All Good Things Must Come To An End

I have absolutely nothing to write about! With the year’s end creeping closer my ideas are running out and this may very well be my final blog post. Right now, at this very second in time, 8:56 am on May 25^th 2012 I am amongst my classmates as we all struggle desperately to finish our blog post requirements for the year. Everyone, except for three students, is arching over their computer screens either writing their blog posts of pretending to do so. For some of us it is overjoying to think that this post may be our last, while others silently mourn about how this is their last post, and of course we have those that are barley starting to write their first of three blog posts with the excuse that “I have all weekend to work on it”.

Every so often there is a beep from a Facebook message reaching a student who has forgotten to mute their computer followed by everyone else looking at the bottom right of their screen, double checking that they have not made the same mistake. However, all the students seem to be working appropriately despite the secret Facebook tab amongst the various others: Blog Ideas for Dummies and Blogger.com. But now, seeing as I have reached the word count requirement for the blog post I guess I will say my final goodbyes. It has been a good year and I have posted lots of acceptable work and honestly I am quite proud of this blog, but all good things must come to an end right? So goodbye, and remember…

Just Follow the Yellow Brick Road

FINALS Approch

The year is coming to a rapid close, projects are approaching deadlines and the anticipation of finals is in the air. As dead week creeps closer the questions about the finals begin to emerge, some students are going mad with questions. What will be on the test? Will we need to know Malaysia? Can you give us a study guide? But of course with a variety of questions comes a variety of answers from teachers. Some give us detailed descriptions of the test, some simply say “The test will be made for you,” and others like to leave it as a “surprise”.

Your never know, stress could lead to this!

The stories of last year’s finals also begin to arise from the higher ups in the student hierarchy. “The English final will leave your fingers twitching with pain” and “Half the class cried after the Math final last year” they say with a dead serious tone, it’s quite scary. The idea of such a magnitude that it can ruin your grades if failed is poisoning to a 9^th grade mind you know. It fills us up with terrifying thoughts of failing the test. However, everyone knows in the back of their mind that when we all approach the lined up desks in the fluorescently lighted room we are all going to be fine; and although everyone’s eyes dash back and forth trying to read the emotions of our companions, in the end we are all going to be relieved and believe me, there is no better feeling.

The Scorch Trials

Lately I have not been reading very much independently and honestly, its technology’s fault. I will just admit it now; I am weak when it comes to the temptation of technology, so naturally the desire to read is suppressed by this temptation. Fortunately I have read a variety of books anyways amongst them is The Scorch Trials. The Scorch Trials is a continuation of a book in my previous posts, The Maze Runner. The Scorch Trials begins with the same characters as in the Maze Runner; however, they find themselves once again in another life or death situation in which they are the guinea pigs for a scientific experiment meant to “save the world” from certain destruction. The kids in the story, having been thrown into a barren waste land of dust and the scorching sun must work together to get through the Scorch Trials alive.

The book was interesting to read, yet does not rank very high if I had a list of my favorite books. It was a book with a tremendous amount of mystery to it, maybe too much of it? It was because of this huge amount of mystery that the beginning seemed boring and confusing; however, as the book picked up it was full of climatic moments and intriguing scenes. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I think that it could have been much more interesting with less of a mystery factor to it.

Shark Night

Recently, I watched a movie with a friend of mine called Shark Night and let me just say that the movie is quite nerve racking. It is the story about six collage kids who go to saltwater lagoon to celebrate the end of their semester. However, they are not aware that three people in the lagoon have let out 46 sharks out into the lake to record the attacks and sell them. Like any movie you know that everyone will die except for the main character and their boyfriend/girlfriend, for this reason it was difficult to accept that most of the characters had to die, considering every character had an individual yet fun personality that you had a small connection to as the audience. Another aspect that impacted me was the horrid personality of the “bad guys” in the film who saw fun in watching people die through shark attacks, one of them even referred to one of the attacks as a “Happy Hour”. However, their sick minded attitude was made up for when they were all killed by sharks. Overall, it was quite a suspenseful film, so suspenseful in fact that by the end of it I was sick to my stomach; and making the impact stronger was the fact that I was going to the beach the next day…

As you can imagine the combination of a shark movie and a beach trip is not the best for any teenagers mind. I did get into the water; don’t get me wrong, I was not terrified but there were times where I could see my feet dangling from the surface of the water and the Jaws theme song played within the depth of my mind. Not to mention the thought of having a face like the one below looking at me from the depth of the salty water.

