Time Travel- What Could Be Done?

I watched one of the best movies last night, as far as being emotional, action-packed, thought-provoking, sci-fi, romantic, etc. You must watch this movie! Here's the trailer, though I don't think it does the film justice.

Deja Vu is seriously worth two hours of your life, if not more. My mind was completely blown by the whole idea. I'll try not to give the whole story away, but the main theme is based around time travel.

That's where I want to go with today's post. Time travel-- is it possible? Okay, so maybe I won't start with that question, because honestly nobody knows. There are so many different stories incorporating this interesting fantasy. Why is it so attractive to our minds? The idea that we can change our past, or change our future. The chance that what we do is not set in concrete, forever unchangeable.

The idea that rather than be accountable, we can make mistakes and then go back and do it again. Something that all of us wish were possible. And yet this goes directly against the point of life: to live and learn. If we could go back and change our mistakes, would we learn from it? Perhaps in the moment we would understand why it was a mistake, but in the long-run, the consequences are what teaches the strongest lesson.

However, in the case of Deja Vu, it is using time travel as a way to prevent catastrophes. So what about these situations? If time travel is used, not for personal gain, but for others? This is where I'm open to anything. It could be the same, what's done is done. But it's saving lives, while capturing the bad guy. What could be wrong about that?

I've got no answer for this, so if you do then I would love to hear it! Time travel is one of the most interesting fantastical notions.. Another story that I enjoyed with time travel was the book Ben Franklin and the Chamber of Time. Cool stuff!

Music, Music, Music

Today wasn't a crazy eventful day, just one of those good, relaxing ones! I was able to do some of a puzzle, play games with my little cousin Diana, watch a movie, and continue going through my music to see what I have and don't have.

Music is something that has been a big part of my life, but not in the way that most people who say that mean. I wasn't and am still not someone who listens to music all the time, and would die if I didn't have my headphones. When I was younger, my mom didn't allow me to listen to the radio at all, or even any music that wasn't religious. Anytime I tried to listen in my room, she (with ears like a dolphin) would call out, "Christina! Turn it off!"

So my childhood music was playing the piano, church music, flute in band, and some violin which didn't last very long. If you ask me about a popular song in the 90s, I probably won't know it.

However, the last couple years I've been able to actually pay attention to popular music, and over the past years I've finally found favorite artists and styles. I love being able to hear a song and know who it's by!

Currently, I'm trying to explore new artists and feel what kind of genre I like best. Whenever people ask me what my favorite genre is, I reply that I don't really have one. I always say that I just like songs I can sing to. One friend replied that you could sing to any song-- however, that's not true! What I mean by saying that statement is this: to me, the lyrics are the most important part of a song. I want to be able to hear them, understand them, and connect with them. And when I do, I will want to sing along! So it has to be something reasonable-sounding when it's sung. NOT screaming or husky voices.. None of that. And I'm not a huge fan of long instrumental solos either, at least in popular music. 

My current job gives me a lot of time to get to know songs. I'm custodian working night shift, 10:30pm - 1:30am, and I clean the racquetball courts. Now these courts are awesome for singing in because they make everything about eight times louder. It's fantastic!So I get to belt my music nonstop for three hours without any distractions. That's one reason I'm still working there.

My favorite artists, the ones I can listen to everyday at work, are currently

• Regina Spektor
• Ingrid Michaelson
• A Fine Frenzy

Yes, they are all female artists.. I'm working on getting more male voices in my musical collection.

Because not many people are familiar with A Fine Frenzy, here's a sample of her work. This was the song that first struck me, resulting in my devotion:

One other type of music that I really enjoy listening to is soundtracks from movies. My cousin Mariah was the one that got me addicted on these the past year, as she is a music whiz and loves all that stuff. At first I was just infatuated with the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, but now I've been listening to any and all soundtracks! Some other good ones (though nothing can top LOTR) are Stardust, How to Train Your Dragon, and Pirates of the Caribbean.

