The Cove

I recently watched a documentary, The Cove (which also happened to be the Academy Award winner for the Best Documentary of 2010), about dolphin slaughtering and captivity in Japan. The combination of horrific facts about how many dolphins are killed per year and seeing the actual slaughterings was heartbreaking to watch. What is even more disturbing was the fact that the Japanese government was covering up the mislabeling of the whale meat sold in the markets. Since dolphins are higher up on the food chain, they contain higher levels of mercury poisoning, and the general public had no idea that the food they thought was safe was actually highly poisonous, causing many birth defects and damage to the central nervous system and kidneys.

It baffled me that such dire information could be kept from such a large general public as Japan. At the same time, it made me very grateful to those who exposed the health issue and needlessness of dolphin killing. The activists risked going to jail or even worse, death, by trying to uncover all the facts. Those courageous individuals are the type of people that I look at for inspiration. I admire the fact that they are living their lives trying to make the world a better, more organic place, without succumbing to societal pressure to get a "real," higher paying job. It's often the people who make less who make the largest contributions to society.

The documentary made me ponder ways in which I can be a better person. Animal rights isn't the only issue that needs to be addressed. I did sign the petition on The Cove webpage to help save the lives of hundreds of dolphins, and I also browsed at some of the other issues on the Take Part website. As one of my favorite quotes goes, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi

The Cove was very eye-opening for me, and I'm very glad I watched it. It was on my Netflix queue for a few months, and I kept putting off watching it because I never felt in the mood to watch something I knew was going to be so soberingly serious. I guess I was clinging to the "ignorance is bliss" idea. But, I finally sat down and watched the documentary in its entirety, even during the parts when I felt so sad, bitter and angry and wanted to turn it off.

No one can force you to do anything, you have to want to do something on your own, and that is the only way someone can make an impact. I feel that education is most fundamental in evoking people to care and want to make a difference. Although I surely wasn't happy by the time the film ended, I was happy I was informed about the situation. And what I do with that information is in my hands now...

(The picture on the left is a cove in Taijii, Japan where hundreds of dolphins are lured into and trapped by nets to be slaughtered for their meat.)

Thanksgiving Dinner for One

This was my first Thanksgiving away from my family ever in my whole life. Originally I didn't think it was going to be a big deal. In my family, my mom's side of the family gathers for every holiday. We cook. A ton. And drink. Lots of wine. And laugh. Uncontrollably. I can always count on ridiculousness to ensue at any gathering. We're loud (and sometimes downright obnoxious), we know it, and we love it. I figured that this Thanksgiving would be like the rest, and buying a $400 plane ticket home, when Christmas is a bigger deal for us anyway, seemed unpractical since I only left Michigan four months ago anyway. My parents even shipped me boxed mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing and a bottle of wine to make my own little Thanksgiving dinner at home.

I tried to keep myself as busy as possible to keep from thinking about my family coming together hundreds of miles away without me. I woke up early in the morning to check out Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and I had a blast. Then when I came home I thought I'd just sleep away the majority of the day. But of course, aftwe waking to an empty apartment, the loneliness quickly set in. I tried to diminish longing to be home by blasting music while I made my dinner for one and I put myself to work cleaning my bedroom, but before long I was confronted with sadness again which had evolved into a knot in the pit of my stomach.

What was also difficult was the numerous "Happy Thanksgiving, we miss you!" texts I kept receiving from family and close friends throughout the day, which served as a perpetual reminder that I was alone. As one who enjoys bouts of solitude, it was not much appreciated on this day, and I was aching for some human interaction. When one of my roommates came home he told me that most people who move to the city end up experiencing a holiday alone and how he considered it like an initiation to New York and becoming a New Yorker.

While I don't consider myself a New Yorker yet and I'm not sure I ever will since my roots are in Michigan, I certainly can say that I've been "initiated" into the New York lifestyle where everyone has experienced loneliness and almost everyone has spent a holiday without their family. To my wonderful family and friends who I thought I could be strong enough to spend a holiday without missing, boy was I wrong. I miss everyone tremendously, and although I was physically in another state, my mind allowed me to spend the day re-living past holidays together. What I finally realized, and maybe spending the day alone is what it took, is that it doesn't matter if family gatherings sometimes seem monotonous and boring in the traditional sense, it's being together under one roof for yet another year that makes it special.

Happy Thanksgiving from NYC. Love you all.

Warning: This May Not Be Safe to Consume

I thoroughly enjoyed the food and beverage warning labels that three creative artists came up with featured in the New York Times. I wonder if such blunt packaging would actually deter consumers from buying the products. Check it out for yourself!

