Ew

Some products that were meant to improve our well- being and health can actually have the opposite effect if used incorrectly. We buy these products with the best intentions: antibacterial soap to kill germs, toothpaste to prevent cavities, a humidifier to relieve sinus congestion. However, everyday items like these can trigger your allergies, leave our skin with a skin infection or cause other problems if used incorrectly. Don't panic yet. The fixes are resoundingly simple, quick and keep us safe.

1. The blender

You know to wash your blender every time you make one of your yummy berry smoothies, but you're most likely to skip one of the crucial parts: the blender gasket. In a 2013 report by NSF International, am independent organisation that tests the health and safety of consumer products, the blender gasket was found to be the third most filthy item in an average kitchen. The blender gasket might harbour harmful microorganisms like Salmonella, E.coli ans mould. When researches asked people what they thought were the top sources of grime in their kitchen, the blender did not even make their list. So reduce the risks of getting food poisoning, we should always disassemble the blender, pull out the blade and gasket for a thorough washing after every use.

2. Your Chair

The risks of sitting keep piling up such as an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, and mortality. Unfortunately, research also shows that even if you're a regular exerciser, it's not enough to offset sitting all day during your commute, at work and then at night in front of the television. Unless you get a stand-up desk, you probably cannot change the fact you have to sit at your desk. You can move just a bit more. Get up and walk, be it to the kitchen or to freshen up in the restroom after a certain amount of time. Studies showed that light walking for two minutes out of every hour reduced mortality risks by 23% compared to spending long hours perched on your chair.

3. Rubber spatula

Sure, you may clean it every time after you use it, but you should consider adding an important step: puling the spatula head off the handle before you wash, Forgetting to do so is one of the reasons the NSF declared the rubber spatula the second dirtiest item in the kitchen. It was found to contain E.coli, yeast and mold - not the thing you would want to mix into your batter. To be safe, wash both the spatula and the handle separately. If it's a one-piece, take extra precautions in every cranny and joint as these microorganisms tend to thrive there.

Hawaii

Being an ardent Disney fan, you can expect me to spend a considerable amount of time watching Lilo & Stitch. The show has undoubtedly sparked my intentions to vacation in hawaii since young. I would pretend that I'm drinking some fancy pink-coloured drink while fiddling with the mini umbrella. Also, don't forget the infamous line from the show, 'Ohana means family'. I'm sure I've annoyed every one of my family and friends trying to impersonate Stitch's tone. Thankfully, no one dared to lift a finger at me at that time because I was still at a 'very tender' age. As the years passed, my enthusiasm to visit Hawaii was buried deep in the back of my head. But recently when my friend did a terrific impersonation of Stitch uttering that line, it was like my all the neurons in my brain had a sporadic power search and dug out the dusty old memory of me being so excited to visit Hawaii. I looked up travel tips and advices when travelling to Hawaii, just to reminisce my childhood fantasies. Here's what I got: 

You land at Honolulu International Airport, and you're starving. What do you do first? Well, you can start off by not taking an unmarked tax. Find local transportation in clearly marked, designated areas. Well-versed travelers and police will tell you stories of how unknowing visitors get lured away and mugged - or worse.

Poke is a popular Hawaiian appetizer. It is a raw salad usually made of sliced tuna. For your poke cravings, there are two routes you can take. Either hit up Foodland (even Sam's Club) for a variety of seafood for cheap, or find the best in town. Those are located at Ono Seafood (not to be confused with Ono Hawaiian). The Shoyu/#1 and Spicy/#7 are most sought-after. Afterwards, head a few blocks up and to the right for some Wailoa Shave Ice.

Just like the local pasar malam, the food truck scene is alive and well in Waikiki over at Pau Hana Market. Offering a consistent fleet of restaurants, you'll find a variety of reasonably priced menus from shrimp to loco moco. You'll discover both ample parking and seating. The fact that they're open everyday is a huge perk for tourists.

Craving for some Japanese food? Matsugen's soba noodles is the answer to your cravings. Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin is known for making some of the most mouth-watering, flavourful and tender pork tonkatsu you;ll ever have. You can also get your cravings satisfied at Marukame Udon. They have two locations serving house made, cafeteria-style udon at a great value. What is visiting Hawaii without a drink or two? For a wallet-friendly happy hour, head on over to Izakaya Torae Torae.

