What a Wonderful World: Closets

My first night staying in Japan I was welcomed with my first cultural shock. I was already well aware that you had to take off your shoes when entering homes, and that you sleep on mats on the floor. My shock came when I entered the room I would be sleeping in and saw...the closet. In Japan, the closets are traditionally two sided sliding doors that are usually white. The inside is very roomy, so it's easy to store a lot, a very convenient closet! So what's my problem? Well when I think about Japanese styled sliding closets, I don't see a closet, I see a death trap!

Since this was my first time visiting Japan, I had certain things associated with what I've seen them from. Unfortunately, I've watched way too many Japanese horror movies! I happen to be a fan of the Ju-on: The Grudge series and when I saw that sliding closet all I could think of was a dead body crawling out of it. It was hard to get this creepy imagery out of my head, and suddenly it felt like I was a kid again afraid of the unknown evils in my room. As embarrassing as it was, I even rearranged the furniture in the room so it could block off the closet...you know, just in case anything wanted to crawl out.

Needless to say, my first night sleeping in this room was very challenging. Even though I was very tired from traveling, I found it very hard to sleep knowing that this closet was next to me. It took me a couple of days to get use to it.

What a Wonderful World Intro

There once was a girl from Jersey who dreamed of nothing more than going to Japan...

That would be how my story would start off if this was a fairy tale. Since as young as I can remember, the Japanese culture has fascinated and amazed me. From the Power Rangers, to Sailor Moon, to Pokemon, the most enjoyable shows that I got into obsessively were Japanese.

As I got older, I added Japanese rock to my list of things about Japan I love. It didn't matter if I couldn't understand what they were saying, the music was enjoyable, new, and comforting. When you're a teenager you either try to desperately fit in with everyone else, or desperately try to be different. So since music has a huge impact on a teen's life, it was nice to listen to something that no one else was.

Later on I got into Japanese horror, because they had a unique gift for making a horror movie grotesque and beautiful at the same time. With so much that I loved about Japan, when I got to college I was excited that I could take Japanese as a language. It was such an exhilarating experience learning a new language I was really looking forward to learn. The more I learned the language, the more I learned the culture, and the more I fell in love.

When I finally got the chance to go, I was excited and scared at what I was getting myself into. Then when I was there, it was the greatest feeling of my life. Even though I was only there for ten days, I had the best 10 days ever experiencing Japan as they do. I love Japan because I love that it's a place filled with vibrant colors and cuteness. From the smallest things that go overlooked, they make it unique and new. They also think of ways to make every day happenings more convenient for everyone. This is why I love Japan, even in the littlest ways.

My Goals

I have a list of goals in my mind that I want to accomplish before this year is over. I know 2010 has a long way to go before it's over, but with me you just never know how long things might take. So I think if I write out exactly what I want to get done, I will be able to to actually do them. Right now all my ideas are stuck in my head and I have no clear thought process, so that's why I feel so overwhelmed most of the time. I want to do so many things, but I don't know what to do first, or how to get started. So without procrastinating some more, here are my goals:

Of course since I just graduated college, I really would like to find a job in my field. I don't want any more unpaid internships or websites that want to pay me in free stuff. I need money. So I have to stay diligent and keep looking for jobs every day.

I wanted to start a business online that would ensure that I had money while I wait until I find a job. I need to think of a good product that will sell, write a sales pitch, and design a cover for it.

I want to be crafty and be able to make a profit for it, so I want to make my own jewelry and try and sell it. Granted, this is a market that won't be very lucrative, but it will feel rewarding. Plus I'm hoping my first online business will be enough to cover me for my jewelry making.

I came up with an idea to write my own comic book. I have always been a comic book fan and it would be great if I can write my own. I've already come up with the premise, the characters, and the location, and with the help of one of my friends, we've been getting into the design. I have very little drawing skills so that part will have to be left up to my friend, but I have to get cracking on the manuscript.

