Movie Blog: Life of Pi: Story of Faith and Hope

"I suppose in the end the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."

“Even if God seemed to have abandoned me, He was watching. Even if He seemed indifferent to my suffering, He was watching. And when I was beyond all hope of saving, He gave me rest, and gave me a sign to continue my journey.”

When I saw the trailer for the movie, Life of Pi, I honestly didn’t know what to make of it. It had a very intriguing basis with an excellent director, namely Ang Lee. Obviously I haven’t read the book so I didn’t really know what to make of it. However, if trailers are any indication of a film’s brilliance, then Life of Pi promises to be a captivating film that’s visually breathtaking. Thankfully, the trailer got it right.

I hope everyone has had a chance to see Ang Lee’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. If you haven’t seen the film I recommend you do. I read somewhere that this was described as the film that was unfilmable, because the main characters are a boy and a tiger trapped in a small boat. But the filmmakers have worked their magic and it comes to life on the big screen. Lee has created a visually magnificent fable that transfers the book’s imagination to the screen.

Life of Pi opens in Montreal where an older Pi Patel (Irrfan Khan) meets with a young writer (Rafe Spall) interested in hearing his life story. In flashbacks, we are taken back in time to young Pi's youth in India. Pi's insatiable desire for knowledge and understanding leads him to take a deep interest in Catholicism and Islam. When a teenage Pi (Suraj Sharma) is forced to leave India along with his family at his father's request, the youth struggles to come to terms with an event that he has no doubt will change his life forever. Financial pressures force them to move, and at the age of 16 he boards a freight ship to Canada, along with his father, mother and elder brother. During the night, a torrential storm upends the ship, leaving Pi stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a zebra, hyena, orangutan and a tiger named Richard Parker and drama ensues!

Yes, now you know why it is so intriguing. How a young man will survive on a small boat with a large tiger is a story that you don’t see every day. Taking the reins of this unique story is the talented Director, Ang Lee. Thanks to his steady hand, the film takes on a visually stunning perspective that’s truly a delight to experience. He is able to combine the calm beauty of nature with the vicious force of the elements. He is able to maintain the intensity of the story, but also mix some essential light-hearted moments.

Life of Pi is without a doubt a visual feast, a film that revels in the art of storytelling. The film is just outstanding especially with its technical accomplishments. The visual effects just take the scenes over the top and create a fanciful world for its audience. The combination of Ang Lee’s ability to create an enthralling story, an excellent narrative that keeps you on your toes, and special effects that weaves masterfully with reality makes the Life of Pi movie a tour de force, and definitely one of the best movies of the year. In most cases, movies that focus on being a spectacular visual feast usually lack in other aspects like acting and story. However, in Life of Pi, the plot and the acting are the real spectacles and it is amazing to see all these elements play out on the silver screen. The pacing of the film starts out a little slow. Nothing really happens in the first 15-30 minutes but things take a huge leap the moment Pi starts talking about his adventure with a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker.

But of course, visuals aren’t everything about a movie or otherwise Avatar would have actually been a good movie instead of a derivative bore. What about the story? The story in terms of plot is as simple as it can get. Boy and tiger get stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean, boy tries to survive. A simple plot which is what it should have been. The thrust of the movie is the journey of self exploration that the boy goes through as he reflects on the meaning of truth and the existence of God. The journey with him as we try to unravel the answer to the deepest questions about life. These questions about the role of religion in our lives are the main draw of the movie. And personally speaking, being someone less religiously inclined, I was very impressed with the answer the movie came to.

