Don't Stop Believin'

So, I finally reached the end post to my blog for this EWRT1A class. Time flies too fast and I didn't even realize that I've reached my 15th post. I will end this post by saying thank you for everything and everyone that have helped and believed in me to write the posts on this blog. I now know that the key of success is to actually never stop believing in our dreams and goals because we can actually achieve it through hard work and faith. Here is a video from Journey's Don't Stop Believin' because I actually admire this band and song, Ms. Patton!

I Have a Dream

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

...

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

...

King delivering his I Have a Dream speech

Martin Luther King Jr. once gave a speech to propose equality and put an end to racism in United States. His famous "I Have a Dream" speech has influenced many people's lives and it really changed how the society acts towards different ethnicity. It gives a wondrous impact through the use of several techniques that King used within his speech. The one that is seen to be the climax of the speech is when he used anaphora to exclaim his dreams. According to dictionary.com, anaphora is a "repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive verses, clauses, or sentences". Because of this, prior to the previous discussion with Alice, we also have our own dreams that I think is perfect for us to use on our personal speech.

I have a dream that one day, people will see others that just merely based on their skin tones or on how they look from the outside, but, rather not judge a book by its cover.

I have a dream that one day, the creatures in Wonderland will understand each other, especially me in particular, and know that inside of their beloved savior's heart, she is still that scared little girl.

I have a dream that one day, people will understand that harsh words coming from their tongues are sharper than a sword that can even kill one's heart

I have a dream that I can actually make people happy without even trying to, but solely based on what my heart wants me to do

I have a dream today!

I really hope that one day people can realize these dreams me and Alice have. There may be some benefits from doing stereotypes, but there's none from discriminating others. The one who discriminate will surely commit a sin, and the victim will surely have a broken heart that may need a long time to heal. Therefore, before saying something, it's better for you to think, reflect, then say. You may not know that some words you say can actually hurt others, because words are stronger than you know, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12 NIV).

Stereotype at Its Worst

Alice in facing her problem

Monica: Alice, finally I'm free! At least from the burden of making the personal statements. Now, I'm available if we want to talk for awhile. How are you doing?

Alice: Well, hmmm... I'm glad that we can actually talk now. I've been busy too trying to solve some minor problems here in Wonderland. I'm happy for you though that you have finished writing your personal statements.

Monica: What's wrong? You know you can always count on me if you need any help.

Alice: It's just.... too much for me to be the "hero" here in Wonderland. It's as if everyone depends on me and always see me as the "Alice" that will solve all of their problems, that will free them from the evil ones, and overall will make their life better. I'm just too tired, Monica. Deep inside, I still have that childlike heart which sometimes feel so scared to lie, to break the rules, or even to slay and kill a person or a creature. I want to tell them that I'm not always the kind of person they thought of me. For them, I may be seen as the hero, the savior, the courage girl, but actually I'm not. Anyway, I'm sorry that I let you hear my nonsenses. I hope you can understand what I've been going through.

Monica: Oh, Alice, it's totally fine. "A friend in need is a friend indeed" right? I think you should tell them how you really feel about your difficulties in being stereotyped as a hero. If they really are your friends, they'll understand and support whatever your decision is. You'll then know who your real friends are. Actually, I've been through similar situation too. Some people, including my parents, due to our Asian culture, always expect me to have high grades and high GPA. For example, for this quarter, I told them that I think I can't maintain my 4.0 GPA because some classes that I take this quarter become more difficult and it's just hard to get A+ on some exams. I thought that they'll understand me for my situation, but instead, they don't. They even asked me to study harder and at least try my best to maintain a 4.0 GPA.

Alice: Wow... Really? That must've been hard for you

Monica: Well, at first, I got so annoyed at them for not understanding my situation. But, soon I realized the positive side that maybe it's for my own good too. By maintaining a good GPA, the chance of me getting into a good university will be higher, and also I can get the required knowledge for my future. But, I think the worst part of my experience with stereotype is when I was teased by the local Indonesian men because I am a Chinese-Indonesian. Sometimes, when I was walking by the streets, they would call me with names that are Chinese-related and which I think is quite insulting and inappropriate. This is why, I feel that this discrimination within cultures need to be stopped or at least anyone should do something to this problem.

Alice: Wow, I'm really sorry for what happened to you. I now know that I should be grateful that my friends in Wonderland at least love me for who I am because we're all uniquely different!

Monica: Yes, I think you should, Alice. Well, I hope that your friends in Wonderland will understand on what you've been going through and just remember this quote, "friends pick us up when we fall down, and if they can't pick us up, they lie down and listen for a while".

Alice: Thank you so much, Monica. I'm glad I can actually find you and call you one of my best friends. Cheers to a friendship for many years to go!

