The Lost Generation

The world is constantly changing: sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Daily we experience heightened levels of threat and security worldwide. However, domestically changes are rocking life for people no matter their social class or level. I know that when I was younger I lived in a naive world where I had everything planned down to the second. I was going to graduate high school, go to college and graduate with a bachelor's degree from a highly credited university, and then I was going to get a job. BING, BANG, BOOM, I had everything for a comfortable life planned. If I went from A to B and B to C, everything would be perfect. I thought that after getting a job everything else would just follow as it presented itself. I would get married one day, maybe pop out a kid or two, and then travel the world seeing everything that had been purely mystery and fairytale from my childhood.

Things, however, do not always go as planned. I graduated high school after overcoming trials and obstacles that few live through, went to a top university and graduated with a bachelor's degree. And then everything fell to pieces. The last part of my life plan gave me nothing but empty hands and confusion. I went to a few interviews, even worked for free temporarily, but I could not figure out what I wanted to do. I had this degree, but wanted to do nothing in the field that I had studied for four years. So what happened next? Well I moved back in with the parents, began writing this blog and for a local entertainment blog, and tried to sort through my muddled thoughts in order to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Time passed. I quit writing for the entertainment blog because it was leading me nowhere and paid me nothing. As all things crumbled around me, leaving me twiddling my thumbs, jobless, and lost, I began to think and wonder why no one had ever prepared me for this part of life's journey. It seemed as though people had omitted this part of the tale whenever they explained how life passes by. I never remembered hearing about how a person could not decide what they wanted to do, or where they wanted to go.

As I sat pondering these befuddling thoughts in a coffee house with a venti soy chai in my hand, I decided that I would not become a person who failed and made nothing out of their lives because of their fear of failure or rejection. I would research what I loved to do, find jobs that utilized my hidden talents, and then blaze my own trail into the world of dreams that had only been whispered about during my childhood years.

Now you may be wondering why I am writing all of this on my blog, posted on the internet for all to see. The answer is simple. I think that I am not the only one out there who is currently unemployed with no idea where and what they want to do. Because of different Facebook posts and status updates I have seen, there are a lot of us in the exact same situation. I just want all of you out there who are having difficulties getting a job or deciding where to go next in life to know that you are not alone. Many of us are experiencing the exact same things, and we can get through it. There is an end to the tunnel we are currently in, and as long as you listen to your gut and make the decisions that your heart tells you to, the happy ending will be found.

Zero Dark Thirty gives a different look into what we think we know

I have been trying to up my game on current movie knowledge ever since I saw the Golden Globes on Saturday. I thought that I had seen many of the notable movies like The Hobbit, Lincoln, and Skyfall, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Movies like Les Meserables and Django Unchained ran away with truck loads of awards, and while I may not be able to see every award winning movie every year, I will try to give as good advice about the noteworthy movies that I do see.

For that reason it might surprise you how short this particular entry and promotion is, but let that just be a testament to how perfectly produced this movie was. Zero Dark Thirty chronicles the ten year hunt for Osama Bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks America faced. Ending with the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 and the main character Maya, played exquisitely by Jessica Chastain, finding and killing Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty takes the audience through an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. I cannot adequately express the emotions that I felt through the movie because, quite frankly, the words just won't come to me. What I can say is that I felt tears at one moment, patriotism the next, and then, ironically, shame at being an American. Because of this, what I must say is that if you are not ready for an intense movie that calls into question some of America's actions during the past decade, do not go see this movie. If on the other hand you are comfortable with events that occurred during the War on Terror, go see Zero Dark Thirty and be prepared for a whirl wind experience. The acting, directing, and producing is superb and will hopefully win many more awards.