I'm excited to be able to learn more great songs and artists, and appreciate this form of art even more than I have in the past. I'd love for you to tell me, what are you interested in and why?

Good Day

I finished my present to Mariah!! It looks and is awesome. Honestly, I'm jealous that she's going to own it. :P I will post pics once she gets it, so you can see how cool I am! lol But really, it took FOREVER, my poor fingers feel like they just played the guitar for hours, and my hand was cramping way before I was finished. I have no idea how people get so good and doing stuff like that: crafts, tables, cars, etc. I mess up so many times before I finally get it right, it would not be a good idea for me to try to make anything big.
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I also finally (hopefully) finished my medical section of my mission papers!! Joy to the world! I have been going back and forth nonstop this past week, at least once a day, often twice to three times. Mainly just because the doctor's office forgot something, then I did, then I had to get more stuff done, then more forgetting, etc. It was crazy! But it's done! The dentist and doctor are ready to send off their paperwork.
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I just watched this movie about the Mexico/America border called American Flyer. It brought back a lot of the stuff that I talked about in my last class-- Latin American Humanities. It's really neat to see that classes can make a difference in life. I was just looking through a dollar-movie rack and because it was about something I had just barely studied, I got the movie. It was pretty sad to see what their lives are like, but it taught a lot about what really goes on over there. Another good one that doesn't show as much of the violence is Under the Same Moon. Both of these are great movies worth watching if you care about your neighbors. They just want the freedom that we have, and I wish we could give it to them.

THE HOBBIT (LOTR)

Went to watch the Hobbit for the second time tonight... Worth it. Oh so worth it.

Watched Pitch Perfect directly afterward... Still trying to figure that one out... But it's leaning toward the not so much.

Back to the ever-magnificent Hobbit, I am so pleased! I am a complete Lord of the Rings fan, and love it more than anything else in the world! If you aren't completely sold on it, don't let me know. It may ruin my opinion of you (I'll still love you of course).

I went to see The Hobbit for the midnight showing on the 14th, but sadly was not able to enjoy it because I got seats in the first row very close to a huge screen. Let me tell you, craning your neck for three hours is a painful ordeal. My poor cousin went as well, and she had front row seats in the 3-D one. Yikes!

One thing that was pretty crazy about it was how HUGE the feet were. Already, hobbits and dwarves have larger feet, and from the low angle it certainly didn't shrink them any. 

Because of this not-so-pleasant first experience, I had been refusing to give any critical comments about the movie before I saw it again. But now that I have, I can officially say that it is still just as fantastic as the first three by Peter Jackson. Granted The Hobbit is a very different kind of movie than Lord of the Rings, because it is a very different kind of story. Lord of the Rings was all about the action, but I believe that the Hobbit is more of a relaxed story, and the action throughout was often added in by back-stories and such.

I hold my cup up to Peter Jackson! May he continue in his genius, and bring us more great adventures on screen!

P.S. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE DRAGON!! Dragons are my all time favorite mythical creature. :D

Christmas Spirit For All Year

As I sit here, I can't stop thinking about the spectacular movie that I just watched, The Christmas Shoes. If there were any movie to recommend for a heart-changing and warming film experience, this would be it. In fact, I am going to make a tradition to watch it every year for Christmas from now on.

The story is beautiful, and reminds us that Christmas isn't just a once-a-year feeling. We need to have it all the time! The business man in the movie who was spending more time in his office than with his family, he did not have the spirit of Christmas because he was too busy worrying about money, possessions, etc. But in the simple act of service for a young boy who wanted to give his dying mother a present, this man remembered what he was missing out on.

This is the theme song for the movie

I was crying for pretty much the whole last half of the movie because it was so touching. It reminded me what I should be doing. My family is what matters most, and anything that gets in the way of me spending time with them should become my second priority. They aren't going to be around forever, and might even have to go before it's expected. In fact, I might be the one that is called home before expected. So I want to make sure that I've done all I can to let the people I care about know how much they mean to me. And I want to know that I spent all the time with them that I could.