The Hwang Success

For years, David Henry Hwang has been known for his sublime works as a playwright, screenwriter, and librettist, which have earned numerous awards such as the Tony, Drama Desk, John Gassner, OBIE, and Outer Critics Circle Awards, and also several nominees for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His most successful work is by writing the book M. Butterfly that had ran successfully in Broadway, London's West End, and in over three countries. (American Theatre Wing)

David Henry Hwang was born in Los Angeles, California to a banker father and a piano teacher mother. He received his bachelor's degree in English from Stanford University and continued his study at Yale School of Drama. There, inside his dormitory, his first play was produced. (Wikipedia)

Hwang's early plays were well-known on his concern with Asian immigrants or the Asian Americans in the modern society of United States. His first play, The award winning, FOB, tells about the conflicts and contrasts between the Asian Americans and newcomers that are trying to assimilate. The play was premiered at the John Papp Public Theater, where his two other plays, The Dance and The Railroad and Family Devotions, were performed. Since three of his early works were related to the Chinese Americans, Hwang himself named the three of them as a "Trilogy of Chinese America" (Wikipedia).

Through his developed ability in producing and writing plays, Hwang finally worked his best to produce , M. Butterfly. The play is actually a deconstruction of Giacomo Puccini's production of Madama Butterfly, which tells about the news report of the relationship between a French diplomat, Bernard Boursicot, and Shi Pei Pu, a Chinese opera singer man who acted towards Boursicot as if he was a woman throughout the 20 years of their relationship. In 1988, the play was premiered on Broadway, and because of the countless positive reviews it received, Hwang received a Tony Award for Best Play, being the first Asian American to receive the award. Later on, in 1993, he was asked to direct his own screenplays for M. Butterfly, which was produced under the production of Warner Brothers, which starred Jeremy Irons and John Lone, and directed by David Cronenberg. (Wikipedia)

M. Butterfly

After his marvelous success with M. Butterfly, Hwang began to continue his work for opera, film, music theatre, and acts a frequent librettist with the world best composer, Philip Glass. However, in 1993, Hwang wrote a play called Face Value, which was recognized as his failed Broadway play and soon afterwards closed permanently. Hwang and the producer, Stuart Ostrow, lost millions of dollars and it ruined their careers. But, Hwang didn't stop just yet to produce more incredible plays. He even used Face Value as an inspiration for his 2007 play, Yellow Face, which tells about a controversy about the casting of Jonathan Pryce of his role in Broadway musical, Miss Saigon. (Wikipedia)

Yellow Face

Yellow Face was premiered in Los Angeles, California at the Mark Taper Forum and then moved to Joseph Papp Public Theater, which was important to Hwang's early works. In 1993, Hwang might not realize that his failure can bring him home an OBIE Award in Playwright, as a third-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and made him even more well-known. Even until now, Hwang has continued to work steadily in the world of opera and musical theatre, and produced countless works that have influenced the world of entertainment. (Wikipedia)

Fun Fact:
- To Alice: Hwang even co-wrote the English language libretto for you in an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland with music by a Korean composer, Unsuk Chin, which received its world premiere at the Bavarian State Opera in 2007. Alice, you should be proud to have the opportunity to work with an amazing and influential man!

The Red Queen in Hwang's Production of Alice in Wonderland

Note: By "countless", I'm not joking about his past and current works in plays, music theatre, film, television, and others.

Plays:
- FOB
- The Dance and the Railroad
- Family Devotions
- The House of Sleeping Beauties (based on Yasunari Kawabata's novella House of the Sleeping Beauties)
- The Sound of a Voice
- As the Crow Flies
- Rich Relations
- M. Butterfly
- Bondage
- Face Value
- Trying to Find Chinatown
- Bang Kok
- Golden Child
- Peer Gynt (based on the play by Henrik Ibsen, co-written with Stephan Muller)
- Merchandising (Humana Festival T[ext] Shirt play)
- Jade Flowerpots and Bound Feet
- Tibet Through the Red Box (based on Peter Sis' book)
- The Great Helmsman
- Yellow Face
- A Very DNA Reunion
- Chinglish

Music Theatre:
- 1000 Airplanes on the Roof (chamber opera; music by Philip Glass)
- The Voyage (opera; music by Philip Glass, libretto [in English, Latin, and Spanish] based on Glass' story)
- The Silver River (chamber opera; music by Bright Sheng)
- Aida (musical; music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice; book co-written by Linda Woolverton and Robert Falls, based on the opera by Giuseppe Verdi)
- Flower Drum Song (musical; music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, II, based upon the novel by C. Y. Lee and musical co-written by Joseph Fields)
- The Sound of a Voice (opera; music by Philip Glass, based on Hwang's plays)
- Ainadamar (opera; music by Osvaldo Golijov, libretto in Spanish)
- Tarzan (musical; music and lyrics by Phil Collins, based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Walt Disney Pictures film)
- Alice in Wonderland (opera; music by Unsuk Chin, libretto co-written by Chin, based on the books by Lewis Carroll)
- The Fly (opera; music by Howard Shore, based on the film by David Cronenberg)

