Benevolence Manifesto

 Kindness is something that is ofen overlooked and underestimated. Be kind to your neighbors, friends, loved ones and even to strangers.  Not only can kindness lift people up but it can also improve your self esteem when being kind to other people, Take for example my Ekpharis post about the girl who stuck between a place of hope and hopelessness. Not only did her father died but she felt out of place in world that completely ignored her aside from her mother.  But she found light in the tunnel that she was stuck in because she had hope that thing will soon get better. She believed that her father was watching her from above. Kindness and hope are both positive feelings but they both can be crushed in an instant. But if you take a moment to yourself and look at your surronding every once in a while you can see it everywhere. For example, in my photogrpahers eye post I included photos that express a sense of peace and happiness. Everyone is free to do whatever makes them happy as long as they are not hurting other in the process. I chose photos that vary from pastries to a small sweet kitty. Just like with everything we should know when to take time for ourselves to be kind to ourselves and enjoy each present moment. It can be even be small gesture such as getting yourself a delicious treat or enjoying the night sky by yourself. Another one fo my posts titled ''My Abode'' is a description of my safe space that I adore.

Photographers Eyes

 

The Shining Moon-

Whenever I feel overwhelmed or stressed, I go outside and empty every worry I have in my mind. Especially, during the night when the moon is shining so bright and gives me hope that tomorrow will be a brand new day full of chances.

The Smiling Baby-

Nothing is more innocent than a bay who doesn't have a care in the world and enjoys life to the fullest. It makes one protect them at all costs because of the cuteness and happiness that radiates out of them. 

Bon Appetit-

This delicious pastry instantly melts in your mouth with savory bread and sweet powdered sugar. To top it off the sweet cherry on top leaves a long-lasting taste in your mouth. Enjoying each bite is key to appreciating this sweet pastry. 

Sweet Kitty-

This baby kitten was found abandoned behind my aunt's house and looked so sad. We decided to call a local cat shelter that took her in. I would have kept her but I knew that I wouldn't be able to take care of her needs. She was so sweet despite being abandoned by the ones that were supposed to protect her. 

Mom and Child-

We saw this pair at Disneyland and was an adorable moment. The mother kept watching her baby at all times and would scare off any other rhinos that came too close to her baby. Mothers are strong individuals both metaphorically and physically. 

The one thing that these five photos have in common is that each one of them has a sense of peace and of innocence. As humans, we tend to let our negative thoughts consume us and never stop to take a moment to stop and enjoy the moment that we are in. Life has its up and downs but we should always remind ourselves that we have to take care of ourselves and we can't control everything that happens to us. We just have to take one step at a time and be ready of whatever life throws at us. 

Tragedy Scripted and Staged

 The interpretation of Hamlet perfectly described the scene in Queen Gertrude's closet where Hamlet confronts his mother about marrying her husband's brother. During the argument, Hamlet looks mad from all the hate he feels for his mother and doesn't seem to be in his right mind. Just like the interpretation states, Hamlet being too focused on his task ends up killing Polonius but doesn't seem to be affected by the situation at all. Polonius is in the queen's room because he asked her to tell Hamlet that he needs to behave after the scene that he put on display in front of everyone. Compared to the script the stage seems to bring every character to life, especially Hamlet because you can see the madness in Hamlet's eye and feel pity for Gertrude who is being berated by her son. I chose this scene because it shows how hurt Hamlet felt by his mother's choice and how the sadness of his father's death drove him into madness. He feels no emotion at all when killing his late father's advisor. If Hamlet had killed Claudius when he had the chance then he could have spared everyone their death but because he didn't he ended up killing his mother, Polonius, Ophelia, and himself. 

Ekphrasis

'' Dear diary, I had a long day at school but it was all worth it because today was the last day of school. I don't have to go to that miserable place for at least two months. Every day that I was at school I felt myself being chipped to pieces not because I was alone but because I don't feel like I didn't belong there. I miss my old home, old school, and my best friends back home. This was supposed to be a new fresh start but ended up being a bitter end. Mom keeps telling me to be patient but how can I when every day is agonizingly slow. I even wore my best outfit so at least someone can look at me and compliment me on my outfit but no one even glimpsed at my direction. At least my favorite yellow sandals kept me in a good mood even if it was for a little while. This would have been easier to deal with if Dad was here but I can't really talk to the dead. I miss him every day and I know Mom does too because she always reapplies her mascara even when she thinks I am not looking. Now that I have more free time on my hands I am going to help mom around the house and maybe even find a part-time job to help her out. Maybe I will find a friend along the way and have fun during the summer.  That's what Dad would have liked me to do and I know he is always watching both of us from above.''