Even though the Food and Drug Administration requires food and beverages sold to the general public to be labeled with the ingredients and nutrition facts, many people simply don't care to look or they don't know what to look for when deciding if something provides enough nourishment. I decided to go to the FDA's website to learn a few things myself, but I quickly felt discouraged as I gazed at the overwhelming amount of information. I particularly wanted to know the FDA's requirements in listing nutrition facts on packaging, but instead of providing clarity, the site actually make me question the administration we trust and rely so heavily on.

The recent controversy over Four Loko, the highly caffeinated alcoholic energy drink which over a dozen people had to be hospitalized after consuming, reinforced my skepticism. It was only after the media stirred up concerns about the safeness of the beverage that the FDA stepped in. If the beverage is too highly caffeinated and alcoholic to be consumed, then why was it even allowed to be sold in stores across the U.S.? And would the FDA have even issued a warning if the news hadn't been publicly released that dozens of people got sick from it?

I hardly ever read food labels, but I've read enough and watched enough documentaries to have a pretty good idea what is "healthy" for me to eat and what I actually want in my body. Unfortunately, many people don't realize that just because something is being sold, it doesn't mean it should be consumed. If we want Americans to be healthier beings, we're going to have to start thinking for ourselves more and about the things we put in our body rather than taking the easy way out and relying on others to decide for us. After all, just because a food label may say "Nutrition Facts" doesn't mean there's actual nourishment in it.

(Photo from http://www.theworldsprophecy.com/poisonous-foods/)

Movie Review: An Education

When I rented the film An Education, I expected it to kind of be like a moderner day version of Pride and Prejudice from the 1960s. Although it ended up being nothing like my favorite classic, it definitely touched on several important issues throughout the movie. It served as a reminder that you are your most important thing. People will come and go but you always have to live with yourself, so it's important, especially as women, to be self-supporting and create our own successes.

The movie is about Jenny, a mature and intelligent 16-year-old schoolgirl, who falls in love with an older man, David. As they continue to see each other, Jenny becomes enthralled with his world full of art, music, gambling, traveling and culture. As a young woman who was focused and adamant on going to Oxford to study English, she begins to doubt the point of her education as she thinks of a prospective life with David full of fun and leisure.

Unfortunately, all that glitters ain't gold, and Jenny shortly discovers after dropping out of school upon accepting David's marriage proposal that David is in fact already legally married to another woman. Jenny's attraction to the (seemingly) glamorous life and belief that she could take the easy way out by marrying David instead of constantly challenging herself at Oxford quickly comes back to slap her on the behind. After persuading her schoolmaster to allow her to come back to school, Jenny bulldozes through another year with regained unyielding focus and ends up being accepted into Oxford after all.

After the truth about David unfolds, he vanishes from her life as quickly as he entered it, and after having questioned the whole purpose of getting a higher education, the importance is reinstated in Jenny with a higher reverence. A defeated-feeling and heartbroken Jenny says,
"I feel old, but not wise." While I understand why she feels like a fool for not being able to see through David's facade, I do believe that the experience ended up molding her in a positive way.

She is such a bright girl, and I think in a sense this traumatic experience was necessary for her to
come back with a new sense of determination, purpose and self-worth. She undoubtedly learned from her experience running with an adult crowd living on lies. It also goes to show that, even though one may be intellectually equal or superior to another who is older age wise, it's one's experiences and life lessons that are just as important in getting on in the world as unscathed as possible.

I actually really enjoyed this movie. It wasn't corny or unimaginable; it is realistic even by today's standards. Originally I pitied Jenny for losing her virginity to a man who was a liar and cheater, but then I realized that Jenny's biggest mistake was throwing away her previous desire to go to Oxford when she thought she could live an easy life off David. Luckily, Jenny's pride didn't get in the way of her seeking the help of her former English teacher to assist in persuading the schoolmaster to grant her permission to come back and finish high school. It was refreshing to see her own up to her mistake and bounce back from it. I also found it admirable that Jenny surprisingly handled everything with grace. Instead of giving up or sinking into depression, she truly acted as an adult and took responsibility for her actions.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

(The photo on the left of Jenny in her school uniform is the life she feels bored with. The photo of Jenny and her older friend on the right is the glamorous, exciting life for which she wishes to trade in her school books.)

Scenes to be Seen

I truly believe that a vacation, even if it's a mini "staycation" and you don't travel very far, is important for one's health (and for me, my sanity). I can only be a homebody, workaholic for so long until my inner Columbus desires to get away and explore some unseen territory. Even living in New York City where it's said one may be able to live for many years and still not have visited all of its hidden hot spots, one can fall into a comfortable rhythm--walking the same way to and from work, going to the same three places for lunch break, eating at the same Thai restaurant in my neighborhood because I swear there's no place better. What can I say, I tend to be a creature of habit.