Life of Pi is full of questions that the movie does not seek to answer. Pi gave two stories about what happened to him after the ship sank. One was fantastical and practically unbelievable with tigers and flying fish and floating islands that devour animals (carnivorous island). The other is more sensible and reasonable. The question is which story is TRUE? I honestly was quite taken aback by some of the late-game twists in the story, and I was left with a nagging, persistent feeling of "wait, what?" after seeing the film. What did it all mean? However, the answer is it doesn’t matter. Regardless of which is true, the ship still sank and Pi still lost everything especially his family. Some claim that the movie tries to convert people into believing in God or to turn people away from God. I believe the story is about it’s up to you to choose what you want to believe. Faith cannot by definition be proved or disproved as neither of Pi’s stories could be proved or disproved. But regardless of which is true, they’re all in effect telling the same story, they’re all sides of the same coin, and they’re all different paths that are diverged yet eventually intertwine into the ultimate conclusion. What you choose to believe is up to you, there’s nothing wrong with picking the story you’re most happy with and we should all respect each other’s decision on which story to believe in. If more people acted like this, the world would be a much happier place.

For me, the most powerful moment of the Life of Pi is when Pi finally make landfall and the tiger disappears into the forest without so much as a backwards glance. It’s such a simple, graceful expression of man’s desire to project humanity onto an indifferent universe. Moments like that only serve to make the clumsy, forced ambiguity of the ending all the more frustrating. Richard Parker…..Oh! Is a beautiful, magnificent, magestic tiger and is the most fierce and beautiful creature you’ve ever laid your eyes on. He’ll make you love him and hate him at the same time. But, still you’ll find yourself defending him when he’s in need. You will feel the urge to hold him in your arms and love your pet even more. I’ll ruin the spoiler for you; he does not die in this movie. So be happy!

Another of its strong points, the story delves into areas of faith, hope, belief, determination, courage and struggle. The strong script and pacing keeps the film together, doing away with the possibility of boredom especially since we see no one else than Pi, the tiger and the sea for most parts of the movie.

There are a lot of breathtaking moments with wide shots you've never seen before in cinema. The water reflecting the sky, the absolutely beautiful lighting, the lush and rich islands and the very well made animals. I swear at some points I didn't know if Richard Parker (the tiger) was real or not and I didn't have to know because it didn't matter. It all looked so great on screen.

In Life of Pi, you are given the opportunity to "Believe the Unbelievable". The story teaches us how to survive even at the worst situation. God's will is always unpredictable. Just when we lose hope, He makes us assured He is watching and is there to help us, thru human or animal or something else. God never gives us challenges which we cannot face. And in this story, God never left Pi alone even when he thought he was abandoned. God gave him all the strength and courage to move on and survive the trial, in the form of the tiger, his only companion throughout the journey. It wasn't just beautiful but there were a lot of moments where I felt tense. I really do not know how Ang Lee and his crew managed to overcome all the technological hurdles in making those tense scenes and how the actors did such a great job at complementing them.

Overall, Life of Pi was a great movie. It had amazing graphics and visual flare. It had a decent and touching story. For the most part, the acting was great. The film’s casting was perfect. The dialogue was convincing enough. The story is very appealing. Viewers get to feel a wonderful mix of emotions -- happy, sad, scared, inspiring, even an overwhelming feeling of...I don't know exactly Haha :) It's a great movie to watch! Beautiful cinematography, elicits different emotions, and it spiritually touches you :)

The Kind Of Girl I Am

Reblogged this article from Thought Catalog by Chelsea Fagan

I hear a lot of sentences that begin or end with some variation of "I'm not that kind of girl." There seems to always be two camps of women, one who does this horrible thing that we're all collectively supposed to be embarrassed of, and one who has far too much dignity and self-respect to engage in it. It's hard not to feel an  expectation of classifying yourself in a way as to put other women down, or to recognize that there are certain behaviors within us that we are supposed to be constantly suppressing. But you see, I am often afraid, when I hear these sweeping generalizations about the humiliating kind of girl all of these people are absolutely not, that I may be her myself. I am more afraid, it should be said, that I don't want to change.

