Tag: humor

Germany: What Have I done?

Life is about experience. If you had asked me a year ago where I saw myself a year from now, I bet you I wouldn’t be saying Germany. Yet a little over year ago, I asked myself a simple question, “why not”? I was taking summer classes at the time when I read an email saying “Hey, Study abroad is pretty cool, come listen to some guest speakers from Germany and Sweden talk about the programs”.  So I went. Sometimes that’s all it takes, a little nudge in the right direction. When I went to info session, I fell in love with the German program and as much as I’d love to say I did hours of research into every country I could experience through study abroad, Germany had me at Oktoberfest. I had my reservations at first but here I stand just a week away from what will be the greatest experience of my college career. So…

Why Go?

Perspective – It’s about understanding. The world would be a better place if everyone went abroad and learned that we as human beings are more similar than we are different. More so than understanding similarities, study abroad is a great way to teach you to value the differences.

Independence –  The great quest of the college student, learning how to Adult properly. You can spend your entire college career thinking you can Adult and are getting quite good at it only to realize once you graduate you’ve been doing it completely wrong. What better way to learn how to Adult the right way than in a foreign country?

YOLO – You only live once. Was there ever a truer statement? Is study abroad a risk? Of course! I could end up living in a box when I get back from Germany because I spent all my money on beer. Who knows? But if we didn’t take risks, face our fears, and live for experience, then we wouldn’t get anywhere in life!

You actually save money! (In theory) – Groceries are cheaper, housing is cheaper, textbooks, etc. As far as I know, I’ll actually be saving money while overseas! Probably not, but one can dream.

But the main reason you should study abroad…

For Blog - Germany entry 1

As I said earlier, life is about experience, or better yet, life is about adventure. If we’re not moving forward, we are either standing still or moving backward. It is absolutely terrifying to take a leap of faith and say “I’m going to live in a foreign country for 4 months”. Yet the very fact that I’m terrified makes this opportunity all the more exciting. When we are afraid, it means we are outside of our comfort zone. Every time we step outside of our comfort zone, we grow. We push our limits and set new standards for ourselves. Our comfort zone expands each and every time we face our fears and that’s when we say “what’s the next adventure”?

 

Embracing Chaos

So let’s start where it all began; The Big Bang. The Universe was in harmony, molecules bonded, planets formed, life was created. The Universe was in order. Every moment that passes the Universe expands ever faster and the unforeseen happens, bringing a little more chaos into our lives. Is it bad? Not at all! I may sound like a mad man, but hear me out.

So, what is chaos? Chaos represents that which we cannot control and that scares a lot of people. Control gives us a sense of stability, so as humans we seek to control the world around us. Yet this is a futile effort. We have this illusion of control, that somehow our lives will be better tomorrow than they are today. This is not guaranteed. Some may say it comes down to perspective, that if you think positive, your life is all sunshine and rainbows. This is a false assumption. Optimism only goes so far and it can be a slippery slope. Being overly optimistic can lead to a false sense of security. It can become easier to ignore reality than face that the world can be a cruel, unforgiving place. “Good to Great” wisely stated (I’m paraphrasing, but you’ll get the gist) that optimists don’t survive in the real world. The people who survive believe they will prevail but set realistic expectations. So pessimists rejoice, you have the right attitude (just don’t have a rain cloud over your head)!

I have spent my entire college career trying to answer what role chaos has played in my life. Like the great human being I am, I spent the the first two years trying to control the chaos with no avail. Then I simply let the chaos control me. And then, I invested a lot of time and energy building myself from the ground up, the typical reinventing that many-a -college-student goes through. What did I find? Once I understood how to control myself, how to self manage and all that good jazz, I didn’t see chaos as such a detriment. I wouldn’t say chaos and myself are BFF’s right now, but I’ve found life to simply be more enjoyable. I know what you may be thinking “hey, he figured himself out, that’s great! But doesn’t the act of finding/creating yourself help reduce chaos?” Yes and no. The way I see it, investing in yourself is the equivalent of being handed a compass. A compass may point you in the right direction but at the end of the day you can choose any map you want to follow. But there’s a difference between looking at a map and having direction vs. actually setting down the path you’ve chosen. All the preparation and tools in the world won’t prepare you for reality, the environment and situations you may or may not come across. You may find that the road you chose to wander down is a dead end. If you are afraid of chaos, you’ll turn around and retread your steps. The familiar will  always give a false sense of stability. If however, you embrace chaos, you might say “this road is blocked, but I know where I’m headed, so here’s another road that’ll get me there”.  So go ahead and embrace chaos, you won’t be disappointed.

