Various Aspects of Life Observation - Assignment Example

Journal Entry Winters: A blessing or a curse? Out of all seasons, winter has always been my favorite. For someone who struggles to wake up every morning to get to school on time, the relief of covering creased shirts under oversized jackets is indescribable. Cold winds and light drizzles were the best excuse to catch up with friends over coffee, after midnight.  However, my perception of winter changed completely when I went to Ottawa, the capital of Canada to visit my grandparents for a few months. It was a different experience as I was thousands of miles away from home, had to make new friends and adjust in a new surroundings. In Ottawa, -35 degrees Celsius was normal and anything less than 1 cm of snow for two months at a stretch was a shocker for the people living there. Trying to adjust to the surroundings, I altered my lifestyle in a way that rather than going out, I started involving myself in household chores. I eventually became friends with a group of my neighbors, who planned indoor activities such as movie nights, karaoke and game nights every weekend. As much as it seemed like a blessing not having to dress up on dreadful winter nights, it was cold enough to make my mood swings unbearable as I missed home. Journal Entry 2: Conversations Before verbal conversations were introduced to the world, there was never a time known to mankind when people did not communicate with each other. In today’s fast moving world where people have very limited time to give to others, a good conversation is very essential. I would personally not indulge myself in a conversation which is not of any benefit to me. It is important that anything I share must remain with the person I am trusting and the listener should not be too judgmental or jump to conclusions. As essential as active listening is for me, the presence of a common interest is also necessary for two adults to have a substantial conversation. This, however, does not mean that a person begins to impose his/her views on the other because for me, it is okay if they agree to disagree. Regardless of the fact that I like the spotlight to be on me during a one on one conversation, but an equal participation makes a conversation less of a drag. In my case, I have always preferred indulging in conversations with my grandparents as it teaches me patience and gives me a chance to learn what even a hundred books would fail to convey. Journal Entry 3:The Notebook: Review Directed by Nick Cassavetes, The Notebook is an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel. It is a heart-wrenching romantic drama film with the plot revolving around romance in 1940. The film is broken into two parts, first where the couple, Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) falls in love only to be separated in the hands of fate as Allie is a rich country girl while Noah is a local boy for whom it is not just a summertime romance. The second part, characterized by Gena Rowlands and James Garner where the couple has now been back together for years, once again helpless as Allie loses herself to Alzheimer’s. The film is undoubtedly a tearjerker, especially taking into consideration Noah’s sacrifices and his undying love for Allie who he initially got separated from first by her parents and then World War II. As screenwriters, Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi have not done complete justice as the narration does get slightly corny with the clichéd romance and predictable story line, with the two narratives lacking a heart-breaking, surprise element. However, the persuasive performances of McAdams and Gosling give rise to an admirable on screen chemistry which adds to the plot of film about love and second chances. Journal Entry 4:The Vow: Review Based on a true story of Kim and Krickett Carpenter, The Vow seems more like a light hearted Valentine’s Day date movie that touches the soft corners of married as well as unmarried couples when the question arises, what would you do if your wife does not remember being married to you? Directed by Michael Sucsy, the film puts fascinating challenges in front of the four year married couple; Leo (Tatum) and Paige (McAdams) who marry against Paige’s parents’ wishes and are living a pleasant life until they meet an accident with a truck. The accident results in Paige not remembering anything about her relationship with Leo once she gains consciousness. Even though the film lacked a few possible comic scenes and could have been reasonably teary, some of the sound tracks used in the film accentuate the love between the couple and make it seem less like scripted love story. It is heart breaking how Leo has a series of hurdles ahead of him as his wife refuses to recognize him and only remembers being engaged to her ex fiancé. Tatum has done an exceptional job as he relives all the moments he had shared with Page in those few years, waiting patiently and hoping for Paige to return to him as his wife. Journal Entry 5:Kingsman: The Secret Service: Review Matthew Vaughn never fails to deliver the best. "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is a film based on a secret organization of spies working together with the sole motive of making the world a better place. Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman as screenwriters were clear enough in their idea to have the plot based along the lines of Bond series with humor as a lagniappe for the viewers. The film draws a strong sense of loyalty to family, friends and one’s profession. Not only does Hart pull Eggsy off the streets, grooming him into a fine, typical British gentleman and a Kingsman, he also instills that into Eggsy who in the end fights Hart’s battle with two other Kingsmen. Only when the constant jokes, sexual references and the lisping; multi billionaire villain who tries to eradicate the world’s population, wasn’t enough for the plot, Vaughn brings in ingenious gadgets leaving the viewers in awe. The direction, scripting and characterization have worked in sync towards the success of the film. Vaughn’s subliminal gratification of My Fair Lady, Men in Black and Trading Places could not have seemed more correct in his tribute to spy movies in the form of Kingsman. Journal Entry 6: Top Gear Host, Jeremy Clarkson Suspended The re-launch of Top Gear in 2002, with over a hundred and seventy episodes till date; made it the most widely watched show across the world. Jeremy Clarkson being the main presenter and the face of Top Gear was always seen racing cars with other mediums of transport in this British television series. It was the witty side of the presenters and Clarkson’s controversial character which made the viewers keep coming back for more. However, this did not last for long. BBC confirms that Clarkson had received many warnings in the past and was on his final warning since May for using a racist word while filming one of the episodes. The producers have had to apologize to many personalities in the past for Clarkson’s demeaning comments. This includes BBC apologizing to Mexico on behalf of Clarkson and his hosts calling Mexicans ‘lazy’ and ‘feckless’ in 2011. Clarkson has now been suspended from the show over his recent fiasco with the producer resulting in Sunday’s episode not being broadcast. The suspension of Clarkson has given a rise to mixed feelings from the audience and it makes one wonder if the show will continue to be a hit without Clarkson. Works Cited BBC. "Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear host, suspended by BBC after fracas." BBC News. 