Because I am the kind of girl who will call you too much -- who will fall neatly under the labels of "crazy" or "needy" because her emotions tend to spill out all at once, and in full color. I find myself unable to sit on my hands when it comes to  waiting for the phone to ring, to allowing someone I am over the moon about to take their time and call me when they're ready. When I am infatuated with you, all sense of basic social propriety flies out the window and my entire life is dependent on the sweet, tinny ringing of a cellphone. I will hound your message box and immediately regret every text I send, wishing that I were the kind of person who could exhibit the coy, sexy restraint. I wish playing "hard to get" were a game that didn't elude me completely, that I could engage in a little cat-and-mouse, that I could obfuscate my true feeling just long enough to make you wonder if I actually need you. With me, there is never a doubt of "need." I always have my hands outstretched. 

I am the kind of girl who will love you more loudly than you love her and not know how to make it seem like she doesn't. I am the kind of girl who will consistently paint outside the lines and still hope that you'll be proud of her when she knows you the finished product. I have a heart which, beyond being worn on my sleeve, tends to beat loudly enough to deafen anyone trying to listen to me speak. Any half-hearted murmurs of "I'm fine" or "It's okay" will be drowned out by the thud of what are clearly my real feelings on the subject. There will always be an urgency and difficulty in my love, because I am constantly trying to catch up with myself.

I am the kind of girl who will fight sometimes for no reason, who will create arguments out of thin air because she is frustrated and sometimes takes it out on the people who deserve it least but will stand for it most. I will know that what I am doing is wrong in the moment -- that a label of "psycho" being flung at me will be as stinging as it is accurate -- but be unable to stop myself. I will see in this a kind of pinch to remind yourself that you are alive, that you are fresh, that you are worth fighting for -- even if it's selfish and juvenile. I love things at top volume, at their most difficult, at their most needlessly complex.

I am the kind of girl who talks too loudly and curses too often and makes a habit of inserting her foot as far into her mouth as her leg can bend. I know that there is a delicate sort of grace that I should be striving for, an Audrey Hepburn-esque ability to be at once charmingly funny and undoubtedly feminine, but I will constantly strive for the former in complete negligence of the latter. Though I can see myself almost in an out-of-body experience, realize that I am being "too much" and "too intense" at yet another social gathering because I know no other way to be, there will always be a small voice in my head which encourages me to tell the dirty joke, to make the overly-frank comment, and to sacrifice the seen-and-not-heard beauty that we are raised to admire in a woman.

I often hear other women talk proudly of the fact that they are not like me. They are not "crazy", they are not "needy", they are not "loud", they are not "bitchy". And though I do not begrudge them their choice to be a different human being than I am, I wish that their premium and their beauty didn't have to come at the expense of other women. I wish that we were free enough to be individuals, that there didn't have to be two categories to fit into, and that the actions of one of us didn't have to be so immediately reflective of us all. Maybe there is something wrong with being all of these things -- notably all of these things at once -- but I have never known how to be anyone else. And I would rather be too much of me than just barely enough of a proper lady.

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I appreciate the points made in this article and I agree with some. I just love this post. This makes every girl feels normal. I really like this because although I am not this kind of girl --- I am my OWN kind of girl -- a couple of these paragraphs really speak to me. It's actually great that you're being honest about yourself. And I think many - including me, aren't like that. We say sometimes we're not THAT kind, but we actually are. We try to control out feelings and behavior, but we lose sometimes. We just aren't brave enough to admit that we're just like that. 

I admire people who are 100% themselves and uninhibited about being authentic to their feelings, of loving fully and being heard. I strongly believe that if you are with someone who cannot understand or accept all of YOU, they DON'T deserve you. No one should be ashamed of how they feel of how they love. 

Movie blog: Les Miserables

After the long wait “Les Miserables” finally opens this 2013. I have to say that from the moment I saw the trailer last year I have been looking forward to seeing this movie. I went to see Les Misérables together with my mom and although I don't normally bother to write reviews I thought this might be an important on to talk about.  I've been waiting...ohhh a year or so for this film, as I'm sure many others have, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it. I heard mixed reviews of it - some loved it, some hated it.

