Drowning in K-pop: August 22nd-28th

To be completely honest, this past week wasn't really that exciting in terms of K-pop releases. Then again, I'm also comparing this to the last couple of weeks when there was a greater variety to choose from. However, that doesn't mean that I didn't like any of the songs that came out, so here are my faves:

1. Tymee - Cinderella



This is one of those instances where the video and song just don't quite line up for me. While I like the song, Tymee's rap skills are quite decent and she has one of those voices I really like, I feel like the video was more of an afterthought. Either the lip-synching doesn't quite match up or she's just not really matching her facial expression to the lyrics...there's just a bit of a disconnect. Also, can we talk about the outfit and "dance" for one second? I get it, she's a "hip hop Cinderella", but I'm getting some minor Lil Kim vibes from this outfit...although she is far less explicit than Miss Kim. I guess I just wanted her to dress more like her backup dancers. I don't mind the body suit per se, but it still strikes me as a bit of an odd choice. On to the choreography: What is up with the slow twerk and the slapping of the chest? I mean, sure, I think there are plenty of women out there who like to fluff their own pillows from time to time, be it for fun or out of sheer boredom (and no, I won't say whether or not I belong to that group), but I'm not sure it makes a whole lot of sense here. Then again, I have yet to look up what the lyrics mean, so maybe it would make more sense then... Like I said, decent song, could have done without the video.

2. Two X - Over



Eye candy alert!!! Like major eye candy...men with bulging biceps and chocolate abs (aka six pack abs) for days... So yeah, don't say Miss Bettina never gave you ladies and men-loving gentlemen anything. That being said, the group is comprised of four flawless-looking ladies, so there's pretty much something for everyone. While some/many/most might consider the sight of bulked up men to be droolworthy because, let's face it, they are very nice to look at, I found myself almost falling over laughing while watching this video. In fact, I still do. Why? Well, because they slow the speed down when they focus on the men. They focus on the movement of their arms while they're busy sauteing garlic and...shallots?...don't judge, I was too busy laughing to pay attention!...or while they're kneading dough. (And no, kneading dough isn't meant as a euphemism, the one guy is actually busy preparing dough for...pasta...or something like that...) Either way, it's a very memorable video and fortunately, the song isn't too shabby either.

3. ELO - Rose



This is just a great song to bliss out or slow dance to. I find myself swaying to the beat of it with my eyes closed every single time I listen to it. It's so great that I've put the whole album on my must-play list.

4. Kreatures - Some Say



Another slower paced song, this is also perfect to listen to while relaxing. I also applaud the video for including some homoerotic tension (and yes, I do realize that one could argue that similar types of tension are hidden in many other K-pop videos), although it is kind of creepy that we see a lot of it taking place in a parking garage with not only some strange dude standing outside of the car with a cigarette, but also the whole friggin' band playing nearby... But to each his or her own, amirite? Still, another great song.

5. Spica - Secret Time


I like Spica because they have some of the most solid and soulful voices in K-pop, or even in general, so I was kind of looking forward to this one. Granted, this isn't as good as You Don't Love Me (which I looove singing along to), but this is still a more than decent song.

And that is what I consider to be the highlights of yet another week's worth of K-pop. Hopefully, I have managed to pick at least one song that you guys can enjoy as well! Until next time!

Netflix and Chill with B: Scream (Season 2)

Credit: spoilertv.com

Okay...so technically I could have typed up this post last Wednesday, but I knew that I was going to be seeing Suicide Squad on Friday and was planning on writing something about that, so I wanted to space out my posts a little bit. Besides, if I'm being completely honest, a tiny part of me may or may not have been hoping for another episode to come out today. And yes, I'm fully aware that that makes little to no sense. The episode last week was clearly the finale.

