Winding Down

There isn't much happening in my life right now. Nearly all of my classes are finished; I'm just in the process of writing three final papers, and I'll officially be done with the academic portion of my semester abroad. I've also entered my second-to-last month in France, and when I consider that I'll be traveling for the better part of three weeks in late April and early May, the time seems to be going by that much more quickly. My thoughts have started to turn to the summer; I have an internship interview via Skype next Wednesday, and I'm hoping to hear back from a couple other places in the next few weeks. It looks like I'll be on the East Coast again, which I am okay with, though it occurs to me it's been a long time since I spent more than three weeks with my family. Well, I guess this was just part of the deal when I chose to go to college on the other side of the country.

In the meantime, here are some Citadelle pictures:

And because I assume you must appreciate my dorky fangirl tendencies at least a little bit, or you wouldn't be reading this blog, here is an incredibly nerdy picture of me with Korra hair:

Now I just need my Mako. Let's be real, though, I am actually an older Jinora, except I would want to waterbend instead of airbend.

Ahem. Anyway, off to Disneyland again tomorrow, since Leslie and her family are in Paris. Au revoir!

Goodbye to March in Dunkirk

Eva and I took a day trip to Dunkirk today. Dunkirk is a coastal town on the North Sea, right by the English Channel's narrowest point but too far away to actually see any England from the dunes. It was the first time I visited the beach since I've been in Europe, and while it was too cold and windy to swim, I did run up and touch the water and collect a few seashells. The weather forecast had predicted a clear, if not particularly warm day, but from the point when Eva and I arrived at about eleven to just after we finished our tea/hot chocolate at two, it was completely overcast. Luckily a few streaks of blue had appeared between the clouds when we were strolling along the beach, which made for a lovely contrast with the sea and the rocks sticking up out of it. I thought about the battle which made Dunkirk famous in 1940, where the Germans had defeated the French and the English were forced to retreat. It was eerie to think that men had fought and died less than a hundred years ago on that same stretch of beach, where children now flew their kites and people jogged and walked their dogs. History is always with us, but sometimes I wonder how and if it stays with the land.

Apart from the beach, Eva and I came across a huge open-air market in the city center, which sold basically everything under the sun, and we took a walk inside an old church and browsed the selection at the local mall. I didn't buy anything, but I was shocked to discover that at least according the stores we visited, I am now more or less a size 8, and am sometimes capable of fitting into a 6 with minimal discomfort. At this rate my entire wardrobe will have to go to the Salvation Army when I get home, although I can't really afford to buy lots of new clothes. I'm happy, though.

Nothing much else of consequence has happened. I've been having trouble sleeping lately, but hopefully after a long day of walking and sightseeing, I'll be able to get some quality rest. Going to Paris to see Leslie and her family on Wednesday. Other than that, it's paper writing and job application central for me!

Lost in My Own World

The past few days it's been very easy for me to slip into my own daydream world. My Tuesday class was cancelled (though I didn't find out until I'd already spent money on Metro fare to get to school, unfortunately), and every other day I was completely free. Sometimes I left my place to run an errand, and I did get some writing done on papers and internship essays, but mostly I think I was just having a week where I wanted to be lost. I don't mean that in a bad way, but I also realize that it's not completely normal. As I described it on my Facebook, a lot of it was "Korra-induced haze," because when I really like something, I often spend a few days utterly immersed in it. I was like that with Harry Potter, and Star Wars, and even on occasion with my own writing projects.

If you've read The Fault in Our Stars, the narrator, Hazel, talks about the kind of books you have a "weird, evangelical zeal" about, and then the kind of books that are "so special and rare and yours that advertizing your affection feels like a betrayal." I don't feel that strongly about The Legend of Korra, especially since there have only been two episodes, but it's been a long time since I've fallen for something so deeply, so quickly. This may sound very odd, but while I've never been in love with a person before, I imagine that it'll feel something like discovering a new work of fiction that inspires this kind of quasi-obsession in me. The other strange thing about me is that I rarely just "like" something; when it comes to fiction, I either have a weirdly-consuming love for it, or I absolutely loathe it. And when I love something, I have to know everything about it, right down to the minutest of minute details. Lest you start to worry, this is a trait I really hope won't carry over to my relationships with men.

But I think I was also feeling, as Vicky Austin would say, replete with very me. I don't think I'm depressed or anything - I've actually felt quite happy these past few days - but having a little retreat like this helps me to clear my head, to sort of step away from the world for a while. Soon enough I'll have to refocus my efforts on serious research and paper-writing, and I have several commitments in the next few weeks, but it's nice just to escape for a while. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it works for me.

Citadelle

Usually I am a big fan of inside. There is no risk of sunburn or getting caught in the rain, it's generally not too hot or cold, and it is highly unlikely that bears will come and devour me. Plus, internet. Every one in a while, though, I am not opposed to taking a stroll outside, which is when I realize that it is actually a lovely place, and I should really spend more time there. Then the internet withdrawal kicks in. But it's nice to have a reminder that nature can be beautiful.

I was acutely aware of this when I paid my first visit to the Citadelle this afternoon. Many of my friends had mentioned it in passing, and I'd seen it marked on maps, but until today I had only a passing interest in going. Now I am regretting not going sooner, although I think it is a place best enjoyed in nice weather, which Lille has not had in abundance while I've lived there. The Citadelle is a park built within the confines of the old city walls, which form a pentagon. There is a military installation there, which I suppose is where the name comes from, but most of the land is devoted to pedestrian paths, small forests, and playgrounds. It is absolutely gorgeous, and the best part was how cut off from the rest of the city it felt. It was so quiet; if I strained my ears hard enough I could hear the faint wail of the European ambulance, which is almost always going off (Lille is, after all, a reasonably large city), but mostly it was positively serene. I walked around and eventually found a fairly secluded log, where I sat and listened to a few chapters of A Ring of Endless Light. The atmosphere of the Citadelle was ideally-suited to getting lost in the story of Vicky Austin; the place and the writing are equally poetic. It's only about half an hour's walk from my place, which settles the matter: I have found my new hang-out place for nice days. Today was one of my favorite days in Europe so far, and I don't think I'm likely to forget it for quite some time.

Odds and Ends

• A Ring of Endless Light is just as good as I remembered. I may or may not be trying to write a novel myself, and my goal is to have it make other people feel like L'Engle's books make me feel. Her turn of phrase is absolutely wonderful.
• My Churchill class is officially over. The exam was this evening, and it was short and sweet. I wish my other classes were organized this way, because I really don't want to write three long papers in the next month. I know I'll survive, and being a native English speaker will help for two of them, but this semester has not been good for my work ethic. I'm going to have a rude awakening when I get back to UVa.
• I've been short of breath for the past few days and I'm not sure why. Hopefully it's nothing to be concerned about.
• The washing machines are so small here. Ideally this would mean that I would actually wash my clothes once a week and don't let them pile up in my suitcase until I'm out of clean underwear, but what it actually means is that I wear everything I own, and when I have no clothes left, I load it up with as much as it can handle, then wait impatiently in my pajamas for about two-three hours, which is an average wash and dry cycle combined.
• Beautiful weather today. It's supposed to continue into tomorrow, so I will try to wake up early enough to walk to class. It's a sure thing that I'll be walking home, anyway.
• Current flail topics: The Legend of Korra, the first episode of which might be released early online by Nickelodeon next Saturday, The Hunger Games movie, which I am entirely too excited about for someone who was pretty ambivalent about the books, trip-planning, and of course, going to Disneyland next week.
• Even five-hour time differences make interacting with your U.S. friends difficult. I got to Skype with Sarah and IM with Pooja, which was lovely, but I miss hearing from my other friends. And let's not talk about California; my parents and I chat fairly regularly, but eight/nine hours (eight for the moment, since France is not yet on Daylight Savings Time) is no picnic.
• Peanut butter is the best. I don't know how the French survive without it. Nutella is delicious, but it is most definitely not the same thing.
• So I am about halfway through my study abroad semester already. How did that happen?!

