minded eyes of Harry. This was my favorite book at the time and I had high expectations for the movie. It brings a perspective to the books that is so unique and valuable. Every Harry Potter fan who reads these books imagines Hogwarts and Hogsmeade a certain way. Cuaron's vision was like taking a book and a human imagination and letting the two sit together in a drawing room coming up with artistic solutions for a better picture.

The Hours (2002) Stephen Daldry

Some movies just stick with you more than others. I cannot explain to you why this film is in my top ten and others such as Pan's Labyrinth are left out. I can only say that it speaks so loudly about people who are trapped in something--marriage, sickness, brokenness, status, loneliness--that they cannot get out of. People will do anything to break free of what they are trapped in to gain happiness of some sort. Sometimes they will resort to the most selfish of choices to live freely, or to not live. It helps me see that it is in our nature to need a savior who will free us. We are broken in need of repair.

The Hours is wonderfully crafted. Three lives woven together with great care. Three incredible performances by Kidman, Moore, and Streep. Kudos to Ed Harris and the kid who plays the same character.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) Joel Zwick

One word: Funny. I think this is my favorite comedy of all time. It brings the heart of a large ethnic family crashing in on a regular "American" family. It shows the value of what family and food does for community in the Greek culture.

See this movie if you haven't. It was an indie that made it big because of word of mouth. This "says" a lot.

The Dark Knight (2008) Christpher Nolan

Or TDK as a lot of film bloggers like to refer to it. It is written about so much in film blogs and film websites. How do you make a batman movie in this day and age and have your audiences take it seriously when so many super hero movies are dismissed so easily? How can a superhero movie say so much about crime and politics and justice in one punch? Well here's what you do, you take two extremes: One is pure evil, or something that is pretty darn close to it and you take someone who will only stand for justice, you put them in the same city that is in dire need of repair, and wala!

I saw this with a large group of my friends. That was one reason it was so special.

The Fall (2008)

This film was shot on location in several countries, I cannot think of the number right now, but I'll get back to this later. It took place in silent-era Hollywood. (As if this is a very important time in history.) It shows the importance and value in living by showing that suicide is completely selfish. The "proper" way to kill one's self is to do it when you are sacrificing your life for someone else. This is one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen. Every time I watch it, and I've seen it about 5 times, I pick something up that I never noticed before. There are so many gems hidden in this film that beg to be found. Not that it is a convoluted film with cluttered gems, but as a whole it is a large treasure chest. It is a beautiful story about how stories can create beautiful friendships and how friendships can save lives. It's about a lot of things.

Memento (2001) Chris Nolan

I've seen this once. People think that after you're done it begs you to watch it again so that you can fill in all of the plot twists that you missed. After all it is "backwards." I haven't had the pleasure of watching it again. Some films you watch over and over because you love them. Of course I'd watch it again, but some films are incredible the first time and they don't need to be seen again. This feels like that to me. It said what it needed to say.

So brilliantly written and presented by Chris Nolan. Watch it.

Funny. Smart. Cute. Brilliant. Beautiful. Heartwarming.

All one-word descriptions of a one-word title. (At least the American title.) The French title is translated as "The incredible adventures of Amelie Poulan" or something like that. But don't quote me on that .

I love these characters in this film. It is a character-driven movie. It is impossible not to love these people. The most vulnerable things about them are revealed the moment you meet them. "Amelie likes_____, she dislikes_________" etc.

Amelie (2001)

Hero Zhang Yimou

Just see it.

It tells an incredible story that is almost purely visual. It has the best use of color, to tell a story, in any film I've seen. Incredible martial arts and visually stunning. Masterful Cinematography.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Peter Jackson

I think this will always be my favorite movie. There is no movie that will come along that can change that. I'm not saying that because of my pride or because I don't believe another movie that I will see can top this. I'm saying it because I literally fell in love with Fellowship of the Ring. When I think about the first time I saw this film I get emotional to this day. I can remember the same feelings I felt and the same suspense and wonder I felt. (I'm aware that I say feel and felt a lot but that is what happened.) I'm aware that there are much better films that have been made before and probably after Fellowship. But everyone always has a favorite and a guilty pleasure, this is both for me.

