Item Number Description Unit Price
1 That's How You Know
$1.29
2 True Love's Kiss
$1.29
3 (Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar (feat. Felicia Day)
$0.99
4 If You're Into It
$0.99
5 As Time Goes By
$0.99
Subtotal: $5.55
Tax: $0.00
Order Total: $5.55
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
a foreigner's perspective on a film about outsiders
Spoiler alert! If you haven't watched Avatar, you may want to put off reading this.
Apologize for the delay in writing. Have actually got something both timely and interesting to write about...namely, James Cameron's Avatar.
Now, where shall I start? With the special effects? May as well, it's a point, but the least of what really got to me, so may as well get that out of the way. They were pretty, and took years, I guess, in the making. Someone said it was a combination of Fern Gully and...oh, I forget now...but I was reminded of Fern Gully. A few scenes were reminiscent of the imagery from 300. I liked that. I'm a sucker for artistic detail, even if I don't like the plot. Though in this case, I was quite carried along by the story.
Which brings me to the content. Yes, it was a little preachy. The evil Skygivers come destroy the spiritual native people who live in trees. For profit. I didn't mind that.
But the part I found most interesting was how I identified with the lead actor, Jake Sully...particularly when he became the alien. And not because of an emotional connection, but because of, how can I put this, a curious physical coincidence...
I have lately become somewhat obsessed with the relationship between our physical selves and our mental selves. That who we are, how we think, is determined by our outward appearance, our physicality....1984 said that if we can't say a word, we can't think it. That is to say, if we have no word for freedom or love, and cannot physically express it, we can't even know it.
Only by taking over a physical body resembling the "aliens," though in the final scene Jake refers to humans as "aliens," can he be a part of the native society. His physical appearance makes this possible. He looks like them. It made me think about us expats living in Korea. We can learn Korean, learn the culture, but we still won't look like Koreans.
But the thing I was referring to before...the curious physical coincidence...was something else. The movie was in English with Korean subtitles. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, when the dialogue switched to the the alien tongue, the subtitles continued only in Korean. This annoyed me, initially, or at least I thought it would annoy me. But I found it helped me relate better to Jake. I was denied what most of the audience was given, and found myself, with Jake, struggling to understand the situation. I had to rely on the body language, tonal clues given by the aliens. I could translate small bits...translating the word for "here" and thus was able to extrapolate what I felt must be something along the lines of "Why did you bring him [Jake] here?" If that wasn't the exact line, I felt it was a close enough approximation. But then I stopped trying. It didn't matter. It wasn't necessary. I knew any dialogue which Jake couldn't understand, would be explained later. It even added a bit to the suspense. It's one thing, when the aliens are discussing whether or not they are going to kill Jake-- and there's a subtitle, designed to provide the audience with maximum understanding. It's another when its translated by one of the aliens themselves. I couldn't help but be a little suspicious...like, what are they NOT saying...? There are subtleties that may be lost in translation. I knew, because Jake didn't speak the alien tongue, that nothing they said, that wasn't translated, was very important. And what little he spoke himself, considering the brief time he had with them, would be limited to casual conversation. When he addressed the aliens in his final speech, he reverted to English. Which makes sense, with another alien able to act as translator, in a very heightened, emotional moment, Jake is probably not going to try to struggle with a broken native tongue to get across something urgent and eloquent...he's going to speak English. So the important stuff, I could understand.
I also liked that the downfall of the human invaders was not the native people, but the animal inhabitants. It made me think of The Birds. It's one thing to fight an alien species, but when the entire PLANET rises against you...what do all the guns and armor of the modern world mean? Nothing.
It also amused me how the little bugs looked like those dancing dolls with the wings that spin around so that they fly in the air.
Apologize for the delay in writing. Have actually got something both timely and interesting to write about...namely, James Cameron's Avatar.
Now, where shall I start? With the special effects? May as well, it's a point, but the least of what really got to me, so may as well get that out of the way. They were pretty, and took years, I guess, in the making. Someone said it was a combination of Fern Gully and...oh, I forget now...but I was reminded of Fern Gully. A few scenes were reminiscent of the imagery from 300. I liked that. I'm a sucker for artistic detail, even if I don't like the plot. Though in this case, I was quite carried along by the story.
Which brings me to the content. Yes, it was a little preachy. The evil Skygivers come destroy the spiritual native people who live in trees. For profit. I didn't mind that.
But the part I found most interesting was how I identified with the lead actor, Jake Sully...particularly when he became the alien. And not because of an emotional connection, but because of, how can I put this, a curious physical coincidence...
I have lately become somewhat obsessed with the relationship between our physical selves and our mental selves. That who we are, how we think, is determined by our outward appearance, our physicality....1984 said that if we can't say a word, we can't think it. That is to say, if we have no word for freedom or love, and cannot physically express it, we can't even know it.
Only by taking over a physical body resembling the "aliens," though in the final scene Jake refers to humans as "aliens," can he be a part of the native society. His physical appearance makes this possible. He looks like them. It made me think about us expats living in Korea. We can learn Korean, learn the culture, but we still won't look like Koreans.
