Pause

I’m debating on whether or not to stop blogging for a while. At the moment my basic needs are unfulfilled, so I don’t have the same focus I did a while ago. I need to get back into my routine–working out, doing what I love, making time for myself and my non-blog writing (I write random stories sometimes…), and getting the oxytocin fix that I need. Lately I haven’t been fulfilling these basic needs simply because I can’t. I’ve found that it’s nearly impossible to maintain a balance of all that you need when someone else is controlling the show. If there is one thing I’ve learned throughout my experience in France, it is this: being an exchange student tests your ability to adapt. There is no time for yourself, no time for uninterrupted self development (like reading, writing, etc.), unpredictable diet (the change also can alter your moods/ energy), minimal amount of time to get ready for the day (taking a shower, blow drying hair, etc.), never alone, required to be ready to leave the flat (apartment) in an instant once there is a new sight to be seen, constant switching of environment (because you’re visiting every area, which brings about staying at the family’s relative’s houses), a requirement to be constantly happy and social during all waking hours, and you must turn the other cheek when they begin to talk about how superior their country is to yours or another. Now I’m not saying that all of the french are like that, but the people I’ve encountered have all possessed the same haughty attitude. They like to compare countries as a typical pastime. Basically any comparison that is brought up must end in their country turning out on top, and if not, you won’t hear the end of it until someone finally declares that even with any illogic, they still “win” in the comparison. 

     Now I’m not saying that living this way, with these social habits is wrong, it’s just not my style. I prefer to remain unbiased when discussing things, rather than insult another country simply because my ego couldn’t handle losing something. I also don’t talk or debate for the aspect of wining–I think that’s truly a dead end–I like debating and conversing to spread knowledge, share ideas, and to broaden horizons. I’ve found that’s simply not the case here… Apparently every other country in the world must suck in comparison, or else we must be living in some parallel universe where i don’t know… We’re all viewed as different cultures doing things their own way? Imperfect representations of the imperfection in us all? No country is perfect, no country ever will be. Sure you may have your preference as to which you think is better simply because it aligns with your beliefs and views, but everyone else out there has the same disposition as you to believe that the country they favor is the best. 

Now maybe I’m simply frustrated, and my words are skewed in favor of my own beliefs/ preferences, so I’ll put that part of this post to rest for now.

     Back to what I meant to tell you all though: I may or may not discontinue writing (for my blog) until the end of this trip (which is only 6 days). 

I most likely will try to write, but if I can’t manage to, it’s because I need to wait for inspiration to strike again. 

    Onto another topic real quick, before I end: 

The other day I sat in a closet. Now you may think I’m crazy or at the very least, kinda odd, but let me explain. There wasn’t really anywhere else to be alone, but inside the closet. Honestly, I’m tempted to go back in there today (it’s a great spot to listen to music in my headphones without interruption). I loved it in there, cause it reminded me of when I was a kid. I used to do all kinds of random weird stuff when I was younger, simply because it made me happy. I’d find tiny little spots and I’d sit in them, I’d build forts, etc. I’d find a chair, sit on it backwards, and lay upside down with my legs against the back board. I was absolutely ridiculous, and loving life for the simple odd things it had to offer. 

Thinking back to how I was when I was younger got me thinking about how I want to make sure I don’t lose that part of myself. Sure those things are weird to do as you get older and older, but they’re fun. I’m sure those odd habits are part of the reason why kids seem so happy compared to us. They don’t think about what others will think of them, or if it is weird or not to lay upside down if they feel like it. They don’t bother to change themselves in order to conform to strict social norms. 

Tangent, cosine, adjacent.. ? Nope, just two tangents

Well it looks like I’ve committed to writing a third post for the theme of tv shows and video games having taught me something, so let’s see how long I can keep this up…

The next show is “suite life on deck.” It was a spin off of the show “the suite life of Zack and Cody.” For those of you who don’t know either show, I’ll begin by introducing “the suite life of Zack and Cody.” The show is based on two twin boys who live with their mom in a hotel that she is employed by. The twins have a typical life, except that they have the constant excitement of living in a large hotel. Now as far as “suite life on deck goes,” it’s still based on the twin’s life, but now they attend a school onboard a cruise ship and they’re older.

