Look At The Stars

I'm using this blog to post my thoughts on things that should matter. However, that doesn't mean that I wont be posting a few irrelevant things here and there :)

[savethecharmanders-blog]

5:30 am.

              In the early hours of the day that hasn't seen the light of the sun yet, ample thoughts run in my head and the genius that I am, I decide that it's a good time to go for a ride on my bike. I get out of my house and realize that nothingness is everywhere. No vehicles on the road, not a soul to be seen, crickets chirping and an overwhelming silence. I clearly didn't think this through. It is too late to turn back, as I'm nearing the entrance to the park already. I guess it could clear my head. As I'd imagined, I was the only one stupid enough to go riding so early. 

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a teeny bit scared. The sky is pitch black and the only companions I've got are the crickets, the steady sound of the wheels hitting the concrete and the moon keeping a watchful eye on me. It's nearly 6:30 am and I can see a tiny opening in the angry black curtain that is the sky. Maybe coming out for a ride this early is a good thing. At least, I have the chance of catching the sun rise gracefully from beneath the horizon. 

I find a wooden bench and sit, a little out of breath but pleased with my unexpected workout. Sitting here, surrounded by nature's wilderness is an intimidating thing. I can smell the mustiness of the air, the distant calling of a bird, the croaking of toads, a few drunken people in the far distance, the silence of the water lapping gently against the shore and the crickets. Always the crickets. It makes me realize that no matter how quiet it may have gotten, I've never experienced absolute silence and to be quite frank, I don't even think I want to experience such a thing. 

Nevertheless, now the sky has started looking like an artist's incomplete abstract painting. There is a single streak of light blue, boldly standing out against the darker shades of blues and black. The fiery reds that are sure to appear are yet to be seen, but the light blue has already created a sense of calming ambience. 

I love photography, but I've never been able to capture the breathtaking beauty of a sunrise or sunset as seen to the naked eye. I suppose a poet might say that something as grand and magnificent can't be translated exactly as it is onto paper or a screen.

Somehow unnoticed to me, joggers and bikers have increased considerably. Despite the dark, I liked it earlier; when it was just me and my thoughts.

And finally, there it is. The colossal mass of sweltering heat, climbing up with fast pace and changing the beautiful scenery by the minute until it sits comfortably suspended in air. The fiery-red fighting the last bits of darkness away. The sun has finally risen and the crickets are no more.

[savethecharmanders-blog]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

                                       I've been hearing a lot about this particular epistolary novel [Don't worry, I didn't know the meaning of that word either. BUT! For your future reference, 'epistolary novel' means a novel written in a series of documents. i.e letters, etc] ever since it started filming but I've put off reading it for god knows how long.

ANYWAY, I finally read it and I have mixed feelings about the book. This story was written by Stephen Chbosky and was released by MTV in 1999. 

Now, the whole book is basically this boy who goes by the name Charlie writing letters anonymously to a 'friend' who remains unnamed throughout the entire book. It's basically an autobiography of his life as a freshman and introvert. 

When I first started reading the book, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't watch the trailer, never read any of the recommendations or reviews for the book so I was literally in the dark when it came to what the book was about. Which served very well since it was a lot more intriguing that way. Let me just say that this is not a light read. The book battles a lot of hard hitting issues such as drug & alcohol use (as well as abuse), sex, death, suicide, depression (of sorts), homosexuality and even abortion. Whilst reading the book, none of these issues really seemed like a big deal because of the way it was presented when in reality, this is actually a 15-16 year old boy dealing with drug and alcohol abuse. However, the character isn't all about these things. He's actually an incredibly sensitive (at times too sensitive) boy who, at the beginning has no friends to turn to except his English teacher, Bill. 

Right, like I mentioned before, I have mixed feelings about this book, so lets look at the cons first :D