Here, my notes on and observations about the second season (again, with as few spoilers as possible) as well as the series in general:

1. Things old and new - Despite the series aiming to entertain a whole new group of teenagers (not to mention that the storyline is now being layed out specifically to fit a series format, which just continues to show that series are the new movies) and me wondering whether or not I'm technically too old to watch the new Scream, some things just simply don't change. Mainly the use of actors who are technically too old to be playing teenagers, but oddly enough they strike me as younger (or maybe just more youthful looking?) than their predecessors. But hey, nowadays 50s are the new 40s, 40s the new 30s, 30s the new 20s, and 20s are the new teens. People just looked older a couple of decades ago I guess...oh wow...that's right...the first Scream movie did come out almost 20 years ago, didn't it? Dude...I'm so old!!! I'm kidding...I've always been old. Anywho...as is also to be expected, the show features some of the most flawless looking teenagers ever, which is something I usually try not to pay too much attention to. It's their job to look like that, so as long as nobody expects me to look like that (and that's including myself), everything should be fine.

2. Ode to horror - Considering that the movies were already a love song to the whole horror genre, it would be shocking, if the series didn't follow suit. However, I still had a minor geek-out (it happens, don't judge) when I saw the episode titles. Why? Because every single one is named after a horror movie (and if we're being technical, a few thrillers). Of course, there's Psycho and I Know What You Did Last Summer (very appropriate) as well as Village of the Damned and When a Stranger Calls. It really is the simple things after all...

3. Everyone's a suspect - As much as one may want to look down at the series for catering mostly to teenagers (and nostalgic 20/30-somethings) and being way too MTV (and yes, I know it airs on MTV, but one can tell by just watching it too), it does do a good job keeping the viewers on their toes. Granted, in season one I managed to figure out who the main killer was fairly quickly and easily...or at least I managed to figure out who was behind one of the masks... This time around, however, it wasn't so easy. Because at some point at least half of the characters seemed like viable choices. I thought I had finally figured it out by episode 10, which is hella late for a 12-episode season, but no, I had walked into the trap that the writers had set for me and for the rest of the audience too. Out of respect for those of you who haven't watched it and are still going to (or are at least thinking about it), I won't tell you who is behind the second mask, just that I was kind of mad at the big reveal. Well, not mad per se, but mildly irritated. Then again, this is Scream, meaning that this isn't the end (unless they decide to cancel the show without providing it with a proper ending...*cough* Hannibal *cough*), so we can expect an even bigger reveal at a later point in the series.

Overall, I enjoyed it. It wasn't only entertaining, it also managed to keep me guessing. Oh, and I also greatly appreciated the final standoff scene that was very reminiscent of the first Scream movie. Watch it and you'll know what I'm talking about.    

Drowning in K-pop: Aug. 15th - 21st

Credit: kpopscene.com

A new week has started meaning that I get to look back at another week's worth of K-pop releases. However, since there are so many of them, maybe I should just whittle them down to the few that I deem to be particularly noteworthy...CL's Lifted not included. I'm sorry, but I just wasn't that into it. I like CL as part of the group 2NE1, but she just doesn't do it for me as a solo artist. Most of her solo releases have been more miss than hit for me. However, if you want to listen to a K-pop song that's completely in English or if you like the songs that are about getting one's drink or swag on, then you should absolutely look it up. And if you don't like that I'm not Team CL or that I don't want to suddenly get lifted with my shorties downing 40s, then go ahead and hate. It's like a wise woman once said: Ain't nobody got time for that!

Credit: starpolar.wikia.com

Anyway...if I'm not going to talk about possibly one of the most beloved comebacks of the past week, which I technically still did, then what songs made the cut?

1. BU - Heotdari



I'm actually not entirely sure how to transcribe the title, so I just went with what made the most sense to me, at least based off of what I've seen and what little I know of Korean. It's a very decent song and she does have a good voice. She kind of reminds me of Lee Hi, vocally speaking. Since she doesn't belong to one of the bigger companies, one can't really expect a super high quality or elaborate video. However, I still think they did a good job and it looks like they actually had fun, so that's always a plus. Besides, I appreciate the use of background dancers sporting some serious mermaid thighs. And yes, that was meant to be positive.