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. BBC. " Clarksons suspension follows a string of complaints." BBC News. 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. Journal Entry 7: Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks Garrett believes the only way to deal with the loss of his wife is by putting his emotions in a bottle and throwing it to the waves. He writes letters to his wife expressing his grief and the agony of being alone and lost. Each letter he wrote, addressed to Catherine was a lifetime that they shared in a few years which was for nobody else to read. Until one day, while jogging on the beach Theresa, a divorcee and a mother of an eleven year old son, trips over an old wine bottle with a note to Catherine in it. A message of love and longing which no words could describe. The emotional intensity and suspense increase as Theresa wonders how a man can love so deeply while Garrett struggles to let go of Catherine’s memories in order to let Theresa into his life. It is not long before Garrett finds out that Theresa had read all of his letters to his deceased wife. The Message in a Bottle is a hunt for the truth of a man who aches to let go of the everlasting memories of his wife and battles with the yearning of the heart to be loved again. Journal Entry 8: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini A Thousand Splendid Suns is not only a story about the ongoing war on the streets of Kabul but it is also a story of two women struggling to survive in a society where one who cannot give birth to boys, is not accepted. Mariam and Laila, two women who are born a generation apart are married to the same man whose brutality increases with every passing day. It is their helplessness in the hands of fate which brings Mariam and Laila together in a bond as strong as the one between sisters and a mother and daughter. The author creates an unforgettable portrait of the extent women can go to, to fight for and protect the ones they love. He leaves a life enhancing impact on the readers in the form of an unlikely friendship and an indestructible love between two wounded women. Unlike the conventional women, Mariam and Laila do not become victims of their short comings; instead both of them pledge to protect each other, facing every obstacle in the most heroic manner only to not let the other’s sacrifice go vain. It is an unforgettable story of the power of love and family. Journal Entry 9: Coffee in the Morning Early morning coffee shop rush is very common in the urban areas. During one of the morning routines to get coffee and breakfast, I made a very peculiar observation. The coffee shop was going through the morning rush of students and the working people who needed their daily dose of caffeine to wake up. The air smelled of baked bread and sweet eggs being made at the back of the kitchen. It was one of those bright sunny days of winter where the warmth of everything made one forget about the cold frosty days. People who were standing to get coffee were in a line and I observed that nobody tried cutting the line. It compelled me to think about human nature of conformity. Humans have a natural tendency to conform with the majority of the population and nobody would dare stand out of the crowd. I noticed that the line kept growing but nobody tried standing out of the line or make a disruption in the flow. People placed orders and got their coffee. It was like a natural instinct of them to conform with the majority without questioning it. Even in the coffee shops or any place else, people behaved accordingly to the masses and dare not stick out of the crowd. Journal Entry 10: Kanye West Kanye West is known for being blunt about his actions. Recently, Kanye ruined another speech during one of the 2015 award shows. After taking down Taylor Swift during the MTV music award, Kanye managed to pull another attention seeking stunt on Beck who won the award for Album of the year at the Grammy’s. At first, the reaction to the event was hilarious because the social image of Kanye West is known for being too blunt but at the same time foolish. He is known for pulling off events of the sort that make no sense but then the media coverage of the whole event shed light on other issues like, how Kanye always supports the African-American art more and credits that high ranking awards be given to the African-American artists. The coverage of the event was more eye opening because many news outlets labeled Kanye as “stupid” and someone who needs to learn how to respect an artist providing what ethnicity they have. The media coverage to the whole Kanye event was absurd because it gave him uncalled for spotlight which certainly is wrong, there were people who cheered him up and some who bashed him down for the act of interrupting Beck’s speech during the Grammys (CNN). Works Cited Burnett, E. "CNN,. Kanye Strikes Again ... But The World Hits Back" CNN Video-CNN. 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. Journal Entry 11: Lolita by Nabokov Lolita is a book written by Nabokov. It was first published in English and the subject of the book is really controversial. It explores the relationship between a girl and her step father who is also a pedophile. The book revolves around the accounts of the father and how his journey was like throughout with the little girl but the description is very deep and poetic. The book is a reflection of love during the European times and how the dynamics of true love do not know any boundary. It a mix of admiration of the writers writing style but also compels the reader to think about love as a mixture of desire fueled by physical intimacy. The book is one of the favorites and the literary description of the events is something that is very profound and something that the current generation of authors lack in their work. Journal Entry 12: Important Aspects of a Conversation What I like most when conversing with a person is how much are they intellectually capable of holding a conversation. If a person is willing to put his two cent of thoughts into a discussion and willing to accept the other persons view openly then that is an ideal conversation partner. Putting in a conversation ones own personal thoughts is more important than blindly agreeing to it and debating about an issue is way more fun because that way the process of learning is unlimited. General involvement in a conversation requires keeping up with whatever thoughts come to mind and having solid background knowledge about various things so that shifting from a topic is easy and fast. Intellectual based conversations are the best sort because one does not only get to put their thoughts out on the table but also gives room to improve. Read More