Nerdiest Nerd That Ever Nerded

This post comes to you in two parts.

Part one: Game Change.

Apparently I go through audiobooks like I go through regular books, because I finished Game Change today. The HBO movie focused on the Sarah Palin stuff, and having listened to the source, it was put into the film pretty much verbatim. It basically confirmed my opinion of her; she's got a good instinct for crowds and she's a decent actress, but she's incompetent at best and hopelessly ignorant at worst when it comes to serious policy issues. I understand that the McCain team placed her in a difficult position, but if she was being honest with herself, she should have turned them down (that, and they never should have made her the offer in the first place). I rolled my eyes so much at her whining about the "gotcha media," just as I did four years ago. Sorry, Governor Palin, you were vastly unprepared, and Katie Couric had every right to call you on it. It's insulting to the people you were asking for their vote to insinuate otherwise. Thank goodness she wasn't elected.

In addition to Palin, however, the book devoted large sections to the Democratic primary, the Edwards campaign, and McCain before and after he won the nomination. A lot of it I'd already read about to some capacity, but what boggled my mind was how incredibly tone-deaf and out-of-touch John Edwards really was. I was never his biggest fan, but I remember liking him in 2004, and being glad he was on the ticket. Now I'm horrified I ever felt that way. He may have had nice things to say about the interests of the lower class, but the Edwards in Game Change is narcissistic and as good old boy as they come. He honestly believed that he could have an affair (and a child out of wedlock) and still be president, then he was angling for an appointment as Obama's attorney-general even after the story was more or less known. What a creep. Good riddance. I am sorry to hear that Elizabeth Edwards was apparently a piece of work; according to Game Change, she was horrible to her staff, fought with John constantly (not that he didn't deserve it), and had diva moments aplenty. I know she was sick, and it must be awful to see your husband have an affair, but it's changed my opinion of her, and that makes me sad.

My feelings toward the Clintons have been pretty ambivalent since 2008. I've been a supporter of President Obama since 2004, and was on his side in the primary once there was even an inkling he was going to run. I still don't think the media was "in the tank" for him, as the Clintons maintain, and while I understand that sexism plays an ugly role in politics, ultimately I am confident that the president won because he was the more deserving candidate, end of story (and it doesn't make me anti-woman to say that). Game Change gave me some insight into how the Clintons felt during 2008, and I did feel sorry for them sometimes, but mostly the book just rehashed the stunts that made me angriest at them in the first place. While I've mostly gotten over nonsense from 2008, and I really admire the job Hillary Clinton has done as Secretary of State, I can't say I feel more warmly about her having read this book. It wasn't always fun to hear the president's dirty laundry aired out, either, but there were some passages that reminded me why I like him so much. The book recounts then-Senator Obama's approach to the financial crisis during the fall of 2008, and discusses how he would call the fed chair and treasury secretary repeatedly with thought-provoking questions (Henry Paulson says that he was impressed by the maturity with which President Obama handled the situation) and talk constantly with his economic advisers, while Senator McCain gave a more perfunctory response. I haven't been completely happy with everything President Obama has done since he took office, but I think no one can deny that he is a very smart man, and he takes his job seriously.

Other thoughts - the book basically confirmed what I already know about Mitt Romney, which is that he is a raging opportunist and not even other Republicans like him. Also, everyone swears like sailors. I guess that shouldn't surprise or disappoint me, but as someone who doesn't swear much, it kind of does. And while I guess this is my chosen career field and I should just get used to it, it struck me how utterly wearying and childish the political process can be. I dearly hope that not everyone is as petty as they seemed in the book.

Part two: The Legend of Korra

News just keeps getting better and better on the Korra front. First they officially dropped the stupid Last Airbender part from the title at long last. Now Nickelodeon has finally announced the release date, and it's exactly one month from today, April 14. They've also put out a new trailer, and it's making me practically salivate to find out what happens next.



Thoughts:

• I am incredibly happy that an action/adventure series with a female protagonist of color is being taken completely seriously. Just five years ago, when Avatar was airing, Nickelodeon refused to even make action figures of the female characters, and now they're not even trying to hide the fact that this series has a girl as the main character. It might not seem like much, but in the entertainment industry, the prevailing idea is that boys will not watch stories about girls, so especially action shows with female protagonists are thought not to be marketable. I just really want Korra to be an unambiguous success, so the entertainment industry will realize how wrong they are.
• The story sounds so exciting. I can't wait to see where it's going.
• I've already seen all the leaked clips, so I have a small sense of Korra's character, but she seems so awesome. I'm pretty sure I'm going to love her.
• I'm really interested to know what Korra and Tenzin's relationship is going to be like. Based on this trailer, it sounds like it'll be something of a father-daughter relationship, but of course I want to know how Korra being Aang's reincarnation is going to factor into things. 
• I want to see more of the kids, especially Jinora, since Mike and Bryan described her as a bookworm and kind of shy, and she sounds like a girl after my own heart. Plus, girl airbenders! Oh, and Meelo, I guess.
• Mako speaks! He's quite the animated heartthrob. 
• Calling it: Mako and Korra are going to have a thing.
• Bolin, meanwhile, will be her completely platonic buddy, and they'll have really fun times together. I liked the shot of them laughing (and hanging out at a speakeasy?) in this trailer.
• Hnng I just want to know the history of this antibending movement and how Korra gets wind of it and what Amon's beef is and ahhhh!
• One more month!

Top Tens: Literary Crushes

Time for another top ten list! It's been a while since my last one, so here you are.

As you probably know, I am a bookworm. I read voraciously as a kid and still go through new books pretty quickly now even though I have less time to read them. My preferred genre is probably fantasy, but I love historical fiction, contemporary teenage fiction, and sci-fi as well, and generally I'm not too picky; if a book is good, I'm usually willing to read it. I don't read much romance, but most of my favorite books include at least a romantic subplot, and I confess that I care way more about said subplots than I strictly ought to much of the time.

I strongly suspect that part of the reason I haven't had a boyfriend yet is because my expectations have been raised too high by literature. Funnily enough, I still don't really know what my type is in real life, but I definitely have a literary type. Almost all of the love interests on my list are good-humored, funny, devoted to their families, clever, kind, and really dedicated to their ladies. A little distressingly, at least to me, they all happen to also be white, which is sadly probably reflective of the lack of protagonists of color in mainstream literature. I think the other issue is that I love these guys for how they love their love interests, so a lot of the traits I find attractive are really kind of specific to their relationships with women who aren't me. But hey, since they are fictional and I am not, it was never going to work anyway. Well, here goes. See if you can guess who I picked (let me know if you got any right).

SPOILER ALERT: Some ending details for Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, The Hunger Games trilogy, Madeleine L'Engle's Time and Austin series, The Princess Diaries series, the Anne of Green Gables series, Pride and Prejudice, and the Harry Potter series.