On a connected tangent, I want to make it clear that I am very glad and supporting of our military and government. While I can find things to nit pick at and complain about, I would not have the ability to do what they do and make the decisions they make. Because of their decisions and strong wills, I live in a safer country. So thank you to all the military personnel and government heads for watching out for the little people and making sure that our day to day lives are as protected as possible.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure

Okay so I have long been a Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth fan and aficionado. I saw all three LOTR movies in the theaters and extended versions, got the posters, and learned the lines so that I could begin the quoting, but lately I have been slacking on the job and people have noticed. When the critically acclaimed movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure opened up and debuted, I was not there. I was halfway across the world living my own unexpected journey in Australia. Yet, when I returned to the states, weeks passed and I still had not viewed the movie that I claimed to love and adore. People were astounded and aghast. Well things have changed. I was finally able to watch the whirlwind  adventure of Bilbo Baggins through Middle Earth and I was amazed. The framework of the plot, jaw dropping special effects, and magnificent soundtrack work together in order to transport the audience into a different time and place. You go from sitting in your neighborhood movie theater to walking down the roads of Hobbiton towards Bag End, and in the blink of an eye the viewers are taken on an adventure in search of mystical treasure by the notes of a seemingly simple song and soon enough find themselves transported into a sector of life never before seen.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure is directed by Peter Jackson, the same man who directed The Lord of the Rings Series. Because of this, the feeling of The Hobbit mirrors the same aura of The Lord of the Rings movies many ways. The use of the same actors as well as the same locations helps to integrate the audience into the plot from the very beginning. The plot works as a series of flashbacks that Bilbo Baggins experiences while Frodo is getting ready to set of on his expedition to destroy the one ring. For this reason Bilbo's memories of his first journey provide background and explain how the whole book series began. This works to answer some questions and fill in some blanks that some viewers may have had while watching The Lord of the Rings movies. There are some locations that are recognizable from The Fellowship especially. It shows how epic the series truly is in retrospect.


Within The Hobbit there are also some amazing special effects at use. It is astonishing to see how much has developed in just the past five years. The Weta Workshop has produced some of the most phenomenal changes in characters like the orcs and the landscape of Middle Earth. For example, the changes that they made to Gollum were totally jaw dropping. The extra muscles visible in just his facial features that made Gollum's emotions much more evident and tangible than they were in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It brought the audience in a step closer to the interactions between the characters. Additionally, the extra features Weta was able to include in the landscape features brought another level of reality to the tale. While the story of Bilbo builds and his group of friends make their journey, the audience gets to see the amazing surroundings of Middle Earth. From the ethereal mountains standing guard around Rivendell to the bountiful forests Radagast the Brown protects from evil, the audience is taken through each part of Middle Earth and shown every detail with such precision. This is an element that many movies lack these days, but in The Hobbit you are shown what you cannot anywhere else.

Finally, what makes the movie is its soundtrack. The music playing in the background holds all the emotion and carries the viewers throughout the movie on a cascade of notes and rhythms. This is especially true in The Hobbit. The soundtrack composed by Howard Shore, the same musician who composed The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, brings an extra dimension into the movie. The music included in this Tolkien tale is not only instrumental. There are songs sung by the group of Dwarfs who travel with Bilbo on his unexpected journey. These songs transport the viewers to a time of old, a simpler time. In fact, when Howard Shore was asked about The Hobbit soundtrack said, "Everything I knew about composing, orchestrating, conducting-- everything I had learned about music was in it." Because of this, the music is correlates perfectly with the action of the film and story.

In the end, it matters not what the critics or reviewers say. The Hobbit works as it was meant. It is a story explaining the history of a character risking everything in order to make a real life for himself. Bilbo goes on an unexpected journey, just as every human does. Life is itself an unexpected journey. Each day you wake up you do not know exactly what will happen. You may have things planned for the day, but unexpected opportunities may pop up an change your life completely. I think that is exactly what Tolkien wanted everyone to realize as he wrote this classic literary masterpiece. Life may be filled with good and evil forces, but an individual's decisions and choices determine where their life ultimately goes. 

