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It Happened One Night: The original romcom

Rebecca Yang
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Our generation and those before us—more or less the majority of females— have exulted in a repertoire of romantic comedies, otherwise known as “rom-coms.” We have all seen hits in this genre, like Pretty Woman and of course, the multitude of the classic tale of best friends falling in love, such as When Harry Met Sally. Throughout our day, we have seen countless, perhaps too many, editions of Nicholas Sparks and a plethora of these types of archetypes in the rom-com category. Yet, we do not cease to continuously expose our eyes to ardent scenes in the rain between two lovers or the always-expected moment of reunion after a heart-wrenching breakup. But when and what has caused this obsession with rom-coms. Which film has curated this history of infatuation for this genre?

it-happened-one-night

It Happened One Night (1934). Indeed, my revelation of the source of our admiration for rom-coms did happen one night as I watched this glorious film. Starring Gone with the Wind’s Clark Gable and the ever-so charismatic Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night brought to the world the chain of delight for romantic comedies. Although Hollywood manufactured several romantic comedies before this Oscar dazzler, It Happened One Night was a hit that took people by storm. The story of a runaway heiress, who falls in love with a rebellious reporter became the first film to grab five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. Despite initial tension surrounding the film —Gable was reportedly put on suspension by MGM, causing him to act in this movie (produced by Columbia Pictures), Colbert publicized her distaste for the storyline, and the director, Frank Capra expressed his concern that the film was not doing well in the box office—It Happened One Night arose the doubt of many to be one of Columbia’s greatest hits.

“Don’t follow trends, start them!”-Frank Capra

Capra brought to the audience of the struggling 1930’s, a love story that is composed of delightful comedic stunts, some sexual innuendos as well as the lovey-dovey moments that we all dream about. A part from the plot (find the plot summary here), the chemistry between Gable and Colbert is undeniably what makes this film. As I watched Ellie (Colbert) fall asleep on Peter’s (Gable) shoulder and their lingering stares onwards, I realized that this must have been the original story that sparked generations of fascination with rom-coms. Of course, there were other revolutionary moments in the film that made me have this sudden epiphany. Some of these scenes may seem overdone or perhaps, even to the border of crossing being cliche. However, one must think about the generation in which this movie was introduced to. A generation fleeted by struggles, yet, presented a light-hearted film of just the right balance of romance and comedy. Generations have fallen in love with this film and will continue to laugh and fall in love with It Happened One Night.

 

Favourite quotes: Motivation

Ailin Li
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Exam season is here, and most people are becoming infected with a flu that no vaccination will prevent. Feelings of hopelessness or becoming tired of studying are the usual symptoms for the exam season blues. We’ve all been there at some point, and it’s not fun. (That’s probably why you’re reading this instead of studying, no?) Well, cheer up, buttercup. Today I have some of my favourite quotes that get me through the bumps and rough patches when I’m feeling extremely unproductive.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

“If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way to not win.” – Lewis Carol

“I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.” – Ken Venturi

“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine

“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” – Victor Kiam

“Either you run the day or the day runs you.” – Jim Rohn

“Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.” – Lucy M. Montgomery

“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Christopher Columbus

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“You can’t fall if you don’t climb.  But there’s no joy in living your whole life on the ground.” – Unknown

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” – Tony Robbins

“Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing.  That’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar

Life can be hard sometimes, but life wouldn’t be interesting if it was always easy. The most important lesson is to keep going, and that applies to anything in life. Although it may not seem like it some days, the world goes on, and you’ll want to be there for it.

Three things to expect in technology in 2014

Dani Kilani
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Following the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), we can already see what technology is coming in 2014.

 

4k Resolution Televisions

For those that do not know what 4k is: it is a higher quality television set. It has more pixels than ever before. This is expected to be seen in 2014 based on the estimation that TV shows will be available soon in 4k.