Even those who are not devotes of musical theater will find themselves emotionally manipulated by this latest version of — the novel, turned Broadway sensation, turned movie blockbuster of — Les Misérables on an epic scale. This film version is a particular tearjerker because of the much-discussed live-action-singing and some excellent casting.

The people who put "Les Misérables" on screen dreamed a great dream, they really did. They dreamed of filming one of the most popular of modern theatrical musicals – over millions of tickets sold all over the world. Director Tom Hooper has doubled down on the piece's greatest strength, finding ways to magnify the musical's ability to create those effects of overwhelming feelings in an audience. Themes of love, law, justice, grace, redemption and revolution run concurrently through this film from beginning to end.

From its first scene, the story set a fantastic image of a group of French convicts, circa 1815, trying to pull a floundering ship in the midst of a mighty storm, this production is visual to the max, with an epic physical scale.

It employed to sign the best, most convincing actors for these unsophisticated roles and to assist them in making the characters real by investing in them heart and soul. For protagonist Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), initially unrecognizable as a full-bearded emaciated convict - No. 24601 to be precise - who is part of the crowd wrestling with the struggling vessel. After serving 19 years hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread, is released on parole. Unable to find work as a marked man, he is offered refuge by a Bishop. During the night, he steals the Bishop’s silver, however, when caught by the authorities, the Bishop claims the silver was a gift. This unexpected gift of grace and mercy triggers a change in Jean Valjean, who breaks parole and promises to live a better life.

Hugh Jackman (Jean Valjean): Freedom is mine

Also front and center in the scene is Javert (Russel Crowe), the film’s antagonist, the cold-hearted inspector-representative of the law. Crowe's Javert doesn't say it, he sings it right there in front of us. That allows them to bring the rich emotion of their entire performances.

Russel Crowe (Javert): I am the Law

The scene now shifts to 1823 and a town in France where, helped by a kindly Bishop and his own decision to break parole, Valjean has taken on a new identity and become a mayor and a wealthy factory owner.

For another, one of Valjean's female employees, Fantine (Anne Hathaway), is unjustly fired as by his foreman. And, is wrongfully sacked and ends up selling her hair and her teeth and body. She plays a single mother who turns to prostitution to support her child takes a stab at everyone’s heart with her opening song. The portrait view, medium shot focuses solely on her as she sings, the blackness of the background only adding to the heavy atmosphere. It’s the perfect combination of music and visuals to evoke the best tear jerking response from the audience.

Anne Hathaway (Fantine): I dreamed a dream

Forced to flee town, Valjean vows to raise Fantine's daughter, Cosette (Isabelle Allen), as his own. First however, he has to pry her out of the hands of scoundrels Monsieur (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Madame Thenardier (Helena Bonham Carter), in the "Master of the House”.

Isabelle Allen (Cosette)

Sacha Baron Cohen (Monsieur Thenardier) & Helena Bonham Carter (Madame Thenardier): Master of the House

All these plot strands come together nine years later in Paris of 1832, where Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), now a beautiful young woman catches the eye of passionate would-be revolutionary Marius (Eddie Redmayne), who is determined to fight at the barricades. He in turn is admired from afar by the lovelorn Eponine (Samantha Barks, equally good in "On My Own"), brings feminist heroism to a role that is usually played only as a pathetic lovelorn girl.

Amanda Seyfried (Cosette) & Eddie Redmayne (Marius): Heart full of Love

Samantha Barks (Eponine): Lovelorn girl

Daniel Huttlestone’s (Gavroche) small yet exciting role makes up for this. He plays a child revolutionary rebel and is one of the most fun actors to watch. He is naturally likeable and his stage death is one of the most heartbreaking.

