Spirited Away: Take Two

I don't normally "get" anime.  I don't know if it's just over my head or if it breaks a Weird barrier that I just can't get past.  Either way, it's already hard enough for me to get through Max's movies when I'm not literally falling asleep... which is what was happening the first time I tried watching Spirited Away wiith him.  Needless to say, I didn't quite make it through and definitely didn't understand a bit of what I did watch.

But tonight, I have officially watched all of Spirited Away.  Phew.  Even sober and fully awake, this is one weirdo movie.  But, as I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to finish watching for Max.  Lucky for me, I had him as my own personal tour guide throughout the movie.  It started making a lot more sense when he started explaining the Japanese mythology behind the story.

Think of it this way: if someone from another culture tried watching Harry Potter, but had never heard of witches or that they ride on brooms, had never heard of vampires or that they are warded off with garlic, had never heard of warewolves or that they change on full moons... that person would be very confused and mark the movie off as weird and confusing.  Those mythologies would not be a part of their culture, so they wouldn't understand the context.

Spirited Away was that for me, but opposite.  I had never heard of "No-Faces" or that they have to be invited to come inside a house.  I didn't know that they can only eat you once you take something they offer you from their hand.  So the first time I watched, I thought, "What in the world is this creepy black thing and why does it keep offering everyone gold?!"  It made no sense, so I wrote it off.  Once I understood the context, I could follow the storyline.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still not a huge fan of anime... but it was defintely nice to see it from a new perspective.  I love mythology and fantasy, so with Max's help, I actually ended up liking the story a lot more than I thought I would.  It was a nice ending to our two-part date night.  :)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Don't be afraid to give something new a chance. Learn about another culture and appreciate it.  Don't just write it off because it's different.  Different is beautiful.

Thank You, Max

Max has been working so hard lately--long hours of actual labor.  He comes home tired every day, but he's the reason we still have our apartment right now.  Since we both actually came home in time to eat a real dinner together tonight, I surprised him with a special Stay-At-Home-Because-We're-Old-And-Tired Date Night!

I got into a fancy dress, set the table, and made barbecue chicken quesadillas (a mixture of two of his favorite foods).  I also got some pecan pie for dessert and movie snacks (sours gummies, of course) to eat while we watch one of his favorite animes.  Unfortunately, we were both much too sleepy for the whole two-hour movie, but we'll finish it tomorrow night.

It was the highlight of my week to spoil my favorite hard-working guy.  :)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Thank someone who works hard for you.

Red Lights of Death

If I see one more red light today, I think I will scream.  Nothing but red lights.  All day.  Stop lights.  Brake lights.  The lights in my head, that I may or may not be imagining...  My work commute this morning: red lights.  My work commute this evening: red lights.

Growing up in a small town but often visiting family in Tampa, I always said, "I will NEVER live in a big city."  Well, here I am!  And usually, I actually really love it.  There's always things to do and I know lots of people and I have a great place to live in a great location.

But days like these make me question my sanity when I made the decision to move here.

In Tampa's defense, at least I have only been stopping at red lights.  It's when traffic is stopped at GREEN lights (and yes, Small Towns, it happens) that I really lose my marbles.  You know, the flashing red marbles rolling around in my head...

Reckless Tip of the Day: Patience.  Patience.  Patience.

Castle Crashers

After job searching and getting and working and going a little crazy in life, sometimes you just have to DANCE.

Attempt 1: Melissa falls asleep at 9:00.
Attempt 2: Tiffany crashes on the couch for TV.
Attempt 3: Success!

We went to Castle for the first time, which is something else--let me tell you.  I loved how when we got there, hardly anyone was there, and yet there was dancing.  Usually no one dances until the place starts filling up, but the first girl up and moving was the only person on the dance floor.  She just closed her eyes and went for it. I loved it.

Thank you to my super-fun roommate for getting me out of the house for a much-needed Girl's Night Out!