Project Christine

An Idea by Razer, this will enable us to quickly add and remove parts to a computer with cooling for all parts through water cooling. This system is a much more efficient way to build a computer, which will definitely be popular if it is priced properly.

Asus PadFone

I believe that there is not a better way to represent this tablet/phone other than with a video representing it, as there is not a lot of info about it.

 

Suiting Up for Final Exams

Mavis Li
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from [http://strongyuri.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/1280-facebook-graph-study-group.jpg]
For many of us, it’s the time of year for final exams. Are you ready? Because of the magnitude of stress that coincides with the exam break, here are some tips to get you in shape for acing those tests!

  1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. For those of us who are shy or relatively bad with raising our hands to ask questions in class, don’t be scared to ask your teachers or peers for help. Go in to see your teachers during tutorials or review classes; these can be very helpful! Don’t be embarrassed to request assistance with content you don’t understand, no matter how easy it is. You can even try asking your teacher what material is best to study for the exam. Who knows, they might even drop you some hints and tips. No one will look down on you for being an inquirer.
  2. Make a study schedule. We all know what a chore it is to be disorganized. So, for studying and keeping up with a healthy lifestyle, make a study schedule that you can commit to. Divide your subjects into portions, and review some material each day. Even if some topics are extremely easy, never leave it out of your schedule, or you may surprise yourself by forgetting it. Create a schedule that works for you. Order and organization are essential for success.
  3. Do questions. In order to get better at subjects, it’s in your best interest to do practice questions. Especially in math, there is no better way to become familiar with your topic than doing questions. This could be making your own questions and answering them, or finding review questions online or in your textbooks. Think: practice makes perfect.
  4. Have a study session. To make studying more enjoyable, set up a get-together with your friends with the same subjects. This is a great way to help each other with questions and confusing content. Choose people that you know you will be able to work well with and concentrate with. There will be a time for chatty friends after the exam.
  5. Dress in layers for the exam. From my own experience, exam rooms have a tendency to have low temperatures: it’s cold. Dressing warmly in layers is a great way to stay comfortable for the exam. This way, you can remove and add layers as you like. You don’t want your focus to be distracted by freezing fingers rather than concentrated on calculus.

With this, I leave you to diving into your books and notes. Do not overexert yourselves, and remember that your body is more important than your grades. Get on your thinking caps and I wish you all good luck on finals.

Some more test tips here:

https://www.youthareawesome.com/how-to-prepare-your-body-for-exams/

https://www.youthareawesome.com/studying-mistakes-you-didnt-know-you-were-making/

Foods you need to spice up

S
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MEAT

I sure hope I’m not the only that adds hot sauce to all of my foods. Bland food has no taste or flavour to me. I did some research, and tried this out myself, but meat tastes much better with hot sauce. The meat could be any kind, ranging from hot to cold. The hot sauce actually gives the meat more moisture. You have to trust me, a few drops of this hot sauce make all the difference.

EGGS

I’m sure many of you are tired of plain old eggs all the time. See it doesn’t matter what company you get your eggs from they all taste the same. Topping of eggs with some hot sauce actually adds so much flavour, and may also add some texture. Depending on your hot sauce, the acids such as lemon juice, etc., that may be added to it release a lot of the eggs’ flavour. That is why many breakfast restaurants ask if you would like hot sauce on your eggs. If you like your eggs scrambled, this is the perfect combination you could ever do.

SALAD

You may think that this is weird, but trust me, many people I know do it all the time. I know there are specific salad dressings, but what are you supposed to do when you’re all out of it? Well, you pop out a bottle of hot sauce! Especially if you have chicken or other protein, you will not regret it. There are hot dressings made for salads, and I usually pick those up because they are delicious. You can also use that salad dressing on so many other foods, like chicken alone, or maybe even in a sandwich depending on the viscosity.

I hope you all learn to appreciate spices as much as I do. Also I hope you try these dishes out with hot sauce and see how you like it. Remember, everyone is different but these are just some suggestions that add a little spice to your life.