A New Year: Oh the Places You'll Go

The time has come again, the time in which we celebrate the coming and going of another year. People around the world remember what has passed within the last 365 days, while others may think about the possible events that have yet to come. For this reason, infinite possibilities are present for each person. Possibilities in an individual's academic career or possibilities in a person's professional career may come into the picture. Another person may be confronted with developments in their personal relationships and friendships. There will be loss and there will be gains, but what will never change is the power that an individual has to make the changes that present themselves prosperous in the end.

This concept was honored and depicted today during the 124th Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. This year the theme of the parade was "Oh the Places You'll Go", based on the best selling children's book written by Dr. Seuss. Oh the Places You'll Go follows a young boy, referred to as "you", who leaves his hometown to set out on a journey that represents life. Throughout this journey the main character experiences ups and downs, visits places that differ in many ways, and spends time in places like the Waiting Place, an area that represents the periods of inaction that people often experience during life. This book, however, often acts as an inspirational tale for people entering new periods of their life. With quotes like, "Will you succeed? Yes, you will indeed. (98¾% guaranteed.)" and "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...", Oh the Places You'll Go acted as the perfect theme for the Rose Parade this year.

Dozens of imaginative and astonishing floats made their debut this morning as the parade made its way down the streets of Pasadena. Ever since the Rose parade was first held in 1890, every float that is entered is covered with organic material, including thousands of roses. The first float shown today was the Honda float, which included a long metal slide surrounded by roses. The 2012 Olympic US female  gymnastics team rode aboard this float, sliding down the slide, and waved to fans as they passed by. The gold medal female gymnastics team also lent a hand in decorating part of the Honda float. This fun float was a great way to open the parade.

The second float to make an appearance was the Dole float. This float won the Sweepstakes award. Spanning the moving spectacle were several realistic tropical birds with rotating heads and working beaks, as well as wild cats and plant life. On the rear of the float, a twenty-six foot high working volcano released fire into the air. Several working water fountains were also placed intermittently throughout the float adding moving water to the jaw dropping sight.

The next float to make its way down the parade route was entitled Dino-Soar. This float won the award for Best Animation. Cute dinosaurs, akin to those seen on movies like Land Before Time, were set down the float with working heads and necks.

One of the most on point floats of the whole parade was the Kaiser Healthcare and Insurance float. This float was entitled "Oh the Healthy Things You Can Do". Featured on this float were eight patients that had been treated via the insurance company. The patients were surrounded in a Dr. Seuss world. The Cat in the Hat sat in the middle, reading a book to Sally and her brother, while Thing 1 and Thing 2 sat on the side of the float, smiling for all the spectators. This float ended up winning the Theme Award.

Next up, the Nurse's Float featured a doe and baby deer in the center surrounded by an owl, butterflies, rabbits, and other woodland creatures seated upon rocks and trees in the center of a forest. This communicated the feeling of nurturing and care that the nurses bring to their patients everyday. The float also won the Craftsman Award for the details included upon the float.

The winner of the Governor's award made its appearance next. The City of Glendale float showcased different aspects and characteristics of the city. Among these images a picture of the hospital and an large trolley care took center stage. The trolley car rode upon a strip of movie film highlighting the impact that the entertainment industry has had upon the town. Skilled decorators of the Glendale float were able to showcase the characteristics of Glendale that separate it from the rest of California.

From there, the Downey Rose Float Association float, called "Dew Drop By", made its way down the street. Upon this float a fairytale setting was featured within a magical English garden. Fairies tended to the tropical flowers and watched the butterflies which set upon different plants throughout the garden. There were also two houses made from different forest materials, including tree trucks and leaves. This magical land transported the viewing audience back in time to simpler days.

Another showcased float was the China Airlines float. As the winner of the International award, this float centered around a Chinese pagoda containing flowers, while being surrounded by palm trees and feathers. This float also promoted the activity of bike riding by featuring bike riders who followed the float down the route. This promoted a green way of transportation that is very popular within China.