A few pages into the book, I started getting vibes that he might be autistic purely based on how he writes his letters and deals with things. The possibility that he could be autistic is actually one of the factors that edged me to keep reading on however that was to no avail since apparently he was just a very shy boy dealing with high school like everyone else. I'm sorry, but I find this incredibly hard to believe. Charlie is portrayed as a boy who is very emotionally driven and his constant crying is definitely not normal behavior at all. Fearing I might be alone in thinking this, I did some research and a lot of people actually agree with me. Besides, he just does not strike me as a shy boy. A shy kid would be against making new friends and a shy kid would rather blend in with the crowd but that is not the case with Charlie. He didn't have friends because he didn't know how to be socially acceptable enough to have friends. However once he did make friends (Sam and Patrick), he got on very well with them and he didn't have any trouble acting in Rocky Show when one of the cast member's was missing. Also, more reasons to think he's autistic appear letter by letter. He just doesn't know a lot of things about life and this holds true for most people but he's very literal about it. He NEEDS to know why before doing something and he's very intellectually advanced (Which is the case for most autistic children) anyway, since he's not autistic lets drop it. The second issue I had with the book is that it takes drugs and alcohol and pregnancy very lightly. These aren't just issues to be swept under the rug, but they sort of are and I guess my high school years were very sheltered or something because I couldn't believe it being that simple and easy for them.

OKAY, now onto pros. :D

This book, though it has no storyline, might actually prove to be one of my favorite stories. The characters Sam and Patrick are my favorites. I love Patrick and how very subtly Charlie mentions that he's gay and doesn't make a big deal out of it. It's actually Brad who made things a little bit difficult. Sam is the love of Charlie's life though he tries to deny it (but only because she asked him to). The book successfully shows how siblings usually interact, shows how some people deal with death in the family and even losing a close friend to suicide. So there are a lot of heavy things going on but that is what makes it a great novel. And I'm definitely not complaining about the constant flow of good books and music that's introduced every few letters. It's a good book, almost like a memoir but not quite since it's written in the present tense. I'd recommend this book to anyone but only after telling them that it's not really a light read...because it isn't. xD

I'd give this book 7/10 :)

[lookingforether-blog]

In the United States and many other nations, the above gesture would mean “Rock On”, In Brazil it is associated with luck.. where as, if you made such a gesture to an individual in Italy, you would most probably be smacked in the face. You see, the messages that certain gestures give considerably differ on where they are used. In Italy, for instance, The “Rock on” gesture is considered to be a profane insult. 

When stepping into a foreign land, non-verbal indications are the only tools we possess that could break language barriers. Yet, these indicators can be just as problematic. What appears to be an amicable thumbs up to many of us, may thoroughly affront an afghan. In european countries, hugs and kisses are conventional manners to greet one another, while in japan such close bodily contact would distress. Even a nod that is identified as a “Yes” could mean a “No” in greece. 

“When unsure, perhaps you’d better keep your hands to yourself.”  -Amanda Fiegl 

[djavebikinusworldofwin]

[savethecharmanders-blog]

Just A Little Something.

I have a vivid imagination. There's no lying there and on it's own, it's not very impressive. Almost everyone has an imagination, some are weak, others are strong and some are phenomenal. 

My imaginations tend to be incredibly realistic based on the fact that it is fueled by my dreams and desires. I'd use another word instead of "realistic" but I intend on fulfilling my dreams. To make sure that it doesn't stay as that. As just a dream. 

I dream about a variety of things. My emotions play a huge part in who I am as a person. I don't like being left alone, actually no, that's a lie. I'm usually an introvert. I like the quiet and the soft lull of everyday things that we sometimes take for granted, such as the gentle whirring of the washing machine, the quiet hum of the fan and the click of the keyboard as I type this. These sounds are very comforting and it makes you think about how many other things can go unnoticed if you don't stop to listen. Until a few weeks ago, I didn't know that our noses can actually be seen in our vision, our brain just chooses to ignore it. What else does it have the ability to ignore? 

Going a little off topic there, what I'm getting at is, even though I love the quiet and the peace that usually comes with it, I hate feeling lonely. The difference between lonely and alone may not seem like much, but there is a big difference. At least to me. Lonely is when you long for company but don't get it. It's when you feel a little empty inside and you can do next to nothing about it. However, when you're alone, you don't feel abandoned. You're alone because you choose to be. Because you want a little bit of alone time and that is perfectly fine. 

Anyway, I'm one of those people who absolutely cannot live without friends. The thought about being alone frightens me and this, is when I start to dream. (Just to be clear, I do have a few very close friends and honestly, I'd rather have a few that I value immensely than have millions of "friends" who don't care about me) I dream about college, about work, about traveling the world, about meeting new people and learning new cultures, meeting "the one", starting a family, making my parents happy, owning a beautiful home with every unique room I see here on tumblr, having my own library, an art studio and just being content with my life. 