Reckless Tip of the Day: Dance like no one's watching!

They are the Present

As someone who works with children every day, one of my pet peeves is when people treat children like children.  They are not dumb.  And they are not dogs.  So please stop using the Baby/Dog Voice when you talk to 10-year-olds.  They notice.

Children are extremely intelligent; in fact, I would argue that they are more intelligent than most adults.  (And no, I'm not taking a jab at dumb adults.  I'm being serious.)  They pick up new information and even new languages like sponges.  They think differently and problem solve in ways many adults would never think of.  The only advantage an adult has over a child is time on this earth--practice.

So I wasn't surprised at the intellectual conversation my class had about the Parable of the Seeds tonight.  I wasn't surprised when they analyzed it themselves before reading Jesus' explanation.  And I wasn't surprised when their explanations were different, but still reasonable.

1. "So... the good soil is like God and He helps us grow."
2. "When Jesus died on the cross for us, it's like He took away all the rocks and thorns in our way."
3. "This story reminds me of that verse where He is the vine and we are the branches..."

Reckless Tip of the Day: Don't underestimate children.  They are NOT the future.  They are the PRESENT.

Good and Bad News

Good News: I got the job!  I'm hired at Tampa Language School as an English teacher.

Bad News: They only have open classes during the hours I teach at the gym, so I don't have any hours with them yet...

I am now the proud owner of four jobs and going a little crazy.  :P

Reckless Tip of the Day: Just go for it.

Cleanliness is Next to Kindliness

Sometimes a random act of kindness can be as simple as spending the morning cleaning so your stressed out roommate doesn't have to worry about it.  It's the little things.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Do a random act of kindness!

Upsidedownness

When I was a kid, I used to watch TV while sitting in a headstand on the couch.  Somehow, the world just looks different upsidedown...  Not necessarily better or worse, just different--a new perspective, if you will.  Either way, tt's a nice change from the mundane right-side-upness of the world that we are so accustomed to.

I tried acro yoga for the first time today, and the upsidedownness did not disappoint.  It was so amazing to see what my body was capable of.  This particular pose was trickier than it looks from the photograph.  I actually started on my stomach and we crossed hands so he could flip me around to my back.  Took a couple tries, but I got it!

Reckless Tip of the Day: See the world from a new perspective.  (It may just be literally upsidedown, or it may be figuratively upsidedown: from the perspective of someone you usually don't understand.)

Shower Power

Today I put polka dots on a dress-shaped cookie in honor of my awesome cousin Tara who is getting married in a month!  Congratulations, Tara and Will!

Lucky Me also got to see my parents and Bueli as we got some much-needed Family Catch Up Time.  Did you know that Village Inn is a restaurant?  That's just bad advertising, guys...

Reckless Tip of the Day: Love someone!  (Probably the most reckless tip of them all, but also the most worth-while.)

World Changing Conversations

Today I had my first private lesson at inlingua, with a Level 2 student from Mexico.  We are focusing on conversational skills, so as a speaking topic, I posed this question:

If you could change something about the world, what would it be?

Here's the kicker, though... it has to be reasonably realistic.  You can't say "I would turn Donald Trump into a flea (a harmless little flea), put that flea in a box, put that box inside of another box, mail that box to myself, and when it arrives I'll SMASH IT WITH A HAMMER!"  As much as that would greatly improve the world, it's unfortunately not realistic.

The question is honest: what would you change about the world, and how would you actually go about doing it?  Tell me what you think in the comments!

Reckless Tip of the Day: Change the world!

I Wanna Be The Very Best...

Have you ever had a nostalgic moment so severe, you made your boyfriend download a gameboy emulator onto your computer so you could play (and finally beat) the original Pokemon Red?

No?....

Just me?...

Well, okay then.  FYI, I'm a tad bit on the hooked side, so if I continue to be behind on my blog, just know that it's because I'm busy becoming a world-famous Pokemon trainer.  No big deal.