I decided to do my ekphrasis through the girl in the painting because I was intrigued by her character. She seems to be in a dark place but at the same time is illuminated by the warm sunlight that is shining through the room. Essential details for me in the painting are the dark side of the room as well as her whole appearance glowing due to the sunlight. The girl has bright golden brown hair, rosy cheeks, cute yellow sandals, and a black dress that matches the dark side of the room. Through my ekphrasis, I start with a sad introduction of the girls' diary entry but end it with a positive not just like the painting. 

Not Seen On TV

The video that I have chosen is 'Devo' by Jocko Homo and in the video, there is a large amount of symbolism. The video first starts showing a clown that seems to be in a rush and runs from one room to another to a general. The said general asks for the paperwork that the clown has and continues to read off the paperwork. Once he finishes, the scene changes to one of a guy that is seen dancing to the beat of the song and has a group of people sitting near him. He continues to sing ''Are we, not men?'' and three men wearing pantyhoses over their faces say ''No we are Devo''. Details that seem important to me is that the people in the background of the video are wearing face masks and a medical cap over their heads. Also, towards the end of the video the three men that wore pantyhose over their heads are on top of the table and look like they are being kept hostaged.  From the beginning of the video the three individuals that were sitting near the singer were shocked by how the singer was finally  dancing but towards the end of the movie they are going along with the beat of the song. When using moving images without narration it allows the viewer to freely interpret the message of the video. When having someone narrate the video it completely distracts the viewer to fully enjoy the video at their own pace. The videos message is about how we are always told what to believe in especially when it comes to evolution. Some people believe that humans are becoming an advanced species but whats actually happening is the opposite. While it seems that we are growing we are actually becoming devolutionized because now we are just becoming more obedient and controlled by the higher ups.  The colorful scenes appeal to me more and especially the beats of the song that flow smoothly throughout the video. 

Anatomy of a Scene

''The Unforgiveable'' is a drama movie about a prisoner named Ruth who has just been released. After being released from prison for killing a cop Ruth gets two jobs. While being busy with her two jobs, Ruth decides to find and reconnect with her little sister.  Ruth decided to keep everything about her past life a secret and keeps to herself. Throughout the movie, Ruth constantly drifts off to her traumatic memories which reveals more about herself and what happened before her arrest. The scenes in the movie have a bit of a gray scheme which makes the scene seem gloomy and lonely. Ruth has these moments where she is sitting in silence and thinking to herself. It makes the audience feel bad for Rtuh and everything that she has gone through.  Toward the end of the movie, the scenes become much brighter and livelier. Ruth finally gets accepted by others and reunites with her sister.  '' A Man Called Otto is a drama/comedy film about a lonely, grouchy senior who abides by the rules at all times. He lives in a community that is being threatened by a real estate agent who wants to completely renovate the area and move the current residents to other areas. Otto has just lost his wife, Sonya, to cancer and his grief has led him to decide to take his own life. However, he meets his new neighbor , Marisol, who always check up on him and cooks meals for him. My favorite scene of the movie is when Otto is carrying Marisol's newborn son. He gift them a handmade crib and while carrying the newborn his face is full of love for the newborn. The room is glowing from the rays of sunshine which signify me that Otto has now found happiness after the death of his wife. The rest of the movie it is seen that Otto becomes part of Marisol's family and starts to form relationships with his other neighbors. The main message of the movie is finding joy in life again after losing our loved ones. Also, how kindness is crucial in today's world were we don't know what somoen is going through. 

Plotting

This morning,  I woke up ready for a full day of work. I started by getting myself cleaned up and making some breakfast for myself. After making sure I had everything I needed I made my way to work. Once getting there, I opened up the place and attended to every customer that came through. Suddenly, it was lunchtime and I see my mother who kindly enough brought lunch for me with a refreshing coke on the side. I decided to take my lunch and decided to go to my car.  Once inside my car, I wal welcomed with silence and ready to devour my lunch. First, I needed a sip from my soda once I opened it the drink started to fizz up. Half of the drink started to spill all over my uniform and I only had thirty minutes to eat my lunch. I decided that it was not worth the time to go and change clothes and tried to dry them as much as I could with my car's AC. Thirty minutes ended up flying by and it was time for me to go back to work with my soaked clothes. Fortunately, my clothes quickly dried up, and went on about my day. Finally, it was time for me to go home. I decided that I needed to treat myself for my hard day at work. I made my way to Starbucks to get my favorite drink for the day. I got to the drive thru and waited for the person to welcome me. I waited and waited until I saw that they had changed their store hours.