I don't need to explain in any more detail why this film is great. If you want to know, watch it with me. I will tell you. If you don't see it the way I do, ask the Academy of Motion Picture arts and Sciences why they nominated it for 13 Academy Awards. Take a look at how its sequel "Return of the King" holds the record (and is tied with other films) for the most wins (11).

I don't think I've seen another film series, or any film at all, that was created with such love and care. This film trilogy took 9 years to create. The cast and crew became a family. Everyone working on the film was concerned with the minute detail of every last film grain and pixel and brush stroke. Everything was treated with care.

Here are some links to other more interesting and more credible top ten lists:
Metacritic:
http://features.metacritic.com/features/2009/the-best-movies-of-the-decade/
Moviefone:
http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/12/14/feature-page-10-1_three/
Cinematical:
http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/25/now-its-the-50-best-movies-of-the-decade/
Rotten Tomatoes:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/juno/news/1861944/rts_best_of_the_decade

How to Move forward

I have been thinking a lot about how to move forward from a period of complete "stuckness." I am currently in a place where I feel alone, trapped, stuck, isolated, without help. The list goes on. When people experience this degree of "staticity." They either find ways for themselves to stay there through complete negative thinking or they work very hard to get out of their static state. I am static. I am not moving forward. I feel stuck. I know how to move forward, I just feel like I deserve to stay exactly were I am. That is why I am writing on how to move on.

1) Realize that you are a sinner and that you can do nothing about it, only God can.
2) God forgives sin. Again, and again, and again.
3) Realize that the world is unfair though there is good in it.
4) Make conscious and actual decisions to let go. (I.E. I am going to eat healthier starting TODAY!)
5) Have healthy expectations. People are broken, I am broken, no one is perfect. Only God knows how to fully love.
6) Do not blow things out of proportion. Things are what they are, and no more.
7) Live a life as if you are free, because you are--through Christ. Knowing this should bring you joy.
8) Think positively. Be thankful for what you DO have instead of what you DO NOT have. You have amazing friends, family, and things (more than likely.)
9) Allow God to bring perspective to your life. When you see things through your own eyes and with your own selfish ambitions, you do not completely understand anything. Your pride skews your understanding of the world.
10) God is love.

Tips for surviving a Coffee Shop

If I were to sit here for an entire day I would see the regulars coming in and out (from the patio to the counter and indoor tables) all day long. When I talk about the regulars here at satellite, I mean people that would be here on Christmas if the place was open. They are here everyday. I do not know most of them by name. There is that creepy older guy who often strikes up conversations with younger women about who knows what. There is the painter who looks European, mostly Italian. There is the old lady who sips her coffee while reading the newspaper, probably getting her lipstick stains all over the white cups that they use here. They are all friends too! They are adults, over 50 who come here everyday to drink coffee and experience life and each other. It's beautiful. If you come to satellite enough, chances are you will have at least a conversation with each regular.

Satellite also has it's own set of "rules" that people just figure out and follow regularly. If I leave a book on a table and go get my food and coffee, people know that that table is taken. People know that they can share a community table by the couches and the larger community table by the window. They never just join you at a small table in the circular couch toward the entrance of the shop. These tables are small enough for one or two people, but strangers should never just join up. At the counter by the window, you never sit by another person, you always leave a chair in between you and the next stranger. Unless there are absolutely no chairs left, you do not sit there.

