HOUSES

I’m really not into houses. If there’s a roof, a comfy bed/sofa, laptop, internet connection, a bookshelf filled with great books – then I’m home. That is how I’ve always seen it, and that is how I feel up to now. Most of the people I know are busy thinking and dreaming about houses. One of my best friend was ready to put a big down payment in a 10M-worth of mortgage years ago. It’s all my husband thinks about. Sensibe adults of my age are either busy looking for one, planning how to get one, or finding someone to buy them one. As for me, I’m really not into houses.

I think what i disliked most about it is permanence. Personal finance perspective aside, why would I want to stay somewhere for the rest of my life? What’s so good about that? I don’t know, I guess I simply don’t get it.

In my decades of loving films and tv series, I’ve only loved 3 houses – which is actually the purpose of this post. There used to be just 2, now I’m adding one after finishing one those korean telenovelas one my best friends persuaded me to watch (bad idea, these tv series are too addictive!).

Not in any order:

#1. Mitch and Cam’s house in Modern Family

It’s Madeline’s house come to life! First time I saw it, I was smitten. Every moms of little girls know how the rhyme goes …

“In an old house in Paris covered  with vines, lived 12 little girls in two straight lines…”

 I’ve always imagined the show’s set designer chose this house with that rhyme in mind. I’ve read that the actual house is in the northern part of CA where the weather is always perfect – somewhat close to the Bay Area. It’s a bit small inside, a leap from most American houses. But to me it’s the right size.

#2 Frida Kahlo’s house in the biopic Frida (2003)

This is exactly how I imagined the Buendia’s house in Macondo would be like! The courtyard in the middle and how every part of the house is connected to it is the reason why I absolutely adored it. Courtyards would have to be my favorite architectural piece. The idea of an open space where you can see the night sky while still being enclosed just hits me in the right places. It somehow comforts my need to be outside while still enjoying the comforts of my solemnity.

So just imagine my delight when I saw this …

#3. the Sanggojae – from the famous Korean TV Drama, Personal Taste

The Sanggojae is located in the Hanok area of SKorea where most traditional Korean houses can be found. I’ve considered moving there just to have this house! It has all the comforts of a modern house, with the right amount of Asian elements into it, plus yes – a COURTYARD!

So what will my dream house be like? Imagine …

A frontage similar to Cam’s and Mitch’s house, but with a Mexican pueblo like-wall similar to Ugo Bigyan’s;

a modern feel inside, simple and clean, a style that dictates comfort is above all;

and of course, a COURTYARD, with the requisite Zen-like aura.

And where will this dream house be? I seriously don’t know. Up to now, I just couldn’t picture myself staying somewhere. So for now, this house stays in my head, where I have always been most comfortable at. So I guess I am, somehow, into houses. I’ll be 32 in a few weeks. Maybe it’s that.

The Namesake (2006)

After my unsuccessful attempt to re-experience the act of crying while watching a movie via Charlie St. Cloud, I decided to watch “The Namesake”. The last time I cried like a baby due to a movie was my first viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and that was about 3 or 4 years ago. Before that, it was watching “The Notebook” for the first time – because  you have to admit, as cheesy as the entire movie is – its last few minutes just hits you and you’re biologically inclined to weep no matter how much you try not to. I saw an episode of Sports Night a few days ago that made me cry too, it was the one about Dana’s little brother – which made me miss my little brother more; hence, the weeping. But i was a bit sleepy then so it wasn’t a full-blown cryfest and days after I had this need to really experience that rejuvenating feeling of crying while watching a film. If you haven’t done it you should try. It’s actually an enjoyable experience – to connect to the screen in such a visceral way – it’s refreshing.

So anyway, I watched “the Namesake” to satisfy this weird need and guess what? Need not satisfied. But don’t get me wrong, it was a wonderful movie. Superior acting from my Bollywood favorite Irrfan Khan as always, Kal Pen’s struggle not to act like Kumar paid off, and this actress named Tabu is my new Bollywood favorite. Mira Nair, as expected, did not fail me and delivered a great cinematic experience.

The film is a story about Gogol, an Indian boy who was born in New York to immigrant parents, who, like most second generation immigrants, is lost between the 2 cultures he lives with. I understood the character’s struggles, imagining it would somehow be similar with what my kids may go through if we end up staying in, as Ashima has noted, “this very lonely country”. But as the first generation immigrants my story was not Gogol’s but Ashima’s, Gogol’s mother - and this is where my cryfest problem lie.

This Bollywood actress playing the role, simply named Tabu, delivered an all too convincing performance of a typical traditional Indian wife.  A woman, who despite the magnitude and spectrum of emotions and passion she has, manages to display this calm and timid exterior that to me epitomizes the power of femininity. A power  I can only hope for, being the expressive freak that I am. Her solid performance was very well contained to the limits of her appropriateness that it prevented me to express the full range of emotions that I was feeling while watching her story – that’s how good she was. I would have to say that this is my new favorite Mira Nair film – and kudos to her for successfully telling the story of first-generation immigrants of our time regardless of culture and race by sticking with the not so dramatic but real life experiences that is not so easy to tell. Watching the film, one can see that this is clearly drawn from life due to its many subtleties that only truth can offer. 

