My Newly Discovered Passion

My list is continually growing, but this is my list as of today.
(Note: They are in no particular order whatsoever)

Updated Reading List:
-Death of a Salesman – Arthur Miller
-The Complete Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (I'm about half way through A Study in Scarlett <3)>Orange – Anthony Burgess
-Catch-22 – Joseph Heller (I'm in the middle of reading...)
-This Side of Paradise – F. Scott Fitzgerald
-Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
-The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas (I stupidly bought the abridged version..)
-Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
-Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
-Lord of the Flies – William Golding (We're reading this for school)
-Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom (We're reading this for school as well)
-Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury (I read some of the book but stupidly didn't finish because I was a stupid Sophmore who hadn't discovered reading yet)
-Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell
-Slaughterhouse-five – Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
-The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner
-Light in August - William Faulkner
-Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
-A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
-A Farewell To Arms - Ernest Hemingway
-The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway

I discovered reading Junior year when we read The Great Gatsby in class.
I'd been really excited to read it and it was so much better than I had expected.
I'm not sure my epiphany would have occured if I hadn't read that book...
Something just clicked in my head as soon as I read the first line and I've never forgotten it since.
Actually, I have the whole first page memorized, but not word for word.
The first and last lines of the book I have embedded into my memory though, verbatim.
I think people, well, I do anyway, take something with them whenever they read a good book and keep it with them forever.
It sort of shapes their life and develops their personality in a way.
For example, when I read The Great Gatsby, though I got a lot from the novel, the most important might be my vow to "reserve all judgments" as Nick Carraway does.
His fathers advice spoke to me in a way that I didn't understand at the time, but makes perfect sense to me now.
Because I've sorta been deprived of the ideal "father figure" in my life, I always felt like I had less than other people because I had no proverbs or "life lessons" to keep with me and pass on to my children, and for them to pass on to theirs.
I guess it sounds a bit silly considering I could just make up my own as I get older, but what's the fun in that?
"Children, with my being older and wiser than you, I want you to listen to this advice I came up with a couple days ago and keep it with you forever", as apposed to, "Children, my father gave me this advice that his father and his father's father gave him when I was your age and now I want you to keep it with you and pass it on to your children."
The latter idea is so much more meaningful and profound in my opinion.
If I was a little kid hearing that, or even a 17 year old, I'd be in awe and ensure that my children hear the same advice.
Unless it was something ridiculous, but still, you get the point.
So I guess because I don't have any fatherly advice of my own, I felt like Nick Carraway's father was speaking to me and telling me something I should live by.
So that's exactly what I did.
And I'll tell my kids the exact same thing, but give the credit to the novel of course.
And when they read it, it'll have a new sense of importance to them because they had been given the same advice growing up.
So, in a way, books are a better deal.
But I'm sure the people who were given fatherly advice growing up will argue the opposite.
Oh, well.

I finished reading Wuthering Heights a couple weeks ago and LOVED it, of course.
My favorite characters were probably the younger Cathy, Hareton, and Heathcliff.
Nelly Dean was also a really good character.
She had some really good things to say throughout the book and you could tell she was fairly intellegent, despite her being a servant.
I fell in love with Hareton because he was so sweet!!
He wasn't a bad person and wasn't evil like Heathcliff turned out, though they were brought up in a similar way, but under different circumstances.
With that being said, I did fall in love with Heathcliff as well.
He was undeniably maleficent throughout the book, but his byronic characteristics were so damn sexy!
I couldn't help it.
I marked all my favorite parts and memorized my favorite lines in the book verbatim, to my mother's utter astonishment.
Karen and I tend to remember lines from movies and books word for word with no difficulty.
Although, Karen is better than me when it comes to movies for some strange reason. :)

I guess the title isn't really all that accurate since I fell in love with reading last year, but the passion flaired this year when I had the opportunity, determination, and mentality to let it.
I didn't really have the time last year, since my utmost enjoyment was sitting in front of Jon's computer and singing at the top of my lungs.
But now that it's more or less required to read a book every month for English, my singing frenzy has morphed into a reading frenzy.
I literally do nothing else but read all day, 24/7.
But it's a very good thing and I'm so happy I got Mrs. Prince for Senior English.
I get to read so many books that I've been wanting to read and since I do it so much now, I don't think I'll ever go a day without reading a book.

Another Stream of Consciousness

Hello, miss lady.
Long time no see.