An Important Event That Happened SPM 2010

Based on the novel Step By Wicked Step authored by Anne Fine, one important event that happened in the novel is the discovery of the green album which is Richard’s journal. The journal was found in a hidden room by five sudents, Colin, Pixie, Claudia, Robbo and Ralph. The journal titled, Read and Weep was read by Pixie which brought many realization to the five students, the sharing of their stories and also brought them closer together. Here are the elaborations on why the discovery of the journal was an important event in the novel.

The first and foremost reason is that it brought the five students closer together. It made them realize their similarities together that they never once knew. “ I’ve done it. Pixie’s done it. So has Claudia. You heard their stories.” They all realized that they were from dysfunctional families and each had their own stories and problems. The journal also made them sympathize with each other, they realized they all had problems and started to have an understanding of each other, they were no longer cold to each other and their friendship started heating up. “..Ralph thrust the precious little wooden cow and its small leg deep into Colin’s bag.” Ralph had done this in hopes of Colin realizing that leaving his house will not solve the problem and will only make matters worse. This incident shows that they started to console each other after hearing each other’s stories, and these all happened because the reading of the journal had made them open up, which leads to the next reason.

Other than that, after reading Richard's diary, the children learned about the hardships Richard and his family faced. This has prompt them to share their personal experience with their stepparent and step siblings. In the novel, each character was put into situations where they had to face adjustments in their lives. The children do not feel helpless or lonely because they realise that they are not facing their problems alone. They are able to seek solace and support from each other as they have an idea of being in each other's shoes. Each of them took turns to voice out their troubles and the rest of them discussed the problems together. For example, they understood the feeling of missing someone dear when Colin told them his story. Claudia sympathises with Colin and is shaken by his sad story. "'I pretend like that sometimes." Claudia confronted him.' The group also tried to help Colin understand that his plans to run away to look for his father will only add salt to the wound. '"Because,like Richard Harwick said, you'd just be piling one wrong on to another..."

Moving on to the next point, from the discovery of Richard's diary has made the children realise their roles in the family. With hindsight, Richard realises that he should not have ran away from his family as it will only pile one wrong to another. His disappearance only caused more problems and heartbreak for his mother and sister. In the end, when Ricard came home, he was welcomed with the cold silence of his empty home. His mother died of heartbreak over the absence of him His sister died during childbirth as she got married to Charles Devere at a young age so that she could keep up the search for him. "On my sixteenth birthday, I married Charles Devere... he has promised to keep up the search.' We can also see that the children understands that everyone is responsible to ensure a happy family. Pixie realises that by compromising with her stepsisters and stepmother, her life would be less miserable. After having a huge row with her stepmother, she finally agrees to let her stepsister, Hetty share a room with her. 'She can stay with me if she wants.' Her relationship with her stepsisters have improved tremendously. 'Each bedtime she creeps in and perches on the end of my downie.' Claudia who once despised her stepmother as loyalty to her mother, realised that giving her stepmother the cold shoulder will not improve the outcome of things. She saw that the dinner guests were being rude and stood up for Stella. Claudia showed up at the dinner table wearing the green pyjamas Stella bought her and complimented her. 'These are the green pyjamas you bought me. Aren't they beautiful?' This has made an impact on the guests' impression of Stella.

In conclusion, it is clear that the discovery of Richard’s journal was the core of the novel and made them open up to finally make their own stories known to mankind. They no longer had to face their problems alone and had someone to sympathize and connect with. The journal also made them realize their roles in the family, especially in Colin’s case and hopefully make him realize that running away is not going to help his situation.

A Character That Changed

The spectacular novel, 'Step by Wicked Step' authored by Anne Fine, tells the story about 5 schoolchildren, namely Claudia, Robbo, Ralph, Colin and Pixie who all come from dysfunctional families were separated from their friends while on a school trip and finds themselves in an old mansion on a stormy night. They discovered an old diary belonging to a boy named Richard Harwick. Learning about Richard's family's hardships from the diary has prompted them to share their personal experience with their dysfunctional families. In the novel, each character was put into situations where they had to face adjustments in their lives. This has allowed the children to find care and support from each other as they have a taste of each other's problems. Some of these children will have a change in their character to adapt to the adjustments in their lives.