An analysis of the top 5 songs on iTunes

Talia Santarossa
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I never really listen to anything in the top 100 range, so I thought I’d take an adventure through the most popular downloads right now. Hopefully I’ll make it out alive…

5. The Monster (feat. Rihanna) – Eminem

Hmm. I’m not huge on the tune itself, but upon analyzing the lyrics, I found a message that was, well, kinda poetic in its own right. Rap is probably my most hated genre, but for a mostly rap song, I could see somewhat of a message in what was being, uh, said? Not really my speed, but overall, I have definitely heard much, much worse. 5/10

4. Let Her Go – Passenger

I actually really like this one. I really like ballads and this one is quite pretty. Having never heard it, I was surprised that it was this popular. Normally when I go looking to see what’s popular, I’m disappointed, but I see a glimmer of hope for the future of music in this song. I might actually download this. 8/10

3. Counting Stars – OneRepublic

Having listened to some of OneRebublic’s material before, I had pretty high expectations of this song. I must say, I’ve heard much better from them before. This isn’t too bad though. I think the music itself is to upbeat for the message, but overall, fair enough. 6/10

2. Say Something – A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera

Umm, wow. This is just gorgeous. I swear, it’s perfect for a slow dance. I am not questioning the talent and credentials of those who made this song. It’s slow, heartfelt and just serene. Again, I am legitimately impressed. 8.5/10

1. Timber (feat. Ke$ha) – Pitbull

Songs like this are one of the main reasons I am adamant that I have lost faith in humanity. This is meaningless garbage. Of all the songs I listened to while writing this, this is the only song I had heard previously and was actually my reason for this post in the first place. I wanted to see if the other most popular songs were just as awful and I can confidently say that no, the rest were tons better. How Pitbull makes a living off junk like this, I don’t even want to fathom. 1/10 (Just because it’s mean to give zeros)

So overall, I was actually mildly impressed with what is apparently “popular” these days. There has certainly been much worse music that has taken over the charts. Maybe this is a step in the right direction except for that abomination of a Number #1 hit. Probably not, but there’s no shame in hoping so.

Golden Globes 2014 fashion hits and misses

Kristin
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Now I have to admit, I didn’t actually watch the Golden Globes. I’m not a huge TV and movie person, so I wouldn’t have really known what people were getting their awards for anyways. That being said, I was however very keen to see what all of the celebrities, particularly the ladies, decided to wear on the red carpet. I always love seeing all of the beautiful outfits that people choose, as well as the…well the downright weird and unflattering get-ups that some people decide to sport as well.

From the red carpet looks I’ve picked my top three hit’s and misses from this year’s Golden Globe awards. Without further ado, my picks!

Hits 

1. Mila Kunis. I LOVE this Gucci dress. It has just the right amount of detail and sparkle on the top and the grey tones compliment her hair and makeup so well. She looked sophisticated yet elegant.

2. Michelle Dockery. This Oscar de la Renta gown is so feminine and flattering. I love the lace-looking detail with the bit of sparkle added with the gold sequins throughout the dress. The dress along with the hair, makeup and shoes made her look amazing.

3. Tina Fey. Burgundy is one of my favorite colors, so naturally this dress would be included in my hits list. The details on the dress are not overwhelming, rather, they add just the right amount of detail to the dress. She really did look stunning.

Tina fey

Misses

1. Sandra Bullock. I think that this Prabal Gurung colour block dress would have looked a lot better had they chosen colors other than baby pink and baby blue for the color blocking. I think the combination of those two colors just look a bit childish on her. This dress had some potential, but as is it didn’t work for me.

2. Lena Dunham. What can I say. I think the dress almost speaks for itself. It was not a flattering shape or color on her…and the pose that she decided to strike for the cameras didn’t help that much either.

