I was at work the other day, and while sitting at the computer doing my work I noticed something crawling out of the corner of my eye. As I looked over to see what it was, I was shocked to see a rather large spider. As it came closer I became increasingly horrified, as I am quite, irrationally, scared of spiders. It is something about all their slender, flexible legs and the way they can move so quickly, and even appear to fly through the air sometimes, that simply sends shivers up my spine. So I jumped up, gather all my things and moved away from the desk. I carefully kept my eye on it as it roamed about the room until I eventually lost sight of it. However I was too scared to sit back down and do my work, in fear that it would creep up on me once again. Thus, I stood guard for the remainder of my time at work. Needless to say, I did not get much work done that day, as this event occurred with about an hour to go before I could leave. I am now always a little apprehensive and on my toes when I go in to work…
I want to go to Rome to eat
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Last night I saw an Italian movie in which a central theme was food, of course. Italian food is like no other food in the world. I have not been everywhere in the world and have not tried all the foods of the world, because you can truly only experience the real thing in the home country, as imitations in other parts of the world are never up to par, but I don’t even need to try others because Italian is simply the best. Not only is its taste exquisite, it also looks so beautiful. The bright colors of the fruits and vegetables and the freshness of the meat and seafood is simply to die for. Having lived in Italy for eight years and then moving to America, I cannot say how much I miss real, genuine Italian food. In Italy, cooking and enjoying food together is truly an art. It is much more than simply eating for the sake of eating…it is a celebration!
Mad Men
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Have you seen it? It’s pretty incredible.
Although the 5th season just began a couple of weeks ago, I only recently started watching Mad Men this past summer. I gradually began watching it and as I learned of the 5th season starting in March, it was a mad dash to watch the first four seasons in their entirety before the fifth began. As I spent most all of my free time watching Mad Men, I was sad as I approached the end of the fourth season, thinking my intense love affair with Mad Men was about to come to an end. Now that the fifth season has started, it is a bit difficult for me to remain interested in it seeing it so seldom, only once a week, and only one episode at a time. I looooveeeed Mad Men before, so for me to say that is quite a big deal. I still like the show immensely, but there certainly is a difference between watching as much as you want whenever you want, and having to wait one week before seeing the next episode and for only a short time.
That being said, I still believe Mad Men is one of the best shows on television. Perhaps I am biased because I am very drawn to anything regarding the 60s. The style – the clothing and the furniture – drive me crazy! I want to possess all of it. And I mean that in the least greedy way possible. I simply admire the modern design. The characters and the various stereotypes of the time that they represented in the show are fascinating. And as the show has evolved from its beginning until its present state, it is likewise fascinating to see how the characters have developed, namely Don and Peggy. I have really grown fond of and close to the characters, as I feel connected to them even though they are simply fictional characters. I think this phenomenon is quite common, if not universally common to many television shows, films, and literature, and what draws us to these art forms.
I suppose all we can do is see where this new fifth season takes us and hope for the best!
Philosophy, as a way of life
0I am currently a college student, a senior, majoring in Philosophy, and last week I took my senior comprehensive exam needed in order to graduate. It was a grueling four hour exam, but I felt rather accomplished afterward and so relieved and happy when I found out that I had passed two days later. Reflecting back on my time studying philosophy, in light of the exam, I am reminded of how happy I am that I chose the philosophical path as opposed to any other area of study.
Philosophy saves my soul. It truly does. And this is why I decided to study philosophy. There is something about the possibility of acquiring ultimate truths about the world that makes one feel complete and accomplished. As I study various philosophers with differing viewpoints, I have to sift through them and decide which ones I seem to agree with, for the time being anyway, as they can always change, as I believe life is a constant evolution of new ideas and perspectives based on experiences. But once I find one, or a few that I like, I follow them and they become a way of life for me. That’s what I think is so great about philosophy – it can guide you and become a way of life that you embody, and, as philosophy’s goal is to attain ultimate truths about things and find true happiness, that way of life is very rewarding and, in my opinion, far superior to a life unexamined. This is how philosophy saves my soul, and I am so thankful everyday that I did indeed go down the philosophical path of inquiry and self-fulfilment.
