Er, yeah, H2A maybe?

Haha I can dream on. At the rate I’m (not) going, I might get a H2B if I’m REALLY lucky.

I just wrote another uni blog about TV. I should write more about my favorite topic but…I dunno.

Anyway:

What? Using Britney Spears lyrics? Atrocity!

I am writing this on the day that the new Glee episode Brittany/Britney is to air. I already have the songs on my iTunes, and have been listening to Toxic on replay since yesterday.

I have seen some screencaps on Tumblr of some highlights, and on Twitter I can see that trending topics include Heather Morris (the actress for Brittany, the blond cheerleader on Glee), and yet I won’t get to see the episode until 7:30 pm.

Watching TV isn’t just the act of watching TV anymore. I think watching TV has become something like living the moment of watching the show. Social networking sites like Twitter and Tumblr have made it possible for us to voice what we feel about a particular scene IMMEDIATELY. (Well, the immediacy is more a feature of Twitter, but Tumblr comes with pictures so in a visual media, that helps too.)

I’m not innocent of the need to broadcast my thoughts at the same time as watching a broadcast. Last week, when Glee’s Season 2 premier was on TV (I had refrained from watching it online three hours prior to 7:30, because a) I’d wanted to conserve bandwidth and b) I wanted to share the experience of watching it with people “around” me – online with me, in my timezone. Also I got yelled at quite a few times for revealing spoilers), I had been watching and tweeting all the moments that I found glorious. Someone replied to me, “I had missed these Glee tweets”, referring to the dry-spell when the show was on Summer hiatus.

Even when I’m watching a show not airing, such as last week when I was watching True Blood, or a while back when I was watching Chuck (neither of these shows are airing in Australia anymore), I still tweet about it. There is always going to be someone else like me in my larger social group who is a fan of a show not airing on Australian TV, and sure enough, my tweets gained a few “likes” on Facebook (because I am so connected, my tweets appear on Facebook too), and I immediately knew who else is a True Blood fan.

Ironically, when I am watching a show that DOES air in Australia, but ahead of everyone else (because we all know Australia sucks at keeping up with America, though they are giving it a shot with a few shows), I have to PROMISE people that I don’t tweet spoilers. I am currently ahead of Australia in NCIS, How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory, and as much as I want to tweet about it, I shouldn’t, because revealing something about it would ruin the experience for other people.

Which brings me back to my title. I don’t have qualms about listening to a Glee song before the episode airs, but one of my friend does. She is a huge Gleek as well, and I asked if she wouldn’t want me to send her the new songs when I get them. She told me she’d rather listen to them at the same time as seeing it on TV, so when she later listens to them, she can imagine the scenes on TV. The two of us both love Glee equally, but we like to experience it differently. I like to have all the social networks at my fingertips as I’m watching, because I like to see what others think about it, as well as have others see what I think about it. My friend would rather be shut off completely and be only concentrating on the show, and that’s how she rolls.

Currently, TV shows don’t really interact with other forms of media when they are airing. I guess that’s the traditional way. I do remember that the Glee pilot had once aired a re-run where as the show is airing, the cast of the show is live tweeting, and their tweets and commentary runs across the bottom of the screen (this, again, wasn’t available in Australia).

I guess where I’m headed with this is that, maybe, TV shows in the future would become sort of INTERACTIVE with Twitter, or whatever replaces Twitter next. Those who are like me can use Twitter to enhance their viewing experience, but those with a more traditional viewing habit like my friend can still watch the show as it is, and then talk about it.

TV is no longer an experience as it was when it first appeared, with the family gathering around a set to watch it together – I actually don’t like having my parents next to me when I watch a show I want to concentrate on, despite being online while watching the show. As weird as that is, I like it better when I’m alone with the internet… – but it’s not exactly a complete polar opposite either. Personally, the generation and cultural gap between what my parents like and understand and my own tendencies renders my family a divided unit when we watch TV, but I’m more than certain that in some other families, there is still at times a show or movie that has the whole family sitting together in the living room (or maybe in different rooms but with the TVs on the same channel, cos that happens too) watching together. The experience of watching a show is just as interesting as the show’s contents itself.

Okay I think I’m excused for another week before I post again? 🙂

Alex.

I’m such a TV whore.

Alex.

P.S. What is a TV whore? I just felt like saying ‘Whore’.