 

I’m sure you could understand why it was not the best trip to the beach I’ve ever had.

Here is the link to my friend’s blog who also took interest in writing about the movie: http://anonymousinterviews.blogspot.com/2012/02/terror-en-lo-profundo-shark-night.html

Anime!

So recently I have been watching an anime show that I have been following for quite some time now called Naruto. It is quite incredible although I have to watch it by reading the English subtitles since I don’t speak Japanese; but that is just a minor negative feature to watching the show. It is full of suspense and has a detailed well-structured story line that can affect the viewer greatly at times, which is probably why even those who read the subtitles at times get obsessed; and as much as I hate to admit it I feel that I am obsessed with the show, its naturally addicting.

Now, I don’t know if lots of people have seen the show but it has rapidly expanded its viewer’s rates and is growing to a global level, they have already created an English dubbed version! However, the dubbed versions always come out much later and I like to stay updated with the show. Besides hearing the original voices to any show or movie greatly changes the rate of how you interoperate the show, even if they are in another language. Overall, if you have not seen Naruto or heard of it I recommend it to you, and although you may not like it depending on your taste it has definitively addicted me to a certain point that at times embarrasses me.

Winter Break

We have some back from winter vacation of two weeks now and I was planning to update you on my trip. For my vacation I went to Brazil, more specifically Rio and Iguaçu Falls, unfortunately Rio was rainy the whole time we were there, cloudy skies and beaches just don’t match up to well don’t you think? However, the weather in Iguacu Falls made up all the bad days in Rio, clear skies and a blazing sun ALL day long. This trip was my first ever to a country which spoke a language I did not making it a different experience. It was different to be in a place where you could not communicate, using your hands and facial expressions to simply ask for an empanada at a bakery; to top it all off my dad was convinced he could communicate so he read out loud every portuguese sign we saw simply to embarrass my sister and I.

Iguacu Falls were amazing! Never had I seen so many waterfalls in one place, the vegetation and scenery of the entire area was beautiful indeed. We decided to go under the water falls… twice; once in the Brazilian side and once on the Argentinean (I Honestly Preferred the Brazilian Better). On our flight back home I had the luck of being sick, and trust me it is the most terrible feeling in the world to be on a plane for 6 hours with a plugged nose and terrible stomach ache. Overall, the one con to the trip in my opinion was that retched flight to Caracas. 

What has Happened To Disney?

I’m going to be a little bit off topic again with this post. So I was watching some videos the other day of YouTube when I saw one particular video about the Lion King. As I have mentioned earlier, Disney’s “Lion King” is the only movie that surpasses the Wizard of Oz and I realized I had never spoken about the movie on this blog before today. I don’t know particularly why the movie is so appealing to me; I’m not sure if it is because I first saw it when I was young and really enjoyed it or if it simply is an incredible movie.

Anyways, the Lion King tells of this free land in Africa which is ruled by a pack of lions. The main character is the son of the king, his name is Simba. However, one particular member of the royal line is evil, the king’s brother and Simba’s uncle, his name is Scar. Scar had always envied the king (His Brother) and one day formulates a plan with the infamous hyenas in order to take the throne; this plan was one which involved the death of the king and the heir to the throne (Simba). The plan succeeds to the point where the king is killed; however, Simba manages to escape from the grasp of the hyenas.