2. EXO - Lotto



Okay...yes...I do like this song. One moment you think you've outgrown boy bands and then they just manage to reel you in again...and again...and again... Granted, it's very heavy handed with the autotune, but that's intentional. Or at least I hope it is. I don't like this as much as Lucky One or Monster though because both of those were pretty great and catchy. That being said, I'm kind of amused by the baby baller/swag lite image that the group went for this time around.

3. BTS' Suga - Agust D/Give It To Me


Agust D (BTS) - Agust D [MV] von svaensk


Agust D (SUGA from BTS) - give it to me [MV] von svaensk

It's rare for me to immediately be swept off my feet when I listen to a song for the first time. However, Suga did do quite a good job with his mixtape. And yes, I did actually listen to all of it, and because I'm such an awesome person, I will also share the rest of the songs with you. To be completely honest, Agust D and Give It To Me aren't even really my favorite tracks off of the mixtape (mine are 724148, The Last and Tony Montana...my brother would be so proud...), but they're both still worth listening to. Especially if you're into rap or hip hop, which aren't usually my go-to genres, but oh well.




4. Beatburger - Vagabond



This is probably a bit more up my alley or at least closer to what I listen to when I'm out and about or working out. It's also not really what comes to mind initially, when one thinks about K-pop. I would say that the sound is in the same vein as music from The Prodigy.

5. IMGL - My World/Hey You





Again, not really the most representative song of K-pop, but oddly enough this is closer to what I listen to when I'm out amongst the people. As for a Euroamerican equivalent, I would say that these two songs are fairly reminiscent of someone like Adam Lambert...albeit with a slightly more narrow vocal range and less power.

And now you can all resume hating me for not liking CL's Lifted. Either that, or you can go back to feeling mostly indifferent about K-pop.      

B's Night at the Movies: Suicide Squad

Credit: youtube.com

Yes, I saw it, and yes, I am going write about it (and I'll try to keep it relatively brief...for my standards at least). But I promise to keep it as spoiler-free as possible. This is mostly going to be about my personal impressions anyway.
So, I watched this yesterday with one of my friends. And no, I don't mean a "friend," I mean an actual friend. And yes, I do have a couple of those, believe it or not.

My overall impression: I liked the movie and I am all for the Hollywood-powers-that-be to do the same thing with the DC Comic-verse that they've been doing with the Marvel adaptations for the past few years. Granted, I do prefer Marvel a tiny bit over DC, but who am I to say no to the cinematic version of any comic or graphic novel?

First off, here are a couple of things that I enjoyed the most:

1. Staying in the (comic) family - As I hope some of you know (otherwise this will be a spoiler), Will Smith stars as Deadshot in this movie. I personally find this to be funny because his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith is also a part of the DC family because she plays Fish Mooney in the TV series Gotham. Now, I'm not sure if they did this on purpose to mess with the fans, or if they both just really happen to love the DC comics. Or it really is just a coincidence. Either way, I got a good laugh out of it.

2. The soundtrack - If there are two things I love (and I said things, not people), they would be movies and music. And I think that music can make or break a movie, just like it can set the right tone for a series (e.g.: Supernatural). That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the selection for Suicide Squad. The songs aren't all from one composer or from one decade or era, and yet they all kind of fit. We have Johnny Cash and Queen (and you all know which Queen song they picked, right?), then there was K7's Come Baby Come (which I love listening to to get my energy up or if I'm in the mood to be the teensiest bit reckless...healthy reckless, not regretful reckless), and of course Twenty One Pilots' Heathens (great song) along with my current anthem Sucker For Pain from Lil Wayne/Wiz Khalifa/Imagine Dragons.

On to a few notes of caution:

1. Affleck-man - Also known as the new Batman, who yes, makes a couple of guest appearances. Who do you think put away some of those bad guys? *sigh* I am not a fan. I am still not on board with Ben Affleck as Batman. But alas, I don't get a say in the matter, so I'll just have to...I don't know...wait him out? I guess... I mean, I really liked Bale as Batman...or Michael Keaton...or Adam West...or the boy playing Bruce Wayne before he even became the Caped Crusader on Gotham. (The actor's name is David Mazouz, by the way.) Can we get him to take over the role? You know what, I wouldn't be completely opposed to George Clooney and the nipples on the Batsuit making a comeback. Just not Affleck. Don't worry, I just have to work my way through the various stages of grief and then I should be good.