Always looking to east, in search of peace
0I often go to the east coast to visit family, and while I’m out there I try to do a bit of self-searching (whatever that means) and find peace. Although I go there fairly often, I think of each time as a kind of escape from the everyday that I’m used to. Not that there is anything particularly spectacular or peaceful where my family is, a small town in Massachusetts, but it is surrounded by the Berkshires, which are quite nice. They hardly count as mountains, rather small, but there is something about them that’s inspiring. Sometimes, surrounded by the mountains, one can feel very isolated from the rest of the world because it seems like there’s no way out. But, on the other hand, it’s as if you can’t leave until you’ve accomplished some level of self-discovery or reached a bit of peacefulness, for me at least. Sometimes this happens and sometimes it doesn’t. But it is always worth the pursuit.
I wish life was like a picture book that we could look at
0I wish life was like a picture book that we could look at…
The implication of the connection between memories and our present state
0Memories – what really is their significance beyond simply being memories? When they go beyond only being memories and take hold of our present, when their reality should stay in the past and only linger in the present as memories…but perhaps sometimes we just don’t have the will power to keep them in the past.
Does it ever scare you that your best times in life may be in the past and that you may never experience life as fully or happily as you did at one time? What if the best is already past and not yet to come? This is a scary thought that sometimes hovers over me as I struggle to expel it because I know full well that the past is past and cannot be brought back.
What about how memories relate to the present? I mean, personally, I think we tend to think of the past and relish in memories in a way that immortalizes them and makes them seem better than the events actually were. When I think of certain memories, I associate a distinct feeling with them, and I would do anything to experience that feeling again in the present. But maybe I did not experience the feeling in that moment in the past, but am experiencing it more vividly now in this present moment as I look back on it. Therefore, the memory in the present is almost better than the memory in the past. So perhaps I should not lament the memories and wish they return, but rather relish in the present and enjoy the recollection the memories. Also, in this way, our memory of the past is a false one if it does not accurately represent how we felt in that moment in the past, but rather represents how we are experiencing the memory of the past in the present…
The inevitable injustice…
0Don’t you ever stand back to look at the world and hate the way it works?
There is such a vast disconnect between good and evil in the world, the two extremes never meet and face each other, and therefore the gap between them becomes increasingly more vast. What can be done about this scares me to think that it is virtually an impossible problem to solve.
When thinking about what I want to do with my life I feel that, as a relatively privileged member of society, it is my duty to help others. Not in a charity kind of way, but in a way that can positively make a long-lasting change. Perhaps the obvious way to do this is by working for non-profits for various causes. Or get in involved in the government. The problem with trying to make a change like this is that despite all the hard work you put into it, someone may come along and destroy everything you’ve done. This is the heartbreaking possibility that one must realize when endeavoring to make a change.
With so many tragic problems in the world, where does one begin? This is certainly a struggle I have tried to overcome. What issue or issues have priority? There is certainly no easy answer, so perhaps the one you have to go with is the one you are most passionate about, even if there may be many more pressing matters. Another struggle I face, is in which way I want to help make an impact. It is not an easy decision, as I want to do what would bring about the most positive impact, and it is hard to tell which way that is until ventured…
My obsession with all things Scandinavian
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As of late, or actually for about a year now, I’ve had this fascination with anything having to do with Scandinavia. I suppose it started when I saw the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy and fell in love with the scenes of Sweden, the Swedish language, and the overall feeling of the films (setting aside the plot). For the record, I fall in love with a lot of things, least of all people. My interest in Sweden continued when I saw a Swedish band perform at an international music festival this past fall in Bloomington, IN called Movits! Once again, I loved the Swedish language, and their energy and style was amazing. Later in the fall I attended a lecture by a Swedish woman who spoke about women’s suffrage in Sweden. The content of the lecture was interesting, but most of all her personality was fun, which leads me to believe that perhaps the Swedish people as a whole possess good characters. I hope anyway, so as not to be disappointed when I visit one day!