Until about three months ago, I didn't know what kind of a career I wanted. Well, I did know then and I do know now. I wanted to be a photographer. (For a fair amount of time, I was sidetracked by psychology too but I realized quickly that it wasn't for me) However, it's [photography] a fickle industry and to get to all my other dreams, I'd have to have a reliable paycheck at the end of every month and a job in photography does not guarantee that. So now, I've decided that I'm going to be doing Mass Communication. It is a perfect fit I think, because I can learn a little bit about photography while learning about journalism, public relations, film industry, etc. I get to learn a little bit of everything with a huge base such as MassComm so I'd have more knowledge and information on what I'd want to do. All I know is that a business degree would be a complete waste for me and I wont even go near the topic of I.T. More than anything though, mass communication will be perfect to get me out of my shell and be more confident in myself. 

Wow, I started writing today, thinking I was just going to write about dreams and inspirations and such. I guess it's all linked and to get to one, you have to complete another. It's like a math problem when you HAVE to finish part 1 of the question to know what's going on in part 2. 

Sure, it can get a little tiresome when life gets in the way of life, but when you feel like giving up, that's when you should take a moment to reflect back on everything. You must've held on so long for something, surely you can find that same inspiration again. :)

[redrozeandpenguin]

[chameleon-eyes-blog]

Fox News once again fails at geography.

[savethecharmanders-blog]

Lol

[avagardner]

Marilyn was a big supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. Ella Fitzgerald was one of Marilyn’s idols and a major inspiration. However, the Mocambo nightclub in West Hollywood, the most popular dance spot at the time, refused to let Ella perform there because she was black. Outraged, Marilyn told the owners that if they would let Ella perform, she would be there in the front row every time Ella was onstage. She did, and the two became friends.

According to the great Ella Fitzgerald: “I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt…it was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the ’50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him - and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status - that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman - a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.”

[savethecharmanders-blog]

How Young Is Too Young?

Today, I was doing my usual rounds on the internet (youtube/facebook/tumblr/twitter, you name it) when I stumbled across something quite sickening.  I'm sure a lot of you have heard of Beauty Pageants and how girls go to hell and back to look "perfect" for the judges and audience. Various methods of "beautifying" tools are used, such as waxing strips, threading wool, make up brushes and lipsticks, laser treatment, botox, etc. Now, these may not seem like such drastic methods for girls around, say eighteen and above. 

However, I'm talking about girls who are as young as five to eight years old and you really have to ask yourself, how young is too young?

It's hard to believe that kids that young would be made to go through such lengths to be fit for the look society makes them think is pretty. I've seen videos of a five year old girl getting her eyebrows waxed. She was crying the whole way through. Then, I saw another video of an 8 year old little girl getting botox treatment at the hands of her mother. The reason? The mother claims that her daughter had asked her to do it and that's why she was doing the treatment because the little girl had "wrinkles". Now for a first, you can't just go around injecting botox into someone's face. It's a doctor's practice and is quite harmful when done wrong. Also, the mother must've gotten that botox from a doctor, which was wrong and suggests that the doctor was misusing his authority.

Secondly, you're a mother. Think of it this way. When your kid asks for a kitten, do you give it to her immediately when she asks? No. you explain the responsibilities of having a pet, etc. Maybe not even a pet, maybe even a toy. You don't just give your child something the moment they ask for it. That'd spoil them. 

Lastly, it is obvious from the video that the poor little girl had been fed answers before the interview, her responses were almost robotic when she answered the interviewer saying she  WANTED the botox. (pictures showed that she was in a lot of pain, had to have a bag of ice on her face afterwards)

Society, it is disgusting to see how far you've dropped. A five year old wants ice cream, not eyebrow waxing. An eight year old who wants botox and not barbies.

[sunsurfer-deactivated20110911]

[savethecharmanders-blog]

mermaid-in-the-makingg:

Beach Swing, South Male’ Atoll, Maldives

photo by mohammedshazz

[hearthehowlingbeasts]

[savethecharmanders-blog]

hearthehowlingbeasts:

hear the howling beasts

[priddyflacko]

i wanna go wherever this is..

[davidragifs]

[savethecharmanders-blog]

A little Geographical pun

Enjoy :D

[lovecheesehatepaedos-blog]

[vangoghslostear]

[airows]

[savethecharmanders-blog]

saltbodyboardingsurfing:

Point breaks

[gaby-cakes-blog]

“I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain … of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners…” (Kevin Carter).

[n9neblindmice]