Due to the spectacular performance of the cast, authentic storytelling, and the artful direction that Mira Nair has accomplished, not one part of “the Namesake” feels contrived – atypical of what Bollywood regularly offers.  I think this is the reason why Mira Nair is a cut above the rest. And maybe why Bollywood and some Indian friends I know sometimes resent her even when they shouldn’t. Mira Nair simply tells the story as she knows how – divided by the 2 cultures she obviously live with. We are all products of our past and our present, we should never, or at the very  least try not to, apologize for that.

I did not get the cryfest I wanted. Still, it was a good movie – more that what I have expected. Now if only I can have this need satisfied.

Inception (2010)

I finally had the chance to see Inception this morning. Staying at home with a toddler without any possibility of alternative childcare dictates that I wait for a new movie’s DVD release for me to see it. I’ve had the Blu-Ray with me since last week, but preparing for my daughter’s 3rd birthday party prevented me from seeing it sooner, despite my really wanting to do so.

There has been a lot of talk about this film, and I consciously prevented myself from reading anything about it on the chance that knowing them will ruin the experience for me. All I know is that it’s about lucid dreaming, a psychological idea that has always fascinated me and a movie plot that seldom fails to deliver entertainment. Inception was no exemption to those expectations.

There is no point discussing the movie’s plot by now, since all of the movie-going world has probably seen it before I did. Plus if you consider the hundreds of websites that have dedicated themselves in (over) analyzing its many levels and characters – it’s a futile effort. Did I like it? Of course I did, who wouldn’t? But I have to agree with the small majority who has been screaming to the top of their lungs for the past months since its release, asking the same questions I’ve asked myself after seeing it. What’s with all the hype??!

The visuals are stunning, the concept of different levels of consciousness and waking up from them only to find out you are still in one is interesting – but not nearly as mind-boggling as other sci fi films before it. Maybe I would be more impressed if I haven’t seen Scorcese’s Shutter Island or loved Vanilla Sky the way I do. If it was a pioneer in its visual display the way The Matrix was in its time, or at least as intellectually stimulating as The Man From Earth, The Thirteenth Floor, or the 90′s hit film The Lawnmower Man I’d be smiling from ear to ear. The plot within a plot within a plot has been done countless times. And while it is interesting to see how each layers of the puzzle unfold as one goes through the film, I personally think a film should offer something new to the table to make it worth one’s time – especially if it is more than 3 hours long.

All I’m saying is that, YES it is a good film, but definitely not great. If I can remember correctly, it is on Ebert’s Top 10 for 2010 – which maybe proves my theory that the reason why my movie-loving self was not as satisfied last year was because there weren’t a lot of wonderful films last year.

But I would have to admit, in this day and age where everything we have done in the past is recorded and when almost anything can be recalled by a search in Google – it is harder to be original now than before. Chris Nolan, however, still managed to do it. Incorporating the heist concept with lucid dreams as its backdrop while including the plot within a plot twists and a dose of action scenes and a romantic angle is, to say the least, genius in its own right. I am not sure how long it took him to develop the story after he has successfully identified his concept, but after watching the film I feel this sense of aspiration. Somehow knowing that this film could be done better - with the story being more cohesive, deeper, and overwhelming than how it was shown. That maybe if Mr. Nolan just thought about it more, or worked with the story longer, it would be the movie that I think it has the capability to be.

But what do I know. I am just a stay at home mom who loves films since the day I knew they existed. There are smarter and brighter people who understand why the world raves about Inception that way it does. I am simply just not one of them.

Spirited Away

 

Spirited Away is a fantasy-adventure film about a ten year old girl named Chihiro, who is on her way to a new home, leaving all her familiar friends and school behind. But on her way there with her parents, they missed a turn and they soon found themselves in an abandoned amusement park, which proved to be more than what it seems. It is actually a bathhouse for spirits, and Chihiro’s family is trapped. If Chihiro finds a way to conquer her fears, maneuver her way around to get a job at the bathhouse, and eventually rescue her parents who were transformed into pigs, then all will be well.  Spited Away is often proclaimed as Hayao Miyazaki’s best film to-date, and that is an exceptional thing to stay considering that most of his work is simply phenomenal. Its plot is somewhat in the same genre as Alice In Wonderland (literary nonsense genre) and it utilizes typical elements of the Japanese culture.  Just like most of his films, the traditional good and evil dichotomies are not present. It was more about maturity, environmentalism, the power of love and friendship, and some focus on feminism. But more than that, it also show undertones of motivation where the main character’s transformation is a clear example of the transitions into tthe motivations involved in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  

The influential Abraham Maslow coined the term “hierarchy of needs” describing how the different motivations that drives us can be ranked according to priority, with those at the bottom as needs that has to be attained prior to being motivated to achive the ones at the top. In Maslow’s hierarchy, only once the physiological needs (e.g. hunger, thirst) are satisfied, the next need that will motivate an individual is the need to ensure safety and survival. In the beginning of this movie when Chihiro realized that she was trapped in the spirit world and her parents whom she normally rely on were turned into pigs, she was scared. She thought she was in a dream, but when she realized she wasn’t, she cried and hid away from the spirits. But her fears were subdued when Haku, one of the bath house inhabitants who happen to be a river spirit, decided to help her. With Haku’s instructions she would be able to get out of the bathhouse and save her parents.  