Daniel Huttlestone (Gavroche)

Anne Hathaway, who plays Fantine, does such a knockout rendition of the showstopper "I Dreamed a Dream" that objecting is out of the question. It is one of the most impactful in movie: in one long, dramatic close up, she sings her heart out while breaking ours. It is delivered in its whole, acapella, as a tight shot of Hathaway’s face. We see in every quiver of her mouth, tears and flash of her eyes, the despair, humiliation, and in the end, fury she feels that life has killed the dream she dream. It’s fitting that powerful emotional connection to the role of mother who would do anything for her child. Yet, Hathaway gives complexity to a character that has previously only been portrayed as a martyr.

The film is different. It may leave you in tears this is an emotionally involving tale of people looking for hope in despair. The film has everything from romance, action, beautiful singing and a tad bit of humor. Whilst the melody is ever-present, here it is the story, the characters and their experiences that drive the movie forward. The story is clear and the performances are amazing.

The rest of the film focuses on tensions that increase between the government and its people, and a romance that forms between Cosette and Marius. With so much being packed into this movie, it is surprising how consistently strong the cast is. In particular Jackman shows surprising dramatic depth, very different from the actor I often associate with action movies.  His performance basically carries most of the film. Russell Crowe is passable, but perhaps another actor might have been a better choice, as he doesn’t have much vocal range beyond a guttural growl.

There are two things I don’t really like in the film, first, are those repetitive close-ups of singing actors proving nothing, really. We know the actors are singing. We know their faces reflect emotion. Second, I found the editing to be excruciating, jumping from one scene to the next with no pauses between songs. This is where stage to film fails.  There is never an actual physical changing of sets, no giving the audience an opportunity to applaud the performance and take a breather. Those technical mistakes are what keep "Les Misérables" from perfection, despite the actors' strength, the songs' catchiness, and the overall ambition of the project. It's certainly worth watching, but that last half-hour—it will get on your nerves.

On the whole however, it wasn't bad, is visually stunning, the costumes, sets, and make up are phenomenal and is worth every penny that went into it. The movie has everything to offer from love to religion, forgiveness and the resilience of the human spirit. Although it is flawed, “Les Misérables” is destined for myriad Oscar nominations. And though it probably won’t be remembered as the best film of the year, it will be remembered as one of the biggest.

Here's the trailer for those who haven't watch it.

Movie Blog: Pitch Perfect: Making music with their mouths

I am a huge fan of musical movies because of the talented singer-actors and actresses and the amazing song mash-up. So when Pitch Perfect became a trending topic among my Twitter friends and hearing loads of good things about the film, I've been looking forward to the movie and I talked about how excited I was to see it!  But do know that if you’re not really into the whole singing in-between speaking lines, don’t worry, this isn't anything like that.

The film is sort of like a mash of High School Musical and Glee. It is also based on the book 'Pitch Perfect' by Mickey Rapkin. I wonder what it's like to read a book about singing...Anyway, it was the perfect ensemble movie.  Each character was perfectly quirky, but no one stole the spot light from anyone else.  Though I have to admit that Rebel Wilson is becoming one of my new favorites!  Seriously, her comedic timing is awesome!

The concept of the flick is extremely simple. After a woeful performance at last year's ICCA (International Championships of College A Capella) which ended abruptly when Aubrey (Anna Camp) projectile vomited mid-song straight in to the audience, the Barden Bellas are on the lookout for new recruits. However, this Acapella competition is quite different. No musical instruments are involved and every sound will have to be from your own mouth. So you can beat box your way into the tune or whatever so that's quite unique about this show =) you can actually see real talents in this show!

Beca is approached by The Barden Bellas

THE BARDEN BELLAS

New to Barden U is Beca (Anna Kendrick). Beca a slightly dark, sort of edgy-ish girl who finds herself as a freshman at Barden University, even though she'd rather be out of school trying to work on her music. She has a deal with her Lit-lecturer dad. If she gets more involved at university, he will help her move to LA so she can follow her dreams to be a music producer. After an encounter in the showers with Bella member Chloe (Brittany Snow) Beca joins the group along with a bunch of other newbie’s including Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), and super quiet Asian girl Lilly (Hana Mae Lee).