I'm reading Wuthering Heights at the moment and I'm not sure if I like it yet...
Possibly because Cathy and Heathcliff are the most irritating people on Earth!
Cathy is a flaming idiot and Heathcliff is so damn stubborn and haughty.
They both know they're madly in love with each other so why make it so damn hard?!
Though I don't think Edgar is such a terrible guy yet....Cathy isn't good enough for him.
So why torture everyone??
..after she blatantly said that she couldn't live without Heathcliff...
She knows darn well who she wants if she would just take a moment to consider her feelings!!
Cathy isn't the only one to blame though...Heathcliff is just as much to blame as Cathy is.
If he hadn't been so rash when he overhead her talking to Nelly, maybe Cathy would have had an epiphany and chosen Heathcliff instead.
But god forbid she ever marry Heathcliff!!
What would people think?
Well, I say screw society and their darn opinion!!
----After all, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emmerson, "It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after own own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." That is definitely one of my favorite quotes of all time. Emmerson is a genius.----
She hasn't even really chosen anyone...
And what the heck is he doing with Isabella??
That's just cruel.
And I'm not even half way through the book yet!

.....So I now have 100 pages left of Wuthering Heights and I've come to conclusion that it was all Cathy's fault.
Catherine Earnshaw/Linton.

So far my reading list is as follows:
-Wuthering Heights
-Pride and Prejudice
-Jane Eyre
-The Count of Monte Cristo
-Catch-22
I'm contemplating whether to add Great Expectations and This Side of Paradise to my list...obviously it's still unfinished.

...
ENNUI.
We never do anything in class, I rarely get any homework, and I don't have a job.
I read all day everyday and then I come home at noon and read some more.
Not to say I don't enjoy my reading, it's the highlight of my day. (Wow..that's sad)
But I do get restless from time to time and now just happens to be one of those times.
Since I have so much time to do absolutely nothing, my mind jumps from subject to subject as I ponder the many things I am ignorant of.
That sentence sounded a bit silly and overly formal, but it's the best description of how I kill time.
There are so many words in the English language that people never use in common speech -- or speech in general -- nowadays, and it's incredibly irritating to know that there is a word that exactly describes what you're feeling or what you're trying to say, but you're just too ignorant to know.
Ignorance, ignorance, ignorance.
It's nobody's fault, but it's still vexing.
Vexing, vexing, vexing.
When I watch old Hollywood movies, I'm always jealous of the sophistication of both the actors' speech and appearance...
And why do they all have absurdly attractive voices??
It's like...like velvet. :)
Oh, how I envy them...
Maybe I was born in the wrong era.
--
Maybe there's a glitch in my brain.
If I wrote down everything I thought about everyday for a year, and then published it, people would swear I was insane.
But I think that's the main thing that attracts me to people...unique viewpoints.
And open-mindedness.
Otherwise conversations would be boring and filled with small talk.
I hate small talk.
It's at the very top of my top-ten-worst-things-to-do list.
So if you ever want to blurt out something really random or odd, make sure I'm in the room when you do it.
I promise you I will reserve all judgments. :)
Not to mention a full-fledged participation in the conversation. haha.

...
My auntie comes over every friday to watch "Life" with us since tragedy struck.
I can't believe it's been two months...it seems so much longer...
I guess that's to be expected though.
The loss of a family member is never easy.
We're coping the best we can and auntie is such a strong person...
Definitely someone whom I respect and look up to a great deal.
People don't realize that my immediate family includes auntie, uncle ken, uncle pek and grandma, and their nonchalance about the matter is a bit hurtful to be honest....
But people don't have to understand how important and how he was like a father to me.
I have my memories to hold dear.
He told us that all he wanted to do in life was make a difference, and all who had the pleasure of knowing him are truly blessed and are forever impacted by his presence in their lives.
I don't think I'll ever meet a better person.

--
Part of the reason why I don't write blogs as often as I should is because I spend four hours writing it.
For all that's good and holy! :)

...
I turned seventeen two weeks ago.
How very odd.