3. Berenice Bejo. This dress had too much going on in all the wrong places. The cut was awkward, the floral designs on the sides and shoulders were awkward…overall I think awkward is the best word to describe this dress. She is a gorgeous lady and I think that she could have done a lot better in terms of choosing her dress.

Those are my picks for hit’s and misses from the 2014 Golden Globes. What were your favorites from the red carpet? Leave a comment letting me know 🙂

Wonderful YouTubers: Pentatonix

Ailin Li
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Arguably one of the best A Capella groups that exist on YouTube, Pentatonix became almost an instant success when they banded together in 2011. Now, their videos on YouTube get millions of views and the group has even gone on a few tours. And it’s not hard to see why everyone loves them so much. Pentatonix features five brilliant singers gifted with amazing vocal ranges. The low tenor notes blend perfectly with the sopranos, and it makes you wonder just how much effort goes into each and every one of their videos. Not just on film, but also live, Pentatonix sounds beautiful. Somehow, their harmonies blend seamlessly and they never fail to add a spectacular twist to the popular songs that they cover. Today, I share with you some of my favourites. (Click on the pictures to begin and adventure to their videos!)

Royals – Original by Lorde

Image from: http://www.myxph.com/photos/49327-screen-shot-2013-10-08-at-4.47.32-pm.png

Evolution of Beyoncé – Original

Image from: http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/Pentatonix-Goes-Viral-Again-with-Evolution-of-Beyonce-Video-396138-2.jpg%3F1383295138

 

Radioactive (with Lindsey Sterling) – Original by Imagine Dragons

Image from: http://illdefinedart.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/pentatonix.jpg

Just after one video, you will probably be hooked. When I first discovered them, I was listening to their covers for hours and hours. Their Christmas songs also really got me into the spirit over the holidays.

Whether you’re a fan of music or not, this group is definitely worth your time to check out.

 

How to prepare your body for exams

Lauren Morris
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It’s that time of year again: everyone at school is stressing about exam schedules, worrying about their averages and cramming for exams. Every year is pretty much the same, except this year I’m in Grade 12, and the stress level of my peers is definitely skyrocketing. Diploma prep. University applications. Making the grade. These are all pretty common things to hear in a typical Grade 12 class as the semester comes to close and with it, the all too short 12 year wait for the much anticipated (and dreaded) diploma exams.

Oftentimes during these precious few days/weeks until it’s time to write the exam I find my peers loading their brain chock full of information, cramming it to overflow if you will, all the while…

http://sathiyam.tv/english/life-style/health-life-style/seven-ways-to-get-a-good-sleep
http://sathiyam.tv/english/life-style/health-life-style/seven-ways-to-get-a-good-sleep

a) Depriving their bodies of much needed sleep. I know it may sound like a good idea to study an extra four hours and cut down on the time you spend sleeping before finals but the truth is your brain and body need that sleep to function at their highest capacity. Whats the use of studying all night long when on the day of the exam you’re so bleary-eyed you can barely focus? Whats more, the fact of the matter remains most teens are unaware of just exactly how much sleep they need. An eye opening trip to the doctor revealed to me that the average teen needs nine OR MORE hours of sleep a night, and ok, I’m going to be real with you here, I don’t always do that either – most people don’t. But aiming for around eight hours a night is a really great start and should leave you feeling refreshed and energized in the morning. So if it’s getting late and your eyelids are drooping, pack the notes and textbooks away and look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.

http://running.about.com/od/treadmillrunning/ss/treadmillmistakes.htm
http://running.about.com/od/treadmillrunning/ss/treadmillmistakes.htm

b) Not getting enough regular exercise. Honestly I have friends who haven’t exercised in… they don’t remember how long. Yes, exercising your brain is fantastic, but how can you expect to function at your best when your body isn’t getting the attention it needs? Regular exercise is not only good for staying healthy and fit, but it also improves clarity and focus. It is recommended that the average person gets at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. This doesn’t mean you have to go out and sign up for a gym membership today, simply going for a walk in your community can do the trick, and the time to think as well as the fresh air should improve thinking as well. So even though exercise does take away from studying, think of it as a part of preparation for the exam, and when you’re beginning to loose focus and need a break anyway is a great time to fit it in.