The Bella's are under Aubrey's rule and she makes the group sing the same boring arse songs over and over again. ‘I Saw The Sign’ and ‘Something About Feeling Percussion’. There's no way the group will get anywhere in the competition if they don't evolve. The group's main competition are boy-group Treblemakers led by singer and Jack Black try-to-be Bumper (Adam DeVine). Also new to the group is Jesse (Skylar Astin) who wants to score films and loves watching The Breakfast Club.

THE TREBLEMAKERS

Anna Kendrick (Beca) is, as always, a fantastically confident and assured screen presence, proving here that she can anchor an ensemble with ease. She is undoubtedly the film’s strongest element. She gets a lot of good notes to play, finding organic character-based laughs interacting with peers who want to get her out of her shell.

Anna Kendrick (Beca): Rebel with a voice

The rag-tag bunch of girls that form the main a cappella group are nicely defined and share a pleasant, quirky chemistry, and the film takes special care to only mock them lovingly. Brittany Snow (Chloe) and Anna Camp (Aubrey) are particular highlights as group leaders Chloe and Aubrey, obsessive and controlling to such keenly observed degrees, the group's leader who foiled their plans to win the national championship the year before by vomiting on stage. She also uses dorky expressions like a ca-mazing or a ca-cuse me.

Anna Camp (Aubrey): Blows under pressure

 Brittany Snow (Chloe): It's all from her mouth

Giving each Asian character a wacky personality quirk that, again, defines them entirely. Beca’s Asian roommate is exaggeratedly standoffish and spiteful, and has friends who are equally indiscernible, while the choir’s Asian singer, Hana Mae Lee (Lilly), the girl who speaks so quietly no one can hear her. Ester Dean (Cynthia Rose), interpretation of a “gay” character, the butch, short hair sportin’, black bully stereotype.

Hana Mae Lee (Lilly): The quiet one

Ester Dean (Cynthia Rose): The Butch bass

But most viewers will walk away singing the praises of Rebel Wilson’s Fat Amy, the overweight, scene-stealing singer with attitude. She makes a lot of lines funnier just by virtue of her expert delivery and dry sense of humor.  It is a character type we are too familiar with these days –but Wilson is very good in the role, and easily earns the film’s biggest laughs.

 (Rebel Wilson) Fat Amy: The Pitch slapper

Skylar Astin (Jesse), the friendly, charming guy who loves music and movies. He and Beca become friends because they work at the college radio station. Despite Beca's reserve and distant character, Jesse was able to break her barriers with his charm.  I loved watching him sing and swooned when he tried to give Beca a Hollywood movie education, starting with "The Breakfast Club."

Skylar Astin (Jesse): On scores stage

Adam DeVine (Bumper), the Treblemaker's, in Aubrey's words, "egotistical, big-headed, garbage dirtball", leader.

Adam DeVine (Bumper): The Treblemaker

I loved the banter between ICCA Emcees played by Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins. Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins are absolutely hilarious as professional singing competition commenters (a concept that is exactly as crazy as it sounds).

John Michael Higgins (John) and Elizabeth Banks (Gail): The Commenters

Pretty much, you can predict every beat of Pitch Perfect before it happens. Also, what elevate things are the great cast and little doses of random humor. Oh, and the music is awesome as well! Acapella singing is always impressive and "Pitch Perfect" proves that in aces!  Plus, Beca's DJ-ing skills aren't bad either and her mixes are wonderful to listen to! But...for those who watch Glee for the songs and who love spirited Acapella renditions of everything from Rihanna to Cyndi Lauper…you'll probably love this. Some of the songs grated on me, but I'll admit that I was at times won over by all the 80's classics that play a big part in the movie.