From All Sides

I stand still, lost. Not in the sense that I have no idea where I am, but rather unsure where I am going to go.

I feel like I’ve been here before – the branches look familiar, the air smells familiar, and the crushing drop of my stomach when I finally realize that I am lost is definitely familiar.

But I look closer.  The trees are shorter. The birds are quieter.  This is a different forest. I had entered this forest because it had been less intimidating, because I was sure that if I managed to find my way out of that previous fucked up forest, I would find my way through this smaller one easier.

And, I was wrong.

Alex.

What has been happening of late?

I suppose this is possibly the worst month of effort I have made ever. I guess it was a mixture of me not particularly having anything to blog about, and sort of just feeling everything is mundane. Don’t worry though, I haven’t written in my uni blog either. I think tomorrow I will blog there, then maybe start reading for my assignments.

I will do a quick catchup, though. I have finished Chapter 8 but I actually want to post Chapter 8 and 9 together (if not 10 as well) so, sorry, but you do have to wait.

In my actual life, not much has happened. We started on our mid-sem break, and I have put off work. I suppose I’ll work for the 2nd half of this week, and first half of next week. I also should organize all my notes, start doing reading in my leisure time (force myself to enjoy it) and prepare for my exams at the end of the year. I don’t have my schedule, so I don’t even know how early my liberation is.

I may or may not go to badminton on Friday at Monash, but most likely not. My body was very sore this weekend from its lack of exercise. But apart from my last venture to the other university, I really haven’t had much of a social life – and I want to keep it that way these holidays. Call me a shut-in, but sometimes I prefer some quiet time (alone, with internet, so not alone. Basically I can talk to people without having to be all presentable. At the moment I am in my PJs). In fact, I rented (and it costed me more than I like, so I will probably refrain for a while) the first two seasons of True Blood, and I suppose you can say I got hooked, but it really does try your patience for gore at some point. I don’t look forward for more hungrily (but then again, after marathoning 2 seasons in 4 days you do get turned off) as I do for NCIS, Glee, House, HIMYM, TBBT, The Vampire Diaries etc…

Speaking of which, NCIS and Glee comes back tomorrow, but Glee will air on TV pretty much straightaway (wow Ch 10 is REALLY fast-tracking. Then again, they’ll probably take a 1 week break randomly so that they’ll be a week behind, AGAIN). The Vampire Diaries is only a few days behind, and since I don’ t follow many blogs on Tumblr for TVD, I’m not too fussed about spoilers that I might come across. I watched HIMYM today, and it was a rather exciting preview to what we’ll learn in this season. My biggest beef is Dexter, which I don’t really have the bandwidth to watch but I know the blogs I follow will spoil them for me. I guess I will soon have to decide what to do.

Anyway, as per usual, an update about my life has turned into a rant about TV. Splitting hairs aren’t we?

Everything else is still the same. I’m nearly halfway through my Project 365, and literally nothing has changed about my life. I think I already emo’d about this, so I won’t today.

Mom has been home, obviously, and I think she’s getting a bit bored so she’s cooking a lot (which Dad appreciates, I think, except he still cooks most of dinner and on weekends). I know I’m meant to cook, but I really don’t like learning from my mom because she’s not a great teacher, but a great yeller. Dad usually just wants to cook and get it over and done with so he can rest and watch TV (they bought a crap load of new Chinese drama, but thankfully the DVDs play on the other DVD player which is a bit temperamental, so I don’t have to move from my position), so he doesn’t really want to teach me either.

Anyway, because she’s cooking so much, I’ve also gained weight that I didn’t actually want to gain. That, on top of my lack of motivation to exercise lately, means this summer will be spent indoors. I will start collecting as many TV series as I can from friends. And maybe get my paws on FRIENDS, too. Again, yes, shut-in.

Anyway, that’s enough of a catchup for now.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Alex.

I Want A Burger, Hold The Emotions

To sum up what I am feeling because I don’t feel like writing about it but at the same time I want to write about it:

I want a burger right now. A Mighty Angus from Maccas if that’s okay.

Why do I want a burger? Because eating that burger can apparently make me stop feeling that immense…are there words? Immense anger, regret, sadness, weariness, misery…and that hunger (both physical hunger and emotional).