I find that Colin's character has changed due to a certain event that has taken place in his life. Colin used to be a cheerful and outgoing boy. He used to go to parks with his father, Jack and he would call him the bluebird of happiness. When Colin's mother left his father and took him along with her, his cheerful character left Colin as well. He became an unhappy and lonely boy. After moving out from their old home, he had to enroll in a new school. 'I had to start at another school where everyone had friends already.' In school, he has to go through unpleasant experiences like being ignored as his schoolmates already have their own circle of friends. They only laughed at him whenever he did not understand what they were doing. 'Nobody bothered with me, except to only snigger when i didn't understand all the stuff they'd been doing.' To add salt to the wound, he had nobody to confide to as his father left. His mother did not give him the attention he deserved as she was busy with her work at the canten as well as household chores. '...when she comes home she is always too busy doing things to listen to anything I said.'

Secondly,  Colin clearly had a closer relationship with his father compared to his mother. His relationship with his mother was rather distant as she paid more attention to her work. When Colin's dad left, he was left with a hole in his life. Colin then became a dreamy boy which causes him to have less focus in class. This took a toll on his studies and he did badly in school. 'I started getting into trouble for being half asleep...' He misses his dad dearly. He confessed that he would take out the tobacco tin belonging to his dad to reminisce the time spent with him. 'Each night I took out the tobacco tin out of the toe of my boot, where I kept it hidden, under my pillow.' He pretends that he is still with him and hum their favourite song. 'I'd pretend that he was there with me.'

The emotional challenges that Colin faces also brought out some good traits in him. The sudden absence of a fatherly figure has molded Colin to become more resourceful. It has been 5 years, 8 months and 7 days since he was separated from his dad. His oblivious mother thinks that he has forgotten about his father, but Colin secretly still writes his father's name and old address on school forms. '... I always secretly sneak his name and our old address on all the form that Mum's filled in for school...' Colin is hopeful that he will find his father again someday. His resourceful attitude can be seen when he saves every penny and does three paper rounds so that when he is old enough, he can set off to find his father. 'I keep practically every coin that comes my way. I even do three paper rounds.'

In a nutshell, Colin responded negatively initially to the adjustments in his life. He was depressed, sad and dreamy in school. Finally, he realises that being sad and wallowing in the past will not change the outcome of things. He finally found the motivation to turn over a new leaf. Colin is now optimistic, resourceful and motivated to achieve his dreams : to find his father.

Compare two characters (Colin & Richard)

I choose the novel 'Step by Wicked Step", authored by Anne Fine. The novel tells the story about 5 schoolchildren, namely Claudia, Pixie, Colin, Robbo and Ralph who came from dysfunctional families were separated from their friends while on a schooltrip and find themselves in an old house on a stormy night. They discovered an old diary which belonged to a boy named Richard Harwick. After reading Richard's diary about his broken family, the children share their stories about their family too. I am going to compare and contrast Richard and Colin. There are similarities and differences which can be observed clearly throughout the novel.

Firstly, Richard and Colin displayed their affections for their father. They miss their father very much and the loss of a fatherly figure at a tender age has made them deeply upset. The difference is, Richard lost his father forever because he passed away due to a sickness. 'I sit by my father's grave and run my fingers over the letters of his name cut deep in stone.' His father's place was quickly replaced by Reverend Coldstone and Richard's life became miserable. '...I will go mad and scramble to my feet and tell him all the things that have gone wrong since he was taken away from us.' Meanwhile, Colin might still have the chance of seeing his father again and he is determined to do so. The boy remembered the exact date when he left. 'Five years, eight months and seven days." Colin lost his father because his mother moved away without his father's knowledge. "It took me ages to realise he wan't following... He couldn't. Mum Hadn't left him any clues.'