The Dark Knight

Christina sent me this email when she saw The Dark Knight. She described everything that I felt but couldn't quite put into words properly. Leave it to a Brown Student. :) Just to add something that she didn't mention, the music was unreal. For some reason, it was a lot more impacting in this movie. Every time it started playing I got a burst of excitement and couldn't stop smiling....simply, indescribable. Heath Ledger's amazing portrayal of the Joker was actually scary and believably psychotic. I was at the edge of my seat every time he held his knife to someone's face. AND THE LAUGH, don't even get me started on the laugh. Sorry Jack Nicholson, you got pwned!!! The Dark Knight was not another Batman movie. This movie is in a league of it's own. Well, enough said here. Now for the email:

"O. Myyyy GODDDDDDd. That was SUCH a freakin good movie. My heart wanted to burst like every 5 seconds and it felt like 7 rollercoaster rides in a row. I can't believe the director, Christopher Nolan. EVERy, and I mean every, freaking moment was suspenseful. It wasn't as gross as I thought it was going to be, and yeah, maggie gyllenhaal did way more than justice to her Rachel Dawes role. I don't even remember katie holmes' impression now, since maggie's blew me away. The guy who played Dent also surprised me, because in the previews, he didn't look so noble. I love Alfred, he is the coolest guardian/mentor EVER, saw the wisdom of Lucius Fox, and couldn't believe the role each and every person played. Ramirez, the prisoner on the ferries, the little boy, and AAAHHH the COIN! That coin is pivotal. But I think this movie did do a PERFECT job of describing reality. There were so many underlying themes and memorable quotes, I almost felt like whipping out a notebook then and there to start writing them down. I did occasionally squinch my face next to my friend miranda when the joker held that knife up to people to tell of his face slits. CHRISTIAN BALE IS THE MAN. He is such a good actor. And I love how he portrayed how difficult it was for his character to be nice to his "ex-girlfriend stealer". Seriously, it's been several years, and he still looks YOUNG. He really is a pretty boy, a pretty boy that can ACT. FINALLY. It's been a long time since we've had someone who can look that good and act just as, you know? I think it was touching when Alfred burned up that note, and that quote about how sometimes the truth isn't enough, that some people deserve more for their faith than the truth...which hurts, but is SO true. And I got why they call it the Dark Knight. And the guy with the phone in his chest?! What the heck. The scenes changed so many times though, I have to see it again. there were parts of the movie that kept flipping, the roles kept switching, the guns were pointed in different directions, EVERY SINGLE PLOT TWIST IMAGINABLE. "The joker really isn't that simple". " He really doesn't work that way". And I love how it wasn't a total defeat. Batman and the Joker. They.....complete each other. I loved how the townspeople proved themselves (especially the throwing it out the window part), and how the Joker (I can't even call him Heath Ledger now, he did that great of a job..), I loved how he mentioned that he likes frightening people more than killing them, because that's when you see their true colors. The role of love also played an incredibly huge and uncheesy role in this movie too. Everyone had that one person they loved most in the world, you know? Because it's true, even if you're not supposed to pick favorites at work, at school, even amongst your own family, there will always be that one person, and only one person that you would give your life up for, no matter where they come from and who they are in position to you. In the end, I got the final spin. It wasn't a simple shootout, it was a battle for the knights (thus the Joker going after the white knight/Ace, aka Dent), and in the end, they all turn dark. Batman is the hero Gotham deserves, but not the hero Gotham needs, while Dent is the hero Gotham needs, but perhaps not the one they deserve. I'm glad that Gordon finally got to save his family and I loved that line "Actually, I saved Batman this time" lol. I felt like crying because it was so good, then I'd realize the movie was still playing and still turning its tables over and over again. The entire time I had to keep checking with myself to remember the exact headcount of WHO was dead/injured/endangered, who was safe and under who's protection, etc. The coin explaining how life isn't fair, and it all depends on chance/opportunity. Not being able to control things, cuz sometimes they're just out of our hands.

The death toll was pretty high, and I liked how they showed Batman in turmoil of how many deaths he had caused. Those scenes were very well played out. How much is too much kind of a thing. I also loved how even Batman, everyone's hero, admired Dent even more because he did what Batman did, but without the mask, without being afraid to risk his life, admit his intentions, and face the crowd boldly. Now I'm not calling Batman a coward, but I like the subtle messages put in there about how even Batman is human, is less than the real "hero" Dent, and struggles with human emotions and imperfections. I think the overriding connection to Batman Begins though, was when Rachel Dawes realized how much Bruce Wayne needs Batman. It is his purpose in life, it's like his destiny is now stamped on him after he made the pivotal decision to embrace the responsibility. And how much Gotham needs Batman. Batman will never be gone. NEVER. He's in it for the long run. And his legend, his presence, his .....ideology is the one beacon of hope, even if it's imperfect. Like Dent screamed in the alley, he can't give up. Because if he does, everyone will. People have to have a leader, even if he's an outcast, even if makes the wrong decisions, hurts people, he will never belong because he set himself apart from the rest. Batman chose to be Batman. As long as the legend survives, so does Gotham."