But the thing I was referring to before...the curious physical coincidence...was something else. The movie was in English with Korean subtitles. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, when the dialogue switched to the the alien tongue, the subtitles continued only in Korean. This annoyed me, initially, or at least I thought it would annoy me. But I found it helped me relate better to Jake. I was denied what most of the audience was given, and found myself, with Jake, struggling to understand the situation. I had to rely on the body language, tonal clues given by the aliens. I could translate small bits...translating the word for "here" and thus was able to extrapolate what I felt must be something along the lines of "Why did you bring him [Jake] here?" If that wasn't the exact line, I felt it was a close enough approximation. But then I stopped trying. It didn't matter. It wasn't necessary. I knew any dialogue which Jake couldn't understand, would be explained later. It even added a bit to the suspense. It's one thing, when the aliens are discussing whether or not they are going to kill Jake-- and there's a subtitle, designed to provide the audience with maximum understanding. It's another when its translated by one of the aliens themselves. I couldn't help but be a little suspicious...like, what are they NOT saying...? There are subtleties that may be lost in translation. I knew, because Jake didn't speak the alien tongue, that nothing they said, that wasn't translated, was very important. And what little he spoke himself, considering the brief time he had with them, would be limited to casual conversation. When he addressed the aliens in his final speech, he reverted to English. Which makes sense, with another alien able to act as translator, in a very heightened, emotional moment, Jake is probably not going to try to struggle with a broken native tongue to get across something urgent and eloquent...he's going to speak English. So the important stuff, I could understand.
I also liked that the downfall of the human invaders was not the native people, but the animal inhabitants. It made me think of The Birds. It's one thing to fight an alien species, but when the entire PLANET rises against you...what do all the guns and armor of the modern world mean? Nothing.
It also amused me how the little bugs looked like those dancing dolls with the wings that spin around so that they fly in the air.
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year
I promise to update regularly. Or when something of note occurs.
.....New Year's resolution, perhaps?
I start off this year with a job, my own apartment, a cat who can't stand to be apart from me, a group of friends that enjoy my company, and a boyfriend who adores me. And can cook. God, it feels good to not be alone.
I will likely never love Korea, but am told that's okay.
I need to write my book.
And, I don't care if it's cheesy, here is my list of New Year's resolutions.
1) I will work out three times a week. Minimum.
2) I will...huh. Okay, I'll think about this a bit...
Second attempt at New Year's resolutions.
1) I will work out three times a week. Minimum
2) I will eat breakfast every day, snack nutritiously, and not eat after 8pm.
I will not eat Ramen more than five times a month. I will drink three large glasses of water a day.
3) I will write thank you notes immediately after receiving presents (that day, or the next).
4) I will...
Ok, this is getting ridiculous. I am never going to do all of this.
Right. So, what I SHALL do is remember what I have learned, i.e. budgeting. I know how much money I have to spend each day, and am keeping track of money spent. This first month, I shall concentrate on body. Next, month time organization. That one may take more than two months. But at the beginning of each month, I shall make a point of taking care of one more point of my well-being.
This month, personal health. I shall do the following THREE items to add to my list of Good Habits.
1) Work out three times a week. Minimum.
2) Drink three glasses of water a day. Minimum.
3) Eat breakfast, but not eat after 8pm.
My Good Habits are:
1) Daily budgeting.
2) Tracking expenses.
3) Taking care of dependents (i.e. my cat)
3) Calling home.
Hmmm. I can't think of others right now. I'm sure more will come to me.
Also, my New Year's RESOLUTION (singular) is to send out thank you cards no more than one day after receiving the present. Either that day, or if its too late, the next day.
.....New Year's resolution, perhaps?
I start off this year with a job, my own apartment, a cat who can't stand to be apart from me, a group of friends that enjoy my company, and a boyfriend who adores me. And can cook. God, it feels good to not be alone.
I will likely never love Korea, but am told that's okay.
I need to write my book.
And, I don't care if it's cheesy, here is my list of New Year's resolutions.
1) I will work out three times a week. Minimum.
2) I will...huh. Okay, I'll think about this a bit...
Second attempt at New Year's resolutions.
1) I will work out three times a week. Minimum
2) I will eat breakfast every day, snack nutritiously, and not eat after 8pm.
I will not eat Ramen more than five times a month. I will drink three large glasses of water a day.
3) I will write thank you notes immediately after receiving presents (that day, or the next).
4) I will...
Ok, this is getting ridiculous. I am never going to do all of this.
Right. So, what I SHALL do is remember what I have learned, i.e. budgeting. I know how much money I have to spend each day, and am keeping track of money spent. This first month, I shall concentrate on body. Next, month time organization. That one may take more than two months. But at the beginning of each month, I shall make a point of taking care of one more point of my well-being.
This month, personal health. I shall do the following THREE items to add to my list of Good Habits.
1) Work out three times a week. Minimum.
2) Drink three glasses of water a day. Minimum.
3) Eat breakfast, but not eat after 8pm.
My Good Habits are:
1) Daily budgeting.
2) Tracking expenses.
3) Taking care of dependents (i.e. my cat)
3) Calling home.
Hmmm. I can't think of others right now. I'm sure more will come to me.
Also, my New Year's RESOLUTION (singular) is to send out thank you cards no more than one day after receiving the present. Either that day, or if its too late, the next day.
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