 10. Frederick Wentworth (Persuasion)

Favorite Film Portrayal: Ciaran Hinds, 1995

Chosen mainly because he writes the most romantic letter in all of literature to protagonist Anne Elliot. I won't spoil it for you, but it contains the line "You pierce my soul," and it since it throws his character into a completely different light, it makes for excellent reread value.
Pluses: Very patient, honorable, quite the way with a pen
Minuses: Tendency to be distant, man in uniform (I know that's a plus for a lot of people, but not for me. No offense if you happen to be one, but I happen to be ethically opposed to the military as an institution - not to you personally, of course)

 9. Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey)

Favorite Film Portrayal: JJ Feild, 2007

Pluses: Hilarious, willing to stand up for what he thinks is right, kind
Minuses: As an introvert, I sometimes find it difficult to keep up with very extroverted people, as I think Henry is. Since Catherine and I seem to have this in common, perhaps it wouldn't be a huge roadblock, but I imagine it would hamper things somewhat.

8. Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games)

Film Portrayal That I Have Not Yet Seen But Am Pretty Sure Will Enjoy: Josh Hutcherson, 2012

I am not the biggest Hunger Games fan in the world, but the one character I kept reading for was Peeta. I didn't even care about his romance with Katniss that much; he was just a really decent guy, and I was impressed by his desire to stay true to himself no matter what happened. Complicated slightly by Mockingjay (as everything in this series is), which is why he's 8th instead of, say, 4th on my list.
Pluses: Strong sense of self, dry, self-deprecating wit, devotion to the people he loves
Minuses: I am a little bothered by how self-sacrificial he is. Possibly another one of my paradoxes; I am moved by all-encompassing love, but I get annoyed at characters that don't seem to have a life beyond their love interests. So, yeah. Also, Peeta's a bit manipulative in a way I don't entirely love.

7. Calvin O'Keefe (A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels)

Not Including a Film Portrayal Because the Only One There Is Neglected His Red Hair (But He's Played By Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century's Boyfriend Greg)

All-around nice guy and whip-smart, Calvin isn't the most standout character in the series, but I love him for his fundamental goodness and his willingness to be there for Meg and her family no matter what. He doesn't care that she's seen as a bit of an oddball at their school; he likes her for who she is, and tells her so. I appreciate that. Also, redhead. I have a bit of a weakness for red hair, in case you hadn't noticed.
Pluses: The "dreamboat eyes" scene, doesn't care what other people think, kind, open, smart, supportive, wants to love and be loved
Minuses: His family would make for awful in-laws

6. Neville Longbottom (the Harry Potter series)

Film Portrayal I Pretty Much Liked: Matthew Lewis, 2001-2011

If you've read Deathly Hallows, this one's a no-brainer.
Pluses: Brave, sweet, devoted to his friends and family, such a fabulously layered and developed character
Minuses: Forgetful, fictional (and therefore not able to be my boyfriend)

5. Michael Moscovitz (the Princess Diaries series)

Film Portrayal That Was Okay Enough: Robert Schwartzman, 2001

One of my first literary crushes, probably because I started reading The Princess Diaries series around age 12, and I loved it so much. Especially in the first four books, Michael is so very dreamy. He's nerdy, which appeals to me, and he's obviously and sweetly in love with Mia, which makes him appealing in general. I particularly love their Star Wars-infused first date, and the fact that he tells her he likes her with a self-made computer program.
He got considerably less dreamy around the time that Mia herself gets really annoying (I don't think either of them acquitted themselves well in the Michael's-not-actually-a-virgin-(even-though-Meg-Cabot-had-said-he-was-on-her-website-and-then-changed-her-mind-because-she-wanted-to-~make-a-point~-or-something)-and-surprise-Mia-he-never-told-you situation. But come book 10, when Mia's with the supremely unlikable J.P. and Michael comes back from Japan, I was quite happy it was as his lovable old self. Mia was, too.
Pluses: wonderfully nerdy, nice, caring, considerate, patient, musical (I like guys who can sing and/or play instruments), hot (as Mia informs us about ten times a book, but those passages about his well-defined pecs made quite an impression on me as a preteen)
Minuses: a little too cavalier about sex (or at least about the Judith Gershner situation above)

4. Adam Eddington (the Vicky Austin series)

Not Including a Film Portrayal Because Good Lord That Movie Was Disappointing (But If You Were Curious, He Was Played By Ryan Merriman)

Easily my favorite of Vicky's love interests (I am NOT into troubled-but-cute types, a la Zachary Gray, who frankly is more trouble than he's worth). Their relationship is so interesting to read about, and not just in the romantic sense. Oh, and a tip, if you've only seen the Disney Channel movie version of A Ring of Endless Light: read the book. Seriously. Book!Adam and movie!Adam are about as different as it is possible to be.
Pluses: smart, caring, friendly, good with kids, "I called you." "And I came."
Minuses: Trust issues

3. Gilbert Blythe (the Anne of Green Gables series)

Favorite Film (Well, Miniseries) Portrayal: Jonathan Crombie, 1985, 1987 (and that is it, do you hear me?)

I haven't met anyone who's read AoGG and doesn't love Gilbert. Of course, it helps that he's "loved [Anne] since that day [she] broke [her] slate over [his] head in school," and one of the most amusing parts of the first book is the barrage of hints at Gilbert's feelings and Anne's blissful unawareness. As they get older, Gilbert's great qualities become more apparent, and it's obvious he's meant for her, which makes it that much more infuriating when she initially turns him down. He's bright, honest, nice, handsome, and head over heels for Anne, and just all-around incredibly sweet. Long story short, I'm constantly flipping through the books just to get to the Gilbert bits, and that should speak for itself.
Pluses: Everything
Minuses: Nothing

2. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

Favorite Film (Well, Miniseries) Portrayal: Colin Firth, 1995

Obligatory addition to every nerdy girl's literary crush list, but there's a reason for it, of course. Great character development is a key component; being played by Colin Firth in the best adaptation helps. Book!Darcy is plenty wonderful on his own, though. He goes from being rather proud and stiff to someone who is willing to do everything for the woman he loves, even when she's already rejected him once (since he is naturally unaware that he is the male lead in an Austen novel and will inevitably end up with Elizabeth anyway, I think the word "selfless" is applicable here).
Pluses: Devoted (both to Lizzy and to his little sister), a good friend, clever, kind
Minuses: Not great with strangers, proud (although he gets better)

1. Ron Weasley (the Harry Potter series)

Not Including a Film Portrayal Because Rupert Grint, As Lovely As I'm Sure He Is, Does Not At All Fit My Personal Picture of Ron Weasley. Instead, I Give You Two Pieces of Fanart By Women Named Venessa and Marta

Let's not kid ourselves here. For me, something from Harry Potter is always going to be number one. Ron is my favorite character in the series anyway (though this did not preclude him from making me very angry on occasion), and his romantic subplot was the one I was most invested in (I actually felt physically ill reading that Lavender Brown business from Half-Blood Prince for the first time), so it's really not surprising that he would top this list as well. As for why I like Ron so much in the first place, well, I think a lot of it comes with defending him on the Internet for nearly a decade now, but I genuinely love his character arc. This is also why chapter nineteen of Deathly Hallows, "The Silver Doe," is my favorite chapter of anything ever. I love seeing Ron finally overcome his self-confidence issues and be a hero in his own right. Also, he's very funny and he's a redhead, so how can I not like him? And as a love interest? I love how he loves Hermione, end of story.
Pluses: Loyal, brave, hilarious, compassionate (especially midway through DH and onward), protective, caring, red hair
Minuses: Hotheaded, not particularly academically-motivated, has jealousy and confidence issues (that he has mostly resolved by the end of the series), can be rather mean sometimes.

Dimanche

Since I have been terrible at blogging consistently, I thought I would tell you what a typical Sunday in Lille is like, in case I happen to miss a bunch of Sundays and you're fraught with the desire to know what I do with them.