So these are all the projects I have lined up in my mind, if only I could get enough motivation to start doing them. It's not really a lack of time, skill, or money, it's a lack of will that I've been fighting. Right now I feel like I want to break through these walls and do something worth doing! I just feel like I'm mentally and physically frozen...but I'm feeling that heat, so I'm hoping to break free any minute.

LOST Final Season Retrospect

When this season of Lost started it looked like this universe was a much happier one for our beloved passengers of flight 815. There was no plane crash, Hurley has had only good luck since his lottery win, and there is no Shannon (sorry girl but your attitude is not wanted). However, first episode aside, this season has been filled with moral dilemmas that seem to be testing the characters to see if they will revert back to who they were on the island or to see if they truly are better off having never crashed.

In last week's episode we see that Ben Linus is no longer an evil mastermind, but a lowly high school History teacher who cares more about the students than the principal. With a helpful suggestion from substitute teacher, John Locke, Ben tries to go after the principal position. Now while the Ben we are more familiar with would have no problem manipulating people to do what he wants, this Ben does. Even when he finds out from his favorite student/former island daughter, Alex, that the principal is having an affair with the school nurse, he's hesitant to go through with the blackmail. The major difference in the two Ben's is that alt world Ben actually thinks of others before himself. He very well could have had that principal position like he wanted, but he chose Alex's happiness over his own. The episode is very bittersweet because while he does seem to be a better man in this universe, he's not happier. If anything, what we've learned from this season so far is that all of these people have problems no matter what universe they're in.

While in hindsight it looked like the island was nothing but a crazy dysfunctional island of chaos, it actually did a lot of good. Without the island, how can Jin become a loving and caring husband? Is he now doomed to be a stressed, angry, sterile husband? Locke will never be able to walk again, Rose will continue to have cancer, and what will happen to Walt?

In this week's episode we finally see a positive change for a character in the alternative universe. We first see Sawyer in bed with a woman once again running his money con, but the twist here is that he's not trying to steal her money, he's trying to arrest her. Ladies and gentleman, Sawyer is now James Ford the cop. In this world he's on the right side of the law with Miles as his partner making this a great buddy cop TV series. While he's a working class citizen now, he's still not happy because he's still plagued by the trauma of his parent's murder suicide caused by the con man Sawyer got his name from. On the island he was able to get his closure and finally kill his demon like he always planned to, here he's still hunting for Anthony Cooper/Sawyer/Locke's dad. So is he better off being a lonely cop still on the hunt for revenge or a surly con man devastated by constantly losing the people he loved?

Well what is happiness anyway? Maybe the whole point of all of this is to show that all of these people can never be happy. They're doomed to be miserable and changing details around isn't going to make a difference. Aww now doesn't that just warm your heart? Maybe they should just release the polar bears again to kill them all.

Orphan Movie Review: That is One Sassy Chick

Oh, horror and suspense films! How you try to still scare and shock us. Since it feels like we have seen it all, movies always try to go for the 1-up. Sometimes this ends up lame, other times successful...and other times completely laughable. This is the case for the movie, Orphan.

With a very disturbing scene of childbirth to kick off, we meet Jon and Kate, a couple with two children who recently had the misfortune of having their third child stillborn. With this death, it has put alot of trouble on Kate who takes pills every morning and still struggles with the temptation of alcohol as a recovering addict. Jon is just there, he gives support when Kate needs it, but we find out that he also has brought some problems to this marriage in the form of cheating. This story is sounding very familiar...Jon and Kate's just don't work out.

So even though they have a pre-pubescent son, and a young deaf, daughter, they still feel a void from the child they were suppose to have, so they go adopting. There they meet Ester, a sweet looking 9 year old with a charming accent, and an old fashion sense. Of course everything is good at first, but then things start going wrong. She doesn't fit in well with kids, her new half brother is embarrassed to be related to her, and she has occasional violent outbursts.

As the movie goes along she becomes progressively more violent and scary, and it becomes clear she isn't bonding well with her new mommy. Awww, but it's nice that she has a special place in her heart for her daddy. The big twist in the movie, also known as Ester's secret, is one that you really don't see coming. I can't decide if it's brilliant or just damn hysterical! I'll give the movie credit for doing something that isn't so predictable, but it makes the movie more of a comedy than a suspense.

