SHAKESPEARE

We either scream with delight or hiss with disgust. We have all had our fair of Shakespeare and notes compiled with words such as ‘hamartia, hubris, nemesis and stichomytaia’ but the question is, did you truly understand it? I remember reading Hamlet and wondering, ‘when is this going to be over?’ while others shot their hands into the air like academic Raskolnikov’s and asked sensible questions. Personally I didn’t care that ‘tragedy is an imitation of action that is serious, whole and of a certain magnitude,’ but now I think I am beginning to understand why understanding Shakespeare is so important. Firstly, it is everywhere, 50% of all quotes are derived from Shakespeare and his plays. Secondly, I actually gained a pretty combusting list of vocabulary (which I know my teacher loved but my parents hated), and thirdly, I learnt a lot of about Sigmund Freud. Strange, how did we transfer from Shakespeare to Freud? Many of Shakespeare’s characters undergo changes, many of them in the subconscious mind. Ophelia is neurotic on the verge of psychotic, and Hamlet, well Hamlet is such as insane with revenge for his father’s cunning murder. Through Shakespeare I found Freud and thus this interest sparked into one of my current aims in life – to obtain a degree in psychology. Sometimes you find inspiration in the strangest of places.

Feels good to be creative.

After days of "brain-racking" with my advertising group - we finally came up with a campaign for the Vitamin Shoppe.  I proudly display our first properly executed attempt at creating an advertisement. Although the assignment had initially caused a wave of anxiety to shoot up my spine, it just goes to show that with determination, hard work and many creative brains - great work is possible.


Passion feeds persistence - no other quality is as essential for success.

If I were an ant.

If I were to swap places with an ant, imagine the possibilities! We could put a stop to world hunger, leave the earth somewhat intact, live in close-knit communities, save scientist’s time and energy and see the world from another perspective - that of a tiny ant. 
Imagine with the ‘abundance’ of resources we have as humans, how abundant the resources would be as ants – all could share and all would work for their livelihood. It would take millions of years if that before our natural resources began to show some wear, but as ants we are happy to eat the goodness of nature and the goodness of nature is happy to be recycled - the world would be our organic supermarket, DIY store and energy supply company.  
We wouldn’t roam the earth in our international police forms, symbols of status and suits of authority - as an ant these egoistic traits would be peeled from our very skin restoring clarity to our once "blurred" vision - now we can truly see in an unbiased manner. Imagine how many opportunities to learn and the endless adventures we would encounter. Perhaps we could understand why ants are such hard workers, how they manage to keep a utopian society and the secrets of the forest. But apart from learning, imagine the beauties that the human eye leaves untouched - the drop of water that turns into a sea, a bridge provided by a fallen leaf and a few blades of grass that create a lush forest. Ants have the amazing ability to see the world at its greatest. Perhaps as ants we would finally come to appreciate the intricate networks of the world in which we live in  - and most importantly obtain a different perspective. 


Watch this and you'll understand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrW_TTxP1ow

Gaga Monster

GAGA Monsters! Lady Gaga is everywhere; a day does not go by when I do not hear Mama Monster’s name or see her outrageously blond hair. The Gaga we love is the one who struts down the street in a summer blue romper, cherry cherry boom-boom blonde with skin a shade of orange that Snooki can only dream of but now she’s channeling that inner demon, bleeding all over the stage and wearing meat slapped across her body. I think Gaga needs to return to her fun ways again and forget about the fake blood, my tummy is starting to hurt from all this high-fructose corn-syrup-based stage stuff anyway.

Is the grass greener on the other side?

Is the grass really greener on the other side? We like to think so. Human nature acts almost irrationally in the way in which it forces us believe that if only our circumstances were different, we could achieve our highest potential.  We spend so much of our lives wondering what could be rather than focusing on what we can we do in our current situation or position to enhance our opportunities for success, and as a result, we sometimes miss the opportunities that wave silently in our faces. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers spends much time on this theme within his novel. Sometimes we just got to buckle down and do with the best we have got. Naturally, we remember all the good times; a holiday on the beach or a picnic in the park - the past remembers the fun. Many find it hard to focus on the positives of the present and are quick to attach negative meaning. Being negative is easy - all you need to do it say "no", and that's the end of it - a dead end street with nowhere to turn. It is all about the psychology. The trouble is that the greener patch of grass that we cannot seem to grow implies that we wants thing that we do not have. Most people value what they want or hope to achieve in the future rather than what they have in the present.  You can waste away the goodness of life by focusing on the lack of.  The past is hard to get to, the future will come with time, but when you live in the present, you make good use of your assets.  

SMART(Y) PARTY

This is going to surprise most of you, but if I could choose any car that has been manufactured, it would have to be the SMART.  It provides a practical solution to most daily hassles involving automobiles.  Firstly its size makes for easy parking –horizontally, vertically, laterally – the choices are endless.  Its lack of space makes for an easy way to avoid being the designated driver - no one wants to be squashed in the back seat - no cleaning required and no one taking advantage of your ‘love for driving.’ Although looks may be deceiving, it is quite nifty on the road, especially for dodging in and out and zooming past the reckless drivers on 75. They are cost effective, meaning that its small engine size benefits my wallet as well as being environmentally friendly.  Alright they may not be the most practical car for families but for young, free loving singletons – it’s the one and only. The colours and choices of patterns are endless – it is like driving a fashion accessory – as cute as a celebrity pooch.  This car is a perfect fit for my personality and just goes on to show that greatness exists in every shape and size, and that first impressions might be deceiving.

The Sharing Box

Whilst drinking coffee in Starbucks this morning, I was inspired by a little red box that sat perfectly nestled on one of the countertops – it read “The Sharing Box.”  What a beautiful idea – to provide people with an insignificant piece of paper and pen to share with others some of their most treasured holiday traditions.   I feel that this example, although simple, flawlessly exhibits the core values of the holiday season – the beauty of sharing, heartfelt memories, appreciation and family togetherness.  With the commercialization of Christmas and urgency for mass spending, tradition is lost and replaced with great indulgence.  A gift in simple terms is meant to signify part of a person’s compassion – a non-invasive means for showing gratitude to someone you love or care for.  However, in the present day, the value of a gift is often judged by the price with which it holds or the quantity supplied.  In doing so, society has squandered the true meaning behind Christmas – to return to primitive ways, is to remain thankful for the simple but meaningful customs that have been buried beneath the gluttony of modern society. 

On a happier note, one of my most treasured holiday traditions is spending Christmas Eve in front of a roaring fire, snuggled up between my mum and sister, sipping Cadbury’s hot chocolate sprinkled with melting white and pink marshmallows whilst watching “Look who’s talking now.”