A float that touched my heart was the Donate Life float. Also called the Float of Tears, the Donate Life float celebrates the gift of organ donation with pictures or people that have donated their organs within the past year. Because of this, tears of grief and joy are associated with this float. Surviving family members had the opportunity to take part of the Rose Parade by helping decorate the float and/or riding the float with pictures of their family members. Hearts made of flowers covered the float representing the love and impact that the organ donors had upon the world.

The City of LA was also represented during the Rose Parade upon a float of its own. The theme of the City of LA float was making connections, getting it the Mayor's award. The float was comprised of images of the international terminal of the LAX airport, a plane hovering above the float as if taking off, and a restaurant with an observation deck at the top. This ties together the idea of nations coming together as one.

The next float took the viewers into a world of talking cars. On the Disneyland Resort float, the movie Cars was opened up for the viewers. Characters of the movie, like Mater, Lightning McQueen, and Sally made special appearances bringing smiles to viewers young and old. Local hotspots of the movie, like Cozy Cone Inn and The V8 Cafe, caught the eyes of people everywhere. The scenery of Radiator Springs also brought in forty-five points of animation to the float for the nation to see.

From Radiator Springs the parade continued on to the Miracle-Gro float. This was the first float that Miracle-Gro ever entered into the Rose Parade. It featured different flowers, trees, and plant life that the Miracle-Gro formula can help grow. The main idea of the float was the idea that everyone grows throughout life, a main theme of Oh the Places You'll Go.

The HGTV float made rolled across the screen next. As winner of the Grand Marshall's Award for excellence in creative design and concept, the HGTV float highlighted the idea of a dream home. Comprised of an igloo, birdhouse, modern home, log cabin, castle, and pueblo house, the HGTV float showed that the idea of a dream home can be a reality for any person.

Another touching moment came when Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods float came down the road. The theme of this float was Canines with Courage, or Dogs for Defense. This honored the dogs that go overseas with the US military. At this point of the parade, a US soldier from Afghanistan was reunited with his wife and son. This was filled with smiles, tears, and a standing ovation.

Next, a float from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economies, Republic of Indonesia, highlighted the importance of tradition and history. On this float three women in traditional Indonesian dress and colors were focused upon. This float also received the President's Award for most effective use of floral decoration and detail.

The Farmer's Insurance float made the next big bang by rolling through with a bride and groom on top of their float. On top of a huge Faberge egg, a bride and groom were in the middle of their wedding. Their vows were broadcast on air as well as their first married kiss.

Following this love float the Department of Defense presented their float honoring war veterans. The float honored the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration. The Korean War Veterans Memorial was recreated upon the float. This highlighted the fact that freedom is not free. Members of the audience in California stood to honor the veterans and fallen soldiers. The Korean War was the first time that the military saw all creeds, colors, and nationalities of the US serving as one. It was also called the Forgotten War, but was remembered with a fly that honored all.

Finally, the last float of the 2013 Rose Parade was the Western Asset float. This float featured different notable locations worldwide. The features highlighted by the float included the London Bridge, the world's tallest building in Dubai, the Statue of Liberty, the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, and the Rose Bowl Stadium of California.

In the end, the 124th Rose Parade showed that a person's life can take them anywhere around the world. As Dr. Seuss would say, "You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left." 

Christmas time is here...

That time of year has rolled around again. Christmas time is a holiday that I always look forward to. Family is in town, the house is full of decorations and presents, and young kids are running around the house in excitement and anticipation of presents. Yet Christmas symbolizes something greater, something more important than the superficial details that people focus on.

This all comes to me as I sit in the living room listening and watching my mother, sister, and aunt prepare Christmas Eve dinner. For Christmas of 2012, my aunt and uncle, mother and father, sister and her boyfriend, as well as my sister's boyfriend's parents gather together to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. We also gather in order to remember the importance of our family bond and relationship, always being there for one another, through thick and thin. As the smell of fajitas wafts into the living room, I see that if I did not have my family with me, I would have no one to celebrate this amazing holiday with. My family is without a doubt the most important group of people within my life. They have never turned their backs on me or laughed in my face. They are always there and will continue to be there for me.