So back in Virginia, I have a job in addition to taking classes that actually require some effort. This means that while I am something of a night owl while I am at UVa, I'm still usually asleep by 1:30 in the morning. Here in France, I have neither a job nor classes that start before 10, with the result that I stay up until 3 in the morning or later rather more often than is really wise. Weekends make this problem much worse (or better, depending on your point of view). Last night, I was watching Kim Possible on YouTube and didn't go to sleep until four in the morning. Part of this I blame on residual rubbish from being sick, and the other part I blame on me for not having common sense. This is particularly relevant because I had to get up with enough time to shower before church. Church is at 10; I got up at 8:30. 4.5 hours of sleep for the lose!

I leave my place about ten minutes before worship is scheduled to begin, which means I usually arrive about five minutes late, but since nothing starts when it is supposed to, I get there just on time! Today I was very slightly late; I shall take this as a sign that my timing skills need a little honing. I go to a French Baptist church that reminds me a lot of Primera in Mexicali, except there's obviously a different language that's still difficult for me to understand and harder to speak. If I'm paying attention, though, I get the gist of what everyone is saying. There's a lot of praying and singing (and praying while singing); I'm not so great at the praying out loud in French part (to be fair, I'm not great at the praying out loud in English part either; my faith is a quieter one). Then there's a long sermon (I have my English Bible to follow along with, and also if the sermon is boring there are always good stories to read somewhere in the Bible), followed by more praying, then communion.

Communion here is done by passing around a bowl full of bread and then a cup. Some people eat their bread first and then take a sip from the cup, using a little cloth to wipe the brim afterward; others take communion by intinction, which is when you dip the bread into the cup and have both elements at once. I find intinction slightly more sanitary, so I've been doing that. I think we might be drinking wine instead of grape juice, which explains why I don't really enjoy the communion bread here that much (I know that's not the point, but I am nothing if not brutally honest). Then more praying, offering, and we're done, which means a lot of "bon dimanche"-ing and doing that French thing where you kiss first one cheek, then the other as a way of saying good-bye.

Eva and I usually go to the street market directly after worship. The vegetables are quite cheap and generally tasty, so I usually come with a shopping bag, spend two or three Euro, and am set for the week in the fresh food department. Sometimes we then go to the Carrefour City closer to where she lives if I need to pick something up that can't wait until Monday; the Carrefour by my place closes at 12:30 on Sundays, which means it's pretty much impossible to get there after church. If it's cold out, I'll Metro back up to my part of Lille; if it's nice, like it was today, I'll walk.

I then proceed to veg out for a few hours, sometimes Skyping, sometimes reading, almost always Interneting in some capacity (I am just a veritable fountain of made-up verbs today, aren't I?), occasionally with a nap along the way if I'm lucky. Lately I've been making plans with Lille friends for Sunday evenings. Today Eva and I went to see The Artist and get some crepes in the nice part of Lille. (One-sentence film review: It was my first experience with a silent film, and I enjoyed it for what it was, but I'm not sure if it was worthy of Best Picture.) Then I Metroed back home, talked to Sara and my parents, and watched many, many charlieissocoollike videos on YouTube. I am starting to think I am secretly British, and just happened to be born an American by mistake, because every time I become obsessed with a new British thing, it feels completely natural and right, and also I am so ready to go actually spend some time there, you have no idea. But then I would have David Cameron in charge of my government instead of Barack Obama, and I am so not on board with that (though then again, I am completely on board with living in a country with a healthcare system as awesome as the NHS, and also Harry Potter). Consensus? Clearly, none.

Top ten literary crushes tomorrow? I am thinking yes.

Art

Today I bought groceries, slept, and tried but mostly failed to work on my Batten application. Thus, I have nothing interesting to report. It was a recovery from Paris day, I guess. In lieu of an actual interesting post, have the rest of the Avatar art I've drawn over the past two weeks:

 

These are main characters from Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I realize this show has not yet been released, but since I am still ridiculously excited for it, I decided to try my hand at drawing the trio of Korra, Mako, and Bolin. I also drew a picture of Aang and Katara's granddaughters Jinora and Ikki, but I'm not especially happy with it, so I don't think I'll put it online. By the way, is it strange that I really don't like the Aang/Katara pairing but am fangirling like crazy over pictures of their son and his adorable airbending family? Something to ponder, anyway.

 

This is Katara. She's not my favorite ATLA character, but she's still awesome and probably the most like me. She can waterbend, and since that is my preferred element in the Avatar world, I feel that I am obligated to like her. Anyway. Yes, Katara. She's fun to draw. I'm especially proud of the lower lefthand image. I think I did a good job with her face and her hair. Also, hands are really hard to draw, but I did it!

 

I drew this today. It's Katara and Zuko who should have ended up together from the finale. The background is a little iffy, but I think I did a reasonably good job with the characters.

Also, who wants some tl;dr about Avatar shipping? Here, have this exchange from my Tumblr from a few months ago:

Tumblr user beeftony:

I hate when people try and justify Zutara by saying that “opposites attract.” Zuko and Katara are not opposites. They bend opposing elements, yes, but let’s consider the facts. They both:

• Have a distant father figure
• Lost their mothers at a young age
• Have a sibling who is more eager to fight than they are
• Had to grow up before they should have
• Have serious anger issues

All of which paints a picture of two people who can relate to each other on an emotional level because they are so goddamn similar. The main thing that separates them is how they reacted to their circumstances, and their relationship with what remains of their families. What keeps them apart is largely circumstantial, and if things had gone differently they may very well have ended up together.
Zuko and Aang had parallel journeys, but Zuko and Katara reflect one another. That’s different from being opposites, and it’s better for a long term relationship if they have things in common.
That’s why I ship it, anyway.

Me from the past (as Tumblr user secondhermione):

This actually makes a lot of sense. When I started watching Avatar during my first semester of college, well after the series had ended, I had no expectations for shipping (although I had certainly heard of the shipping wars). During books one and two, I thought Kataang was sort of blandly cute, even if it bothered me that Katara didn’t really seem to reciprocate Aang’s feelings (“The Cave of Two Lovers” being a notable exception). I was intrigued by Zuko and Katara’s dynamic, but I’m decidedly not one of those shippers that enjoys the “I’ll save you from the pirates” scene. Sorry, I’m not really into foe-yay.

I became a Zutara shipper after “The Crossroads of Destiny.” By that point, I knew Kataang was going to be endgame, so I didn’t actually expect anything to happen between Zuko and Katara. But I still think that post-series, they became very close friends at the very least, precisely because they have this shared connection. She’s water and he’s fire, but they’re really very similar, and they’ve both lost their mothers. I think they understand each other quite well, perhaps more than they care to admit.
Which leads me to the end of book three. I honestly believe that the writers made a few significant fumbles here, if they wanted us to support the Aang/Katara pairing. Katara needed to forgive and accept Zuko, but the way it was done created the problem of making them very close emotionally. Look at the way they interact with each other, post-“The Southern Raiders.” Zuko turns to Katara for reassurance and understanding, and she to him. When Aang is missing, when Zuko is afraid to face his uncle, when they’re preparing for the showdown with Azula, they find comfort in one another. While this certainly can be applied to their budding friendship, the way their relationship arc was progressing, it seems like the next natural step would have been to start a romance, particularly with Katara pushing Aang away and telling him that she was confused.

Basically, here’s how I see it:

1. Zuko and Katara connect over the mutual loss of their mothers in Ba Sing Se. He then sides with Azula, which Katara takes quite personally.