Once an individual’s safety is assured, Maslow discusses that what will motivate our actions next are our need to be loved and belong. The first few shots of the film were inside a moving car, as Chihiro’s family is on their way to their new home. Chihiro laments that just as she was beginning to enjoy her old school and gain more friends, she now has to forget about them and start again. She instantly hated the idea of moving, as well as the idea of all the new things she is about to experience. Emotional battles similar to Chihiro’s according to Maslow, happen to all of us due to our need to be a part of a group.  We are then motivated to either reestablish old connections while in our new environment, or seek and build new relationships that could work and flourish while staying in the new environment. In Chihiro’s case, she soon befriended different characters in the bathhouse, all of whom are instrumental in completing various tasks. Haku instructed her that in order to devise a plan to help her parents, she needs to get a job at the bathhouse first so that she won’t turn into a pig like them. The boiler man, Kamaji, helped her secure a job with Yubaba, the ruthless and mean head honcho in the bathhouse. Lin, a worker in the bath house became her caretaker and mentor, showing her the ropes around the job and making sure she is always safe and fed. Later in the film she also befriended Zeniba, Yubaba’s kind twin sister, who showered her with love, affection, and praise.

Maslow’ s hierarchy places self-esteem needs, that stems from competence and success, come in next after achieving a sense of belonging. Chihiro’s character was depicted as a bit whiny in the beginning of the story, refusing to accept the many changes that are about to happen in her life. She complaints to her mom about trivial matters, and is shown to use whining as means of communicating what she wants. Lin and Kamaj’s first impression of her was that she was a brat who has never done a hard day’s work and they feel she won’t last a day in the bathhouse. But her persistence soon won them over. During her first few days at the bathhouse, she struggled with being in a strange place and not knowing the rigors of the job that nobody wanted to take her into their work teams. But eventually she was able to prove to others how she can toughen up and complete her everyday tasks with much efficiently. There was a particular scene in the film where in everyone in the bathhouse refused to entertain a particularly filthy stink god. Chihiro ended up dealing with it only to realize in the end that the stinky god was actually a very powerful and wealthy river god that became very dirty due to human pollution. Chihiro did a wonderful job helping release all the pollution the river has accumulated that the river god showered the bathhouse with golden pellets as a reward.

At the tip of Maslow’s pyramid is the individual’s motive to achieve his self-transcendence needs, which is being able to find meaning and identities that are beyond the sense of self. Chihiro’ s main motive into working hard in the bathhouse was for self-preservation and to find a way to help save her parents. But she soon realizes that there are other characters around her that needed some form of assistance too, whose needs are not necessarily bigger than hers, yet she knew she had to set aside her own motives to be able to assist them. Haku was being utilized by Yubaba as a henchman and she often instructs him to complete dangerous tasks. In the movie after completing one of Yubaba’s orders Haku bled to death and was almost killed if not for the immediate attention, care, and support that Chihiro provided to nurse him back to health. There was also a spirit in the story referred to as “no-face”, who became a terrifying monster after being surrounded by all the greediness and selfishness in the bathhouse. Chihiro helped no-face return to his usual calm and peaceful self, even if her assistance meant difficulty on her end. The beauty of all the kind deeds that Chihiro extended to the characters around her was that while she was doing them, events somehow conspired into solving her own problems as well. The story eventually ends to her safe return to the real world, all mature and toughened-up that a new school and a new place that used to intimidate her seems to be a trivial challenge especially after the things she has gone through.  

References:

Myers, David G. ” Psychology’s Current Perspectives”. Psychology. 9 ^th ed. 2010 Worth Publishers. p 446-447

Interesting Tips to New Parents

Like most parents, I turned myself into a scholar about pregnancy, newborns, and child development when I found out that I was expecting my first child. The week my doctors confirmed my pregnancy, I went to the library and borrowed all of the books that I can carry and read through all of them. Yet despite these best efforts, I still found myself struggling through the first few weeks with my newborn, and I am still as confused as most first time parents are, now that I have a giggly, soon to turn 3 year old, toddler. There are a lot of books available, and multitudes of articles in magazines and in the web about parenting tips and styles in every step of your child’s development. However, there is one book that I’ve been known to say to friends as “the only book that I should have read about parenting from birth to toddler years”. This is the renowned book by neurologist Lise Eliot Ph.D. titled “What’s Going On In There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life”.

Some of the information provided is the usual tips to first time parents like prohibition of alcohol, illegal drugs, and smoking, importance of touch and affection, etc. How this book differs from the other parenting books is the in depth scientific explanation of how each of these factors and the many incidences and environmental conditions that our child goes through affects his or her neural development. These, in consequence, affects how the mind develops. There are also substantial amount of information and research findings provided about the different stages of cognitive growth that I find amusing and were not discussed in most parenting books. Some of these interesting tidbits of information are as follows:

(1) The Effects of Psychological Maternal Stress.