I believe what most appealed to me in this film was how free the world was. The story line being so pure yet intriguing, I honestly don’t know what has happened to the old Disney films, better said, the GOOD Disney films. Now-a-days movies are filled with complicated story lines that are overly confusing. I miss those classic films of The Lion King, Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, etc. What ever happened to the greatness of that movie era? Are we cursed to producing “realistic” movies from now on with complex plots? Is this was our advancements in movie making have brought us? I wonder if maybe, someday, we will get the chance to produce another one of those movies that use to fill me with laughter, but, I doubt it will happen…

The Son of Neptune

Today I’m going to talk about another book; however, this specific book does not fall under the Wizard of Oz category. The book is called The Son of Neptune and is written by one of the New York Times’ bestselling authors, Rick Riordan. Although the book is slightly off topic, it still reflects a lot of fantasy and mythology. Riordan likes to write books about ancient civilizations and their gods, they are based mostly on mythology and mythological events and people; Riordan has written books about Egyptian gods such as the Kane Chronicles, about Greek gods which is the famous Percy Jackson Series, as well as the Roman series known as The Heroes of Olympus. The book Son of Neptune is part of the Heroes of Olympus Series. I enjoy his manner of writing because without realizing it, you learn incredible facts about the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and their gods.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD! The specific story, Son of Neptune, is one where the world is in a great crisis. The earth, Gaea, otherwise depicted as our loving Mother Earth in modern time, is planning on overpowering the gods and restarting the world from scratch using her children, the giants. To help stop this from happening, the main characters, Percy (Who has lost his Memory), Frank, and Hazel must go to the land beyond the gods (Alaska) and try to put a halt in Mother Earth’s plans. Throughout their quests they meet Northern Giants, Giant Birds, and Sisters of Medusa, all the events adding to the overall excitement on the novel. The Son of Neptune is full of thrills and adrenaline; it is a book which I would recommend to all those who enjoy fantasy and mythology.

Wicked, The Musical

So this past summer I was able to watch the play Wicked, based on the book written by Gregory Maquire. Although I thought the play was amazing, I have never read the book; neither do I intend to do so. I feel there is no point to reading it if the story line is already known to me, it would just be boring because I would be reading something I already know the ending to. (Warning Spoilers Ahead) The play is based on the “true” story of the notorious Wicked Witch of the West in which she is not wicked at all! The Wicked Witch or Alphaba, which is her real name, was an outcast; she was often made fun of and discriminated against because of her green skin which no one could understand, or accept, yet she was always kind and remained pure to her heart.

One day, when she must take care of her paralyzed sister (Wicked Witch of the East) at a school for magicians, Alphaba meets a friend she can rely on. This friend was none other than Galinda (Good Witch of the North), although they considered each other friends they were also rivals which competed for a spot as a magician trainee under the watchful eye of the head master Madam Morrible. Madam Morrible later discovers Alphaba’s hidden magical powers, which enables Alphaba to join the great and powerful Oz in the emerald city.

However, Oz is an evil man, he uses Alphaba’s powers to restrain and commit heinous crimes against all animals. Upon discovering Oz’s ideals Alphaba runs away and becomes known as the wicked witch of the west. Then, Madam Morrible has an idea, an idea that will bring Alphaba out of hiding, so Madam Morrible suggests a change in the weather (Weather is her Specialty). It is here where an old Kansan house is lifted off the ground and dropped on a certain Wicked Witch of the East, Alphaba’s sister…

Now There's an Ending!

I did it! I finished book one in the Oz Series, and it was incredible! The ending was ten times better than the movie’s dream crushing ending. I still can’t believe how much more superior the book is to the movie. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD The book ends very simply, the cowardly lion was final king of the forest, the lovable tin man became king of the Winkies (Former Subjects of the Wicked Witch of the West) and the thoughtful scarecrow was ruler of the Emerald City, which welcomed him warmly. Most importantly however, Dorothy got back home safely and wasn’t dreaming in the end! You could imagine my joy when I discovered it wasn’t a dream; you could almost feel my childhood dreams streaming back to me!