Earlier Today...

I seem to be having a similar trend with my stomach and holidays this year.. It's not a good one either! This past Thanksgiving I got the stomach flu, and now for Christmas my tummy has been acting up again! It's not the flu this time, but something else entirely, though I've no clue what. It's interesting because it's like a burning in my actual stomach, but it only really bugs me when I stand up. Luckily, I am just fine with sitting down all the time lol

But now I can't eat all the sweets that we've got! It's Christmas after all... And I had a great one despite my bothersome body. I just love my family so much!

Here is the final picture of the gingerbread house, with the scenery that my dad put up for it. This beautiful house on the side of a mountain has actual trees, a life-size nativity, a snowman worth mentioning, and reindeer wandering the yard! :)

That's all for now! I've got to go spend the rest of this special day con mi familia!

Here's to Christ and His Helper, Santa

As Christmas Day comes upon us, I would just like to say,

I BELIEVE.

That's actually a reference to two movies, both of which are great to watch during the holidays: Miracle on 34th Street and the Polar Express. 

I watched the Polar Express tonight and it really touched me. I wouldn't say that the overall quality of the movie is top notch.. But the whole point of the story really got to me; the theme with the bells was perfect. In the scene when the hero boy can see the bells and yet he can't hear them, he has to choose to believe. He had to believe BEFORE he could see Santa Claus. 

I appreciated this because one of my least favorite things about now-a-days Santa Claus is the ridiculous and false statement tagged to him, "Seeing is Believing." This goes in the complete opposite direction from what Christ said in John 20, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Who in the world decided that the very man representing Christ's birthday would say the opposite? 

So as I was watching the Polar Express, I noticed that this movie paralleled Christ with Santa in many aspects. "Seeing is Believing" was said in the beginning, but then it adds, "but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see." Yes! That, and the fact that the boy was trying and trying to see Santa, but he couldn't. And yet, as soon as he chose to put faith in him, Santa came. I believe the director was trying to compare Claus to Christ with the angelic glow about him, the more solemn demeanor, and the way that he knew and cared about each child. 

All in all, this movie was a touching one, both in it's message of the real meaning of Christmas, as well as the way it was told in a light-hearted way with the story of the North Pole. 

Here's a new video of the Nativity to tell the true story of the first gift of Christmas. This really happened. And I don't need to have seen it to believe. :)

Merry Christmas!!

Integration

“I already know what to call him. I call him ‘son’.” (Hellboy 2004)

I chose to watch the movie Hellboy for one of the movies by a Latin American author. I’m not sure what I think about the movie. I enjoyed the effects, as well as the idea. But I wasn’t too fond of the actors. One thing I did really like though is the theme of accepting who you are. Both Hellboy and “Sparky” had to become comfortable with themselves, and accept that they would never be able to blend into regular society.

During Hellboy’s journey, he must ask himself whether he is part of our world, or whether he will become the creature he initially was. I loved his father’s attitude toward Hellboy. Not as an adopted creature, but as his son, no different from his own self. This is important in every similar occasion, not just with crazy fantastical creatures, but with normal people who may be a little different than us. Perhaps because of race, or because of mental capacity, or simply because they are from a different place. Hellboy is a great lesson for both learning who you are and accepting other people as they are.

What causes us to be so unaccepting of people who are different from us? Is it just part of our nature? And if so, WHY? There have been so many instances where someone or a group of people are cast out of the majority’s group just because they don’t look the same or believe the same: Mormons, African-Americans, and in a fictional example—mutants (X-men).

How can we get rid of this tendency to stay in our own little groups? Take in every outsider, welcome them, and treat them as your own. Just like Hellboy’s father did, make them part of your family, and they will become so in their own mind.

In the Past

This semester in Latin American Humanities was fantastic! I loved all of the works that we read, but there were definitely some that I enjoyed more than others. My favorite movie was Black Orpheus, while I also really enjoyed reading Bless Me, Ultima.