Jason Bourne: An honest, spoiler free review

Jason Bourne. The ultimate Bad-Ass. Was this movie necessary? Not at all. Was it appreciated. Yes, yes it was.

Worth a Watch?

It’s Jason Bourne, it’s Matt Damon. Enough said. Watch this movie if you loved the trilogy, it’s more of the same. Are you expecting a new Jason Bourne experience? Sorry this isn’t it. The Jason Bourne formula works and is classic.

The Action

If there ever was a movie known for action. Michael Bay may be master of explosions, but Jason Bourne has class. Jason is the weapon and no one is safe. Any inconspicuous object can be turned into a weapon and the newest Bourne does not disappoint. The main setting for the movie is during the Greek Crisis, which I personally thought was a great set up for fight scenes. Bourne is on the move, so there’s plenty of variety in venues and it’s always fun to see Bourne make use of each new situation/environment. Oh, and the car chase. It wouldn’t be Bourne without it. So if you want to feel like Bourne is snapping limbs left and right and actually cringe at the brutality, the movie is worth seeing for the action alone (and let’s be honest, Jason Bourne is all about the action).

The Characters

Jason Bourne is back. Too much Jason Bourne is never a bad thing. The supporting cast is great and serve to push the action along in the typical Bourne fashion. You have the Assassin, the friend, the agency (always out to get Bourne), and the person who plays both sides. Standard cast, nothing you haven’t already seen. The movie gives a little more background into Bourne’s personal life and does a fine job of creating a purpose for Bourne to come back.

The Story

The story, for better or worse, is the same Bourne formula we know and love. Bourne accepts the call to action, is being hunted, sneaks around, fights people, has a car chase, and ultimately escapes. I enjoyed it because it is exactly what I expected. This movie is simply more Bourne.

Final Verdict

I was a little worried when I first heard Bourne was coming out of retirement. The Bourne trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies, so I didn’t want to see the Bourne name tarnished. Matt Damon is also one of my favorite actors, so I expected a quality experience. While the new Jason Bourne isn’t blowing anyone’s mind, there’s plenty of action and I was entertained for the entirety of the movie.

Suicide Squad: An honest, spoiler free review

So Suicide Squad, DC’s answer to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. If you’ve seen the reviews, they’re not great. I saw the movie and by and large enjoyed it. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it certainly wasn’t a disaster either. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Is it worth watching?

What you really want to know, the reason you’re reading this review. As a longtime DC fan, I’d say go for it. It’s a fun movie, just go in with the right expectations. I was expecting an offbeat, wacky, quirky movie. That’s what I got. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Action

If you’re looking for a fight, you’ve got one. The fighting is run of the mill but there were a few scenes that got me saying “now that’s bad-ass”. Not much else to say, there’s explosions, bullets flying, and lots of destruction.

The Characters

The characters were great, all fitting their respective roles well. My favorite of the bunch was Will Smith as Deadshot and El Diablo came in a close second. Each had enough backstory to keep you in the loop but I’d say of all the characters, Harley, Deadshot, and El Diablo had the most time dedicated to their backstories. Captain Boomerang I could’ve done without but I thought the movie did a decent job portraying his character. Amanda Waller was spot on and played the cold, calculating women we’ve come to know from the comics. Jared Leto makes a decent joker, giving more of a mob boss vibe than a completely off the hinges psychopath. The main villain was a mixed bag. On one hand there was complexity to the character yet on the other hand after the intro of the movie I felt the character was underutilized.

The Story

Everyone hates a cliched story yet that’s exactly what we got. Everyone is looking for the “next big thing” when it comes to movies and I say, “why does every movie have to be bigger and better than the last”? Some call the story muddled, but it’s all about context. This movie is creating a universe, a sort of trailblazer for DC if you will. DC doesn’t  have the luxury of creating multiple films when Marvel has already established a rich universe that is ever expanding. So yes, Suicide Squad is a lot of back story and it may seem like filler and intrusive at times, but from the context of the bigger picture, it has to be done. I didn’t notice any glaring flaws with how the story was structured. This is a very straight forward movie, no twists, no turns. It has a good amount of humor, so that is a big step forward for DC. It juggles grit with humor well. It also humanizes the villains, giving more than one dimension to characters many often dismiss as “baddies”.

Final Verdict

It’s a fun movie. It’s not the big blockbuster everyone will love, but as far as the DC cinematic universe is concerned, it’s a step in the right direction. The characters are fun and complex and while the story is very standard and cliche, that by no means makes it a bad movie. So go ahead and spend ten dollars on the ticket, I thought it was worth the money.