everything i love
i've been in a writing slump recently -- i'm still writing, but it feels like there's nothing i want to write about. so, this is my attempt at curating most, if not everything, i love.
Movies
a brighter summer day (1991): the only film that has really grabbed my soul, a 4 hour long movie about a quiet boy growing up in 1960s Taiwan. first loves, families, gang fights, rock and roll concerts and Elvis, it has everything i love about movies.
april story (1998): a short, 60 minute film about a shy young girl's first year of university. it felt like an idealized version of my own experience of college. the scenery wasn't as beautiful but i had the same shyness.
haru (1996): a love story told through e-mails, two people meet on an online forum and find their way to each other slowly but surely. a part of me relates to their shyness, their hesitations, their e-mails. growing up on the internet, i love relationships that form as a result of online correspondence. my perfect romance movie.
Books
flowers for algernon by daniel keyes: this is the first 'serious' book that i truly understood. it's a story about a man with low IQ suddenly reaching the height of human intelligence after an experimental surgery. the main character has to deal with losing his friends, increasing narcissism, romances, and a mouse named algernon, all while trying to complete research on the limitations of his newfound intelligence. if someone ever asks me for a book recommendation if they're not an avid reader, i always recommend this one.
the heart is a lonely hunter by carson mccullers: a lonely deaf-mute in the deep south happens to befriend a perfect cast of characters, who all have to deal with the loneliness and frustration of their lives by confiding in this deaf-mute. meanwhile, the deaf-mute is silently dealing with his own frustrations.
calvin and hobbes by bill watterson: not really a book but more of a comic strip, this is a series i grew up reading and it's one that i revisit time and time again. it's about a 6 year old kid and a tiger who navigate summers, boring class lectures, girls, and his parents. calvin, with his cynical one-liners, doesn't talk like a 6 year old, which makes it so much better. he reminds me to use my imagination a little bit more.
TV Shows
- my mister (2018): the first k-drama i ever watched and the only one that i really love. an impoverished girl and a middle-aged salaryman live unhappy lives, but they try to help each other out in their own little ways. it's not a romance story in the slightest, but the main characters are full of love and hope. i think my favorite part of the show is how it touches on the idea of parasocial relationships in a way, but no one ever talks about that aspect!
YouTubers
- vagrant holiday: guy who travels to different countries with nothing but a backpack and his sleeping bag, tries to spend as little as possible by sleeping in bushes, hitch-hiking, and talking to strangers, all while delivering his funny, cynical one-liners. as someone who doesn't travel a lot and dislikes touristy types of people, he's super fun to watch.
Misc.
my family: i can't make a list of what i love without including my family. they do so much for me, and admittedly i'm a bit spoiled. i feel bad that i don't do more for them.
T: the first true friend i ever had. she has stuck by me for so long, even though i may not be the best conversationalist or the most interesting person she still talks to me from time to time. she was the one who helped me get out of my shell a bit and she's always there to give me advice when i need it. we haven't talked much recently because we're both busier now, but i always hope she is doing well.
long walks: walks are always helpful when i'm in a slump. if you walk in silence (no music or audiobooks playing in your ears), eventually you'll uncover the directions where your heart is pointing. you'll discover what you truly want to do.
meditation: similar to long walks, for me it's a way of disregarding what other people say so that the truth of your heart can emerge. right now i've been feeling very lost in life, and i've been meditating to try and find direction.
writing: the final thing i love is, of course, writing. my preferred method of communication, to myself and/or other people. i incorporate it into my daily routine and i believe it's one of the best things i've done for myself. there are so many beautiful sentences that can be built and have yet to be built, and i hope to create a work that people will love the same way i've loved before.