Reckless Tip of the Day: You're only a kid once.

Ain't nobody got time for adulthood...

X Marks the Spot

Treasure to some: gold, money, fancy cars, big screen TVs, etc.

Treasure to us: Mardi Gras beads, a plastic dinosaur, a koosh ball ring. and a tiny wooden shoe from the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

Rented some bikes and went geocaching around Downtown Tampa.  It's a good day.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Go treasure hunting!

Coral and Crepes

Max and I went on an impromptu date to the aquarium tonight!  Neither of us had ever been, but he can get us discounts with his Busch Gardens ID now, so why not?  Everything was so beautiful.  We didn't have much time, but were able to walk around a see almost everything.  I even got to high-five a stingray!

After the aquarium, we skipped on over to Ybor, which is actually super fun during the day/early evening.  Less of the Crazies are out and all of the interesting stores are still open.  We went into La France, which has all sorts of interesting clothes and costumes and fun hats and socks!  For dinner and dessert, we ate at La Creperia--the best restaurant in Ybor, in my humble right opinion.

All in all, a good date night.

Reckless Tip of the Day: High-five a stingray!

My Headache Throne

This is what happens when you've had a headache all day and your loving boyfriend sets up a spot for you on the couch.  Pillows to prop me up, headache meds, cold cloth for my head, and my Harry Potter blanket.

Put all that together with a couple of episodes of Gilmore Girls, and I was feeling better in time to go to work.  What a guy I have.

Reckless Tip of the Day: REST.  Everyone needs rest.

Great Scott! I've Seen Them!

October 21, 2015 was a big day in America... for just about everyone but me.  I had seen the first Back to the future but never the rest of the series, so I just went about my day.

Needless to say, this lack of Back to the Future knowlegde was unacceptable to many of my friends, so it was only a matter of time before I had to sit down and watch them.  So when my friends Jess and Joseph invited me over for a Random Hang Out And Do Nothing Day, a Back to the Future marathon seemed appropriate.

And here's my review:
There are a lot of things that I really like about these movies.
1. Michael J. Fox AND Christopher Lloyd?  Um, yes please.
2. Goofy humor--right up my alley
3. And I LOVE how they put in little details in the background that nobody points out or draws attention to.  You have to watch more than once and really pay attention to get the most out of these films.

That being said, even though I love fantasy and sci-fi, I have always had an issue with time travel.  Witches and wizards?  Sure.  Dragons and elves and magic?  Fine.  Time travel?  Nope.  Completely implausible to me.  I just can't wrap my head around it.  For me, J. K. Rowling does it best: if you have gone back in time, it has already happened.  No alternate universes or timelines.  But, then again, I'm overanalyzing.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the movie!

Ulterior Motives

I am pretty notorious in my family for having a very intense Baby-dar.  If there is a baby in the room, I will find it, and I will hold it.  And you may or may not get it back.  (I should've listened to Cliff Huxtable... "Don't SMELL the BABY!")

So when my family made a sign up to bring dinner to my cousins for their first few weeks of parenthood, this Not-a-Cook put her name on the list!  At least I was honest: "I'd like to say that I made you this meal out of the goodness in my heart, guys, but I may have had ulterior motives..."  Luckily, they know me well and just smiled and handed over the baby.  :)

Readers, meet my new baby cousin Maggie Anne!  Born January 7 and cute as can be.  (PS She totally peeped an eye open, saw me... and then smiled.  Ha!  She likes me.)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Smell the baby!  :P

The MEM is Back

Story Time!

All throughout elementary and middle school, I had the same group of friends.  We always had the same classes and we lived near each other.  And I loved my friends.  The problem was that I didn't have a "best" friend... and everyone else did.  Everyone liked me, of course, but they all had someone else that they were closest to.  When the teacher asked us to pair up, A always went with B, C always went with D, and Melissa E was always stuck by herself.