Next, Colin and Richard were both ignored by their mothers. Their mothers were too distracted to pay any attention to their cries. Neither of them received the tender, love and care they deserved while they were still emotional over the absence of their fathers. '...sometimes I (Colin) get the feeling that Mum thinks things that are happening to both of us are only really happening to her. As if how I feel doesn't matter quite so much.' Richard's mother Lilith did not defend him when Reverend Coldstone ill-treated him. She did not defend her children against Coldstone's insults and turned a blind eye when Coldstone sent Richard to Mordanger School where he was bullied. 'All that my mother did was lower her eyes, or look away...' In Colin's case, his mother did not bother to know how much he missed his father because she was too busy working at the canteen and doing household chores. 'She was always too busy to listen to anything I said.'

Thirdly, the emotional impact on Richard and Colin made them believe that running away can solve their problems. Both of them decided that running away will make things work. '...you just have to keep going to reach the happy ending.' The difference between the two characters begins with thier reason for running away. Richard, who thinks that he is the black sheep in the family ran away from home with the hope that he would make life more pleasant for everyone. 'Perhaps you would all live out your fairy tale more happily without the black clouds I bring!' With hindsight, Richard realises that he should not have ran away from home. His absence only made his family problems worse. On the other hand, Colin plans to run away to find his father. 'As soon as I'm tall enough, I'm off.' Colin does three paper rounds to save money to search for his father. 'You see, I'm saving up now. I even do three paper rounds.'

As a conclusion, the two characters suffered much pain and sorrow when their fathers disappeard from their lives. No one cares about them or knows how they felt. Both of them were deprived of people who could advise and comfort them, thus prompting their decision to leave home. From their actions, we can see that running away does not solve any problems, in fact it can affect the people around us. So, we need to think wisely before making a serious decision in life.

Baking Conundrums

Baking is one of my least-hated thing to do. The act of adding in dry ingredients and mixing is oddly therapeutic and satisfying. From ensuring my utensils are grease-free to not over-mixing the batter, baking can be rather challenging. Despite being one of my mum's hobby too, she always asks me why don't I buy straight from the bakery. Maybe its because the way that I put the baking ingredients together appalls her. Apparently, I get flour and butter on every surface possible when I bake. In my defense, our mixing bowl is not big enough for me to work with. Or maybe I am truly a klutz.

Waiting for the oven to ding is also a torturous task, especially when the recipe requires varying baking time or when the batter needs to spend an hour or so in the oven. However, when I first open the door after the oven dings and the waft of delicious smelling food rapidly fills my nostrils, the effort of waiting is well paid-off. That is, if the baking was successful. Lop-sided cakes does not confound me anymore. I am also convinced that removing the baked goods from the tray requires a certain amount of Newton's knowledge because it took me a number of tries to get my cakes out in one piece. Or like the time when I thought it was a good idea to bake meringues on tracing paper. Alterations of the amount of ingredients like flour, sugar and water are also a problem to me because I tend to go overboard or add too little. THERE IS NO IN-BETWEEN. After much 'research' and 'interviews' conducted, I have gathered some baking tips If you are like me, hopefully these tips can help to minimise our chances of ruining our baking.

1. Lining of tray/tin/pans

My  enthusiasm nosedives when I find out that my decent-looking cake remains stuck in the cake tin. For smooth, easy removal, tins must be prepped properly. When a recipe calls for buttering and flouring, place a piece of parchment or wax paper on the bottom of a pan. You can accurately cut the right size of paper to fit the bottom of your tin by tracing the sides of the tin before cutting it.

Coat the sides and bottom with softened butter and then dust with flour, turning the pan on its side to get a full coverage and tapping out the excess. Usually, paper will not be needed if cakes are baked in springform pans. Just butter the pan with a pastry brush to ensure every crevice is coated with butter. Then, dust with flour. However, there are a few exceptions. Angel, chiffon and sponge cakes should be baked in clean, untreated pans as they need to adhere to the sides to rise properly. As for cupcakes and muffins, foil or decorative preformed liners are indispensable. 

2. Bringing ingredients to temperature

The temperature and consistency of ingredients can make or break the texture of a cake. Usually, cake recipes call for softened butter. It is important to use softened butter especially during creaming. This part may be tricky when you forget that your butter has been out of the fridge for too long, or when you have sporadic bursts of motivation for baking that you can't wait for your butter to soften. When butter is softened, it is pliable enough to beat but can maintain its structure so it can trap and hold air, which is the secret to a fluffy cake. When a butter is too cold and firm or warm and sloppy, it will result in a flat or dense cake. So, how does one acquire the correct temperature for their butter? Take butter out from the fridge roughly 45 minutes to an hour before using. The time may vary depending on the weather. Also, don't forget to set a timer. Cutting the butter into smaller pieces speeds up the time. If you are feeling impatient and cannot wait to start mixing, you will just have to challenge yourself and play the waiting game. When the butter is soft enough to hold a light thumbprint, you are ready to go. Warming up the butter in the microwave is not advisable as it can cause uneven melting and burn easily. Other than that, eggs should be at room temperature as well.