I became further intrigued by Scandinavia when my family and I were talking about taking a trip to Belgium, Denmark, and Holland this summer. I’m not sure whether it will really materialize, but the thought of it certainly evoked excitement in my interest of Scandinavia.
I can only imagine how beautiful the landscape and wilderness is in Scandinavia – I picture forests and hills, and beautiful snowy plains, accompanied of course with animals that remind us how to be graceful in their promenade. What I’ve seen in pictures and movies of the architecture is stunning and certainly unique to the area. How nice it would be to live on a canal…
Perhaps the final thing, for now at least, that inspires my interest in all things Scandinavian is the style, that of interior spaces and furniture. My grandparents have a house full of Scandinavian furniture, which I adore! It’s such a nice quality of wood and the simple, modern, and elegant style is nice to look at, comfortable, and inviting. I’ve also been to a Scandinavian furniture store in Bloomington, IN, once again, and I wish I could buy the whole store! Or at least live in the store…I can’t forget IKEA, while cheap, mass produced furniture, elegant and most importantly, Scandinavian! I also love Scandinavian textiles, the patterns…! Well, I could go on, but I’ll refrain.
Can’t wait to visit all of Scandinavia someday…adventures! Also, I want to see the Northern Lights…what a spectacular show that must be.
Prague, the fairest of them all
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Leaving places and people is a hard thing to do, especially not knowing when if ever you’ll seem them again.
I just got back from Prague, a sad event at that, as I miss it terribly already and there is not much I can do about it. As I’ve slowly made my way back to Indiana, I’ve thought about those I said goodbye to in Prague. The journey to Prague was not exactly a vacation, but rather a serious family matter that my mother needed to take care of. While we were there I met various family members, including my great uncle Milos, by whom I am absolutely enchanted. He is so charming and endearing that I could not help fall a little bit in love with him. He is getting older and has therefore become increasingly helpless. Enter my mother to help him with serious matters. While my mother was helping him with various things, I became increasingly saddened by his situation, which has led me to think about him often and worry about how he is doing. The hard part about leaving people is thinking about what they might be doing in your absence and whether or not they are ok.
Not all of the trip was a sad affair. I fell in love with Prague the minute we got there – the airport, one’s first introduction to the city, is so elegant, and furthermore the drive through Prague down the hill from the palace to the center of town is magical. My favorite thing about Prague was simply walking throughout the city because it is so beautiful and magical. That is really the only way I can describe it, magical. It’s like a dream. Everywhere you look there are beautiful buildings and cafes, and the cobblestone streets are charming. The dogs in Prague seem to walk without a leash and are a very obedient, not to mention adorable. The crosswalks are not directed by traffic lights, so cross at your own risk (But the cars are always very attentive and do actually stop! haha). Prague at night is probably even more beautiful than Prague during the day, as everything is lit up and the lights give it such a romantic feeling. Prague at night was probably my favorite thing about the whole trip. The Charles Bridge is just as imposing as it looks in the pictures, with beautiful statuary lining the whole bridge and both ends of bridge decorated with dark towers and green-roofed domes, a combination which is quite striking.
As a dear friend pointing out to me as I was telling her about the trip, perhaps the reason it was such a great trip is because it was unexpected. I was not particularly excited about the trip beforehand, but I was extremely pleasantly surprised by what I discovered there. It was also such a pleasure to meet family members, of whom I was not previously acquainted with and who have greatly enriched my life just in the short time I have known them. It was also very interesting to learn about some family history, as my mother’s side of the family is all from the Czech Republic and has been through so much with both the German and Russian occupations of the country. The trip was honestly life-changing for me, as I now have an even greater desire than I did before to move to Europe, particularly Prague. I miss it so much already and can’t wait to go back, but for now I often look at pictures and postcards I have covered my walls with and daydream about my next time in Prague…
gooollysandra 