2. Zuko joins the Gaang, but Katara isn’t quite ready to forgive him yet. Their interactions, especially on Katara’s part, are highly charged. (This is important.)

3. Zuko desperately wants to gain Katara’s acceptance, to the point where he waits outside her tent all night just to talk to her. He then uses their shared bond - the loss of their mothers - to restart their connection. While Katara ultimately doesn’t take revenge, she comes to forgive Zuko, and they work well together as a team.

4. Aang wants to know why he and Katara haven’t progressed as a couple since their kiss at the invasion. Katara tells him she’s confused, and is justifiably upset when he tries to kiss her again anyway. They have basically no direct interaction after this until the coda of the finale.

5. In the lead up to the showdown with the Fire Lord, Zuko and Katara are often paired up. They’re a team during the battle with Melon Lord, they take charge of the Gaang when Aang disappears (although most of the leadership does go to Zuko, to be fair), and they go to face Azula together. Along the way, Zuko calms Katara, Katara reassures Zuko, and he looks to her when he needs help. Also, June provides some Ship Tease, although this was probably just the writers’ nod to their fanbase.

6. Then there’s the fight with Azula. I challenge you to find a sequence that’s more blatantly Zutara. He freaking takes a bolt of lightning for her. And while, yes, it is thematically significant that Zuko and Katara are working together to take down an enemy instead of being enemies during a finale, I maintain that if the writers had let the story take a natural course, this would have been the time for a Relationship Upgrade. The part where she heals him and they thank each other, Katara with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, is just begging for romantic resolution.

7. My biggest problem with the Kataang relationship is that it feels too one-sided. There have been moments where I believed Katara returned Aang’s feelings (“The Cave of Two Lovers,” “The Headband”), but they’re few and far between. Now, after Katara has told Aang she’s confused, she suddenly decides she wants him as soon as he’s defeated the Fire Lord. I do like that she’s the one who makes the move, but I can’t buy it. It makes Katara look like Aang’s reward, and I think that’s a disservice to both their characters. Aang saved the world, and that’s great, but Katara doesn’t owe him anything for that. I don’t really see Katara making a choice, here. I see pride in a good friend, I see affection. What I don’t see (or buy, at least) is romantic attraction.

Also, I would have been fine with a peck on the cheek or even a quick kiss on the lips. But it honestly kind of squicks me out - Aang is 12 (for all intents and purposes), and he and Katara share a very adult sort of kiss. He just doesn’t feel grown up enough for something like that, not least because I felt his character didn’t do enough growing up in the finale. This is a problem I consistently had with Aang’s development; I rolled my eyes when 12-year-old Aang said he loved Katara in “The Crossroads of Destiny,” too.

8. Thematically, at least in my eyes, a Katara/Zuko relationship would have been a better choice. They have a great connection, especially because they’re similar enough to understand each other really well. Their interactions are charged - Katara seems to respond far more to Zuko than she ever did to Aang, and she never treated him like she was his mother. By the end of the series, Katara and Zuko seemed closer than Katara and Aang. And, well, if you want me to support Kataang, I think that’s a problem.

So I echo everything in this post, and add that this is something Mike and Bryan should keep in mind (or, at least, I hope they had in mind) when they were developing Legend of Korra. I’m not a Zutara fangirl who liked them because they’d be ~omg so hawt~ together (although I do think they look better together than Aang and Katara do, mostly because Aang is still prepubescent). I liked them together because it seemed like a natural conclusion for their characters and their development, and I know I’m not the only one that feels that way. To me, they are the great relationship that could have been. That they didn’t happen, and that (to me) the Kataang relationship feels forced, are some of Avatar’s very few flaws.

Me in the present: Wow, that was long. I just have a lot of feelings about Zutara, guys.

Anyway, happy Monday, and happy Day Before the State of the Union Day!

Endings and Beginnings

Fall semester of 2011 is finished. My bags are packed, the contents of my room are boxed up and in storage, and I leave for the airport in roughly four hours. I go to France in just under three weeks.

Everything is changing so quickly. I can't believe my study-abroad semester is almost here. I certainly can't believe I'm not going to be at UVa in the spring. My therapist and I talked a lot about the difference between knowing things intuitively and knowing things emotionally, and this is one of those times where that situation applies. I spent my day packing and getting everything ready, so in my head I know that I am going to California tomorrow and Europe a few weeks afterward. But emotionally, I don't think it's hit me yet. Maybe I'm too worn out from exams.

Today was beautiful. It's hard to see the forest for the trees sometimes. I get caught up in the ups and downs of everyday life. Occasionally I feel moody and unpopular. Not today. Friends volunteered to help me move my stuff (Elizabeth and Ryan - thank you so much. You are fantastic and amazing, and you don't know how much I appreciate you giving up time during exam week to carry my boxes upon boxes up and down three flights of stairs and then play real-life Tetris to fit it all into your cars. You have my undying gratitude). Pooja took me out to lunch and brought me tape and blankets when I needed them. Andi kept me company and sorted my recycling with me. Lauren - wonderful Lauren - turned what I thought would be a nice, one-on-one Lemongrass outing into a fabulous and very thoughtful farewell dinner, with nearly all my closest Wesley friends in attendance. Matt treated me to Lemongrass/Arch's (a glorious combination if there ever was one), and together with Andi and Pooja, I got to see him experience the Avatar: The Last Airbender finale (and nerdily discuss its narrative structure and speculate about Korra). Matt (roommate of the aforementioned Matt) is very selflessly getting up at an ungodly hour to drive me to the airport. Every time that I feel lonely, I need to remind myself of days like this, and how blessed I am to have the friends I do. Wow. I am just floored by their kindness and their love.

I'm going to wrap this up here. I need to try and get some sleep if I want to be at all functional for tomorrow. But my time at UVa, at least for now, has ended well, and I'm so glad I have wonderful friends to come back to next year. Adieu, mes cheries! Time to see what the future holds.

HBO's John Adams Miniseries

I think I'm in love. I'm considering a history minor, and HBO's John Adams miniseries encapsulates pretty much everything I love about history. Not to mention Abigail Adams is one of my favorite historical figures ever, and she's portrayed brilliantly by Laura Linney. The acting is fantastic, the writing is compelling, the music is gorgeous, and the costumes are wonderful. The one drawback? It makes me feel a little sad that the Tea Party has so eagerly seized upon the Revolutionary War as their rallying cry. It makes no historical sense, and I honestly feel that they've tainted something incredibly powerful. The Founders were far from perfect (which I'm not sure those in the Tea Party truly understand), but their intent was good and their accomplishments were immense.

I'm not one for jingoistic American pride, but the story of the nation's birth is one I find deeply moving. I'm a politics major with a specialization in political theory, and I've read Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Smith, along with many of the Founders. To me, the Revolutionary period and the first few decades after the War represent a great time in American history; the Founders were flawed, but they were pioneers and trailblazers. No one thought a republic on the scale of the United States could work, but it's over 200 years later, and while we certainly have problems, our government remains intact, and it's many times larger than what it was in 1789. The Founders took the wonderings of political philosophers and made them reality. They redefined what was possible. They were courageous. And while they valued their independence, they also realized that government brings people together in remarkable ways. When the Articles of Confederation, which featured a weak central government with little power and a strong focus on states' rights, didn't work (take note, conservatives), they weren't afraid to throw them out and start over again, because government is about making things better, to form a more perfect union. Yes, it's a rather idealistic notion, but then, so were the Founders. They wrangled and fought, sometimes bitterly, but they were often philosophers themselves. When Jefferson wrote about the inherent equality of all people, he was being incredibly idealistic, but I doubt anyone would think he was wrong to say it. These are the things I love about my country, and that's why seeing Revolution imagery plastered all over Tea Party conventions makes me so angry. It's also why John Adams speaks to me; it tells the story of a flawed man working with his fellows (including his most trusted confidante, Abigail) in the creation of the new.

