Passion Project Update

The project has been going well so far, I'm still taping many scenes. I don't really have a set plan of exactly what things I'm taping. I like to be in the moment and tape things that reflect my everyday life. But to keep things orderly, I do have a list of topics in my life that I would like to cover in my Mini-mentry. I want to keep things 100%, no filter, but there are somethings that I'm wondering if I should cut out of not. That would be one of my first obstacles. There is a fine line and its very easy to cross, so I'm trying not to to. I'm struggling as to whether I should keep it lighthearted and fun or show a softer and more somber part of my life.

This project has many emotional aspects to it, and I didn't realize it until I began filming. And I'm not entirely sure that I would like to show all of that emotion in my life to the class. but just as there are many emotional aspects, there are many technical ones as well. As we all know, I'm terrible with the computer. The only device that I know inside and and out is and iPhone. That is why I've done most of my recording on there, but I've run into problems trying to transfer it and edit it, as some of the videos are much too long. I've also ran into issues when attempting to use some programs, I just don't get some of them! But i'm trying, so that'll be a great thing to master once this project is concluded. That brings me to another issue, using Fridays wisely. Its very hard for me to because my video taping happens outside of school and I haven't really officially started editing until I realize what I want the theme of the film to be. In all I have many obstacles, but hopefully I can overcome them to make a masterpiece.

Sneak Peak Preview:

127 Hours

Now that I have seen 127 hours, I feel that its a great film. Not only does it capitalize on human strength and resilience, but it's a heart warming story with a mostly happy ending. But first off, when I say strength I don't mean physical strength, but emotional and mental strength, the strength of the human heart and spirit. I believe that's what aided Aron along the way, and the fact that he kept thinking about the future and the ones he love made it much easier for him to push through and make it out, all on his own.

 I do believe that Aron is extremely strong in his mind because not many people could go through with such a devastating blow and continue  to fight for their lives. I don't think i would be able to do that, and like me many of us probably would searched for a quick way a out, a sharp knife, a gun of some sort to end the pain quickly. But then we'd be cowards... but is it cowardly? or is it just the norm? We might find ourselves saying that now but we never know what we would do in that situation. The tag line of the film, "There is no force more powerful than the will to live," might not apply to all of us. There are some people that would just die. Because Aron was so motivated by his family and future, it would be interesting to revise the story and make it so he has no friends, no family, no one to love, no one to lean on. Would he still have the drive and will to live? Would he still sacrifice his forearm and go through that pain if he had nothing to live for? I don't think so. But like I said I don't think the tagline applies to all, every person is different, and every person acts differently. You can predict how you would act in a situation like this, it just happens when it happens(God forbid). Aron is an extraordinary person that endured an extra ordinary feat but we must face the fact that he had all the right circumstances to rise up and survive.

Dasani and the Fam- My Take

I Think that Dasani and her family were a great story to share, a raw and telling reality of a homeless family in Brooklyn, just trying to make it out of the shelter system. With eight children it was a struggle and it it really showed with constant altercations, whether it be verbal of physical. I loved how real it seemed, until part five. 

Do I want to see Dasani and her family succeed?

Absolutely.

But is it a bit too optimistic?

I think so.

Towards the beginning, many of my questions were directed towards the lack of assistance, attention, and care Dasani's family seemed to be getting. Towards the end I started to question what they WERE getting. Many of my main inquiries include:

- Why couldn't they live with Sherry?
- Shouldn't there be volunteer positions offered for the shelter?
- Why weren't inspections made more thoroughly, and even if they were, why weren't penalties carried out for ignoring/breaking laws?

Then:

-Why did how did Dasani and her family magically acquire an apartment near Harlem?
- Why did officials oddly begin to take interest in the safety of Auburn's residents once Aisha's baby passed?
Though i'm not saying that I am not sincerely and truly happy Dasani & Co I just wish the focus from this series wasn't about only helping Dasani, but all the homeless children across the US, and the neglect and struggles they face everyday. Even though I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about how safe my home is of where my next meal is coming from, Dasani reminds my of myself in many ways. Her catty nature was much like mine when I was younger. I constantly got into spats with girls over who won the soccer game in gym or who's uniform looked the nicest. Conceited, I know. Yet I still managed to look cute and cuddly towards adults, flaunting my big brown eyes that took up to 1/3 of my face. Cute, I know. While I haven't exactly gotten in a physical altercation, I can have a sharp tongue and a pissy look in less time than I takes for me to actually realize what I'm saying. I giggled and chuckled during her little altercations while much of the class frowned of shook their heads in disbelief. But I've grown up from all that now and I hope Dasani does too, not following in get mothers angry footsteps. She always says the cutest things when she is in her right mind, not attempting to fight an overfed 7th grader. I'd tell her to keep her head up, seize all the opportunities that come her way, and to not always believe her mother , because shes not always telling the truth.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Recently, we all watched the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild. I have to say, I enjoyed the meaning of it. It was a heartwarming story about a little girl named Hush Puppy and her father Wink. They live down in Louisiana, at the end of the road, the Bathtub. The Bathtub consisted of the few that refused to relocate after disasters, evacuations, etc. At first, the movie seems so filthy and unreal. How could people live like this not just anywhere, but AMERICA. You then see their freedom and love of life though their celebrations, conversations, and- excuse my corniness- young, wild and free lifestyles. Hush Puppy's father soon falls sick during the movie, probably a result of his excessive drinking. When officials come in and move them to a shelter, the contrast if severe. somehow, it was better be dirty. It was better to be primitive, its better to be just a person. Even thought the Bathtub lifestyle was so much more different than ours today it shed light on how when you strip it all down they were actually human. They had a home that they loved and that's where they wanted to be. If it was anyone I knew, they probably would've have loved the care that Wink received. But no to the Hush Puppy and all the other, being happy was then most important thing. My favorite part of the film was when fed her father the nuggets before he died. It showed that even when he said, "No crying," and even though she was the "man", she was still vulnerable. Its funny, throughout the film I didn't really realize her age until then. Only then did I realize that she was just a little girl.I enjoyed the different layers of the film, it wasn't so one dimensional. It made me think and ask questions and wonder about whatever happened to Hush Puppy and the Bathtub and the scientists would ever remember her, even though it is obviously a fiction.