3. Creaming and beating eggs

Cake recipes often call for beating or creaming, butter with sugar for several minutes- sometimes up to 10. It is important to follow the stated time, although it can be tempting for most people to cut this step short, particularly when you are using a hand mixer. As for me, my paranoia often causes me to over beat the batter, resulting in a lumpy batter and then a tough cake. The beating process greatly affects the texture and structure of a cake as it incorporates air into the batter. As you beat, the butter will lighten in colour and you should see it increase in volume in the bowl. Eggs should also be beaten until light and fluffy. They should lighten in colour and fall into a thick ribbon when the beater is lifted out of the bowl. If the recipe calls for adding one egg at a time, make sure each one is well-incorporated before adding the next. As for meringues, it is crucial that your equipment is grease-free and the egg whites are yolk-free. Meringues are demanding and mean.  If you fail to meet the two important criteria, don't even bother to continue. The egg whites will not peak and will fall flat just like your hopes of baking crisps meringues. 

Hopefully my efforts in trying to improve my baking will be not be futile. And hopefully the praises I get from my family will not be out of courtesy anymore.

Don't Judge?

Unlike looking for Waldo on a page, hash tags can be easily spotted on webpages, especially on social media. Hash tagging is a good way of promoting events through social media. The initial use of hash tag was to simplify our lives when sorting posts or searching for a particular keyword. However, as time passed and social media platforms evolved, hash tagging is become a habit for most people. Some overdo it until it becomes annoying. I wish I could tell you why people do that, but I can't because I don't know and I don't have that habit. 

When a hashtag results in a trend, the trend will most likely flood major social medias. Not so long ago, there was a trend called the Don't Judge Challenge accompanied by the hashtag, #dontjudgechallenge . While the origins of the trend remains unclear, the trend was created initially as an anti-body shaming campaign. However, in my opinion, people who partook in this challenge totally defeated the purpose of this challenge. Thousands of teens (and adults) filmed a short video displaying their faces covered in painted on uni brows and acne as well as coloured their teeth while pulling a strange face. Once they've harnessed the insecurities most people have to deal with for many years, they can now officially show the 'ugly' side of them. After that, the footage will be cut and then resumed to reveal a fresh, flawless face. The males will usually follow up with a classic shirt-lift to reveal their toned abdomen. As for the females, they will then show the 'real' side of them, smothered in make up.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against good physique or the choice of wearing make up. I believe that make up is a way for one to express themselves. It's just that the defeated purpose of this trend is the finest form of narcissism today and the amount of people who took part in this 'challenge' baffles me. This trend became viral because these videos are entertaining to watch to most people. As for me, I can't help but cringe and goosebumps will sprout all over my body. The act of painting on 'imperfections' on your face to contrast your 'natural' beauty makes me confused. Are you trying to imply that people with acne, uni brow or crooked teeth are ugly? Acne, uni brows or crooked teeth that have been eating away many people's confidence does not 'wash away' just like that. Sure, you may be celebrating your imperfect visages, however you are highlighting and making fun of other people's insecurities at the same time. 

Why is acne considered as an imperfection? Why is someone with a uni brow judged like they're an abomination? As we all know, beauty standards are ephemeral. So, why can't we just accept people for how they look and focus on things that are more worthwhile our time? Its time for us to learn that beauty is more than skin-deep. C'mon, gen Z, are we that shallow? Can't we do better than that?

A Marathon

I watched Frozen about one and a half year ago. It rekindled my love for Disney, which has been frozen for many years due to the restricted time I had for entertainment and movies. The release of Frozen in Malaysia was so timely as Christmas was just around the corner and children did not have to go to school. After returning home from the cinema, the adrenaline rush that pumped through my veins made me zoom into my store room to dig out some Disney films. Thankfully after all these years, my mother did not throw them away and the DVDs still worked fine although they were covered in dust. I grabbed some Pringles, got cozy on the couch, fixated my eyes on the television screen and I stayed in that position for the next few days.