Be still, my government-major heart.

Aida's Obligatory September 11th Story

As you've probably been bombarded with memorial services and television specials ad nauseum for the past week, you don't need me to tell you that today marks the ten-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks. If you're anything like me, you're likely getting a little tired of the constant coverage, but this is an important day. In keeping with the spirit of the anniversary, here is my 9/11 story.

Back in September of 2001, I was two months shy of eleven. My parents had been commissioned as missionaries the previous summer, and we had moved to Costa Rica in January so my father could learn Spanish at language school. Richie and I were students at a small international school in the mountains, where I was in the fifth grade. That Tuesday started out roughly like any other. Richie and I got on our bus, went on our usual long ride to school, and headed to our respective classrooms. The fifth grade (all twenty or so of us, and we were a big class by Marian Baker standards) had art first thing on Tuesday mornings, so the first thing I knew anything was amiss, we were ensconced in the art classroom, busily working away on our various projects. Rumors must have been flying like mad, because our art teacher told us that the Empire State Building had been hit, not the World Trade Center. Class continued like nothing had happened, but I do remember going up to the teacher and asking quietly if the building had fallen apart and hurt people when the airplane went into it.

I don't remember many other details from that morning, apart from a general sense of unease among the teachers. The fourth and fifth grades had gym class together, and I heard my old fourth grade teacher having a tense conversation with someone else, perhaps my fifth grade teacher, Mr. K.

"Has anything else happened?" one of them asked.
"Bush made a speech," the other responded.

Finally, after lunch, Mr. K told us what happened. I cried. Looking back, I can't really explain why, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I was a sensitive little girl who was living out of her country for the first time, and acutely aware that something terrible had happened when I was far away. Many of my classmates were the children of diplomats and influential businesspeople, and probably had friends and relatives far closer to New York City and Washington, DC than I did. None of them cried, however, and they didn't understand why I was so upset (although truthfully, I didn't quite understand why I was so upset, either). Costa Rican Independence Day was fast approaching, and the fifth graders were learning a traditional dance, but I was allowed to sit out because I was still crying.

When I got home, my mother was sitting in the living room, watching the news. We only had basic Costa Rican television, which meant the few channels we did receive were all in Spanish. By that point in the year, however, my Spanish was fairly good, and in any case the video footage spoke for itself. My dad's language school, largely populated by Americans, held a vigil that evening, so we made our short walk over to the campus, where all the adults were somber. All the children were sent outside to amuse ourselves while the adults held their vigil. Some of us were old enough to have some understanding of what was going on, but others, like Josh, who was two, didn't have a clue. Josh had an airplane fixation even then, and while I'm not sure if he even knew that the news that day had been full of them, he talked of nothing but airplanes that night. So I sat on a hill with my brothers and the other children, eating sugar cane and listening to Josh's airplane noises and the singing of the adults.

I'm not sure how much I understood that day, but I remember reading every news magazine I could get my hands on in the Marian Baker library in the weeks that followed. It was around that time I became more politically conscious, although I may have been following the news casually even before the attacks. By the time of the invasion of Iraq a year and a half later, I was watching the news regularly and forming my own opinions about what I was seeing. I don't know if September 11 was the catalyst for my rapidly-growing awareness of the world around me, but it had a tremendous impact on my development nonetheless. For years I would get up early on the anniversary just to watch the memorial services, and while I have succumbed to 9/11 fatigue in college, I'm still fascinated by the stories from that day. Perhaps it's because I was out of the country and removed from the national atmosphere, to the point where I read about rather than experienced firsthand the fleeting but intense unity in the aftermath of the attacks. Perhaps it's because I was ten years old and just entering the world beyond myself. In any case, it is a day that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Did the world really change? Maybe. Did my worldview? Certainly.

The Truth

I'm entirely too sleep deprived to write much in the way of a meaningful post tonight, though I'm hoping to upload another Top Ten before the week is out. Monday is one of my busy days; once I leave my dorm in the morning, I almost certainly won't be back until dinnertime. Today I found myself stumbling from class to class, having slept very badly last night for no discernible reason. However, although I wanted very much to curl up in a ball and catch up on the sleep I missed, I had quite a nice day. I had spent Friday's calculus class in almost complete confusion, but at this morning's I was able to follow along relatively well. Apparently I haven't succeeded in completely erasing eleventh-grade precalculus from my memory! History was basically a review of everything I learned about the end of World War II from AP U.S., I finally figured out what a diaspora is in my Christianity class, and I spent most of French discussing Impressionist paintings. I also had my first econ discussion today (not that there's anything very remarkable about it). When you factor in my recently-discovered love of egg, swiss, mushroom, and spinach bagel sandwiches from Einstein Brothers, I can't really find much to complain about, apart from the pervasive layer of mental haze I struggled with all day.

It's funny how things you learn in high school come back to you. My religion professor discussed the Jewish and Graeco-Roman origins of Christianity this afternoon, and he mentioned that it was easy for Greek Christians to transfer their feelings about "the Good," Plato's term for the force that enlightens and enlivens the soul, to God. To illustrate this, he talked about Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," which I first studied three years ago as a senior in high school. He used a beautiful diagram to explain the allegory, which was in color in the lecture but I could only find in black and white online:

Plato obviously didn't approach his allegory from a Christian perspective, but I think he was searching for the same thing as Christians, and really the practitioners of any religious faith: the truth. When it comes down to it, that is one of the main reasons why atheism doesn't appeal to me. The idea that there is no underlying pattern to the universe, that the shadows on the wall are all we're ever going to get, is so unfulfilling to me. There has to be a greater Truth out there somewhere. I'm doubt-ridden about a lot of things, but even if there isn't a person in the sky-God, the universe just doesn't make sense to me if there isn't a higher Truth. So to see the person at the top-right of the illustration emerging into the sunlight for the first time honestly nearly brought me to tears. Christianity is my path to seeking the Truth, and someday, perhaps in a life beyond this, I want to perceive the Truth at last. And for me, at least at this point in my faith journey, the Truth is God.

Wow, that went way deeper than I meant for it to go. Well, it is certainly something to ponder, particularly as I have a sizable chunk of Plato's Republic to review before I go to class tomorrow. Until we meet again!

Applying the Bechdel Test to Sports Night [SPOILERS]

TV Tropes defines the Bechdel Test as "a sort of litmus test for female presence in movies and TV; in order to pass, the fictional work must show at least two women having at least one conversation about something other than a man or men." While it is not necessarily indicative of the overall level of feminism, it is nonetheless an important indicator of how society perceives women in relation to men.

Lately I've been applying Bechdel to everything I read and watch. It's been a fascinating and illuminating experience. With Sports Night, it can be downright infuriating. I want so much to love it, because it's an Aaron Sorkin show and The West Wing is my all-time favorite. But most Sports Night episodes fail the Bechdel Test so hard. In some ways, the odds are stacked against it from the beginning. Only two of the regulars are women, and it's a show about a sports show, which is definitely a male-dominated field. It's just really annoying, though, when you realize that you can practically count on one hand the number of conversations Dana and Natalie have that aren't about men. Goodness gracious.