The reason I enjoyed Black Orpheus the most is because not only was it a great story, but I loved what the director did with the fact that it wasn’t just a new version of Orpheus, but instead that story still existed. The symbolism was very interesting, and fun to look for. Also, while other people may not have liked how slowly the story went, with so much dancing and moments without any movement in the story-line  I enjoyed it! It did a great job of showing the atmosphere of the festival, as well as the lifestyles that the people lived every other day of their life as well.

In Bless Me Ultima, the comparisons with Jesus Christ were very obvious. The only way a reader wouldn’t have noticed is if they didn’t know the story of Christ’s crucifixion. The story itself was a great example of author’s life, but whenever a reference to Christ’s story appeared, I wasn’t sure whether to consider it a good thing, or sacriligious. Other symbolism throughout the story was not so easy to see. Ultima, the owl, the river, it seems as if everything and everyone in the story could have a hidden meaning. But I wasn’t able to pick up on them so well. I’m still trying to figure it out. However, that didn’t make me enjoy the book any less.

I’m also very excited for the things we are doing the rest of the class. Like watching the Prisoner of Askaban. I’m curious to see what differences I can see between the Harry Potter that was written by a Latin American director. Will it be obvious?

A Lovely New View

“Thank you Eurydice. Thank you for this new day.” (Orpheus in Black Orpheus)

                 The film Black Orpheus was a fantastic movie. After thinking about the plot, I realized that it was very similar to A Walk to Remember. Or I guess I should say that A Walk to Remember is similar to Black Orpheus. In both movies, it starts with a boy, confident and popular, but shallow and unfaithful. And then, he meets a girl.. the girl that will change his life. She gives him a purpose, and he learns about himself in the process of learning to love her. In the end, the girl passes away, and the boy- turned into a man- is left with a new perspective.

                 

The ending scene when Orpheus has his monologue, speaking of what he now believes. (1:42:00)

                 

Very similar to the ending scene when Landon reflects on what Jamie taught him.

                 Both men were changed by love, love that was unexpected. It can even be argued that it was unwanted. What is it about these stories that strikes our own hearts so strongly? Is it true? Can love really change a person’s character so quickly and so completely? I believe that it can. In fact, it may be the only way that one’s heart can truly be changed from a cold and distant heart to a warm and giving one. Love is able to sneak into the small cracks of a stone heart. Orpheus had a hard heart, aware that he was able to get away with doing whatever he wanted. Landon was the same way, but in a high school sense, able to do whatever he wanted to the other students because of his popularity. Why do you think love is so powerful that it can change how someone thinks, not only about the one they love, but also about their whole view on life?

Pursuit for Greatness

“But man's greatness consists in the very fact of wanting to be better than he is. “ (Carpentier, Kingdom of this World)

The book that this quote is taken from, Kingdom of this World, was a hard book to get through— not only because of the wording and style of writing, but also because of the actual subject material. The confusing story-line was full of base actions, tyranny, and horror. And yet in the middle of all the chaos, there’s this line, speaking of man’s greatness. Man, great? After all they've done and are doing? Yes, even after all of the sin. This book attributes greatness not to actions of the past, but to those that are planned for the future.

Often, a man’s life is analyzed by his actions, who he affected, etc. If he didn't know too many people, touch anyone, or accomplish anything great, then he is often deemed a failure. However, "The Pursuit of Happiness" with Will Smith is a great example of how untrue this is. The main character had an honest life, but it was unsuccessful. His wife left him for hopeless and he was stuck trying to take care of his kid without a job. According to the quote by Carpentier, this does not matter. The fact that this man wanted so badly to take care of his son and be a better father made him a great person.

And yet, is merely wanting to be better enough? I certainly can want to do a lot of things, but until I put desires to action, how can it count toward anything? I can think that someone is exceptional, desire for them to know it, and yet if I don’t tell them so, they can never feel the confidence-boost.