Our sympathetic nervous system releases hormones that are responsible for our physiological adaptations to a stressful situation; i.e. the flight-or-flight response – accelerated heart beat, tunnel vision, shaking, etc (Flight-or-flight, p. 784). According to Eliot (2000), these flows of hormones can be experienced by the fetus too, but are not necessarily detrimental, unless the hormone levels get too high (p. 84).   She says that if in the extreme, these substance are thought to contribute to the formation of cleft lift, Down syndrome, newborn health problems like eczema, respiratory difficulty, higher incidence of miscarriages, low birth weight, premature birth, as well as fetal and neonatal brain functions like fussier, more irritable newborns, including some delays in mental and motor development (Eliot, 2000, p. 84). But Eliot (2000) also explicitly mentioned that the placenta protects the fetus from the mother’s stress hormones and it is capable of breaking them down into smaller concentrations (p.91). She also expounds that, endorphins, which rise during pregnancy modulate the flow of stress hormones, helping shield the fetus. (Eliot, 2000, p.92). So similar to the age-old advise of eating healthy when one is pregnant, mothers should also observe  ”thinking healthy”;  trying their best to have a well-balanced range of emotions and thoughts that will help maintain a more beneficial environment for the growth of the developing fetus.

(2) Sensory Development

The book goes into detail how the different senses (touch, sight, hear, taste, vestibular) develop from the embryo, to birth, and past infancy. She discusses the different sensory capabilities of newborns as well as well as the benefits of facilitating these experiences. She describes how the neuron pools (collection of neurons for certain functions) develop through formation of new dendrites and synapses in the brain which occurs every time an infant experiences something new or a certain behavior and/or observation is reinforced to them (Eliot, p. 28). She shares that when breastfeeding mothers were asked to ingest garlic pills prior to breastfeeding, 3-4 month old babies sucked longer and consume more milk, however, they don’t such more after a certain period of time – indicating that like adults, they get bored and prefer some variety (Eliot, 2000, p. 191). According to her, it is known that the perception of the full range of colors mature by 4 months of age, and experiments have shown that they are good at remembering colors than shape (Eliot, 2000, p. 217). Due to the way our brain processes colors, she recommends that babies respond more to the brightest and purest versions of red, blue, green, and yellow to enhance visual stimulations (Eliot, 2000, p. 217). Another fascinating study she discussed is the benefit of daily massages for infants. Massaged babies, when tested against those who were entertained with a toy, tested higher in detecting changes in auditory-visual stimulus (novelty preference test), which study has shown to correlate to higher IQ (Eliot, 2000, p.143).   

(3) Encouraging Motor Development

Eliot (2000) sites studies that prove the disadvantages of using an infant walker and how it consequently delays walking because it: (1) does not allow locomotor and balance skill development, (2) block’s baby’s view of their feet, an important visual feedback in learning to walk (p. 287). She also notes that the infant’s brain benefits from “gentle challenging” so the first step to encourage motor development in baby proofing the home after which, stimulating infant exercises such as holding their head up, rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing should be consistently encouraged (Eliot, 2000, p. 289).

(3) The importance of ” protoconversations”

According to Eliot (2000), these are the face-to-face, verbal interactions that baby do like cooing with intonations, hand and finger movements, the smile and excited facial expression, all of which the baby maintains as long as he or she has a conversational partner (p. 302). She informs that this, as well as imitation of the baby’s facial expressions usually done by parents, are essentials in their social development which are known to trigger emotional centers in the brain as well as play a vital role in language acquisition and the development of emotional exchange (Eliot, 2000, p. 303).  

(4) The Shy and the Bold Child

As a mother of an inhibited child, this aspect of the development of a child’s temperament and personality is very important to me. Temperament, the characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity, is considered as a genetic trait (Myer, p. 140). A study by Jerome Kagan, a Harvard psychologist, provided proof that timidity, regarded as mostly due to fear, is orchestrated by a more reactive amygdala which is part of the lower, more primitive, and less malleable limbic system (Eliot, 2000, p 318) While personality, the characteristic pattern of thinking, is influenced by the very plastic upper limbic structure – the cerebral cortex. Eliot (2000) postulates that from these studies as well as others, it is likely that an inhibited toddler will grow up to be a shy adult, but they usually also grow up to be good students since they are more afraid of failure and they enjoy solitary school-work more (p. 318). With the appropriate coaching from parents, their immediate social environment, and the presence of enriching opportunities, timid kids can still then have enjoying, satisfying, and very successful lives. A big sense of relief, especially to a worried mom like myself.

(5) The “Perfect” Parent.

According to Dr. Lise Eliot (2000), the perfect parent “if she (or he) existed, would devote herself full time to the care and teaching of her child” (p. 459). This does not simple mean taking time off from work, but entire sense of a mother’s personhood is taken over into rearing this little person: having the ideal, unmedicated delivery, breastfeeding until the child is potty-trained, spending all the mom’s hours enriching the child’s experiences, allowing her child to play with children of similar perfect parents, and attend various toddler classes and the perfect preschool, while being always on the top of her game on learning the latest child-rearing information and preparing more interesting activities for the child. Such a parent would really be ideal, but Eliot (2000) notes, “Then again, you have to wonder what children learn from parents whose only focus in life is their offspring” (p. 460). Whenever a friend worries that she is not being the best mother that she can be, I always say that no one can beat a mother’s best effort for her child. Anything better than that is impossible. As much as a healthy dose of paranoia is most of the time helpful especially to the first-time parent, we also need to trust in ourselves and all the evolutionary and cultural progresses behind our body and our society that will help us rear this special person that has been given to us.