I'm also find the attitudes most of the men on the show have toward women to be very grating. I really do like Sorkin as a writer, but so many of his male characters are incredibly patronizing to women, even women they supposedly respect enough to want to date. Apparently his idea of romantic is to have a man ask a woman out repeatedly, only for her to be ~charmed~ by his persistence and graciously accept his offer at the end. Excuse me, no. This approach rubbed me the wrong way when Sorkin used it with Bradley Whitford's character on Studio 60, and it's annoying me now with Dan and Rebecca on Sports Night. Then there's the current drama, in which Casey, who is supposedly in love with Dana, sleeps with a woman she hates, Sally, and then later finds out that Dana's fiance is also sleeping with this woman. Casey then calls Dana's fiance out on his behavior but doesn't bother to tell Dana about the affair, because that would mean admitting he's seeing Sally. I'm not finished with the season yet, so maybe I'm just getting peeved off for nothing, but as it is I get the impression that Sorkin wants to present Casey's actions as commendable. That is such a ridiculous double standard to me. I want to like the characters, I really do. For the most part, I do like Jeremy, Natalie, and Isaac. I just wish they would stop perpetuating stupid, sexist attitudes.

I should note, however, that while Sorkin's portrayal of women can be flawed, he has created some genuinely awesome and feminist female characters. C.J. Cregg and Abbey Bartlet are both amazing role models. I also love Donna Moss, although I will admit her role is a bit more problematic. I'm a big fan of the Josh/Donna relationship, for example, but at least for the first five seasons Donna's position is inherently dependent on and subservient to Josh's. She's younger, and a college drop-out. Josh is clearly presented as the superior in almost all aspects. While I think I would have enjoyed seeing them get together during the Sorkin years, I'm glad that when they finally did hook up in season seven, Donna was no longer Josh's assistant, and she actually made sure that when she got a job in the new administration, she wasn't working directly for Josh. Anyway, C.J. and Abbey are great characters and I commend Sorkin for doing a relatively good job with them.

I'll continue to apply the Bechdel Test as I work through the show. Hopefully things improve; I really do want to see more from Natalie and Dana, who have the potential to be awesome when they aren't so hung up on relationships.

Observations

As I once again betake myself to the South Lawn to get my Internet fix.

• Apparently eight o'clock is a popular time for dog walking. I've seen two women out running with their dogs in the half-hour I've been sitting outside.
• Goodness gracious, I have so many mosquito bites I can't even count them.
• Why can't the weather be like this all the time?
• Since I no longer have the Internet to occupy all my time at the apartment, I've started re-watching season two of The Office. Michael was such a jerk back then! Jim and Pam were also really, really cute. They're still cute now, but in season two they were flippin' adorable. Incidentally, now that Jenna Fischer is expecting her first child, Jim and Pam will have another baby on the way when season eight starts in September. I'm thinking this one will probably be a boy, since their first was a girl.
• Having finished Howl's Moving Castle last night, I notice that Diana Wynne Jones is a fan of alternate worlds, predictable endings, and bickering couples. I am also a fan of one and three, so I will forgive her for two.
• I am quite easily amused. The first time I went to go return a book at the Gordon Library, I used their drive-through drop box. As I was leaving, I noticed there was a big painted "NI" at the end of the drive-through. All I could think of was the Knights Who Say "Ni!" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and I wondered why, even in the People's Republic of Charlottesville, where there are certainly a great many aficionados of quirky British humor, anyone would be compelled to paint an homage to Monty Python next to the library. Then I realized it said "IN," not "NI," whereupon I proceeded to burst out laughing in the middle of the sidewalk. I must have looked very odd indeed to passersby. Anyway, whenever I pass by the NI/IN, I start giggling again. God, I am so weird.
• Pottermore is actually surprisingly easy to register for, provided you're on the site at the right time. The usernames are kind of ridiculous, though. I realize it's for child safety reasons, but I can think of quite a few more names that are more suited to my personality than FeatherRune49. Nevertheless, that is what I shall be going by, so if you're also a beta tester, look me up!
• I really want to be moved into my dorm already. Hurry up and get here, mid-August!

August

The Internet in my sublet temporarily stopped working today, so I wandered over to the South Lawn to use the UVa network and enjoy the fresh air. It's a nice night out, apart from the mosquitoes I just know are attacking my legs right now. UVa's never this quiet during the school year. I really miss my friends, so I'll be happy to see them when I move back to the dorms in a few weeks, but I also like the peace and solitude. The no-homework thing is pretty nice, too.

When I woke up I felt a little queasy and seriously contemplated just staying in bed all day. Then I told myself to stop being a baby and make breakfast, so I did. I went to work for a few hours in the afternoon, ran some errands, and then went home and watched The Kids Are All Right. I'm not sure if I liked it - the characters have some big-time issues - but it felt so real. As much as I love dialogue-heavy shows like The West Wing and Gilmore Girls, I have to admit that sometimes they're too witty and too rhythmic. Everyone in The Kids Are All Right talked like people actually talk, and it was kind of refreshing. Mia Wasikowska also makes a convincing American teenager, although I guess that shouldn't surprise me, since she's only a year or so older than I am.

My laptop power's running down now, and I want to check some other things before I subject myself to an evening without Internet, so I think I'll end this here. Buenas noches.

Je Promets, This is the Last Akage no Anne Post!

Fifty episodes, four days, and one tired, wistful, and very satisfied Aida. We have come to the end, mes amis. Akage no Anne, much like its source material and title character, is a timeless treasure. I have included a link on my Facebook, but in case you'd rather not go digging through your news feed to find it, here it is. You're welcome!

My final list of impressions is below:

• I took my notes in chronological order, but I want to say first and foremost that Matthew's death made me cry so much. I sniffled a little in the book and while watching the Sullivan miniseries, but considering both of those were in English, I think Akage no Anne deserves higher praise. It touched me deeply despite being in Japanese, fan-subbed, and anime, a medium I dislike (although I love animation in general, so don't accuse me of being trapped in the Animation Age Ghetto). Short story: This is really good, guys.
• Okay, chronological notes, starting from Anne going to Queen's.
• The Charlottetown/Charlottesville typo persisted in all but two or three episodes, which of course made me even more of an emotional mess. A paraphrased line of Anne's struck me in particular: "I am going to Charlottesville to seek my future." Why do you do this to me, show?!
• Anne's studying puts me to shame. When she stays up until one in the morning doing her homework, she's not spending half of her time on Facebook and Tumblr (or whatever the nineteenth-century equivalent would be), that's for sure.
• Moody Spurgeon MacPherson cracks me up.
• The novel describes Anne's eyes as "green in some lights and grey in others." The anime does this really, really well.
• Akage no Anne uses a lot of flashbacks. Sometimes they're overdone. Other times I feel just as the characters do. Anne's character design went through a lot of subtle changes that really pay off in flashback comparisons, I will say that. I didn't notice how much she had changed from even eleven through twelve until Marilla thinks back to her arrival, and man oh man was I surprised.
• When Anne learns of the Avery scholarship, she has a vision of herself in a cap and gown (and her usual braids!) accepting a diploma while a proud Matthew looks on. My first thought was how ridiculous it was that she should graduate in braids, but my second was just sadness. Anne does eventually go to Redmond, but Matthew won't be there to celebrate with her. :(
• After Anne leaves for Queen's, Marilla is shown crying in bed and looking longingly at the empty chair at the dining room table. Once again, why do you insist on breaking my heart, show?
• One aspect of Akage no Anne I did not enjoy so much was the music. That is one advantage the Sullivan production does have. Akage no Anne has this weird track with bagpipes they like to use over and over again. It was funny the first time it played (during Mr. Phillips's farewell speech), but after that it was just overkill. There's another track with gongs that was used less often, but happened to be equally weird. Sullivan probably had a better budget.
• Another Sullivan advantage: the wonderful use of English-language poetry. In the live-action mini, Anne is fond of reciting "The Lady of Shalott" and chooses "The Highwayman" for her White Sands performance. I know "The Lady of Shalott" was not in the book, and I don't think "The Highwayman" was, either, but they were both great additions. In Akage no Anne, the recitals are pretty random, and I have no idea what Anne is talking about in any of them.
• Anne has a conversation with Jane and Diana about richness in which Jane says that diamonds would be a pretty good consolation for loneliness and sorrow. Considering Jane marries a millionaire who showers her with diamonds in Anne of the Island, I was more than a little amused.
• Whenever a lecture hall scene comes up, the girls seem to be sitting on one side of the room and the boys on the other. It might be another Japanese thing, but it struck me as odd.
• I kept getting strange sidebar ads as I went through the episodes. One that I found particularly funny featured two Twilightesque cartoons locked in a close embrace, telling me that one click would help me "Find [my] Bella." As a straight female watching an Anne of Green Gables anime this was amusing enough, but the thought that anyone would be looking for someone as aggravating and selfish as Bella Swan was what really cracked me up!
• Okay, so Josie starts the rumor that Emily Clay is a shoo-in for the Avery just to spite Anne. Later, Anne mentions that she's sure the won't get it because everyone is talking about Emily. Anne gets the Avery, of course, but I can't help feeling a little sorry for Emily Clay. Imagine being talked of as the surefire winner of a coveted school prize for weeks on end, only to lose to someone else. Maybe Emily got the Avery when Anne gave it up?
• I've said it before. I don't care, it bears repeating: Matthew's death is so darn sad!
• The scene where Anne is finally able to cry over Matthew with Marilla was heartbreaking and beautiful ("you're like my own flesh and blood!"), but there was one thing that bothered me. In the Sullivan film, and I'm pretty sure in the book, Marilla hears Anne crying and goes to comfort her with her hair down. It's a little thing, but it's symbolically important. Marilla, who always wears her hair so severely, is able to open herself to Anne emotionally fully and completely in a vulnerable state, in her nightwear with her hair down. In Akage no Anne, she's sitting with some visitors who have come to console her when she hears Anne and goes upstairs to see her. She's in her black day dress and her hair is in its usual bun. Like I said, it doesn't really matter that much, but it irked me just slightly.
• Gilbert came to Matthew's funeral. Aww.
• Matthew's name is written on his gravestone as "Thomas Cuthbert." Was his name actually Thomas Matthew Cuthbert in the novel, and I'm just misremembering? If not, that's really an inexcusable error.
• Another error: His gravestone said he died in November. This is certainly wrong. Anne had just come home from Queen's for the summer, so it had to be May or June, July at the very latest. Bad form, background artists!
• I really liked the metaphor of life being like a road, and Anne's decision to give up her scholarship and stay with Marilla as a bend in it. It was accompanied by some lovely visuals, and the whole thing just came across well. Good job!
• "Good morning" is "Ohayo" in Japanese. Whenever the characters said it, though, it sounded like they were yelling "Ohio!" at one another, haha. Unintentional humor for the win!
• Aww, Anne and Gilbert are so cute. I know this was made over thirty years ago and it was the only novel they adapted, but I really want to see a good adaptation of Anne of the Island someday. Also Anne's House of Dreams and Anne of Ingleside, but especially Anne of the Island. As someone who is in college now, I'd love to see Anne's college years on screen.

In closing, I really, really loved Akage no Anne and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who thinks of Anne as a kindred spirit. It's so, so great.

Pictures:

 

Yeah. Remember how I said the background English wasn't always perfect? I'm just going to leave this here.

Whenever Marilla burst out laughing like this, so did I.

Miss Muriel Stacy (or, as the subtitles once called her, Miss Maurice Stacy).

Guess What? I'm Posting About Akage no Anne Again!

Let's have another bullet point list, shall we?

• I'm enjoying this so much. I really might like it better than the Sullivan films. Sure, it's anime and it's in Japanese, but it's so well-made I don't even care. I can't believe I haven't watched this before now!
• I ought to finish the entire series tomorrow. In some ways I'm sad, because I've loved it so much and I don't want it to end. That's what the books are for, though! I even had the forethought not to put my copy of Anne of Green Gables in storage with the rest of my books, so once I finish Howl's Moving Castle I think I'll reread Anne.
• I finally thought to take notes while I was watching today, so here are my scattered thoughts:
• According to the subtitles, Japanese promos are so much politer than American ones. Instead of telling their viewers to "Tune in next week!" or "Don't miss the next episode!" they respectfully implore you to "please watch" or "please wait and see." It makes me laugh.
• The English loan words are easy to decipher. "Cake," "ice cream," "Christmas," and "present" are all as they are in English. None of the names have been changed either, so you get to listen to Japanese voice actors pronounce "Anne Shirley," "Gilbert Blythe," and "Marilla Cuthbert." I think my favorite bit is when Anne calls Diana's mother "Barry-san," haha.
• I was amused by the Anne-dyes-her-hair-green fiasco as always, but I call shenanigans on Anne having her hair pixie-cut in March and then it all being back to normal (almost waist-length) by August. Nope. Speaking from experience, hair growth doesn't work that way.
• The English writing in the backgrounds is usually quite good, but every once in a while I'll catch some errors. When Anne and Diana went to visit Aunt Josephine in Charlottetown, they walked under a banner proclaiming the "83th" exhibition. Then in Anne's nightmare, Ruby Gillis's name was spelt with two b's.
• Speaking of Ruby, there was a moment when she was in hysterics over being caught in a snowstorm at school, and Miss Stacy slapped her! It sounds terrible, but in context it was so funny. I actually laughed out loud.
• Funny visual: Aunt Josephine rides a carousel with Anne and Diana.
• There was an anecdote I don't remember from the book where the hired man, Jerry, tricks Anne into thinking she'd eaten poisoned apples and was about to die. She then goes on to write farewell notes to Matthew, Marilla, and Diana, and they were so melodramatic I nearly keeled over myself from laughing so hard. Oh, Anne.
• The most recent episode I watched (#37) had Charlottetown mistranslated as "Charlottesville" in the subtitles. Of course it was completely unintentional, but as someone who left home to go to school in a city called Charlottesville, it made me unexpectedly emotional.
• This episode also happened to feature Marilla reflecting on Anne growing up. There was even a shot of fifteen-year-old Anne holding up the dress she had come to Green Gables from the orphanage in and laughing at how small it was. Are you trying to break my heart, show? Marilla cried and I have to admit, I sniffled a little, too. Many of my friends talk about how now that the Harry Potter movies are over, so are their childhoods. I don't quite feel that way, since I think that that series ended with the books anyway, but something about watching Anne grow up really hit home. And I'm just the growing up one. I can't imagine how my mother would feel, especially seeing as she's about to send my brother off to college, too.
• Gilbert is growing up very nicely indeed. (Note to self: He's fictional and still a teenager, at least in this story. Stop thinking what you're thinking at once!)
• I will never not love the "Unfortunate Lily Maid" sequence, in any incarnation. 
• Some pics from Akage no Anne:

Anne and Matthew

Marilla. Strangely, whenever an important character is introduced, they are surrounded by a flowery frame, as seen above. I think this is probably a Japanese thing.

Anne and Diana, making their vow of friendship.

Young Gilbert

Why so adorable, Gilbert?

Older Anne.