http://www.thebestbrainpossible.com/brain-food
http://www.thebestbrainpossible.com/brain-food

c) Eating tremendously poorly. To be honest here, this is what this post was originally intended to be about, but there are so many unhealthy practices occurring as a part of student life, and especially around exam time, that really do influence academic performance. People always ask me how I have so much time to study, because they assume I do well because I am studying all the time. But the truth is while it is important to look after your schoolwork it is also vital to look after yourself, I think that’s really key and it’s something very often overlooked or under accounted for. As for eating, I find during exams my peers load themselves up with coffee and energy drinks that will “supply energy” as well as eating quick to prepare and sugary junk foods designed to do the same. Eating poorly and wondering why you aren’t preforming as well as you’d hoped is like putting regular gas in a car that needs premium and wondering why it isn’t performing as well. It’s like the cliche, “you are what you eat,” seriously, I know it’s cheesy but really think about that. Instead of grabbing fast food because its quick and easy, why not make a quick salad? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3: spinach (a study conducted at the University of Florida discovered that rats fed a diet plentiful in spinach preformed “far better on a memory and learning test”), walnuts (high in omega-3s=good for your brain-which FYI loves fatty acids), and dressing. It’ll only take five minutes tops to prepare, I promise.

For more on eating for exams check out my upcoming blog post “Exam Foods, Fuel Your Brain for Success!”

Dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic books galore

Laurie
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Over the past year, after realizing I’ve read little material other than my textbooks, I thought it was about time I caught up. I took a fairly brute method to get this done: looking up a list of “popular young adult fiction” and trying to read my way through it.

I noticed one particular genre that seemed to emerge from the list: the post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian teenage romance, which seems to have flourished following the success of the Hunger Games just as vampire novels did in the wake of Twilight.

And, continuing with Twilight as my analogy, some turned out rather well, and others, a bit doubtfully.

Doubtful?:

Image source

Eve Anne Carey

I barely remember what happened in this novel, and that is my issue.  There was little to make a lasting impression.

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The Selection Kiera Cass

I was fairly certain I would hate this before I started.  However, I actually thought it somewhat interesting; she appeared to have a strong character and attitude.  But then I realized that this was simply a massive girls-fantasy orgy: love triangles (one rival literally a prince and the other a requisite “forbidden” love), a personal 24/7 makeover team, plenty of pretentious events perfect for spasms of ladylike behaviour, and, of course, a Cinderella-like adoration of all the animals (i.e. servants).  There were some intriguing mentions of rebels, however, so I read the second book and nothing happened.

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Shatter Me Tahereh Mafi

At first I was intrigued as this book has a very unique style of writing: the crossing out of words and almost stream-of-conscious flow, with a great deal of focus on reflection and her own experience of events.  But truthfully, after a little while it become almost physically painful to read her profound ponderings on subjects such as rain and love and the emotional torrent following any interaction between her and Main Love Interest.

 

My general impression was better:

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The Chemical Garden Trilogy Lauren DeStefano

An exhausting storyline combined with a rather unbelievable/arbitrary premise, but interesting maneuvering around “ambiguity” and “feelings.”

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Legend Marie Lu

I almost couldn’t get past the complete waste of colour ink and distracting font.  But, nonetheless, about two precocious children trying to save the world, rather adorable.

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The Testing Joelle Charbonneau

The Hunger Games!  Except slightly different.

Really, I suspect it just might be my weakness for any rendition of the Weasley twins.  Gosh, even if they turn out evil.