  References:

Brosnan-Watters, Gayle L. “Fight-or-Flight Response.” Salem Health: Psychology & Mental Health. Ed. Nancy A. Piotrowski. Vol. 2. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2010. 784-787. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX2275200232&v=2.1&u=viva2_vccs&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w

  Eliot, Lise. “What’s Going On In There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life”. New York, NY: Bantam Book.

  Myers, David G. Psychology. 9 ^th ed. 2010 Worth Publishers. p 140

collectivist culture

this blog is turning out to be a repository of my writing assignments in class. apologies - to you who, for some crazy yet really (REALLY) good reason, reads these entries. when my life is no longer dictated by my course work, then maybe i will have the chance to write something for fun.

fun? ano yun?

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 I have been living in the US for the past four years, which is not a considerable length of time to erase the traces of the collectivist culture I am proud to be a part of. I was born and raised in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Our racial ancestry is mostly regarded as Malayo-Polynesian, similar to Indonesians, Malaysians, and some Vietnamese and Taiwanese groups. Just like most Asian cultures, we have strong affiliation to family. But the typical Filipino family is not just composed of the mother, father, and children. It includes the grandparents, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, and cousins up to the 3^rd or even 4^th degree, which are all collectively referred to as relatives. This is very important to a Filipino’s psyche that pivots around the concept of “togetherness” (kapwa); often classified as either other people” (“ibang tao”, meaning not part of the group), or not other people (“hindi ibang tao”, part of the group) which is, most of the time, composed of relatives and close family friends. As an example, Filipinos would not mind living in confined spaces among relatives or tell their deepest and most embarrassing secrets to friends in a text message, but they will definitely try to distance themselves when introduced to a stranger and would need a considerable amount of time to warm-up to them.

The bond we have to the group of people we consider as extensions of ourselves is steadfast, such that, most are willing to endure physical, emotional, and even social stigmas for the group’s and/or specific members of the group’s sake. Mothers and fathers working abroad tolerate the separation from their loved-ones, and sometimes even ill treatments and abuses, if it means that their jobs can help secure the future of their families. When united against a common enemy, Filipinos have the capability to show great strength as evidenced from the first bloodless People Power Revolution that ousted the dictator Ferdinand Marcos from presidency back in the 80’s. Education is very highly regarded since it is commonly the path towards financial security. Our value system is closely linked to its long history as a Catholic nation mixed with proportions of mysticism from pre-colonial times, and we eat about five small meals a day (like hobbits).

It goes without saying that this collectivist culture that I grew up with influenced me on my views about family, mate selection, and my career choices. As a kid our grades in school are often times the golden ticket to the toys we wanted and it also predetermines quantity of gifts we will receive come Christmas. My academic excellence was never just a measure of my abilities, but was also a measure of my parent’s skill in raising a child as well. Hence, my failures and successes are not just mine, but theirs too. This may have provided added pressure to me growing up, but I believe it propelled me to always strive to do better and make my parents happy and proud, while also knowing that they are always there to support and love me in every step of the way.

I ended up marrying my now husband whom I went to the same science high school and university with, though we only met during my senior year in college and his freshman year in graduate studies. Such is also the case for most of my Filipino friends, who either marry their college sweethearts or someone they met at work who, most often than not, they share the same profession with. Despite our many differences, my husband and I share the same goals.  Examples of which are securing the welfare of our family, serving our country as soon as we are able to, and living our lives to the fullest with respect to God. These are a few of the many values I would like my daughter to have when she gets older. But for now as a toddler, she is preoccupied with learning the basic things she needs to cope with life. I took time off from working to be a full time mom and be with her because we were not comfortable with the idea of a daycare service despite its commonality in the area. We all sleep in a family bed and we eat at least one meal together everyday. We are in constant communication with our friends and relatives back home thanks to various social networks and Internet phone services. Once I complete my nursing degree, we might ask one of the grandmothers to move in with us so that they can take care of my daughter – a task they have dreamed and planned of doing, ever since she was born.

if i have the power to redefine the US’ drug policy …

The current US’ drug policy basically view consumption of illegal drugs as a moral mistake, an act that consequently impacts the society in a negative way. This view is particularly evident in how the US government categorizes and defines drugs that are based on its “potential for abuse” or addiction, with Schedule 1 being those with highest potential and Schedule 5 with the lowest potential (Federal Drug, p1). Consequently, the punishments for usage of drugs are based on the same thing, with Schedule 1 receiving the harshest punishments possible and Schedule 5 the lightest (Control Substance Act, p1). Whether a drug is placed under which schedules has been highly criticized due to its inconsistencies and its tendency to be racist (Drug Policy, 2008). Not to mention, US’ programs of spraying large amounts of herbicides in the jungles of Central and South America, harming the farmers and natives below who have nothing to do with the drug trade but are left with severe health problems, food shortage issues, and robbing of their cultural heritage (Blumenson, 2002).

This is in contrast to the more liberal drug policy of Netherlands, where in the consumption of drugs is considered a health matter, therefore providing only 2 classifications: hard and soft drugs; with the government focused on health care and prevention while simultaneously directing aggressive enforcement efforts against organized crimes (Netherlands, p1). It may seem, based on these contrasting policies, the Dutch treasure individual freedom more – with their government playing no more than a background role on deciding issues of morality.