Because I feel like I should be apologizing but I know that I shouldn’t be. Because I did nothing wrong except want, and worked for that want. I earned it. I deserve it. But I can’t have it this time, as I couldn’t have it the last time.

History repeats itself only in the bad bits. History took careful notes when it was still a young Present, and remembered. And with a menacing flourish, it hit me where I hurt the most.

And it’s not my fault. I must know this.

Maybe between the beef patty and the relish I can find the words I want to hear right now, “It’s not your fault, I am very sorry for what I did.” But not only do the pickles not talk, I don’t even have the burger. I don’t have the comfort that I am seeking right now.

I can’t be blamed for doing what I do, just like biscuits can’t become burgers, and wishes can’t become action.

Alex.

The Difference…

When people say “I don’t care what other people think about me”, there is a fundamental difference to what they mean and what it actually means.

What they mean is that when they do things, they have some concern about how other people might see them; they see how they might be negatively seen, and then decide that doesn’t matter, or they decide that they shouldn’t care if it matters or not. Then their actions follow accordingly.

I’m not saying that this way of thinking is “wrong” and not the “real” I-don’t-give-a-damn-about-other-people. I’m saying this is probably the most common meaning people have when they say “I don’t care what other people think about me”.

The ACTUAL – or perhaps I should say the OTHER – meaning is when the person doesn’t even think about how it might be negatively viewed. Not only do they not tell themselves not to care about how they might negatively viewed, they didn’t even think that they would be negatively viewed.

I bring this up because – and I’m not saying I think the “better” way, because I mostly think in the first way, if not be wary of how people judge me completely – it occurred to me today that the title for my post yesterday could be misunderstood as something else. I didn’t even think about it that way: the title was a quote from the movie I’d seen. The fact that my mind didn’t even think of the consequences means that on a core level, I really don’t care.

Anyhoo, just some thoughts.

Alex.

I’m In Lesbians With You

…Oh crap I said Lesbians.

Anyway, today I was meant to see Tomorrow, When The War Began, but it being not Tightarse Tuesday rates and me being Asian, we decided to see Scott Pilgrim Vs the World instead. I gotta say, probably the best alternative choice ever made.

REALLY. YOU SHOULD GO SEE IT! Everyone says that it’s all “wtf it looks like a kid’s game” but YEAH! THAT’S THE POINT! The movie is all about how a young male sees the world. I mean, come on, have you ever wondered what it would be like if Pokemon was real? Those thoughts are exactly what the movie is all about. Music, games, action movies, anime, TV shows…this movie sees it all. Yes, it’s mostly computer done – special effects, the KAPOWs, and of course the action. But so? I mean is James Bond really THAT realistic?

That’s rather interesting and convenient, actually, because in my CMEL tute today we were just talking about how Hollywood has taken over all the other movies, and a lot of movies have aspects of Hollywood cinema. For example, action movies are just bam-bam-bam, and it works because action is action and anyone can understand it without subtitles. We watched this clip of the car chase in Quantum of Solace, and discussed how a lot of the times it’s just quickly edited scenes of action and stuff going on, with minimal plot revelation.

Then we talked about how a lot of movies are marketed like crazy, because they’re marketable, and a lot of movies aren’t marketed as much but get popular by word of mouth.

Scott Pilgrim is both. AND it is pushing special effects and crazy fight scenes and suspending our disbelief to the point where it is obvious they’re poking fun at all the massive Hollywood action.

It, apart from poking fun at itself on a meta level, is also a fantastically smart movie. Not everyone can bring together instantaneously recognizable popular culture references in a fluid narrative – and, oh shock the narrative is simple and predictable. So what? Most of the fun is in the journey taken, the gags, the fights, the deliveries of dialogue – in such a way that it keeps the viewer hooked for what’s going to happen next DESPITE knowing what’s going to inevitably happen.

The only thing that made me slightly doubt the movie was that Scott would ditch his adorable Chinese girlfriend Knives in the first place. I mean, yes, Ramona is gorgeous, but KNIVES! (Yes her name is Knives…it became a rather fitting name near the end.)

Go on, see it. And then own it. And then download the soundtrack which I will do at my next available break. Hate it if you want, but I think this movie just made it into my answer when people ask “what movies do you like”?

Alex.

P.S., this blog got linked in my uni assignment, since it is relevant. I wrote it, I swear!