Film Television
- The Dance and the Railroad (Source of Adaptation only)
- Blind Alleys (with Frederic Kimball)
- Forbidden City, U. S. A. (Assistant only)
- Forbidden Nights (story, with Tristine Rainer, based on Judith Shapiro's article "The Rocky Course of Love in China")
- M. Butterfly (based on Hwang's play)
- Golden Gate
- Picture Bride (Script Advisor only)
- The Monkey King (more commonly known as The Lost Empire)
- Possession (with Laura Jones and Neil LaBute, based on the novel by A. S. Byatt)
- Sound of a Voice (Source of Adaptation only)
- White Frog (Executive Producer and Actor only)

Other
- Yellow Punk Dolls (live dance; choreography by Ruby Shang, music by John Zorn)
- Dances in Exile (dance film; choreography by Ruby Shang, film by Howard Silver, music by David Torn, for Alive from Off Center)
- Come (song "Solo;" co-written with Prince)
- After Eros (live dance; choreography by Maureen Fleming, music by Philip Glass)
- Icarus at the Edge of Time (multi-media presentation; music by Philip Glass, film by Al+Al, co-written with Brian Greene, based on Green's novel)
- Yellow Face (YouTube video; Source of Adaptation only)

More on David Henry Hwang's biography explained by the man himself:

Exclusive Interview with Chinese American Playwright David Henry Hwang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Kc7ykLC7w

My Dear Personal Statement

Oh Alice, you're so right. I've been trying so hard to give myself words of encouragement and advices that in the end, I never followed. There's so much things going on in my mind right now and I've been trying so hard to strengthen myself from all of the stresses that I've encountered these days. From all of the midterms, the projects, the home works, the quizzes, the not-so-good grades, the volunteer works that need to be done, the classes I must decide to take for the next winter quarter, and last but not least the UC application process and essays. I'm so sorry that I rarely talk to you these days, but I promise that I will make up to you in some times tomorrow or the day after. And for today, I'll share to you some of the lessons I've learned from the process of composing the UC personal statements.

Prompt 1: What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field-such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities – and what you have gained from your involvement.

At first, I thought that this prompt will be harder than the second prompt, because it requires some analysis to be made on how my interest in Business Administration has developed through several activities and experiences I've encountered in the last couple of years. However, as I try to free write and made a draft out of it, it turns out to be pretty easy and not too difficult. In addition, what I struggled most while making the first essay was how to build a catchy introduction. For several hours, I've ended up with an introduction that even Mrs. Patton said to be quite tedious. I don't know why, but I usually have plenty ideas that crossed my mind. Oh well, I hope that the second draft will be better with the new introduction I've made. :)

Prompt 2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are.

Like I said earlier, I thought that this essay was going to be super easy. However, as I finished typing the question, my hands literally stopped above the keyboards, my eyes fixed on the blank page, and my mind just froze in front of my laptop. And after several seconds, it seemed that a tiny voice inside my mind started to shout, "OMG!"You might think that I was weird, but it was true. I consider myself not the kind of person that remembers all the things that I'm so proud of because I'm afraid to be called arrogant. This is why, I need a lot of time to rethink about things in the past or at least a personality I have that made me who I am. But, thanks to a site called essayhell.com and most importantly, Mrs. Patton, in giving me ideas on what my personal quality or a talent I have that shaped who I really am, now, I've rewrote my paper and hopefully I can be better this time :)

Okay Alice, I'm done telling you something that I've been thinking about while writing the essays. I know that life as a whimsical girl like you is not as complicated as I am, but I know that everyone on earth has their own problems and good for you that personal statement is not one of yours. However, I hope that your days in Wonderland will be endlessly awesome and remember, never give up and keep believing in yourself, Alice! Cheers from thousands of miles away!

What Alice probably is doing

What I am doing

Note:

Actually, writing the personal statements requires nothing but reflecting on who you are and telling the readers about you that is beyond the application forms you've filled out or even your GPA. It just requires a lot of personal reflection, free writes, and most importantly peer edits. You may not realize that something is wrong in your paper unless you let someone edit or give advice on what should be improved. For all of you who are in the process of applying to UC, I wish you all the best, believe that your dream university is there ahead of you, and"may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Recommended Sites for UC Personal Statement Prompt #2:

http://www.essayhell.com/2012/11/how-to-nail-prompt-2-for-uc-essays.html

http://www.essayhell.com/2013/01/what-are-your-defining-qualities.html

Always Believe

Quote of The Day for everyone who is in great need of encouragement. Be happy and always believe that something good may happen today. Happy Sunday!

