I have one leg, No arms, and I am 60

So last night I was out with the fam to watch an Indian movie, Paa, about a child affected by a condition known as Progeria. It is a disease that rapidly ages a child and makes him physically more mature than mentally.

Needless to say, it was an emotional movie. But for some reason I did not feel the need to cry--this child is perfectly happy in his world. If I cry, it would be out of pity. That I am more fortunate than he is. But that is not true--in the movie, the child became a politician's favorite student and was able to see the President's house. Had it not been for the condition to separate him from the crowd, the politician would not have been curious about the child and would not have taken him to do such a prestigious activity.

After leaving the movie theater, my (distant) grandma grabbed her plastic handrest (cane) and dashed, relatively, outside the theater. I realized she did this because she did not want us to feel held up due to her slow walking disposition. I took her hand and walked her out.

Surprisingly, another elderly lady was dashing off, similarly, with her four-wheeled walker. She zoomed away to the exit as (what seemed to be) her daughter held the double doors open. This was a white woman who, after her handicap mother passed through the doors, gave me a look.

We both presumably just watched the same movie.

She had this look on her face: I know we are two completely different people. And normally I am not this nice. I truly see you as a different race, I do not view you positively. But your grandma and my mother are one and the same. They both need me to hold this door open for them. So I am.

I thanked her. My grandma in her cute English said Thank You. Thank you very much, thank you.

We are Different, yet the Same!

I somehow landed watching TLC tonight because of a special on Progeria-affected children. Then afterwards, Born Without Arms. Now, its about Shiloh, a mermaid girl with only one leg.

So what really sets us apart? A genetic code?

A World in "Harmony"- Toyota Prius!

http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/commercial.html

Today I watched the making of this Toyota Prius ad and it made me happy. It made me think of why I am a global studies major, as many experiences in my daily life do. I am constantly asking myself: Why do I want to learn about the world? Maybe its because I would like to know what people are like on the other side. I want to know how people think, how people feel. What's the environment that surrounds them, what's the culture that whispers into their ears and breathes into their music? Wow, it is all so exhilirating.

At one point in the video, the Japanese director, Hiro, says something along the lines of, "It wasn't people from different countries that worked on this, it was just people." So true! Toyota, a Japanese company, employs the Brit dude to shoot the video, an American to choreograph, various other people assisting, and a Japanese dude to direct it all. It took people from around the world to create the world portrayed in the ad.

I would just like to take a moment and say that this is the definition of globalization--for me. There are many people who think that globalization is simply Westernization, when it isn't. Clearly, there is a mix of ideas coming from East and West that allow such a production as the Prius commercial to happen. There are endless possibilities when the great minds of the world come together and share their dish at the global potluck.

Asshole on Sexual Abuse

Sometimes you are so molded by reality and other, more sentimental, experiences that you forget sometimes. What do you forget? That there really are stupid people in the world. I mean, sure, you know that there's an idiot who'll get mad at a grandma behind the wheel, or a not-so-nice-lady who thinks she can get what she wants through her looks...Yeah, those are common examples of stupid people. But you know for a fact that they are stupid people. So when you are in an environment, say..UCLA, and you are surrounded by college kids--otherwise known as activists--and their ambitions are sky high, their intentions productful, and so on and so forth, doesn't it always surprise you to genuinely bump into a real-life JERK?

Today I witnessed an acquaintence of mine (not an acquaintence by choice) speaking to another acquaintence of mine on how to get girls. How to abuse them, how to violate them, how to basically get them as drunk as possible to use them for their own pleasure. I was sitting in the same room. Guess what? We were the only three in the room. I cannot disclose any further details. But I was amazed at the shamelessness with which this guy spoke. He was bluntly interrogating a freshman on things his mom would never want to hear. That's fine, at least, in the realm of private conversation. But for God's sake, he was literally telling him how to play on a girl's insecurities in order to get into her panties. It's one thing to be a jerk, another to be a jerk and say ASSHOLEish things IN FRONT OF A GIRL! Wow, I can't believe the stupidity that exists in people.

I would like to know why this person revealed his alcohol, drug, and sex abuses to the freshman as well. Ha.

Coldplay and Jesus

Ever wonder how each decade is characterized by the time of pop music? So I was listening to White Shadows by Coldplay (one of my fave songs by them), and thought of how 80-s influenced it was. With the ins and outs of the music in your ear, it had the vibes of the electric 80s sound that we are all so familiar with. Except much higher sound quality and less static, it's much easier to make out the words in the songs. Next, Suck My Kiss by RHCP played and I was thinking how similar it sounds to Sublime (just that particular song). How could both these two artists be equally as "popular" in this decade? What will our decade sound like to the kids who listen back upon it years from now? I wanna know. Because 80s music sounds fuzzy and computerized to me.

Something funny happened last night. I met Jesus. And I didn't even know it. He entered the Metro at approximately 10 45 pm with his brown latch sandals, hemp-like fibered cloth, and long hair and blonde-brown beard. The guy sitting next to him on the bus quickly taps his hand on Jesus' shoulder and quickly retracts:

"Hey, you were on TMZ, right?"

Apparently this Jesus is on TV and he roams the Grove. The guy keeps talking to Jesus while he glances back and forth at us, since I am involved in the conversation with my eyes. He then leaves to attend some Black Eyed Peas event, and shortly thereafter Jesus proceeds to pick up a conversation with us.

Food Diaries Day 1

Today I ate again, for no reason. This time it was animal fries at In N Out and I couldnt get myself to understand why I spent $3.50 on fried potatoes that I dont even normally like eating in the first place. I was already full having eaten a Crunchy Shrimp Roll at a sushi restaurant and then half of a huge French banana and nutella Crepe at a little crepe restaurant. I had no emotional motive to eat, either. I felt even guiltier because this morning I ate a glazed doughnut and two mini cupcakes with soy milk for breakfast since I was in a hurry. What should I do about this? It was either I stay hungry for 4 hours, or I eat a glazed doughnut (for free, and out of convenience).

On a lighter note, I went to Hollywood and Highland today. It was the second time I went there. Oh, the experiences. Its always such a drama going down to those parts of LA. All the men are animated when they walk past you. Or beg money from you. Or shower you with unnecessary attention--CREEPY attention. At least you get a feel for reality. LA is reality, who needs MTV?

Can someone invent sleep replacement pills already? Feels like I have too much to fit into one day and I am losing sleep over it. Too many classes, social problems, activities, requirements, and emotional stabilities to fit into one person. Why can't we all just keep to our own little spaces and not have to venture into the world, trying to impress each other with our "self expressing" clothes, our thin "magazine" bodies. I just want to be in my air conditioned cubicle with a comforter over me and be able to read a textbook, take a test after a good night's sleep, and some warm green tea. Dont you? What a nice fuzzy thought.

My friend said that random people approach us because they do not perceive our vibes of discriminating status. Thats a good thing, but it works against us.