So, what makes a human great? Man’s greatness is more than a desire, it’s when we work toward our better self. Should we be looking at our past actions for judgment or just for guidance?

Who's Future

“Everything is there: the minute history of the future, the autobiographies of the archangels, the faithful catalogue of the Library…” (Borges 83)

This short story, “The Library of Babel,” was AWESOME. Immediately after reading it, as well as during, I thought of the episode of Dr. Who in Season four: “Silence in the Library.” These two stories are incredibly similar. Both stories have an infinite number of books and these books are people— their story, their very essence. In these libraries, there was every single book ever written and that ever would be written. A quote from Dr. Who to match Borges’: 

“Spoilers. These books are from your future. Don’t want to read ahead, spoil all the surprises.” 

What I want to dig into is the idea of knowing one’s future. Is it good or bad? Desirable or not? I think that in order to come to an answer, we have to figure out what reasons cause the want to know, both as an individual and as a society. There are countless examples of human fascination with the possibility of knowing one’s future. With fortune tellers, visions, and claimed spiritual visitations, humanity tries to imagine that the future is something tangible that we can look into. In the Library of Babel, the people kill each other in their search for the one book that tells of their lives, expecting to find an object that will just give all the answers.

The fascination with one’s future may be because humanity seems to fear the unknown. Perhaps it is a part of our nature, an instinctual feeling. Humans study things, probe, and experiment, all in order to find out and record all that we can. Unlike Socrates, we are not satisfied with knowing that we do not know. The need to know is what drives us, and our future is something that can never be discovered by probing with a stick. So, are there cases when knowing your future could help you? Or would it destroy you?

Here is the scene from Dr. Who showing the library. While it doesn't have hexagonal galleries as in "The Library of Babel," it gives you an idea of what such a library could be like.

Who is Maria?

In the movie Maria Candelaria, the priest was the only person in town that respected Maria for who she was, and did not accuse her for what her mother had done. A very important line that he spoke to the people of his town can perhaps show the whole message of the movie.

"You accuse this woman, but who accuses you? Because you, all of you, murdered Maria Candelaria's mother by saying she brought shame to this town with her bad behavior." (Maria Candelaria 1944)

To tell the truth, the connections that were made in class between Maria and the Virgin, or Lorenzo Rafael and Christ are not so apparent to me. I can see how it is possible, but really cannot seem to accept that this is what the main point of the movie was. Rather, the first thought that came to mind when I finished the movie was how Maria Candelaria seemed to represent Mexico as a whole and their relations with the rest of the world.

Especially in today’s society, it seems as if the indigenous people are often viewed as the bad guy, or people that do not deserve complete acknowledgement. In the United States illegal immigration is often a topic of conversation and jokes, and anyone from Central or South American descent is lumped into one category, without any separation between the different countries or cultures. It could be argued that becoming successful and socially accepted into high positions is much harder for Americans that come from these southern countries. This is similar to Maria, who was shunned because of her background, and not because of anything she herself had done.

I believe that Maria Candelaria is a representation of racism not only against Indians in Mexico, but also against Hispanics in the world. How else could this movie be interpreted? What makes this film a success? And why is Maria Candelaria such a hero?

More than Halloween

“The only things that interest me are those that are not mine.” (Ades 312)

I've got a bike, a laptop, a good place to live, etc. and yet I want a car, a new television, a bigger living room... As a typical human being, I am confident that I am not the only one that is unsatisfied with what I have. Even the people that average citizens would consider lucky, rich—maybe even happy—are constantly searching for more. 

An example of that annoying desire that always seems to accompany us, the desire for something different, is illustrated in the movie A Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack Skelllington is the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, loved and praised by all. He is terribly good at what he does, and yet he becomes bored, an actor sick of the act. Here is Jack’s lament over his current life (you don’t have to watch all of the videos, unless you love the songs like I do):

And then, Jack comes across Christmas Town and likes what he sees. Think about how Jack represents us, and Christmas Town is everything that we don’t have.