As I sit in my living room, becoming aware of all the happiness that surrounds me, I slowly start to realize how truly gifted I am. It matters not whether I get the exact present I want or if I am put on the naughty or nice list, but rather that I have the opportunity to spend an extended period of time with my family, the people that truly love me with all of their hearts. This winter holiday encompasses what life is about and what everyone should focus on daily: family, love, trust, and unity. 

As the night continues, there will, without a doubt, be laughter, memories, and presents to be opened, but there will also be a deeper level happening at the same time. After the dinner, drinks, and guacamole, I believe that my family, as well as every family gathering together tonight, will grow closer. We will tighten our bond and become a stronger family that will not be broken by any force. For that reason I say to everyone tonight, value your family and enjoy every second you get to spend with them. Merry Christmas and I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Australian Experience-Number Two

Every time a person visits a new place in the world, lasting experiences are made. Personally, I have had the pleasure of visiting the wonderful world of Sydney, Australia twice now and have come away, especially from the second excursion, a new person. Flying half way across the world, immersing myself in the Australian culture, and exploring the area like a Sydney local has made me a stronger and more independent adult at heart.

When I arrived in Sydney, I expected my stay in "The Land Down Under" to mimic my first in many ways. I thought that I would be able to enjoy the luxury of sleeping in, touring the city, and having a few memorable moments. Oh how naive was I. The first weekend of my stay I had the amazing opportunity of visiting New Zealand and connecting with the world of one of my all time favorite books, The Lord of the Rings. The memories I made during this short four day adventure in NZ will never be erased. Times that I have described in my previous blog post, like holding the sword of Aragorn and climbing the hill of Edoras, impacted my life by bringing a fantasy life that I had only read about to reality.

As I landed back down in reality by returning to Sydney, I learned how it was to become a true adult. Small things, like buying my own train ticket and sticking to a set schedule, presented themselves to me during the past three weeks, and I am glad to say that I truly met and conquered every challenge of the past three weeks. I was able to come home everyday and be proud of my performance during the day. It was inspiring.

The environment that I had the pleasure of living in for the past three weeks, as well as during my last stay in Sydney, impacted and changed my perception of the world as a whole. Kirribilli is a suburb of New South Wales, a southern state of Australia. Kirribilli offers a picturesque view of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Bridge, a steel through arch bridge that offers transport for cars, buses, pedestrians, and trains. During my three week stay, I had the pleasure of walking across the Sydney Bridge numerous times for my morning exercise routine. The Sydney Bridge also offers bridge climbs the take tourists up to the top of the bridge for a panoramic view of the city. All in all, Kirribilli is a clam, quaint neighborhood perfect for small families, college graduates, and people trying to make a new life for themselves. It is close enough to the downtown area of Sydney that within two train stops anyone can find themselves surrounded by the metropolitan aura that Sydney has to offer.

Now that I get ready to return home to the States, I get a few days off to live the tourist life. Tonight I will experience an Australian basketball game, and tomorrow I will have the pleasure of eating an Australian brunch and visiting an Australian golf club. Hopefully, more memories will be made over the next two days and I will return to the States a wiser and more mature adult. We can only keep our fingers crossed.

New Zealand, New Experiences

There are moments in every person's life that are so life altering that every tiny detail is remembered with perfect clarity. These moments can totally change a person for the better or for the worst, depending upon the situation. Personally, I have experienced moments such as these that have impacted my life for the good and the bad. However, recently I have had the privilege of reliving memories that made me into the person that I am today.

I remember, with perfect clarity, the first time that I was introduced to the mythological world of The Lord of the Rings. It was not a world that I was familiar with from young age. I first had contact with this amazing story when I was in the sixth grade. My sister had seen and purchased the Extended Version of The Fellowship of the Ring and showed it to me late one night. We had turned off all the lights in our living room and turned on the surround sound so as to experience the movie holistically. I then plunged into a world of Elves, Men, Dwarves, Hobbits, Wizards, Orcs, and other fell beasts whose sole purpose was to destroy the world of Men. I became infatuated with the main characters and the plot line of the story. I was able to relate to the story on a personal level, which only heightened my fan level. I remember wishing on that first night of viewing that I could just escape to the lands of Middle Earth to live the story of Lord of the Rings.