P.P.S. I nearly forgot! I saw this ages ago but finding it for a friend reminded me. The Vibarating Mascara Without Batteries. Good exercise for face also.

Let Jerusalem Bells Ring!

I actually don’t know what Jerusalem bells refer to in Viva la Vida, but it sounds celebratory.

I have uploaded Chapter 7 of my writing project.

I used To The Wolves as the title, because I had just listened to Anberlin’s yet-to-be-released album on their MySpace, and the chorus seemed fitting.

“To the wolves, you fed me to the wolves”.

Will get onto Chapter 8 straightaway, seeing as I finished my essays. I’m not one for spoilers, especially since I can’t be sure what I will write – I haven’t started on Chapter 8, though I have some ideas about what will happen.

Alex.

By Day, The Lollipop Man…

…by night…!?

Do you ever walk past someone and, in a fit of complete boredom and perhaps curiosity, you make up a story about them?

See, I walked past a lollipop man last week (the crossing guard, who holds up the stop sign near a school crossing and blows a whistle to let you cross), and to be polite I smiled and said hi. His expression didn’t change, and he didn’t say hi back.

The thing is, a few months back I walked past the same lollipop man, at the same crossing, at the same time of the day, and he would smile warmly and say hi back at me.

Yesterday I walked past that lollipop man, and as he stepped out into the road with his stop sign to blow the whistle, he smiled at a student who goes to the school he guards the crossing for (I’m obviously not in uniform). I assumed he didn’t smile at familiar faces, because he would definitely remember me because recently I’ve been crossing there rather often.

Today, as I stood at the curb waiting for him to step out, I saw my bus come up. The crossing is around 30 meters away from the bus stop, and as I saw the bus draw up and he had to let it pass, I sighed to myself. He said to me with a smile, “is that your bus? You better run for it!”

I made the bus, just. As I sat down on the bus, slightly out of breath (dude, I am so unfit), I thought about his smile and words to me.

He obviously realized that I’m going to be showing up a lot more, so was he trying to make conversation in order to have a good reason to smile and say hi the next time I cross at his crossing? But he should remember me from me crossing a few months back, and even if I didn’t show up for a bit, I smiled at him and said hi when I crossed, so I took the initiative to bridge the hiatus right?

And it wasn’t that he didn’t say hi to anyone anymore; he did to the student.

So I made up a small story about why he didn’t say hi to me at first.

Maybe he has another job, and in that job he had come across Asian kids who wronged him somehow, or gave him an impression of untrustworthy Asian kids – look, I’m not being racist against him or against Asians, but Asians are just as likely to hold up a 7/11 as a white kid or a curry kid or whatever, but I’m Asian so it’s my weird logic – and he was so taken by this impression that he wouldn’t even smile at another Asian. I wouldn’t blame him – if an Asian guy with a, say, mohawk beat me up or something, I would not be able to really look at another Asian guy with a mohawk.

OR he used to smile and say hi to an Asian kid and then that Asian kid got into some accident or something bad, and everytime he sees an Asian kid, he remembers that other Asian kid and feels sad. He was just wary of being attached to another Asian kid, no matter how fleeting their “conversation” are.

But I mean, it’s rather interesting what our mind makes up about another stranger based on ONE action that they do. For another example, I was in the bathroom at the shopping center fixing my hair (oh hush) and as I walked into the bathroom, I immediately went to the sinks and got out my hairwax, and started fixing my hair in the mirror. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a lady who was there already making an action which I immediately knew was her stopping herself from crying and quickly wiping away tears. I decided not to suddenly walk out after obviously noticing she was just crying, because it would make her feel slightly worse that other people are avoiding her and that it was obvious she was upset, but I snuck another look at her through the mirror. She was taking deep breaths to calm herself, and if she’d looked my way I was going to give her a reassuring smile, but she quickly sniffed and wiped her cheeks, then walked out.

As far as my imagination could go, she could have just murdered someone and felt remorse. I could have gone on to imagine something Hollywood like her husband cheated on her, and he has a large trust-fund or something. Or maybe she was actually a spy (HOMG I WAS GONNA SMILE AT A SPY) and her husband doesn’t know, and is going to leave her because he thinks she doesn’t love him anymore (I didn’t notice if she had a ring, but if she was a spy a ring means nothing).

Or maybe she just got told off by her boss. So.

OR MAYBE…

Alex.