Sessions with Sue 21

I kept forgetting to write about our session from two weeks ago (Friday the 17th), so I'll share my notes from that session before talking about this Friday's. We mostly discussed the things that I'm disappointed in myself about, which are the main reason why I've been so down lately. We also talked a little about my dad:

• In high school when you'd  envisioned your college self you thought and hoped you'd transform, blossom; be more social and especially not graduate fat; disappointed in yourself because you didn't turn out as you'd hoped.
• You're gonna need to forgive yourself for that because losing weight takes time, determination, and prioritization that you just don't have right now; plus you're not at all bad like you feel you are
• What else about your college life hasn't turned out the way you wanted?
• Concerned about how you'll structure your day once you're out of school; what will be at the center? If you focus all that energy and drive that you put toward school into things that you've wanted to do all this time (music, writing, transforming your body and lifestyle) you'll probably be able to do it
• Sometimes when you talk you don't sound as if you feel in charge of your life.
• Dad; here you have a man who─though he doesn't know how to─seems to love you a lot. But he does it so poorly, awkwardly, and selfishly.
• You can't fix, help, or change your dad. But you'd thought that if you just let him know how you felt and said all you needed to say, he'd understand. But he didn't, and that was a great and painful disappointment to you.
• One of those ugly lessons of life and growing up: Sometimes no matter what you say, how you say it, or how many times you say it, if the other person isn't listening, they won't understand
• Wellness plan and needs; setting aside intentional time to be social with others.

Current Food Obsessions!

I've noticed that I'm eating certain foods a lot lately, and I want to share them with you.


Oranges

If foods were significant others, then these would be my long-term boyfriend since highschool. I eat one or at least carry one around with me everyday. When I discover a food that I really like I tend to eat it so often within a certain amount of time that I get sick of it and hardly eat it again (RIP raisins, yogurt, juice). But after almost six years I have yet to get tired of oranges.

oatmeal + hard-boiled egg

Oatmeal

All of my classes go through lunchtime. And due to the significant amount of hours there are between when I eat breakfast and when I get out of class, I've taken to eating oatmeal at work everyday just to give me a boost so I won't go too long without eating. Oatmeal was always a food that I ate casually, but now that I'm eating it everyday and trying so many different flavors (Quaker's "Flavor Variety" and "Fruit and Cream" packs), I'm hooked! Now addition to oranges I've started carrying an extra packet of oatmeal around with me too, just in case! I'm also interested in learning about all the fun and different ways you can dress oatmeal up.

rice milk

Milk Alternatives

I already wrote about soy milk (Silk) a few weeks ago. But in the time that's passed I've also happened upon  almond milk (Silk) and rice milk (Rice Dream). What's funny is that I haven't even been looking for dairy alternatives. I don't have any digestive or ethical issues that would call for it. I've only become acquainted with them recently due to curiosity and happenstance, and now I'm just so fascinated by the variety of "milks" that are out there! When I see one I want to try it!


What are your current food obsessions?

*UPDATE 10/29* Wow, what a coincidence that oatmeal was on my mind yesterday, and today I find out that October 29th is National Oatmeal Day? I didn't even know that was a thing. Happy #nationaloatmealday everyone!

"You know what? Never mind." - Dear White People

 I've been waiting for this film for two years and it's finally here!

Seen Saturday October 25th: Dear White People

Four African-American college students struggle in their own ways to articulate and negotiate their identities/blackness in the face of various societal pressures, media influences, personal experiences, and peer expectations. Main character Sam leads the crusade against racism, discrimination, and racialized willful ignorance on the campus of fictional Ivy League school, Winchester University. When the top fraternity lead by wealthy white kids (including the university president's son) throws a blatantly racist "African-American themed" party, an unlikely hero steps up to shut it down...

"A satire about being a black face in a white place"

What I really like about this movie: First, it's brilliant and timely! People don't like to talk about race anymore, act like racism doesn't exist, and/or refuse to recognize that they've got it all mixed up... and while this film won't necessary clear it all up for folks, it's an excellent discussion-starter. DWP goes there, unabashedly, with no apologies, and I love it. Second, when's the last time you've seen a large group of young black people in college on any TV or cinema screen? Answer: Not since 'A Different World', and that series ended 20 years ago.

Third, Tessa Thompson. Her styling in the first half of the film was phenomenal! The creative up-dos, the subtle make-up and dark lip shades, the new millennium Denise Huxtable/Lisa Bonet styling? Just perfect. Also, I have to admit that even despite her promising performance in For Colored Girls, I always saw her as just another pretty light-skinned girl in Hollywood. Sorry Tess. But her performance in DWP was so intelligent and honest and purposefully confrontational that you can't not take Sam/Tess seriously.  Fourth, Tyler James Williams. You are officially the bravest black male actor on Earth. Props to you man for facing one of the deepest-held stigmas and phobias in the black community head-on, in one of the biggest media platforms. (That's all I'll say, I don't want to spoil it.) Fifth, one of the films main messages, which is that black people need to be able to be themselves, whatever that happens to mean for each person. The film echoes some of the exact same ideas expressed in the book How to Be Black, and how fitting was it that its author Baratunde Thurston actually makes a cameo in the film?!

