Holiday season

I love this time of year.  People start taking out their Christmas trees, putting up lights, and jamming out to holiday songs.  Every year I forget what it feels like to be in that holiday spirit.  With how busy life can get, from the stress to the worries that joy manages to slip away.

            For the past few years, I’ve worked on Holidays.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter… all these days were a means of making money.  Looking back on it, I have some good memories with the people I worked with.  When everyone’s at home opening presents or eating huge feasts, we come together as our own family.  It was an amazing experience I’ll always remember.  However, living how I have has wrecked all emotions for the holidays.  I don’t get as excited or look forward to them.

            This year, I decided to hang up my job.  Of several reasons, enjoying life and family is a priority that I have neglected for a long time.  I am now taking the initiative to bring life back into myself, my relationships, and of course... the holidays.  When I told my mom that I would be around this year the look on her face was one I hadn’t seen for too long. 

            I’ve already noticed small changes in myself.  I’m listening to holiday music, not because it’s on the playlist at work, but because I want to.  I’m planning on making cookies and our family’s tradition of Polish food.  In a little bit, I’ll be going down to Chicago to check out the lights on the Magnificent Mile.  It’s been very nice this year.

            

People watching

I love people watching, sitting back, out in public just observing the people that stroll by.  The types of people you see and how unique each one is reveals the beauty of humanity.  Everything from different styles of clothing to mannerisms becomes abnormally noticeable.  At the same time, we are also made to see how similar we are.

            I had a roommate a few years ago that loved people watching in airports.  She said that the diversity throughout the terminal was so interesting and amused her while she would wait for her flight.  Taking our conversation into consideration, I realized that I too naturally participated in this.  It was fun to see the different ethnicities traveling around the world and temporarily bunched together in this complex.  I love watching people late for their flight frantically half running to their flight.

            It’s really relaxing to do nothing while your just looking around, too.  Your mind settles into a calm state and your breathing slows.  Your view on life for that time leans towards a more receptive and open stance.  Rather than judge you just observe and think.

            If you ever get the time to or you’re in a situation where obligation to sit is in affect, people watch.  If anything it’s just fun to do.  I’m sure many of you already do if you haven’t noticed.  I’ve been doing it this whole time looking out a set of windows.  

Key to Success: Paradigm coffee house

I just want to take this entry to say thank you to Paradigm coffee house.  Basically, my collegiate success is because of them.  I hate studying at home; it just doesn’t work.  I mean, yes, I can do it, but most of my real progress comes from inside the doors of paradigm.

            The hours I’ve booked sipping Americanos and looking over ridiculous amounts of biology slides are large.  It’s almost instinctive to go straight from school to the coffee house.  I don’t think I’m alone when I say this either because I’ve seen many students busy with pencil pushing and some oh so flavorful Alterra coffee.

            I think another aspect to my liking of Paradigm as a study ground is that there is a lively energy there.  My desk at home is lit by a single lamp and sits in the corner of my room upstairs.  After so long I can only be secluded before it get’s super lonely; and I’m not a person to need to be by people.  At Paradigm, with people weaving throughout the maze of tables and couches, it’s like a booster for me to kick it in gear and pump out good work.

            What’s funny is that I’m writing this as an assignment for English and that I’m doing it while sitting at a table in Paradigm.  For real, like this place is my sanctuary.  I encourage you to participate in academic studies here; guarentee you’ll like what you find.  Side note: ear buds and some music help when it’s overly noisy.

           

     

Old movies anyday

A few nights ago I was in bed watching this old black and white movie trying to fall asleep.  I started thinking about how acting and the way people communicate in movies from then to now have changed so much.  Not only has the way people acted changed but also the styles and manners have transformed for a faster paced, short attention spanned audience.

Older movies from back when our grandparents were kids are truly cinematic masterpieces.  With all of the technology and effects we have today it’s pretty easy to overlook these films.  It’s a shame.  They are so pure and crafted to perfection by cinematic artists. 

The conversations within old films are simple but perfect.  Their grammar is usually to textbook, which really grabs my attention seeing as grammar isn’t a value amongst the youth these days.  Cursing and dulled out vocabulary are almost non-existent.  Actors on screen are so intimate and connected to each other.  Scene changes are less frequent and effects so limited that they were forced to rely on just good acting.

Comparing with movies today where many are composed of explosions, sex filler and terrible writing, old films will always come out on top.  Having said all this I do still believe good cinema is made today.  I just feel that the way movies were made back then hold some immeasurable romance and warmth to them.