Profile: Mom

My mom’s name is Ellen but she is Scarlet O’Hara basically with the intense core of survival and ability to love with all her being.  She has plenty of manners and charm to cover it all as situation demands.  I don’t much look like her but realized lately there are a lot of things we have in common.

Contentment
Through good times and the worst we know we have what matters: food, clothes, health, and family. Although she and I have different views of God and church we know that life is a blessing to be enjoyed to the fullest. 

Aesthetics
We both appreciate birds, flowers, and scenery. She and I have some drawing and painting ability. We go crazy over jewelry.

 

Music
I’m more into karaoke than she is, but we enjoy classical music, especially Pachebel’s Canon. She’s the one that got me into Celine Dion. I don’t know if I should be thankful or not.  She recently developed an affinity for Lindsey Stirling and Lana del Ray.

Stoicism
One of her favored expressions is: “Let bygones be bygones” which is similar to mine: “It is what it is”. We both refuse to dwell in the past much less glance at it preferring to live for the now (albeit retaining some what ifs and dreams of the future). Sentimentality is for suckers. Therefore it’s easier for us to shut people out without remorse.

Hoarders
Our love language = gifts, gifts, gifts. We may let go of people and status but tend to like stuff so much. She is to be credited/ blamed for my propensity not to throw anything away.

Jealousy
Desiring attention? Check. Possessive when said attention is challenged? Check check. Insecurity and fear of loss running amuck when dealing with a rival? Check times infinity (Crazytown – population: us)

Punctual
She’s a time Nazi and I’m not too far behind.  I feel physically panicked when I’m running late. 

Vernacular
My mom is proficient in Korean and English. She can pick up words and phrases with ease. It must be genetic because I have a fondness for learning languages such as French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, etc.  She almost knocked me off my chair one time saying “wtf” while we were watching Splendor in the Grass (boring movie but guess she’s into it).

Eats
Nom nom…chicken & rice then round it off with Haagen Dazs, good night!

Once upon a time she too was an innocent girl with simple dreams until reality beat her up. I appreciate that she gave me a lot of freedom growing up and giving me her support over the years.  I wish I had her sewing ability, cooking skills, maintenance/ stewardship, and smooth skin.  Her story is like a soap opera. Anyone who picks up their life and moves to another country has an amazing story to tell. And then add in her experiences with men, it’s like a female version of Henry VIII: married, divorced, married, widowed, married again at present. Sometimes I wish I could visit her past self and see what she went through, my life is not half so interesting. 

You are incredible, mom, love you!

A Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

*spoilers all around*

I was really into the animated Spider-Man series as a kid.  He is extremely relatable dealing with angsty youthful struggles we all have in life.  He also comes with a street attitude uncommon in other superhero figures. Plus, he thinks/talks to himself a lot to work things out, so I peg him as a fellow introvert.

(side note on the Sam Raimi series: When I went to the theater to see the first one with Tobey Maguire I was immediately disappointed – they ruined the Spider-Man I knew.  The writing was so bland and the characters flat I didn’t care what happened to them.  No chemistry between Peter and Mary Jane.  It REALLY bothered me that the webs came out of Peter’s body.  There were a handful of scenes in each of the installments that worked and the visuals were top notch yet ultimately I would say I found them watchable but unsatisfying.)

Anyway, for this feature, let’s get the bad stuff out there first…

Weak points
I thought the whole movie didn’t really flow.  There were a lot of revelations and developments that were crammed in and didn’t add much to the story.  Pace could be a lot quicker.  Not a fan of the blaring fanfare for intro and outro, it should be strings, not trumpets (dang it, I have to admit, the first trilogy did a better job with that).

I had to say that out of love, now on to the amazing portions…

Lesson 1: Be kind to “invisible people” (or force them to go to therapy)
Does anyone think I matter?  Am I needed?  I just want people to see me.
I would say Max/Electro’s story is unforeign to most people.  He was rejected and ignored even though he was a brilliant engineer.  He was alone and obsessed over anyone who gave him attention.  Therefore, given power, he will seek revenge and murder a ton in search of fame.  I thought I was jaded to conspiracy but was quite disturbed how his records and death were erased as a cover up to raise Oscorp’s stock. No one can complain about their birthday after seeing Max electrocuted, dunked, and bitten savagely by electric eels!

Lesson 2: “It’s complicated” is only acceptable when the stakes are life and death.  Everyone else should just picture the future with them/ without them and decide which is better.   
Peter and Gwen were such a match! I loved their science session when she lectured him about combating the electrical fields from his web.  When he wrote the I love you message it was a death sentence for sure.  He warned her and did everything he could to keep her out of danger but it was her choice to risk it all.  They loved and respected each other fully and you know it’s not meant to be but still can’t help but get torn up over his loss.

Lesson 3: Nerdy/ brainy is the new sexy indeed. 
I was wary watching the first film last year but Andrew did a fine job doing what Spider-Man does best – snarky snark snark.  He sold it well and I never developed such a crush on Spider-Man until recently.  Intelligent skinny Peter who devotes himself to making the world better (with that perfect hair every morning) is definitely my kind of guy. Emo well dressed pretty boy Harry with those piercing blues, not bad either. It was so sad that he thought everyone just wanted money from him!

Leftover Questions: So is Felicia going to be Black Cat? Is Peter going to show his aunt the video exposing the truth about his dad and Oscorp (or anyone else for that matter?) Would skipping stones with someone be considered as cheating on your S.O.?

Cool Spidey-scenes

• Peter dipping Gwen for a big kiss at their graduation, woohoo
• A+ on effects and voice for Electro
• Peter & Harry go on a bromantic date
• Peter’s acrobatic diversion to help Gwen escape, hot!
• Slow mo strategically saving the people on the stairs who were about to be electrocuted
• Harry going through files on his glass desk/computer, high tech!
• Peter conducting experiments with the web material and batteries (all for nothing, he should have just called Gwen, haha)
• Spider-Man cosplaying with a helmet to hose down the baddie and high fiving the firefighter team, win
• Harry successfully breaking into Ravencroft with only a taser, whaaat
• The part with Gwen was falling was artistic and extraordinary
• Peter walking completely besotted toward Gwen through traffic, sigh

Artwork: Jeff Koons

You are faced with a figure about 12 feet tall.
It has no eyes or mouth.
Yet its presence does not intimidate.
On the contrary, this is an approachable and playful being.
What could this creature be?

Balloon Dog

This artist knows all about giving the viewer a bit of whimsical fun.  This could be a terrier, standing alert and ready to float up to its owner.  Its soft shapes and shiny surface is sure to bring back simpler, happier times.