If you happen to listen to the nearest conversation, you must do your best to ignore it if possible. Coffee shops are reserved for the most intimate and secretive of conversations that should not be taken outside by bystanders. If you can't help but listen to the conversation, simply join in! If the two friends next to you are talking about an ex-girlfriend or a naked sleepwalking new roommate, just offer up some tips. It will catch them a little off guard, but since it is in this intimate coffee shop space they will soon warm up to you and invite you into their conversation. If they do not let you into their conversation, simply keep talking to them. This is the UNM area, perfect strangers joining in on a conversation is normal. If you are sitting uncomfortably close to someone who is having a juicy conversation, you want to listen, but you don't want to seem obvious, just throw in some head phones. This will ensure that you are listening to something else that is far more important. If you happen to laugh at what the next person is saying, take a quick glance at your computer screen, there is always something funny online at a free wi-fi coffee shop. It will be assumed that the window you have open is what is making you laugh.

These are just some tips. More to come.

Passion "tweet"

I was not haunted by the blood and violence in The Passion of the Christ. Humans create haunting blood and violence everyday. I'm not at all surprised that Jesus, a lover of man, was killed by man. I am haunted by the degree of sin that is so terrible that He would have to endure such suffering so that we might be saved.

Why I Like "Alice"

It functions as a re-make, a redo, a reboot, or whatever you want to call it, but it is also something original, but it is also a sequel. It somehow manages to be all of those things so that nobody is confused, upset. It is a crowd pleaser. No one is left wondering where Alice left off in the original Disney version if it is functioning as a sequel to them. If it is a re-make, it does a good job of doing it. If it is a reboot, which is the new trend in hollywood, then it doesn't promise a pointless sequel. A "redo," which I've heard is not a remake, it is as if the filmmaker is rerunning a show on broadway, only this is on the big screen.

It is a typical story with a fantastical parallel universe. We've seen it before. It is a coming-of-age story for a girl named Alice. Much like the Wizard of Oz and Pan's Labyrinth. There is an alternate fantastical parallel world that is much more appealing than the one that our heroine is actually living in. Why would the central character want to return to Kansas unless she knows exactly what she is missing? Why would Alice want to return to England and all of the pressures of being engaged when she can just reside in Wonderland? Well she must realize that she is fully capable of slaying the beast in both worlds. The jabberwocky in Wonderland, and perhaps her social pressure of being engaged in the "real world" she lives in.

In the real world, afterall, there aren't talking animals, smiling cats, creepy monarchs in castles, or friendly yet mad hatters. These characters are completely off their rocker the entire time. Even the good white queen looks as if she swallowed some potion or ink that made her lips, eye brows, and nails turn forever black. The evil queen of hearts has a giant head. The film is quite conscious of this fact as the characters refer to her head quite often. It is even the subject of a saying that is uttered by the underground plot against this queen of hearts.

The queen of Hearts, played by Mr. Burton's (director) lifelong partner Helena Bonham Carter, is wonderfully acted. Why they decided to create her with a head four times the size of a normal human head is still beyond me. Is it perhaps because she wants to have every possible position of authority, thereby being the main "head" of Wonderland? Whatever the case, it makes the character much less adorable and more feared, only in terms of physically distorted characteristics. Carter's portrayal of this character makes her hysterical yet someone to be feared, at least in this Wonderland.

The white queen, played by Anne Hathaway is altogether like a Walt Disney princess. She even lives in a castle much like the signature Disney castle. I'd be surprised if it wasn't modeled after the Disney castle and she wasn't inspired by Disney princesses. Her airy expressions and whimsical dialogue compliment her flamboyant hand gestures. Much like snow white, her hands glide about as if helium balloons are attached to her wrists with string.

Johnny Depp is the mad hatter. Though his eyes are obviously digitally enlarged and his face caked with makeup, this does not impair or affect his performance negatively. Like always, it just helps him emotionally get into character. His face is so expressive, you empathize with his Mad Hatter.

Alice is a more grown up piece of fantasy than the previous Disney version we've seen. It is similar in structure to Wizard of Oz and Narnia. A girl trying to understand her life, she goes to another world and comes back stronger and more ready for the challenges she has to face.

jabberwocky: That's how you spell it.

An artist's conception of the Jabberwocky from Lewis Carrol's Alice series.