This film really does reveal a lot about humanity. It exhibits the way we fight for what we believe in, even thought its wrong. The way we strive to be free souls and unfortunately,the way we are determined to change anyone that different from us, almost punish the them. Its unbelievable how we always want to impose out beliefs, think of ourselves as the greatest, but we aren't. Our sense of pride and unity against a common enemy. But these are all emotions, our complex emotions- Hush Puppy's complex emotions are unparalleled by any other, the ability to take one emotion and turn it into another. Anger into love, sadness into resilience.

Passion Project Progress

As you know, my passion project is about Islam and the life of a Muslim. Being a Muslim, I thought that this topic would be relatively easy, but it has proven to be a challenge. Yes, I have a whole lot of information, but I'm struggling to figure out how I should present it. I think its safe to say that research is only half the battle, but the way a presentation is given can give so much more depth to a topic that is so simple. I feel that in the past, some of my presentations had droned on, and failed to keep the attention of my fellow G&Ters. I'm trying to make it a bit interactive, fun, and very much eye opening, but this project is kicking my butt (my language is family friendly). As far as progress goes, I have information on just about all the topics and issues that I wanted to cover. I have very interesting articles and quotes picked out that would surely be quite interesting. Despite the fact that my material is good, my means of presentation still worries me. I hope I have an idea before next week so I can start putting my presentation together.

Myers-Briggs Test: Did I Learn Anything?

Recently, my class and I decided to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Its just a more sophisticated personality test, well bore sophisticated than the ones at the back of Seventeen or something. The test was quite lengthy (well maybe only to me... I hate tests) but I answered all of the questions, thinking deeply and thoroughly before answering. I wanted to make sure that I got the most accurate result as possible. And I did. I ended up being classified as an ENTP.

E- Extroversion
N- Intuition
T- Thinking
P- Perception

Just in case you were wondering.

Anyways, during this process, found out that there were 16 different personality types. ENTP matched me quite well, actually it matched me perfectly. I couldn't believe some of the shocking similarities that I saw In the description after I finished the assessment. I felt as if the page was written just for me. Even though the accuracy of the description was shocking, it didn't really teach me much about myself. I already knew all of the information because I usually spend a lot of time reflecting on myself in my free time. This new knowledge did not help me all that much, because as an ENTP does best, I am very good at reading others' character, emotions, and intentions. Even though this personality test simply solidified my thoughts about myself and others, it did bring me closer to finding the answer of what it means to be human. I agree, humans are far more complex than other creatures, and at the base of that complexity are emotions. But many often forget that emotions are driven by personality. Personalities do make us unique because of the ways we display them, hide them, interpret them, and accept them. These all lead us to be different and unique, each and every one of us.

Joyas Voladoras: My Take

Recently, we read and analyzed of Brian Doyle's Joyas Voladoras. It was quite interesting. I never thought to look at the heart as not only physically complex, but also complex in purpose. Unlike the rest of my female classmates, it didn't tug on my heart strings and make me feel a certain way. I was simply interested in it because if its educational content. I loved the transitions throughout. The transition between a small infinitesimal- sorry, I love that word- creatures like humming birds to the the colossal and mysterious blue whale. Towards the end, it begins to talk about hearts less scientifically, and more emotionally. Like the ones we break, mend, draw, purify, open, and shield during our lifetimes. It made connections to what made us human, like what I spoke about in my other post. Previously, I had mentioned that DNA and a conscience are what really and truly made us human. In Joyas Voladoras, the hummingbird's heart is only spoken about scientifically, sharing facts about the hummingbirds life. The same was done with the Blue Whale, although the author suggested that this creature may be more complex than we will ever know, solely because after a little bit, they disappear from the human ken. But I noticed that when it came to talking about the human heart, it was immediately about pain, love, hurt, etc. The mood changed from a science textbook, to a diary. A diary about love and disappointment and tragedy. A diary about fixing and patching and shattering. A diary about what we want that we never get, and what we get that we never want. A diary about you.

So I have officially changed my mind. Emotion has a lot o do with what makes you, me, and everyone else human. Because as humans, we are not only complex in the brain, but complex in the heart.