Movie marathons are the only kind of marathon I would partake in willingly. I started off my Disney movie marathon with Beauty and The Beast, produced in 1991. This movie focuses on the relationship between the Beast, a prince who was magically transformed into a monster as a punishment for his arrogance by a witch, and Belle, a young damsel who is imprisoned in the Beast's castle in exchange for her father. To become a prince again, Beast must win her love or else he remains a monster forever. In the movie, Belle had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and an insatiable desire to read. Even up to this day, how often do we see a female portrayed as as an intelligent learner in films?  The appearance of a person does not influence Belle's opinion as well. She did not want to be Gaston's wife despite other female villagers throw themselves at his feet. Despite being scared off by the Beast several times due to his behavior, she approached him and eventually changed him.

A person's biggest enemy is themselves. The biggest obstacle to achieve a dream is self-doubt. The Lion King tells the story of Simba, a young lion who is to succeed his father, Mufasa, as king. However, after Simba's uncle Scar murders Mufasa, Simba is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile in shame and despair. With some help from his friend and shaman, Simba conquered his fear to become the leader that he was meant to be. He challenged Scar to end his tyranny. That is the kind of bravery that both children and adults should be exposed to more frequently. This Disney classic can build up children's confidence and be ready to take on challenges in life.

Pocahontas is a film inspired by the known history and folklore surrounding the Native American woman Pocahontas and portrays a fictionalized account of her historical encounter with an Englishman named John Smith. Pocahontas who was proud of her roots cherished the nature that birthed and raised her. We should develop environmental awareness and actually practice "Go Green" activities because the Earth has given us everything we ever need. If we continue with our ignorance towards the destruction of the environment, our children will have to suffer the consequences due to our irresponsibility.

Mulan's plot takes place during the Han Dynasty, where Fa Mulan, daughter of aged warrior Fa Zhou, impersonates a man to take her father's place during a general conscription to counter a Hun invasion. Mulan's love for her father as a filial daughter which made her chose to fight in her father's place is truly admirable. She respected her father and decided to protect him for a change. Mulan also did not want to conform to society's idea of being a 'normal' female. She wanted to be comfortable being herself. Children should be comfortable in their own skin and allowed to represent themselves the way they want.

I ended my marathon with Tangled. The film tells the story of a lost, young princess named Rapunzel who had long magical hair who was captured by a witch, who identifies herself as her 'mother' when she was still an infant. She yearns to leave her secluded tower. Against her mother's wishes, she accepts the aid of a handsome intruder to take her out into the world which she has never seen. Rapunzel left her abusive mother who abused her magical powers for good and searched for a better life outside her tower and eventually found herself a new identity. We should always try to look for positive light and not settle for any less.

Disney movies played a huge role in our childhood. This marathon made me walk down memory lane and left me feeling very nostalgic of my childhood. Carefully crafted, it gave us memorable moments to laugh, cry and rejoice, but most importantly, they gave us unforgettable lessons that cannot be learned through textbooks. For that, I commend all filmmakers and animators for giving their all in producing these masterpieces that will continue to inspire future generations.

When Marnie Was There

Holidays are a good time for us to rest and relax as well as do something productive that we usually cannot do. However, holidays are the opposite for me. During the holidays, I will reduce myself into a vegetative state and not do any vigorous physical activities. Bear in mind that ascending the stairs is a vigorous activity to me. This picture of Honey Boo Boo will give you an accurate picture of me during the holidays.

 

As I was about to take my third nap on the same day, my friend recommended me this show. It is called 'When Marnie Was There' and I was very pleased that my time was well spent watching it instead of sleeping. It also reduced me to a crying mess. 

When Marnie Was There tells a mysterious and fantastic story of two little girls. Anna, a girl who is sick with asthma and sick of the life she has been living, is sent to Kushiro, a rural area where the air is clean. There, she meets Marnie, the title character of this movie, who has beautiful blue eyes and long blonde hair. Anna is intrigued by Marnie’s appearance and how she seemingly disappears and appears as she wishes. 