 

On the other hand, here are some of my personal favourites:

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Shades of Grey Jasper Fforde (You may note the unspecified quantity of shades)

Well, yes, not exactly a YA romance, but a clever and dynamic premise, where the social order is determined by how much colour one can perceive. As much as it resembles other dystopian fiction (the usual epiphany, followed by resolve to take down the government/something), this novel doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Image source

Ship Breaker Paolo Bacigalupi

A well-written novel that already resonates with the state of the matter in some parts of the world.  Likeable characters are always a bonus.

 

Young girl’s letter prompts dragon fuel inquiry

Eryl David
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Earlier this week, Sophie, a 7-year-old girl, wrote to Australia’s national science organization CSIRO, asking if they could work on making a dragon for her. Yes, a dragon.

The letter read as follows:

Hello Lovely Scientist

My name is Sophie and I am 7 years old. My dad told me about the scientists at the CSIRO. Would it be possible if you can make a dragon for me. I would like it if you could but if you can’t thats fine. 

I would call it toothless if it was a girl and if it is a boy I would name it Stuart. 

I would keep it in my special green grass area where there are lots of space. I would feed it raw fish and I would put a collar on it. If it got hurt I would bandage it if it hurt himself. I would play with it every weekend when there is no school. 

Love from Sophie

(From csironewsblog.com)

The fanmail letter.
The fanmail letter.

In response to this call for the research and development of dragons, the CSIO apologized to Australia for their failure to create a dragon. They did however, promise to do research in alternate fuel sources that could imitate dragon fire.

Sophie's drawing of her dragon.
Sophie’s drawing of her dragon.

In my opinion, I give my thanks to the organisation for keeping the spirit of discovery alive in Sophie, and I’m glad that her mind is creative and open to such great ideas. Well done CISCO! 😀

Four favourite quotes

Obayd
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th

 

1. “Do or do not, there is no try” -Yoda

In my opinion, this is undoubtedly one of the best quotes to date (of course, by a non-fiction character). We experience many different things during our lifetime, both good and bad. For some odd reason, whenever something doesn’t go our way, or we perhaps “fail” in our endeavors, there is always an excuse. For example, whenever we do poorly on assignments, we will always end up saying, “at least I tried.” However, if we live like this for the rest of our lives, we will never be able to accomplish anything. Whenever we fail, there will always be that “well, at least I tried,” and nothing will ever get done. When it comes to a life-changing moment, such as a job interview, trying isn’t an option. You either get in, or don’t get in. This rule applies to everything in life. You either do something, or, you just don’t. Even if you tried your hardest, and you failed, you failed! Yes, you obviously put in the effort, and tried, but that doesn’t make any difference in the end. Everybody will  have different opinions on this, put personally, I feel that this quote really says something about all humankind.

2. “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile” -Albert Einstein

I think all volunteers reading this can somewhat relate to this quote. This quote highlights the importance of giving back the community and showing that you care. I feel that there really is nothing better than dedicating your time in order to assist others.

3. “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live” -J.K. Rowling

This quote is a modern-day classic. It really shows that you have to live and focus on the present. Although dreams can be cool, don’t let that get in your way and interfere with your life.

4. Make the best of today, for there is no tomorrow until after today.–Liz Strehlow

Once again, this quote shows just how important it is to make the most of today, and live like there is not tomorrow.

 

Chase the dreams that make you smile

Malika Daya
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tumblr_meqc35Jg3z1qjm9bpo1_500

All of us have dreams. Whether they are practical or not, they are our heart’s desires. They are what we crave for, they make life worth it. But what’s the point if you are living to impress others, neglecting what your heart yearns for? Neglecting what you were made to do, neglecting those talents that have been showered upon you, neglecting those talents that initiate those beautiful dreams? What is the point?

To dream is to take a step forward into this insane and amazing journey of life. Once you can dream it, anything is possible. Anything. As long as you do not consider a dream a short lived vision, if you truly want it and crave it, make it a goal. Chase it, live for it, breathe to achieve it.