Thanks Christina. I couldn't have said it better myself. :)
I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the Joker: "I believe that whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you...stranger."
R.I.P Heath Ledger <3

Come home Lassie!!!

I'm alone. Why you ask? Because my mom and dad are out looking for my dog that ran away this morning while I'm here watching the baby. Akari's going to come over anytime now so I'm just passing the time typing a blog. You know, this really is my fault if you think about it. I mean, I don't take her out for walks anymore, and I don't give her any attention anymore, so in result, she decides to bolt...on one of the hottest days we've had so far this year. According to USATODAY.com, it's 94 F right now. We noticed she was gone around 11 a.m, and we've been looking for her ever since. It is now 5:30. I feel so bad for her, but then again she's being dumb!!! But then again she doesn't get any attention...who can blame her? If I was in a place where nobody played with me (be mature guys) and I felt like I was invisible, then I'd run away too. But not today because it's frickin' HOT outside. I had all these plans today but none of them decided to work...my cousins Taylor and Jessie can't come over because we went to the Oak Tree Festival yesterday, and Akari decided she was too tired to come, which I completely understand because she's been running around the whole day, but where does that leave me?? Just where I started: alone. I could have gone with Jon to the mall...what the hell man!!! Today is just not my day. The saying "You never really know how much you appreciate the things you have until they're gone", really makes sense now.
Until a better day,
ciao.

Iron Man

So my friends have been telling me that Iron Man is a really really great movie. I also heard it got super good reviews!! So today, Akari, me, and Jon spontaneously went to go see it at the Edwards by the mall, and HOLY MOTHER OF JESUS was is good!!! Good is an understatement. It was incredible!!! Not only were the graphics awesome (damn technology got me again!!), but the dialogue was super entertaining, the story line kept me excited the whole time, and the actors did frickin' amazing, despite the controversy of whether or not Robert Downey Jr. could pull off the role. I don't think any other actor could have played the character better than he did. He actually even looked like the Tony Stark animated in the comic book says my brother!!! I'm a big movie fanatic, and this year a crap load of anticipated movies are coming out: The Dark Knight (R.I.P Heath!!), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Speed Racer, Quantum of Solace, etc. I'm definitely glad that I saw Iron Man in the theaters because the wide screen and surround sound gave it that extra oomph, if you will, that you wouldn't get at your house. Unless of course you're a rich kid who owns their own frickin' theather. In that case, I still win because I get a ticket stub. To anyone who is debating on whether or not to see it in the theater or wait until the DVD comes out, get off your lazy ass and go see it now because it is totally and completely worth it. Even with all the super awesome movies that are coming out this year, Iron Man will definitely be high on my list. I can't wait for the second one!!!!

Stream of Conscienceness

ひまひまひま～。
So today, no different from any other day, I came home from school early because of blocked scheduling and went on the computer for 5 hours. What is this epidemic that has taken over the minds of teenagers all across the world??!!: The internet. The damn internet. I have the ability to stay on the computer for hours at a time, doing absolutely nothing. More specifically, youtube. The best website ever created. Those geniuses!!! Why didn't I think of it first??!! Oh yeah, because my brain is slowly being fried from the radiation coming out of the frickin' computer screen!!! As much as I would like to blame my stupidity on technology, it really doesn't work that way. I should really have more self-control. Now that I've taken the SAT's, the only thing I'm thinking of is the end of school. But who can blame me?? Everybody anticipates that last day of school in June when you turn in all your books, clear out your locker, and head out for to create their own rendition of "Wet Hot American Summer" right?? As for me, I look forward to staying up late, sleeping in late, and FULL days of doing nothing on the computer. Oh how I am looking forward to summer. As of today, there's only 27 days left until we're seniors. もう少しあとすこし。。。(Izumi-san R.I.P)I could ramble on like this forever, as I am addicted to the internet, but the worst season yet of American Idol and dinner awaits.
Au revoir.

and so it begins

I thought I should make a blog now, on account of the lovely Emiri made her blog in February, matsujun-crazy Yui made hers in March, and my bestest buddy Akari made hers in April. So that means that I have to make mine in May right?? I really don't have much to say right now except my crazy obsession of Leona Lewis has begun. I'll elaborate more on her later though. :) Right now my number one concerns are eating my dinner before it gets cold, taking a shower before it gets too late, and watching "The Golden Compass" before I pass out on the couch. I think I'm going to like this whole blog thing. "Welcome to the blogosphere" right?
Until we meet again.