One major aspect of the book that differed from the movie in a large scale was the way Baum portrayed Dorothy’s companions. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD Baum made the characters act in an ironic manner in comparison to their feelings. For example, the tin man complained that he was heartless, however, in the dark forest when he steps on a bug he cries for half an hour. The cowardly lion claims to fear other creatures but jumps into battle when Dorothy is attack by flying monkeys. Finally, the scarecrow weeps for brains; however is the group’s true mastermind. I found it amusing that Baum made the characters act in such a contradicting manner. These descriptions made me realize that even if people think they lack essential traits, they are still present and are certain to surface.

What the Book is About...

So I have just recently begun reading the first book in the Oz series, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by Frank Baum and am enjoying it more than the movie! The book is full of details that clear up any questions one may have about the movie. For example, at the start of the story (both in the movie and the book) Baum describes the setting as gray and dull; in order to emphasize how Dorothy’s old life lacked color and joy. The author tells us that the Kansas sun has bleached the color from the land and its inhabitants, only to later emphasize the queerness radiated off of the Land of Oz. The book is very simple which amuses me because I do not need to make an effort to understand what Baum is trying to infer. In the introduction of the book Baum explains how fairy tales have evolved over time and how he wrote the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in order differ from the average fairy tale format and create something new. Although I am enjoying the book, I was told by my English teacher that it is the worst one of the series, surprising me entirely; now I’m anxious to read the next books and hopefully finish all thirteen books before the end of the school semester. So if you have not yet read the book I recommend 100% that you do! Until then… remember to keep following The Yellow Brick Road!

Why a Dream?

A few days ago I was reading a friend of mine’s blog, Sincerely Me, and one of the posts reminded me of the Wizard of Oz. It was about dreams. As you know the Wizard of Oz is an incredible movie, however there is one aspect of it that I truly disliked; the ending. Now, some of you may think I am hypocritical but I’m not! The ending was terrible! The movie showed incredible scenes of fairy tales and witches; and for what? To be ruined by the fact that it was all a dream!

Imagine it in my point of view, the first time I ever watched the Wizard of Oz I was about eight or nine years old. I watched it joyfully, overtaken by the incantation presented to me through the magical world of Oz. The fantasy was overpowering, making me believe that maybe there really was a magical world somewhere over the rainbow. The evil apple trees, ruby slippers and magical beings all expanded my creativity and imagination, however when the end came I was disappointed. I was overjoyed that the wicked witch was dead and that Dorothy was finally going home; but what did the director and script writers decide to do? Make it a dream! In that moment I actually felt sad that there was no world of Oz and that the entire adventure I had been on was just a dream. What was going through their heads? Did they want to ruin little kids hopes and dreams? Did they not think that the incredible story line would be brought down by their terrible ending?

The Journey Begins...

I have been asked something so difficult, so incredibly hard for me to do; write about myself. I am capable of writing, I really am! However, writing about myself? Who I am? What I like to do? It just stumps my brain. I lose my ability to organize ideas and use them in my writing, all ability to express myself, to create something worth reading… Poof! Gone. Unfortunately, it’s not a choice because if I don’t do this I get a big “ZERO” on my English class grade, so logically I’m going to have to do it; whether I like it or not.

I’ll start with the basics; I am a ninth grade student at  an international school in Caracas, Venezuela, I try to dedicate myself to my work and strive to be the best that my abilities allow me to be. I love those old kid’s movies such as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and I cannot stress this last one enough but I think the most amazing movie of all time is The Wizard of Oz; which is probably why I chose this as my blog theme; to help me focus on something that I truly love. For my future posts I will make many references and discussions to this inspirational film; so if you have not yet seen the movie, watch it because if you don’t, half the things I mention on this blog will mean nothing to you. Anyways, back to my description, I have a passion for reading and do it every night, getting lost in a book is one of my top thrills, to be in a world other than your own and to experience what happens to a character throughout a book has no superior feeling to me. My family consists of four people my sister, father, mother and I, we are of an average standard and are like most other families; we eat dinner together and what not.

So this is me. I know I’m not the most impressive person in the world, or the most interesting but I do try to push myself to achieve the best of my abilities and live life at its fullest. So from here on out I guess I will just simply have to follow the yellow brick road.