The movie does a nice job of mixing and editing the musical numbers and making them fun to watch. And if you're a guy (though let's face it, many dudes will be staying far away from this), you've got many minutes of Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Anna Kendrick dancing semi-provocatively to look forward to. So there's that. If you're a girl (let me clarify - the kind of girl who eats up all things Glee and loves Bring It On) well, you'll probably love this movie.

Oh well. Pitch Perfect has enough pleasures to overcome its failings, even if the margin is fairly slim at times. I do enjoy most of these characters, I like that the setting and tone offer something a little different, and I believe audiences will get a kick out of it.

Overall, this was such a fun film. Everyone can sing (which is always a plus). Pitch Perfect certainly delivers some of that, along with decent characterization, fun performances, and several outstanding musical numbers. It is the sort of film I can easily see audiences latching onto. It has a good amount of heart and attitude. Pitch Perfect gets that last part right – the ending is excellent, fun and fulfilling on several levels but it will left you hanging…But I guess, and I'm hoping, there's a Pitch Perfect 2!! Nevertheless, all I have are thumbs up for the movie. :D Amazing song renditions, awesome cast...the whole movie is very ENTERTAINING!

Check out the girls' version for rehearsal number, by Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are. Also, here's the video of Mike Tompkins "STARSHIPS" performed by the Pitch Perfect casts.And, one of the movie highlight,"THE RIFF OFF".It was perfect. But then again, what isn't? Gave me goose bumps.

Here's the trailer if you haven't watch it already!! ENJOY! :)

The One Who Wants To Be With You

The One Who Wants To Be With You by Nico Lang

The one who wants to be with you accepts you for you: your mind, your heart and the parts of your body you may feel are imperfections, the ones you criticize when you look in the mirror. They think every single inch of you is worthy of adoration and will spend all day, every single day (if necessary) proving to you how beautiful and sacred your body is. They will kiss your body slowly, part by part, just to prove to you that each one deserves to be loved and caressed. This may take some time, but they’re willing to do that. They will show you that you don’t need you to be perfect or to be Bond Girl Christmas Jones — a scientist who is also secretly a supermodel when she removes her glasses and ponytail. You don’t need to be some focus-grouped, whitewashed, photoshopped idea of what’s attractive to deserve their love — someone who doesn't eat, fart, burp, express opinions or speak above a dainty whisper. They just want you to be you, and no one else.

The one who doesn't want you always wants you to be someone else when they close their eyes or wants you to be someone they can make you into — like that woman in Weird Science. Rather than pushing you for your own betterment — because that which we love should push us to grow — they look at you as a mission and a project, a site constantly under construction for repair. They will tell you that it’s for your benefit, and they just want the best for you. But they don’t want a better you. They don’t want you. They’re settling for a house they can fix up and remodel — one that’s in a lower price range and came at a bargain. They don’t see the value in you because they’re too focused on what’s better, and they’re too focused on what they want to see you for the steal you are.

The one who wants to be with you never lets you forget how special you are. They tell you via text message (in full sentences that don’t even need emoticons), flowers, candy, skywriter and actual in-person words — because they know how important it is to be in the presence of love, to be wrapped up in it, to feel it next to you holding you and never letting go. They will tell you by being there for you when you need them to be and even sometimes when you don’t need them to be, when you’re sick in bed and insist that you’re fine and they don’t need to come over and take care of you. They will be there anyway, with a bowl of chicken soup ready, five kinds of reading material and a dozen different brands of medication. They take your health seriously — maybe a little too seriously, like a grandma — because they take you seriously. They would book a seven-hour flight with a layover in Timbuktu just to watch you puke in a toilet, which they swear is cute when you do it. FYI, it’s not cute, it’s disgusting, but caring about you makes them into a beautiful liar like that.