What I don't like about this movie: There wasn't anything that particularly turned me off, but I  had this lingering sense that something was missing. It was funny, but not that funny (maybe they gave all the good jokes away in the trailers and teaser clips/social media promotion/YouTube skits?). It wasn't as hard-hitting as I'd hoped it would be. It was certainly bold and blunt, but it could've gone a little bit further in terms of the subjects it broached and the statements it made. Also, the film reads more like a continuous, brilliantly-done web-series/online project than a feature film. I didn't really feel like I was watching a movie. Which perhaps is part of the point, seeing as how Justin Simien took pride in making this as an independent film. All in all, I don't think that Dear White People is a spectacular film. But it is no less brilliant, timely, and necessary.

Would I recommend it?: Absolutely! Most definitely! I don't care if you're black, white, yellow, brown, or blue. Every living, breathing person in America needs to see this film at least once. This country needs films like these.

The Book of Life

I know I haven't done a film review in a while. Truthfully I'm not very knowledgeable of film or cinema, and I'm not all that great at writing about it. But within the last week I've seen a couple of really good ones, and I wanted to tell y'all about them. First up...

Since childhood, Manolo has competed with his best friend Joaquin for the love of their childhood friend-crush, Maria. However, when Maria's life is in danger due to a bet between two gods, Manolo goes on a journey to the Land of the Remembered and the Land of the Forgotten, receiving guidance from his ancestors to find his purpose and save the girl. Part love story/who-gets-the-girl contest, part journey to find one's purpose.

 Seen Saturday October 18th: The Book of Life

What I really like about this movie: The art and effects are stunning! Such lush colors and exquisite detail! The Land of the Remembered sequences especially plunge you into a dream world. I also greatly appreciated the morals of the story, because what's a good animated or children's film without a moral? Along his journey Manolo demonstrates that in order to be a true hero, you have to be selfless. However, though Manolo's passionate and has a pure heart, he is afraid to be himself and reject his family legacy by following his heart's desire of being a musician. Thus the other important lesson that he learns, in conjunction with the "book" theme, is that rather than follow the shadows or pages that others may set for you, it's better to write your own story.

What I don't like about this movie: It started to really be on to something clever and different, with the mixture of a love triangle, Day of the Dead tradition/mythology and a Herculean journey to the Otherworld. But then it just ended the way animated family films always end. Everything is put back in it's place, all that's wrong is made right, and there's a wedding. So the end was kind of predictable, but it certainly didn't ruin the film for me. 

Would I recommend it?: If you're open to musical-comedy-animated-kid films, then definitely!

Pup-pup.

Didn't feel like submitting to the Insta cropmonster, so I'm leaving this here.

Because People Will Forget Anyway?

I'm so stunned and angry right now.

Usually when I write about Ma she's saying something funny or offering some sort of wisdom, but I just can't get with this. We were just talking about my anxiety about life post-graduation as we often do, and I was telling her how I feel like I'm in a crisis. A lot of other people seem to have a vision or some semblance of a plan when they're preparing to graduate. But when I think about my future I see nothing, I told her. She was dismissive in her typical what's-the-big-deal way of responding to my qualms:

 "That's just because you have to do something great. You want evvverybody to admiiire you."

First of all, rude. And false. I don't even like for people to look at me, so why would I want to be admiiired by evvverybody? Second of all, what's wrong with wanting to do something great, or at least something that matters? I asked her just that, and she replied:

"Have you ever thought of it this way? You know, you have all these streets, monuments, buildings, and the like named after all these people who've supposedly done great things. But after a while people are like, 'Who is that person?'. They forget who that person is anyway. I'm just saying.'"

Just saying what? You're not saying anything! So we should just settle for mediocre lives and not bother trying to do anything worthwhile, since no one's going to remember us anyway? We should just settle for being passionless, money-making robots because nothing we do is going to matter? Are you freaking kidding me?!? Is that really how you think? Is that the type of thinking that guides you? I mean I knew my mom was set in her ways and a little closed-minded, but geez.

Maybe I don't have the requisite self-confidence to chase after my dreams at the moment, but even I know that there's value in doing things that are meaningful to you. Sue me for wanting to care, or at least have a smidgen of interest in what I end up doing for a living.

No Flex.

I love the original "No Flex Zone" for how excitingly strange, animated, and catchy the song is. But I also love this remix. I'm not the biggest Karmin fan, but I admire their creativity and upbeat attitude. Plus Amy Heidemann's got this soul that people have been sleeping on. Yes she's a white girl singer-rapper, which understandaby elicits some initial eye-rolling and skepticism. But she really shows off her skills here. And I truly believe that she hasn't released all the bad-ness that's within her yet, whether that has to do with her artistry or her persona. She's been giving us successive tastes of it, which is why I so much enjoy her performance here and in Karmin's new video for "Sugar". She's gotten so confident and sly-sexy in the last couple of years, but is still a total goof, and I'm all for it.

Also, Watsky. Not familiar with you yet, but I approve. Bravo to you too.