At the same time, what breaks up the monotony and makes me happiest is when I leave my bubble of comfort and check out a new place (museum, hiking trail, bar, restaurant, boutique, etc.) where I unexpectedly have a great time or when I go on a vacation with friends or family. I recently read a post by a fellow blogger in her 20s, Grace Boyle, that made me realize that I neither need to stay in Manhattan nor travel hundreds of miles to the Caribbean in order to find something fun, exciting or relaxing to do. As traveling can be a bit difficult when one has a full-time job and limited vacation days, Boyle had me pondering three other options to mix things up a bit: taking a weekend trip, picking 10 places in my residing state to plan to visit, and hosting visitors.

I found a site that lists many fun things you can do/see in NYC that may be helpful if I ever have any problems brainstorming things for my visitors and I to do. The neat thing is that regardless where you're living and how much you've done in or near that town or city, there is always more to be seen. That's what makes hosting a visitor fun for everyone--you both can experience new things together.

So while full-out, week-long vacations where I pack a bursting suitcase and jet set off to another country are still my favorite kind of vacations, I would definitely like to start making more regular plans to do some local exploring as well. What I think is important to remind ourselves is that life is crazy. We often say that our schedules are hectic and that we're too busy to do this or that, but when does life ever truly slow down?--when we're in our seventies and are complacent with a house and grown children when we actually will be too tired to do extensive traveling/exploring? I admit that I'm often guilty of using the excuse that I'm too busy or tired to meet up with friends. From here on out I'd like to vow that whenever an opportunity arises that sounds interesting, I'm not going to turn it down with the thought that I'll do it next time around. While health and rest and yadda yadda is important for one's well-being, I'm going to take a leap and assert that doing things out of routine from time to time may actually make us feel more alive.

Let me tell you a story

Ever since moving to the city, it has been my goal to not only experience as many new things as possible, but to also step outside my comfort zone in order to continuously challenge myself. (And I'll be honest, anything I can do in the city for free is an opportunity I jump at.) Therefore, when a friend asked me if I wanted to attend the final presentation for a storytelling class that his roommate was a part of, I unhesitatingly said yes.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived at the studio ten minutes early and there were only a handful of people there, but shortly all of the chairs in the room became occupied by friends, family members, classmates and instructors, and the "show" began. Each individual related one personal experience in his/her life. Some were funny, some were more serious, but all were surprisingly not too bad. It was interesting feeling like I kind of knew the story teller after a brief ten minutes. The way they allowed themselves to be vulnerable in front of approximately 30-40 people--more than half of which were most likely strangers to them--by sharing a personal or embarrassing moment, that obviously meant something to them in order to deem it storytelling worthy, felt intimate and inclusive as if they were speaking to me personally.

The stories covered a broad range of topics. One was about a man's struggle to find the line between his work and personal life, and he described an event where he allowed both to collide. Another was about a woman's strained relationship with her father and how it took him nearly dying for her to see how much she actually loves him. Another was a humorous story of a woman's parents embarrassing her at the reading of her first published children's book.

Finally, the story that touched me most was about a man's visit to the nursing home to visit his grandmother. That day the nursing home was holding an ice cream social, and as he looked around the room, he painstakingly saw the frail, lethargic residents with flaccid faces resembling zombies, making him feel quite uncomfortable. But then the ice cream was brought out and music was played, and everyone gained life. He saw the twinkle in their eyes which reminded him of the way a young child gets excited at the offer of a treat. After hearing some of the old ladies commenting about how they loved the music and how much they missed dancing, the man set aside his inhibitions and took turns dancing (or more like swaying gently back-and-forth) with all of the women. At the end of the day he felt so happy that he helped the women have some fun and stirred up the joyful memories of their youth. His final comments also stuck with me--that even though the body continues to grow, one's spirit remains a certain age forever.

I think the reason I enjoyed the storytelling final presentation so much is because, not only was I entertained for a solid hour, but some of the stories also triggered my own thoughts about a certain subject or how I would have handled a certain situation. As I mentioned before, there aren't many free things to do in the city, but it's often the random, unexpected things for which you have no expectations that oftentimes end up being most enjoyable.

Finally, the entire evening made me think about how life would be without TV, movies, video games, the Internet, or constant music blaring in our ears. It was a comforting feeling that despite being perpetually surrounded by stimulating new media, that I can still find enjoyment simply from a human being talking without any props or special effects...which leads to my next thought--If you had the opportunity to tell one story, what experience would you share?

(Photo from http://www.seomoz.org/blog/presentation-skills-for-seo)