Now listen, this is not a Sob Story.  I was NOT a lonely kid.  I had lots of friends, and they all loved me.  But there's a big difference between having a lot of friends and having one close friend.  A "best" friend.  Someone you could tell all your secrets to; someone you could call in the middle of the night if you needed them; someone who would be there for you forever.

So when my group of friends all went off to the same high school, I made the drastic decision to go to a different school, far away, where I would essentially know no one.  I had one goal: make a best friend.

Mission accomplished!  This, dear readers, is the lovely and super-intelligent Emily.  Emily is much smarter than me and much busier than me and is pretty much always studying so she can become an even smarter and busier doctor... so I don't get to see her much anymore.

Tonight, we actually got to hang out!  Coloring Party 2.0, since she missed the first one.  And instead of Disney movies, we honored David Bowie with some Labyrinth action.  Love you, Boon!

Reckless Tip of the Day: Don't be afriad to break away from your Comfort Zone.

It may be the best thing you ever did...

Peas and Carrots

When I taught gymnastics in Lakeland, I had a student who was so incredibly clumsy.  Every time she'd fall, I'd tell her, "You are the second clumsiest gymnast I've every met."  Of course, she would ask, "Who is the first?"  But I just smiled.  I'm pretty sure she knew.

It's true, LeFou.  I was probably the most clumsy gymnast to ever walk onto a spring floor... and apparently some things never change.  Tonight was my first day "shadowing" at LaFleur's and, keeping with tradition, I hurt myself.  In the first 20 minutes.

I was at my first event of the day with my first student, who was supposed to kick up into a handstand and fall on her back onto a mat.  Well, I haven't spotted in awhile, so I'm apparently sitting in an awkward position.  I had to spot her a little more than I expected and in doing so I pulled the living daylights out of a muscle in my hip.  Real classy, Melissa

Anyway, after several minutes of excruciating pain and buying some time by talking to the student because I could not spot again yet, I finally felt well enough to stand and walk again.  But I did spend the rest of the evening stretching it out periodically and iced it when I came home.  I knew we should have bought icepacks at Walmart this morning...

Reckless Tip of the Day: When you get hurt, shake it off and try again!

Pyros for Jesus

So we're starting a unit on the Holy Spirit in Kid's Club this week.  It actually works out perfectly because the adults are doing a book study on Forgotten God at the same time, so hopefully the kids will be able to talk to their parents a bit about it.  It really is true that often the Holy Spirit is the "forgotten God".  No one seems to know much about Him, and while there will always be some mystery surrounding any Part of God, it's still important to know as much as we can!  Unfortunately, this lesson didn't work exactly how I planned, so humor me and let me do it right this time.  :)

This is a ten dollar bill.  It represents us.  We are valuable to God.  When Jesus rose back into Heaven, He promised to send us the Holy Spirit to live inside us.  The Holy Spirit is essentially that piece of God that lives in each one of us!  But the Holy Spirit is powerful like a fire!  We need to be "soaked" in Jesus in order to let the Holy Spirit burn through us!

So the bill was soaked in "Jesus" (no spoilers) and lit on fire!

Bad news: The bill didn't catch on fire and then burn out quickly, like it was supposed to... 

Good news: The bill didn't catch on fire and burn either, so I didn't lose money on this!

Also Good News: I think the kids still got the idea.  ;)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Catch something on fire!  (You know, safely.)

Because Why Not?

Job #2 is a go!  Check out my adorable new staff shirt!

Okay, so I won't be working with tots... At least, that's not the plan.  The plan right now is about 3-8pm, working with the elementary-aged girls.  And I'm so excited!

Actually, to be honest, working at a gym was not part of the plan at all.  I was applying for language centers and tutoring centers, not gyms.  But for some reason I got this feeling and started looking around... and found a gym that was hiring!  It's big and beautiful and as Annie would say, "I think I'm gonna like it here!"

Reckless Tip of the Day: You don't always have to work in your field.

Some jobs can be just for fun.  :)