To me, a synthesis of these two contrasting drug definitions may better help society deal with the problems presented by drug addiction. I stand on my earlier definition that a certain drug should be deemed beneficial or not based on the context of how its usage aids in the survival or development of a society . This definition focuses on the capability of a certain drug to either be detrimental or good to a person as an individual and as part of a collective whole. It is guided by a principle based on harm prevention rather than frequency of usage, but still takes into consideration the societal impact of drug abuse as well as its health risks to the individual. Such a definition acknowledges that there are drugs that can be beneficial to the society, and that such benefits should be exploited. Also, an approach that centers on harm prevention would also allow more focus in educating individuals about drug abuse, treating those who are suffering from drug abuse, while also refraining from causing pain and violation of personal freedoms of other societies. If it is acknowledged that a society will never be “drug-free” since the usage of drug can be either good or bad dependent on the context of its usage, then the success of drug abuse prevention campaigns will not be measured based on percentage of users in a population, but based on decrease in diseases and deaths caused by drug abuse. Efforts will then be focused in preventing these ill effects to the society, and not on its consumption alone.

  References:

Drug Policy. Facts on File: Issues and Controversies. 11 April 2008. http://www.2facts.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/icof_story.aspx?PIN=i1300210&term=war+on+drugs

Control Substances Act. National Substance Abuse Index. http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/act1970.htm

Federal Drug Classification. National Substance Abuse Index.

http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/drugclass.htm

Blumenson, Eric. “How to Construct an Underclass, or How the War on Drugs Became a War on Education.” Suffolk University Law School. 1 Dec 2002

http://lsr.nellco.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=suffolk_fp

The Netherlands. Drug Policy Around the World.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/global/drugpolicyby/westerneurop/thenetherlan/

debate on science

I wrote this essay as my personal conclusion to our class debate on the use of science in understanding human behavior and interactions. I liked what I was able to come up with, so I’m posting it here. I know, I am my biggest fan. Since this is the only platform where I can share my thoughts (well, other than our group’s online discussion threads, LOL) – I have an excuse to be a bit narcissitic.

OK I’m sick and I need to feel good about myself. Is that more reasonable?

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I believe our group was able to argue about the importance and benefits of using a scientific discipline, such as Psychology, in understanding human behavior and their interactions with others. We have stated the infallibility of science as well as its objectivity, which is imbedded deeply in its very nature, the scientific method. I believe that though group 2 argued about science’s inability to study complex human behavior and interaction, we have provided adequate examples of scientific studies that very well target these questions. Whether they answer them adequately and completely NOW is, I think, an issue. But it is the very nature of the scientific discipline to improve upon itself. I believe it is basically just a question of time and development of better scientific tools that matters in the end. A change of framework in studying human behavior and interactions, from scientific to unscientific, would not only yield inconclusive results, it won’t get us anywhere into determining the answer to a majority of our psychological questions either.

I have extensive personal background in scientific research and discipline. But despite this, I personally believe that science is not the key to all of the human mind’s mysteries. As I have mentioned, science has the capability to explain all observable and measurable phenomena. But its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. For example, in trying to understand why a majority of the human population worships a higher being – science would be able to look into anthropological data and history of higher being worship. Science could check the neural pathways of individuals in spiritual trance to see how the behavior affects them physiologically. Social science and psychology could look into peer and individual mechanisms that triggers someone to worship as well as the sociological and historical benefits of the behavior. Numerous correlation studies can be created to see how worship affects other behavioral patterns, emotions, and biological manifestations.

What science, ultimately cannot answer, is the unobservable “why“. Would a person who lived remotely in an island-bubble without any interaction to the outside world, worship a higher being? If I can make a robot with advance artificial intelligence and I set it out to space without human interaction, would it create a need to worship a higher being? Such a scientific set-up would not be plausible and some scientific minds may argue that no such person or robot exists so asking such questions does not make a point. A similar question would be, what happened before big bang? A question that cannot be answered scientifically, because the big bang is generally regarded as the beginning (time = 0), and time = -1 does not exist (or is not observable), so there’s no point to discuss it.

But these questions, and others like it, exist. These are the philosophical questions that only philosophical reasoning, and not science – can answer. We could disregard it as immaterial and unanswerable. But the fact remains that such questions have been asked since the beginning of thought – from the Sophists (to Socrates and) Plato, down to Augustine, Rouseau, Kant, Nietzche, and their modern contemporaries Sarte, Rorty and Foucault. We ask it among friends in the dinner table or to ourselves before we sleep. The answers to unobservable why’s are necessary because we will not be able to paint a complete picture of the human being without it.

the foodie movie list

i only noticed now that i didn’t have a copy of this essay in this blog. i want to keep all these things i write about in one place, that way when i’m in the mood to look back at what i’ve done (like now…), i just look at one place. originally published at Blogcritics.com

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The Foodie Movie List

I am a person with two great passions in life: food and movies. When given the chance to watch a good movie where food is an integral aspect of the story, I’m in escapist heaven. I have compiled a list of the best foodie movies I’ve seen so far, though I’m always on the lookout for better ones. There are a handful of treasures in the world of foreign-language films that I have yet to explore and I’m bound to find great pieces there soon. A word of caution: don’t dare watch without a full and content stomach.