The one who doesn't want you isn't there or when they are there — still isn’t. They’re always texting someone else and perpetually glued to the screen of their phone as if they suddenly would go blind without the light of the iPhone. They’re always hanging out with other people who aren’t you, talking about other people and making excuses for why they don’t have more time for you. They always talk about how busy they are and how full their schedule is, but they aren’t that busy. Their life is full with friends and acquaintances and a bunch of people who are tagged on Facebook smiling in photos with them. None of these people are you, and if they wanted you, those people would be you. If they cared about you, they would show you off like a fucking farm animal at a 4H fair and advertise you like an Apple product launch. It’s a little creepy, but people who care do that. They want to brag about you, because they know Steve Jobs could never create something as fascinating as you.

The one who wants to be with you understands that you are a priority in their life and their schedule. They have their own things going on — friends, family, cats that poop too much and houseplants that are weirdly needy — but want you to be a part of those things. When the time is right, they will bring you to family functions or poker nights and introduce you as “my girlfriend” or whatever label/introduction you have decided is appropriate. They will say this word repeatedly — as if there were a drinking game for its mention — just to remind themselves how lucky they are. They will bring you up to friends and family so much that everyone around them will get slightly sick or hearing about how great you are. You will be like your high school best friend’s newborn baby that she always status updates about. The mention it is will go away, but that feeling, that gratitude of your presence, never will.

The one who doesn't want you assumes that you know all of those things and don’t need to be reminded. They forget your birthday, your anniversary and might not even know very important information about you that you expect everyone in your life to know — like your eye color. They might not even know your middle name. They haven’t taken the time to get to know you and learn the important things, like the dreams that you haven’t locked away yet and what you want to be when you finally grow up, or the less important things, like that you can’t listen to Explosions in the Sky without crying and you feel like the movie Lost in Translation was made for you. You don’t communicate or really talk at all — because they’re unwilling to open that part of themselves. They don’t see that you belong in it.

The one who wants to be with you knows that falling in love with you doesn’t happen all at once and it can take years to truly get to know someone. Learning about someone is like wandering through an old mansion with many rooms; it’s always discovering that there’s another door to unlock. This person is willing to go on that journey, to be constantly surprised by how intricate and complex you are, an M.C. Escher painting in human form, and loves finding out grand staircases of new information about you, like that you consider Missy Elliott your spirit animal and want to live in Paris when you get old. But they also love how simple you are sometimes, as simple as a backrub after a long day, because they love everything about you that’s beautiful and that hurts. They’re willing to stick it out with you through the hard conversation and the rough patches — whatever it takes to lie next to you at night, they’re willing to fight for it. They will fight to love you.

This person is willing to go on that journey, to be constantly surprised by how intricate and complex you are, an M.C. Escher painting in human form, and loves finding out grand staircases of new information about you. But they also love how simple you are sometimes, as simple as a backrub after a long day, because they love everything about you that’s beautiful and that hurts. They’re willing to stick it out with you through the hard conversation and the rough patches — whatever it takes to lie next to you at night, they’re willing to fight for it. They will fight to love you.

The one who doesn’t want you won’t fight for you or perform random acts of emotional strength to prove their love. And you should have some who is willing to do that — to chase you and sweep you off your feet (and let you do some of the chasing, too) and strive for ideals we all say are “unattainable” or “unrealistic.” You deserve to be loved by someone who knows how to love you, specifically, and only you. You deserve to someone that won’t let your dreams stay locked away. You deserve to live them.

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"The one who wants to be with you accepts you for you: your mind, your heart and the parts of your body you may feel are imperfections, the ones you criticize when you look in the mirror. They think every single inch of you is worthy of adoration and will spend all day, every single day (if necessary) proving to you how beautiful and sacred your body is."

Hmmm.

And no, I really don't mean to reblog this just because it is related to my situation. Its just I feel it is most applicable to some of us. I really like the context and how it is explained in this blog post. :)