However, that seemed an impossible dream. I knew that Lord of the Rings and Middle Earth were just a movie and a book, not a real place. However, to completely doubt that I could ever see the places where the sets and crew were assembled was shortsighted of me. After a decade of reading the trilogy, watching the movies, and taking classes about Tolkien and his literary masterpieces, I have been able to make the journey to Middle Earth and back.

Last week, my sister and I took a jet plane ride over to New Zealand in order to tour this literary world. We landed in Christchurch, NZ and began to orient ourselves with the surrounding area. Christchurch has recently experienced severe earthquake activity, so the community is in a state of rebuilding. It was a very humbling sight to behold. My sister and I eventually found a local pizza restaurant for dinner. It was in a rebuilt place of town, but later we discovered that the pizza place, as well as a few other reopened businesses, lay within a two-block square that the city put aside for the new rugby stadium. For this reason the businesses are having to negotiate with the city government to see if they can remain open and be incorporated into the rugby stadium.

The next day was when the journey really began. My sister and I woke early in the morning and got ready for the tour of a lifetime. We donned our jeans, sweaters, and hiking boots and set off to find the elusive realm of Rohan. Hassle-Free Tours, the tour bus that was making this endeavor possible picked us up at 9:00 am and then drove us and the three other members of our tour towards the Southern Alps. We stopped at a local coffee shop and were provided a traditional morning tea to tide us over and provide us with ample energy. From there we headed off road and into the mountains.

In the mountains we were able to take multitudes of picturesque photos of the mountain scenery. The emerald green terrain was dotted with silver rivers running into the valleys of rock. The lakes became perfect mirrors of the mountains doubling the count. The tour was like walking in a dream world. Our tour guide was also full of information, able to tell the group about anything we asked. Finally, as we rounded a crest in the hill, the rock that functioned as Edoras in The Two Towers and The Return of the King grew from the horizon. We closed the distance to the stone hill that was the capitol of Edoras. When we reached the base of the hill, our group began the hike toward the summit. It was a steep climb, but as I walked up the incline I thought about the many famous actors, actresses, directors, producers, and countless other cinema celebrities that had set foot on the exact same group that I then was walking on. 

When we reached the top, our tour guide pointed out specific points where famous scenes had been filmed and different locales of the movie plot. Our guide then described how the set of Edoras was built, how long it took to construct and deconstruct, as well as how long the scenes took to film. The Edoras set took 8 months to construct, 8 days to film, and then was deconstructed in a matter of seconds. The set of Helms Deep was the constructed just across the valley from the Edoras hill. It was all very breathtaking to behold. With mountains surrounding our tour group on all four sides, it felt like I had finally stepped into a literary setting for a short time. My favorite part of the whole trip by far was when our group was descending the hill going back to the 4WD SUV. About half way down the hill, our tour guide stopped my sister and me and asked us in hushed tones, "Do you hear that?" My sister and I stopped speaking and listened carefully to the noise around us. We heard nothing, nothing but the wind and the water making its way down the river. After a few seconds, I said, "I hear nothing. What am I suppose to be listening for?" The tour guide gave us a small smile and said, "Exactly. Nothing. This is the quietest, calmest place I have ever been." I smiled. 

When we made back to the SUV, we had afternoon champagne and lunch. From there, our tour guide drove our group back to our lodgings in the city and said farewell. On the drive back, however, I kept smiling, not because there was anything particularly funny or intriguing, but because of that moment my sister and I got to experience on the hill. Rarely do people get the chance to stop and take a deep breath, but during that moment on the hill, that is exactly what I got to do. In the moment of pure silence, I was able to take a breath look around at all the amazing scenery that surrounded me and be happy that in that moment I was there and alive to experience things as they once were.