1. Big Night (1996)

Set in the ’50s, this is a story about two brothers who moved to the US from Italy with dreams of educating the dumbed-down American palate. Tony Shalhoub plays the perfectionist Primo, who never settles for second best — an attitude typical of most gifted chefs. Stanley Tucci, who wrote and directed the film, plays Secondo, the agreeable front man burdened by the bankruptcy their restaurant is facing, and which he feels Primo should care more about. To save their business from closure and themselves from defeat, Secondo orchestrates what can only be referred to as “the best meal of your life.” Timpano, a baked pasta dish said to contain all the best things; a sucking pig roasted to perfection; the most gorgeous spread of wine and cheese; risottos and omelets at their simplest and their finest are the dishes that make up Big Night. The movie is reminiscent of the classic Babette’s Feast where the food is the main character because without it, these wouldn’t be movies at all.

2. Like Water for Chocolate (1992)

A Mexican film based on a book of the same title. Set during the Mexican revolution, the story revolves around the life of Tita and her struggle to be happy. I consider this the most poetic and magical of foodie movies because of the metaphors present. Quail in rose petal marinade with chocolate sauce releases passion and lust, a wedding cake prepared with sorrow and regret brings people to tears, all made by the timid young Tita whose raw emotions overpower her — they overflow into the food that she makes and to those who eat it. I was also particularly impressed with the emphasis on generational influences and traditions that carried on by the meals that a family shares. How a cookbook can, like a photo album, narrate a family’s history with all its triumphs and failures. Another foodie feature was how the love of being in the kitchen is developed during the most formative years of life. This is basically why most good chefs could tell you their earliest food memory, which may well be the reason why they became chefs in the first place.

3. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994), Tortilla Soup (2001)

Eat Drink Man Woman, directed by Ang Lee, is set in Taiwan; the second is a remake directed by María Ripoll and is set in Mexico. Though similar in plot — a retired chef finds another life after single-handedly taking care of three daughters — the foods featured couldn’t be any more different. Both chefs are immigrants, masters of the cuisines of their respective home countries, China and Mexico, a talent they use to lure their respective daughters not just to the dinner table but back to their familial roots as well. These movies painstakingly and beautifully recreate the traditional recipes of these great cultures which probably get more camera time than the actors in the film. Some of Chinese dishes prepared include lotus flower soup, chicken wrapped in clay, steamed chicken and mushrooms, and chicken-cucumber salad. The Mexican recipes include squash bottom blossom, porcupine cookies, panuchos, cactus salad, and, of course, the movie’s namesake, tortilla soup. A critic might claim that the food gets more story development than the characters, but I think that is exactly what these movies intend — that the cooking and eating of food in itself can make memorable movies. And that is exactly what these are.

4. Babette’s Feast (1987)

A Danish film considered by many to be the best foodie movie prior to Big Night. The film is about two pious sisters living a life set by their pastor father who founded his own Christian sect. One night of an extraordinary French dinner prepared by their helper Babette breaks down ancient rivalries, re-awakens old loves, and removes biased superstitions and distrust. Being set in 19th century rural Europe somehow makes this film a bit of a drag in the beginning, but all the pieces of the story carefully culminate in the climax of the film which is Babette’s feast, where she ceremoniously gives up everything in the name of luxury and high taste. What can be more French than that?

5. Chocolat (2000)

Probably the first foodie movie I saw at an early age, Chocolat is about a nomadic gypsy chocolatier and her struggles to be accepted in a town with a strict and traditional moral framework. The love for food is oftentimes frowned upon by the most conservative and religious, who claim that such devotion to the most sensual of human creations leads to sins of the mind (greed) and of the flesh (lust). Chocolate has a long history of such a reputation. Using this most infamous delicacy as a metaphor for the blurring lines between good versus evil is the reason why this movie is successful. If you ever thought less about chocolates, seeing this would probably change your mind. The film is a visual feast of mouth-watering confections made beautifully using artisanal tools and techniques. What a shame most people think of Willy Wonka for chocolates in film when this jewel is much more tasteful.

6. Delicatessen (1991)

Set in an undisclosed post-apocalyptic period in France, when food is so rare grain is the currency. This is a story about a group of people living in an apartment building managed by a butcher who feeds them and manages their lives and their dinner table. This is not a film with shots of appetizing food, nor is this a film with a passionate chef. Then why is it included in this movie list? Because for once, and probably never again, vegetarians are the heroes, a premise you may never see in any French film, much less in a foodie one. It would be difficult to discuss the movie’s details without spoilers so I won’t go into that. You may not like what it suggests, but for sure you will love watching it.

7. Waitress (2007)

If you love Keri Russell, then you’ll immediately fall for this film. It’s witty, heartwarming, simple, and endearing, the perfect comfort food that nourishes a tired soul. Russell plays Jenna, a waitress in a small town diner who also has the responsibility of making an original pie everyday, a responsibility usually inspired by her frequently crummy life. She comes up with the best possible combination of ingredients and brands them with an unusual and silly name like “I Hate My Husband Pie” or “Pregnant Miserable Self-Pitying Loser Pie.” This may not be a movie that celebrates food and eating, but I adore how the pies are woven into the storyline, making them an integral and memorable part of the film. A lot of Hollywood-based movies have tried doing that in the past but they have never succeeded the way Waitress does. How this romantic comedy comes to its ending is both charming and realistic — it’s a must see for everyone.

