College and Finding the Silver Lining

A man named Anatole France once said, “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” It was quotes like these that pacified my fear of moving to the United States from my hometown, Vancouver. When my parents sat me down and explained to me that we would be leaving Vancouver, I was simply dazed. I didn’t know what to think. I was troubled, for I wasn’t sure if this move was something to look forward to, or something that would give me more problems than rewards. Just when I thought I had learned the way to live, my life changed drastically.

As time went by and the realization set in, I became torn between the two nagging thoughts inside my head; to anticipate or to anguish. I was excited for the fresh start that awaited me there. Nevertheless, I could not bear the fact that I would no longer be able to take those much loved strolls right by the shimmering sea just minutes from my house or hiking in the lush green mountains that stood towering over the city. But I eventually accepted the fact that I had to leave it in order to start a new chapter of my life. And so, we said goodbye to the place that we had called home for years and started the 1,300 mile journey to Los Angeles.

After seven days of driving down from Vancouver, we finally reached our long awaited destination. The streets of Los Angeles were overwhelmingly different from the streets that I had grown up in. It was rush hour every hour here; there were so many people powerwalking down the street, every single one of them looking as though they had somewhere to be but not enough time to get there. Cars were bumper to bumper in the streets, blasting their horns impatiently and, on top of it all, mounds of trash littered the sides of the road. There was such a variety of everything, from people to cars. I felt as taken aback as the country mouse that had come to visit the big city.

As the days dragged on and we finished up unpacking the mountains of boxes piled up to the ceilings of our house, it came time for me to start middle school. If I had to sum up the whole mixture of feelings I had in a single word, that word would be afraid. I was afraid of being the odd one out. I was afraid of being looked down on and not being received very well. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to be myself. There were so many different things I was fearful of. And to say the least, getting used to middle school was no picnic. It made me that much more uneasy coming from a city where middle school didn’t exist. The time to start school had finally come, and it was an arduous experience for me. I had left behind all the friends I had made over the past 10 years, and coming to a whole new place and starting all over again was beyond intimidating. I was absolutely bewildered by my new surroundings, and I thought that because of my obvious confusion, I would be rejected by everybody else right off the bat. However, I was delighted to find that the students were very friendly and welcoming of the “new girl.” I was glad to feel accepted and realized that this experience had made me a stronger person.

On a final note, I’ve got to say that although it was tough to start the journey and difficult at times throughout it, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. My trip through the dark tunnel taught me a priceless lesson. I learned that storms in life can either make you or break you, and deciding to persevere through tough times can make you a true successor, no matter what the outcome. After this experience, I am confident that whatever challenges college may throw at me, I can grit my teeth brave through them. Now I understand that although change can be scary, it is what makes me grow, and college is one of the best changes that can happen to me. Through college I can live out my dream of becoming a doctor, and march down the path of life with my head held high. 

Superman Drawing

Wonderwoman Drawing

Movie Review #8 ~ The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Although both The Grapes of Wrath the book and the movie are considered cinematic and literary masterpieces, there are many key differences between the two that greatly alter the overall feeling of the work. The book highlights the stark and harsh realities of life during this time, while the movie takes on a much more optimistic view. Despite some of these startling differences, the movie contains elements worthy of praise. 

             In one of the very first scenes, as Muley Graves is telling Tom and Casy about how he and his family got tractored off the land, the cinematography is particularly noteworthy. The director makes use of a flashback to show the dramatic moment when the family had to helplessly watch the tractor tear down their house. As the tractor pulls away, the camera pans to the family, showing their grim faces. The camera then moves to show the family’s shadow against the ground, long and thin. This particularly highlights the idea that the family who has lived in the same place for generations has become nothing more than a shadow of a memory to the land.

            The lighting throughout the movie is also worth mentioning; the majority of the movie is shot in the dark, with only a single dim light source illuminating the actors’ faces. Although this sort of environment would most likely have been very difficult to shoot in, it was successful in delivering a powerful part of the message to the audience. The constant darkness throughout the film shows the bleak and rather frightening nature of the situation that these farmer families have been placed in. There is no escaping the darkness, just as there is no way out of the families’ unfortunate positions.

            A key element that was left out in the movie, however, was the unforgettable ending scene in which Rose of Sharon suckles a dying man. Although this scene is admittedly scandalous, especially for this time period, it was an essential scene to the story. This conclusion showed the reality of the Joads’ difficult situation rather than painting on a false happy ending. It also was crucial in showing the growth of arguably the most spoiled member of the family, Rose of Sharon. This scene demonstrated that even she had to adapt to the unfortunate circumstances and help out as much as she could. Leaving this scene out and ending the movie on a rather positive note with Ma’s hopeful words completely changed the feeling of the movie and took away much of the emotional impact it originally had.

            All in all, both the book and the movie had positive qualities. Although the movie would have been much better had it included some key points in the story, it was well-made on the whole, especially considering the conservative period in which they were working. 

Origami Drawing

Here's a quick sketch of an origami friend that my friend made for me! (Lol I could not make an origami friend to save my life!) Hope you like it! 

Elsa Drawing

Part of my Disney Character Series!

My Comfort Food

A memory: It is 2006, and my brother has flown over from college in Korea to visit home. After days of patiently watching him sleep like the dead, he finally takes me to the movies like he promised he would. We walk to the local movie theater on Burrard Street in Vancouver, Canada. Mom has wrapped us in one more layer than necessary and we are both a little sweaty as we trek through the snowy streets. We enter the warm theater and immediately the bright concession stand lures me over. As I approach the stacks of candy and the popcorn machine pumping out fresh yellow popcorn, my brother whispers, “pick anything you want, just don’t tell mom.” I feel as though I’ve won the lottery. For the entirety of my life, I had been surviving under my mother’s whole wheat, brown rice, sugar-free reign over the household. But my brother was paying now. I get a pack of Sour Patch Kids, a box of M&Ms, a Medium size bag of popcorn gleaming with butter, and an apple juice on the side. As I sit with my arms full in the red velvet seats, I am as comfortable as I will ever be. I ask my brother if he wants some of my M&Ms and I am relieved when he says no. 

            After I fell in love with the concession stand at the movies, my brother dutifully took me to the cinema with every visit and allowed me to eat whatever my heart desired. The experiences, although they may not be filled with wholesome food, were ones like no other; they were truly the best kind of dinner and a show that I could imagine. Even now, as he approaches his thirties and I prepare to take on my final year of high school, I am stubborn in my dedication to movie theater junk food. I have come to incorporate my beloved cinema snacks into the changes in my life; whenever I move to a new neighborhood or city, my first order of business is to find a large movie theater with plenty of food for my brother and I to enjoy. Through all the moves, from Korea to Canada to America, knowing that my brother would take me on our secret binge of overpriced yet delicious movie snacks is what always seemed to tether me to some vague sense of security.

             A December or two ago, when my brother and I last went to the movies, I didn’t think about that snowy day and the experience that started our glorious tradition. But as I watched the cars whiz by and the heard explosions blast around me in the darkness of a new theater in a new city, I took solace in the fact that I was experiencing something familiar; that these short moments I spent with my brother were as gratifying as the snacks I got to eat while with him.