Why is it that humans always seem to be searching for something more? What are we searching for? Perhaps it is love; perhaps it is religion. And all the little things that we think we want are just objects to take the place of those which are most fundamental. Seeing someone else’s happiness strikes us with jealousy, and we want what they have. And yet very few people that society would deem as “happy” are truly satisfied. 

Are you happy? Am I? That may be one of the end results that we should strive for in life: the state of wanting nothing. Until we have acquired perfect content with who we are and what we have received, we cannot be happy. 

Living in a Memory

Here are words spoken by a man full of guilt and regret for allowing a beautiful people and their Catholic priests to be massacred:

Altamirano: "So, your Holiness, now your priests are dead, and I am left alive. But in truth it is I who am dead, and they who live. For as always, your Holiness, the spirit of the dead will survive in the memory of the living." (The Mission 1986)

This statement stuck me as something that I had heard before, an echo that is heard repeatedly in works throughout history. This sorrowful declaration is full of truth, truth that may be hidden in the back of the mind, until it is brought to the surface when reminded.

The spirit of the dead survives in the living. Humans are full of memories. That is how we learn, that is how we live. And that is how we die. Using the past as a guide for our future, whether it be our own or the past of others, is how we become the best we can be—the ideal human. We live to give others an impression, to leave our mark on the world. We live to put our own memories into another. And we cannot feel completely ready to die until we know that we will be remembered – that we will go on living in another’s mind.

Altamirano’s thought also requires a closer look at the speaker himself. "It is I who am dead” may show that this man truly felt remorse for what he did, that he would not feel alive again until he received redemption from his sin. Is this a sign that he deserves forgiveness? If a man causes hundreds of innocent deaths, can he be saved? This question has been asked throughout religious ages. Who can be saved? Who is damned forever? The Mission may have been addressing this very question. However, I believe that is a question that cannot be answered by a fellow human being. Altamirano was not dead yet; he still could become his ideal self. Neither is anyone done living after a mistake.

We all have the chance to become the best we can be, and leave our legacy behind, further helping the generations after become even better than ourselves.

Darth Vader tactics

As I was reading "The Sons of La Malinche," written by Octavio Paz, I came across this quote:

"The phrase 'I am your father' has no paternal flavor and is not said in order to protect or to guide another, but rather to impose one's superiority, that is, to humiliate." (65)

Immediately, I was reminded of the well-known line from Star Wars, when Darth Vader tells Luke Skywalker that rather than killing Luke's father, he WAS Luke's father. Now I'm not a Star Wars fan, but there's no way this scene would not come to mind when the words "I am your father" are ever said. But in this case, I believe that the movie-scene fits perfectly with the quote. Let's analyze.

When Paz stated that the phrase is not said in order to protect or guide, that can clearly be seen in Darth Vader's motivation for telling Luke who he was. Vader was definitely not trying to have a touching moment with his son. Protection? He just finished cutting off Luke's arm. Guidance? Yes, come to the dark side Luke. I think we can safely assume that Darth Vader was not having a change of heart and did not really care much about the fact that he was fighting against his own child.

With this in mind, we can begin to decipher exactly what the motive was for telling Luke this life-changing fact. As Paz said, "I am your father" says "I am your superior" and effectively lowers the other's status, thus humiliating them. Take a look at the movie clip and pay attention to just how humiliated and horrified Luke is (and try not to laugh).

Luke's rival, the one he has been trying to defeat, has just told him that he was fighting against a fantasy, a lie. If that's not a life-changer, I don't know what is. Darth Vader's offer for them to join together and fight together was in a way even more humiliating. He is offering Luke to not only give up all that he has ever believed, but fight against. it. In telling Luke that he is Luke's father, Darth Vader has degraded Luke to someone even less than he is. He is saying, you came from me, you are a product of my actions.

I think this is a perfect example of what Octavio Paz was saying. Anytime someone says "I am your father," it is in such a way that the child now feels as if they are in a shadow. They have to somehow break past what their "father" is, and become something better.