The Brilliant Argo

What will you do if you are surrounded by people who you know will kill you if they found out about who you really are? I bet it will be the most menacing time of your life that it will bring a huge traumatic effect that you'll probably can never forget. In the movie Argo, which is based on a true event and directed by Ben Affleck, this is exactly what happens to the six escapees that get the chance to run away from the United States Embassy that is being attacked during the Iranian Revolution.

In the first couple of scenes, it can be seen how harsh the Iranian are towards the Americans in the United States Embassy. The hectic scenes seem so alive that as if I can imagine myself directly be in the situation. The franticness of the incident is perfectly shot and it makes the whole movie incredibly thrilling and heart pounding. Affleck arranged the camera angles and the overall situations in flawlessly great details. While watching the movie, I couldn't find any time that I felt calm because I was curious on whether the plan that one of the CIA member, Tony Mendez, make will be successful or not. The plan itself at first is so ridiculously weird, but through time, I think it is a brilliant and creative idea. Throughout the movie, I really hope that the plan will succeed and at least all of the six escapees can fly back to their home safe and sound. But, thanks to my friend who spoiled the ending in the middle of the movie, I wasn't too excited from then on. But, overall, it was an excellent thriller movie that I really hope anyone, I repeat, anyone shouldn't spoil the ending because it wouldn't be that thrilling anymore.

Anyway, because I'm so kind that I want you guys to feel the thrill of the movie, I won't continue with the synopsis of the movie. Trust me guys, it is a good movie that you'll probably would want to watch it over and recommend to others. Don't believe me? Then, go watch it yourself and don't forget to comment below :)

Note: Here's the trailer that you may want to watch

Love At Its Finest

In relation to the previous post, here's a perfect quote by Hafiz to describe an effortless and undemanding love.

Love At Odds

Is conflict necessary in a relationship? How different is too different? Today, many couples might ask themselves these questions when they fall in love. In Wendy Wasserstein's play entitled "The Man in a Case", Byelinkov and Varinka are a couple who are deeply in love with each other, but face a lot of differences between themselves.

In the short play, it can be seen that Byelinkov is a responsible, honorable, and straightforward man, who simply live to be an ordinary man. He is deeply in love with Varinka that he even promises her to annually "place a lilac in [her] hair"(21) and "write in [his] note pad"(23). However, on the other hand, Varinka is a much more outgoing and very demanding woman in terms of love. This is why, Byelinkov will do anything just to make her happy, "Varinka: Tell me you love me. Byelinkov: I love you" (23). Personally, I see him as the kind of man that will take the bullet for a woman he loves, but got nothing in return. What he got is just endless "sweet" words and talks that means a lot to him, but not to Varinka, "My sweetest dancing bear with galoshes, my little stale babka" (21). At the early stage of their relationship, Varinka may be seen as an outgoing and lovely girl that is clever enough to take Byelinkov's heart easily. But as time goes by, those "sweet" words might not mean anything and it is not enough as a basis of a relationship.

Those differences between the two lovers are what makes me question their relationship even further. Are they really ready to take a step ahead of their relationship into the marital stage? I feel so bad towards Byelinkov, because even the nicest person's patience has a limit. In the last scene of the play, it can be seen that he has got enough of Varinka's attitude, "I never was a sad man. Don't ever think I was a sad man" (25). And he even "rips up the note about the lilac [and] strews it over the garden" (25). I think at that point, he realized how stupid and foolish he has been for doing things for a girl that doesn't respect him as a boyfriend. This scene is like the peak of his anger that he even rips off the promises he have made for her, which I think is symbolic to his broken heart. But then, he began to "carefully picks up each piece of paper and places them all in a small envelope" (25). At that moment, I think he began to realize again how stupid he is for giving up easily on love. Byelinkov noticed that instead of being angry at Varinka, it is better for him to overcome the anger and stitch together those broken heart he has shattered by remembering the things she had done right to him.

In the end, I guess it is normal for conflicts to arise in a relationship. It is what actually builds a perfect and healthy relationship because conflict is one of the ways for two individuals to learn and accept each others' differences. In living life, we shouldn't run away from conflicts, but instead we should stand strong, learn a lesson, and most importantly think about the good things that we have done together. And as for Byelinkov, I've found a perfect quote from the movie The Vow that I think is best to describe his thought after ripping the paper, "I chose to stay with [her] for all the things that [she] had done right, and not to leave [her] for the one thing [she] did wrong."

Images:
Axioo, The Original Play of "Man in a Case" (Byelinkov & Varinka)