8. Mostly Martha (2001)

The American film No Reservations with Catherine Zeta-Jones is a direct adaptation of this German film about a chef without a life other than her work, which she is devoted to.  Mostly Martha, like most foreign-language movies, does not rely on the typical derivative Hollywood characters and is vastly superior to the American remake. The script is conversational, the plot as real as what life often throws your way, and the characters are relatable, yet the film is still as entertaining. Recently I’ve been watching a lot of foreign language movies and have learned to appreciate them for their simplistic beauty, for how the art imitates life instead of embellishing it. Mostly Martha is that kind of film. On the foodie angle, it will help you understand (if you haven’t yet) that being a good chef is not simply creating that one fabulous meal. It is a profession that requires consistent perfection, crazy-like dedication, precision and mastery. It may be a prestigious career these days, but it is not easy labor.

Runners-up:

Sideways (2004)

A great movie which either makes you want to know more about wine or hate all the pretentious talk about it. I loved it but since it was more into wines than food…

Woman on Top (2000)

Probably the best food porn ever made, especially with Penelope Cruz in it adding to the sizzle. I salivated over the Brazilian food featured but the storyline was too dull for my taste. Too much rubbing also created serious doubts about whether I’d enjoy my fish baked in banana leaves despite its being gorgeous on my plate.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/video/article/the-foodies-movie-list/page-4/#ixzz0y8fGsTEL

my “meet-cute” list

No, it’s not a meet-up with a cutie.

The first time I heard the term “meet-cute” was while watching “The Holiday”, a film with Kate Winslet where she had a house swap with Cameron Diaz during Christmas break. It was mentioned by the elderly neighbor (Arthur, played by Eli Wallach) in the scene when he was lost and Kate helped him find his house.  He told Kate’s character that he enjoyed their “meet-cute”, after which he explained what he meant.

The Urban Dictionary describes “meet-cute” as: “Scenario in which two individuals are brought together in some unlikely, zany, destined-to-fall-in-love-and-be-together-forever sort of way (the more unusual, the better).”

The term, popularized by Roger Ebert and other film critics, is one of the most crucial point in any romantic comedy film. If the meet-cute is too ridiculous to be sweet, or too pragmatic to be funny, then it’s a downward spiral from then on.

I actually have tons of work to complete, but I just don’t have the heart to do them! So I figured, maybe I’ll do this instead – waste about 1 or 2 hours of precious study time – then maybe I’ll feel pressured enough to get my brain working again. Anyway, so here’s my list. Not in any particular order:

(Disclaimer: If a movie makes this list, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s a great romantic comedy film. It just has a great meet-cute scene.)

(1) Notting Hill: Hugh Grant’s character spills orange juice on Julia Robert’s shirt.

(2) My Big Fat Greek Wedding:  John Corbett walks into a greek restaurant, Nia Verdalos’ character looks like a clueless zombie. John’s friend asks for more coffee, she pours coffee in John’s cup.

(3) My Sassy Girl: the girl, drunk and barely alive in a train station, saved by a boy who ended up carrying her through the streets, and up a flight of stairs.

(4) Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind: Clementine and Joel in a beach party, Joel sitting in the stairs far from the crowd – Clementine nearby then she says, “Hi, I’m Clementine. Can I have a piece of chicken?”

(5) Fools Rush In: While standing in a bathroom queue in a Mexican restaurant, Matthew Perry’s character allowed Selma Hayek’s character to go in front of her, and not at the end of the line.

(6) Something’s Gotta Give: Jack Nicolson was dating Dianne Keaton’s daughter and during a romantic rendezvous in her Hampton beach house, she mistakes Nicholson as a drunk/bum/intruder.

(7) 50 First Dates: Drew Barrymore’s character playing with her waffles in a diner, Adam Saddler approaches and helps fix her waffle house’s door.

(8) Wimbledon: Paul Bettany’s character was given the wrong hotel room when checking in for the tournament, he walks into Kristen Dunst’s room instead.

(9) Definitely, Maybe: Ryan Reynold’s character (idealist, starry-eyed politician) discusses Clinton’s politics while getting photocopies from Isla Fisher’s copy girl character.

(10) The American President: Annette Bening as an environmental lobbyist, trying to impress her boss, made sly remarks about the president (Michael Douglas), not knowing he was already in the room.

(11) Reality Bites: Winona Ryder, throws her cigarette into Ben Stiller’s convertible, causing him to crash.

(12) 500 Days of Summer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Dechanel inside an elevator. Joseph’s character thought Zooey is a snob, then she mentions that she loves “the Smiths” and she sings “to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die”.

(13) Meet Joe Black: Brad Pitt’s character, inside a phone booth talking to her little sister. Claire Forlani listens in to the conversation. They sit by the bar, adding cream and sugar to their coffees in graceful precision.

(14) Ever After: Drew Barrymore’s Cinderella character hits the Prince with apples, thinking he was stealing their horse.

(15) Baz Luhrman’s Romeo+Juliet: Romeo, washing his face to regain his mental functions after taking a pill from Mercutio – sees Juliet across a fish tank.