Throughout the first half of the movie, we get to see Anna and Marnie bond through attending exquisite parties and having deep, heart-to-heart talks. Never have I seen a movie with characters that have as strong a connection as Anna and Marnie. In between the magical times of being together, Anna seems to lose Marnie again and again. Marnie remains a mystery to both Anna and the audience. As Anna starts losing her mind, she discovers that Marnie is none other than the young ghost of her grandmother, bringing the movie to a silent climax. The movie, however, ends on a hopeful note as Anna leaves the little village, bringing the positive spirit of Marnie along to go on living.

Such an emotional film does not appeal to all audience, but it does appeal to people who turn to art for connection with their own lives. Anna is portrayed as a girl who hates her life due to her sickness and the fact that she was abandoned by her biological parents. She is a young girl who lost her will to live positively because she feels disconnected from reality and abandoned by the world. Youngsters and adults alike who grew up unhappy can put themselves in Anna’s shoes and live the story as if it were their own, and eventually learn that to embrace the past is a necessary path for one to move forward.

When Anna met Marnie, the girl who appeared in her dreams, foreshadowing Marnie to be Anna’s savior, it all changed. Although Marnie seems to be cold and distant at times, she manages to create a deep connection with Anna, which Anna has never experienced before in her life. Anna then becomes emotionally attached to Marnie, but slowly turns frustrated when she realizes that Marnie is not always there for her. We do not see much from Marnie’s perspective, but her story is finally revealed in simple narrative the way a grandmother tells a tale to her granddaughter. Her story acts as the revelation and turning point for Anna, bringing their relationship to a full circle.

When Marnie Was There is not a film for pastime or entertainment. With the company of the classic Ghibli animation style, every frame and every sound seems to be exploding with the heartbeats of all filmmakers involved. The story is executed delicately with each scene so carefully crafted and filled with symbolisms, it makes you wonder if the rising of lake water and the pouring of rain each has a purpose behind them. Accompanied by the voice of Priscilla Ahn and the strumming of guitar in “Fine On the Outside”, everything feels rather soft and simple, even the hardest things in life seem to disappear just for a while.

Announced to be Studio Ghibli’s final feature film, When Marnie Was There might disappoint long-time fans, but nonetheless satisfies their need for the usual emotions-packed gem that Ghibli offers. This film leaves a huge impact on everyone who experiences it, leaves a bittersweet aftertaste, and eventually soothes the broken hearts.

I Don't Know

If you have gone out with me before, you will know that mealtimes are a conundrum. My first answer will always be 'I don't know' when someone asks me what I want to eat. ALWAYS.  My relatives who live  in the UK commented that my habit is irresponsible and annoying. 

It's not that I'm irresponsible. Since young, I've tried to accept people's choices even though I didn't like them at first. Over time, I don't know what i dislike anymore. Most of the time I don't have a certain preference, so I try to accommodate to everyone's likes. Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than knowing someone is feeling sour because of my choices. Could this be an Asian thing? Maybe not. 

Other than mealtimes, social group activities are a conundrum too. During camps, I often find myself running out of ideas when it comes to ice breaking activities because I don't know what I like and dislike. My palms will soon become sweaty and I will panic when it's my turn to describe myself. I will then chant 'What do I say... What do I say' mentally as a mantra and hope for the best. 

On a more serious note, my indecisiveness is affecting my decisions for further studies. Admiration is my first feeling when my friends tell me about their plans for the future. I can't help but ask myself "How do they decide? How does one distinguish their preferences? What about me?" The fact that I have to decide on a pre-U course in a few months time terrifies me. Of course I have had sporadic ambitions, but they are often ephemeral. Education fairs confuse me too due to the copious amounts of courses offered. And of course, my friends have suggested me to take online personality quizzes. Typical personality or career quizzes ask questions like your ideal working environment and whether you like to solitarily or with a group. These quizzes do not provide much help because I'm uncertain of most of my answers. For example, for some work I like to do it on my own, some I like to complete it as a group. It would be so much easier if I had more knowledge of what people from different careers do on a daily basis.

I hope that I can decide what my preferences are soon. Hmm... If only I had a dollar every time I said 'I don't know'.