Product Review: Banjees

Need a place to put all your things when you go out, but just don’t know where? Ladies are you in luck, because now you can use Banjees, the fashion wrist wallet. This stretchable, spandex item resembles a wrist warmer and has a pocket with a zipper so you can store small items. The “fashionable” part is that they come in lots of cute designs that girls will love like floral patterns and sequins, and the really nice touch is that they’re reversible. So just slip it on your wrist and off you go! The problem is that this product boasts that it can “store your cash, keys, id, and a lip stick in the zippered pouch”, but there is no way it can unless your items are the size of Barbie’s accessories. The pocket size is just big enough to hold a card, and because the material is made thin, the pocket can only go so deep. We carry bags for a reason; they look nice, have big pockets, and no one can tell what’s inside. Sure Banjees look nice, but unless the items you put in are paper-thin, the stretchy fabric shows everyone exactly what you have inside, that’s not very fashionable.

TV Commentary: Secret Life of the American Teen

Last night I had the displeasure of watching "The Secret Life of the American Teen". What looked to me as a very long PSA mixed with one of those lame after school specials, turned out to be the stupidest show on TV for young teens. This show started out as a story about a young teen, Amy, goes away to band camp and has sex with this guy, Ricky, then finds out she's pregnant conveniently right at the beginning of the school year. So right away you think this is a show to educate teens about the dangers of sex and to force religion down their young impressionable throats. That's fine, our teens do need sex education. The problem? The script, the acting, the story lines, are all utterly lame. In fact, I think they're sending the wrong message to our youth.

In last night's episode the focus was on a girl named Grace who was beside herself with guilt because she was convince she killed her dad because she had sex and enjoyed it. I'm not going to even stop and break down how stupid that is. She then goes on to blame the guy she had sex with, who then blames the girl he lost his virginity to. Can you believe that? A guy trying to call the girl a whore because she slept with him, and his reason was because if he didn't have sex in the first place, he wouldn't have wanted more. So the message so far is, don't have sex because you can kill your parents.

Now let's look at the title of the show, The Secret Life of the American Teen. What exactly is the secret life? It can't be having sex because it looks like everyone knows who's doing who...including the parents. We have the lead character, Amy, who since having sex that one time and becoming pregnant looks like she was sucked dry of personality. Plus we have to be clear that she did not enjoy sex! Then we have the character, Adrian, who is suppose to be the slut of the school since she kept saying in one episode, "It's not my fault I like sex!". Let's forget talking about Grace since she's still crying about her dead dad, and forget all the guys too because there is nothing really interesting about them. Well maybe how bad Ben's acting is...He sounds like he's 40 and has the intensity of a rapist. So yeah, there is nothing secret about these teens.

I mean if the point of this show is to teach teens about the dangers of sex, why is it that every scene has them talking about sex. It's nonstop sex talk on this show like that's all teens do. In fact, you could make a drinking game about how many times the word "sex" is said and get very wasted. So their solution to the teen sex epidemic is to show that all teens do is talk about it? It's all very confusing. So first they teach that if you have sex you're going to become pregnant, yet the school slut doesn't have a baby or any STDs. Then they make the deeply religious girl have sex and have her dad die as a punishment. Maybe they'll have her get pregnant to so they can drive home the message that good girls can't have sex because then they'll get pregnant. I guess if you're already a slut, being known as one is your only punishment. Of course for the guys there is no lesson because we still have these double standards when it comes to sex. What's worse is that they don't place a lot of focus on contraceptives. They just like preaching religion and repercussions, and scare tactics are horrible ways to teach teens about important stuff.

Finally let's move on to the "American Teen" part, how is anything they're doing different from the teens across the globe? Shows like Skins and Degrassi have teens doing much wilder things and they're from Britain and Canada. The whole title of this show is just senseless and long. Here's a better title, "The Crusade to Promote Abstinence-Only Education", now that's catchy!