Now even though they were older in the show, I myself was still quite young (another show from my childhood), so I still had a few concepts to be introduced to, and one of them was placebos. They explained it in a way that made it very easy to understand.

I distinctly remember sitting in my psychology class I took a few semesters ago, where my teacher mentioned placebos, and I was brought back to the moment when I first heard about them, through that tv show. 

Now even though I promised you all that I would continue with the theme of what I’ve gained from tv shows and video games, I’d like to digress, and elaborate on the concept of placebos. 

To me, the concept of placebos is amazing. I can’t imagine anything to have such a profound affect on your body, as much as your mind does. Our minds are powerful, and our bodies are sensitive to our thoughts. Every unappealing or unfavorable thing that occurs to our body can correlate in some way to our mind and our thinking. When stressed out, some may break out, some may loose hair (or get grey hairs), and some may gain that unfavorable pouch of fat that loves to form where the stomach and pelvic region meet. When relaxed, we appear healthy, because our minds are healthier. When someone sweats because of heat, versus when someone sweats because of nerves (typically smells worse than B. O., but we’ll go with B.O. as the name for now..). It’s all based on what’s going on in our minds. Where I work (a rock climbing gym), the customers I encounter are put into a situation that can induce terrible B.O. I’ve noticed that kids tend to produce the foul smell more than adults, but adults have their fair share of nervous sweating as well. It seems that the fear and adrenaline that surge through a person who is more uncertain of the situation they’ve found themselves in, produces a more unappealing smell than usual. I know pheromones may come into play, but I’ve formed a little hypotheses of my own… What if, back in more primal times, this nasty smell was supposed to warn others that there was danger nearby (like how gas from gas stoves has been made to smell nasty as hell when the knobs are turned and the gas starts leaking, in order to alert the owners of a leak). Or since confidence and security in oneself during situations of uncertainty is an admirable quality of a leader, maybe the scent was supposed to notify others of social ranking. 

Readers I think you may be upset to know, but I just went on a tangent while going on a tangent, so back to my first tangent… 

The mind is powerful, and the results from changing your mindset are amazing. Also, the ability to trick yourself into a false belief (or belief that isn’t fully full proof) that brings about positive results is fascinating. 

Such as the idea of faith. Not faith in any particular religion, but a faith in a higher deity. The belief that there is an explanation to all of this, and that there is someone (something) looking over you, or some universal pull to lead you down the correct path. Having faith in just the basic idea of a higher power is very calming. You don’t feel alone anymore. When you find yourself in silence, all alone with your thoughts, you know that your deity is like an imaginary friend sitting right beside you. 

Ohana

I’m not sure how many of these posts I’ll end up doing, but hopefully I’ll get through the short list of things I’ve gained from tv shows and video games. 

So onto my next tv show: lilo and stitch. Just as I did with spongebob, I’ll give you a brief description of the show. It’s a cartoon based in some tropical area, where hula dancing is a thing, and you can also find a water fall near a secret lair (which is basically a crashed spaceship inhabiting a sandwich eating sloth-gerbal-hamster-like thing, and a whale (or is he a shark…) with anthropomorphic qualities). There are these creatures called “mutations,” and some shoot lava, others are fast, and some can lift even more than an ant can in proportion to their own body weight. Lilo is a little girl who lives with her older sister, and they adopt Stitch (a mutation), believing he is a puppy. One day he begins to mutate to his alternate state, and lilo finds out the truth. Throughout the show, the mutations can speak like people (although stitch sounds like he’s gurgling while talking) and they hold conversations with one another.

In one episode I watched as a child, they introduced the idea of a rhetorical question. Up until that point I had not heard of a rhetorical question, so I watched intently to see if I could grasp the concept. 

They brought it up in a way that made learning a new word at that age, very simple. 

Now whenever I think of rhetorical questions, I remember that exact episode of lilo and stitch. So to any parents who complain about their kids mindlessly watching tv, they may be grasping concepts and learning words, that they may not have ever known about up until that point. Tv can be educational to some extent.

It also can serve to expose kids to deep emotions and sentiments that they may not encounter on a day to day basis. For example, a simple, yet meaningful quote can be derived from this little cartoon “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten” 

To most, the sentiment behind this little quote is more than enough to bring a warm glow to their heart. It promises security and love, a instinctual desire that can resonate within us all.