There are very few people in this world that are living their dream, considering our world’s population. But when we have the opportunity, why don’t we take it? I mean… us youth, are so fortunate to have a world full of opportunities, but why don’t we work hard for it, why don’t we live for it? There are many people who quit, but I believe if you are passionate about your dream, pursue it with your heart and soul and you’ll get amazing results.

If you go to bed every day smiling while you are thinking about accomplishing your dream, chase it. Don’t give up, don’t underestimate your abilities and your capability – because I know for a fact that each and everyone of you out there are capable of achieving your dearest dreams.

I’ve learned that no one will hand you happiness in a silver platter. You must work for it, you must make sure that everyday you are taking steps forward in achieving those dreams. Because if those dreams make you genuinely happy, and bring a smile to your face even in the darkest of your days… those are the dreams you need to make into a reality.

I believe you can do it, if you are made to accomplish your dreams the stars in the universe will also line up just to help you. Dream, and create your own fate. Work hard, and you’ll be happy for the long term. And yes I know it is hard at times but remember that dream, feel that passion.

This Nike Video inspires me everyday when I feel like giving up. Keep fighting, and always work hard with the beautiful end in mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbkZrOU1Zag

Book vs movie: Never Let Me Go

A N
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I have written many posts about books turned into movies and have expressed my opinion multiple times online about how not every book needs to be turned into a feature film. So I have decided to start up a segment that I like to call Book vs movie! My DSC_0835first victim: Never Let Me Go. (Warning, both the movie and the book deal with swearing and sexual content) 

Synopsis: We have found a cure for cancer. However this cure is to create special clones, and let them live without knowing their purpose until they reach 18, when they start giving up their vital organs in order for others to live. This story is about three unfortunate children, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, who go to a special school for kids that grow up to be donors; a term for the clones who live their lives just to give up their organs for others. We get to see them grow in this peculiar school; they can not go outside the boundaries, the students are supposed to submit pieces of art in for a mysterious collection and their teachers are not allowed to talk about their sad futures. Eventually we get to see Kathy turn into a carrier for these donors, take care of her old friends and come to the realization that she is not going to stay like this forever and that she too will eventually have to give up her life for what the world DSC_0830seems to think is the greater good. 

Book: The novel, written by Kazuo Ishiguro, is fairly old and has some hard vocabulary, but besides that was well written and quite beautiful. It is narrated by Kathy and it jumps back from past and present time as she relives her younger years; which was a super creative and great way to tell the story. However, at times it was confusing to understand if she was talking about the past or present. The book was a bit slow at times but was a very good read.

Movie: I suppose this could be a prejudiced opinion because  did watch the movie before reading the novel, but the movie was absolutely brilliant. With a all-star cast of Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley, the roles were played perfectly. Although I cried a lot, that wasn’t a bad thing. The fact that a movie could move me so much was amazing, and it stayed true to the book for the most part, which was a bonus. The only criticism I will give is that there were some unnecessary scenes and lines so it was boring in some parts.

With that said; I highly recommend you watch the movie, I wouldn’t recommend reading the book unless the movie intrigued you so much to do so, or if you are looking for a challenging read. I am considering continuing this series so if you have any books/movies that you want me to compare, feel free to comment on this post!

Ted Talk: A second a day to make the memories stay

Julia
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http://www.ted.com/talks/cesar_kuriyama_one_second_every_day.html

In the fast-paced world of today, it’s much too easy to find ourselves lost. Not necessarily in terms of which road to turn onto and what exit to take (though in Calgary that’s never an easy feat either). What I mean is the confusion of what is now, what is the past, what is the future. Where are you, who are you, why are you who you are?

What if we could do something everyday to ground ourselves a little bit? To make the good moments stay, and to make the harder moments meaningful?

In this Ted talk, Cesar Kuriyama challenges you to take a one second video, each and every day of your life.

Last week I started this myself, and although I’ve forgotten a couple days, I’m hoping that it will soon become habit.

Take your life into your own hands, both for today AND for tomorrow.

🙂

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