2. Abstain from comparing - I shouldn't even have to mention this, but...try not to compare this movie to Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, or to the various DC series like Gotham or Arrow, or even to its Marvel counterpart. Because if you do, you might start to feel conflicted, which will inevitably lead to confusion and then to frustration and then to depression and then to anger and then to hate and then to the Dark Side. I'm kidding, but you really are better off just viewing this movie as its own entity. Even if it is supposed to be a part of a larger movie franchise...

In order to wrap things up, again, I did actually enjoy the movie. If you like the comic adaptations, if you're a fan of DC, if you like a good soundtrack or action movie, I would still watch it. I, for one, can't wait for the next one in the series to come out, which should be...Wonder Woman!!! (At least as far as I could tell.)

Drowning in K-pop: Aug. 8th-14th

Some of you might be surprised that I'm posting something about K-pop, but those of you who know a bit more about me might be aware that I contribute to a website about Korean music/TV/cinema/culture (you should be able to find the link in my links list on this blog). However, the question still remains: Why a post about K-pop on my personal blog of all things?

There are two answers to this: 1) Because I can discuss the newest releases in a way that I probably shouldn't on the other website, at least not without it being an op-ed piece. Besides, it's happened quite a bit that a new song has come out, but I don't notice it until a week later, at which point it's pretty useless to write about it. Those K-pop lovers are pretty much on it when it comes to release dates... And 2) Because up until the end of July, I had a standing lunch date with a friend every Monday and one of the topics that would inevitably come up would be the latest K-pop releases and what our personal thoughts on them were. Unfortunately, now that friend has left the country and probably won't be returning, that is if she can help it, so I am left alone with my opinions and nobody really to vent to. Outside of Facebook and a few very confused individuals in my inner circle, that is.

Of course, there's always answer No. 3, which is: Because I can and it's fun. 

I will try my best to include posts about music that isn't K-pop, but since I already wind up paying more attention to this type of music out of habit/"necessity" anyway, it's just easier for me to write about songs that belong to this category.

So, let's get started, shall we?

1. B.A.P - That's My Jam

One of my favorite K-pop boy bands and groups in general, B.A.P also seems to be one of the overall faves of K-pop fans worldwide. They have both plenty of talent and personality, so it's always interesting to see what they can come up with for each new song and album. That being said, That's My Jam is not my favorite song of the week. It's a great party song, there's a lot of great energy, I know I'll have no issues working out to it and I do thoroughly enjoy the video (I mean, they spoof everything from reality and talk shows to whole channels to their own music videos...), but unfortunately, it came out the same week as Black Pink's debut songs (which I will mention here in a bit), and I happened to like one of those a tiny bit more.

2 (and 3). Black Pink - Boombayah and Whistle

Boombayah:

BLACKPINK - BOOMBAYAH [MV] von svaensk

Whistle:

BLACKPINK - WHISTLE [MV] von svaensk

This has probably been one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year...mainly because it's been several years in the making. I can't really say that I was too excited for this group though, but that's more than likely because way too many people were losing their isht over them. Now, before I move on to the videos (yeah, one song wasn't enough...they had to follow the trend of releasing multiple videos to multiple title songs), I'm just going to get something out of the way and the hardcore K-pop fans probably aren't going to like it: 2NE1 2.0. For those of you who don't get it, and nobody expects you to, 2NE1 is another group signed to the same company as Black Pink and up until May of this year, they also had four members. In addition to that, the sound is also kind of reminiscent of 2NE1. If you don't believe me, look up the mashup for Black Pink's Boombayah and 2NE1's Fire. There's a reason they go so well together. However, Black Pink, as pretty as they are, seem to have more uniform of a look than their seniors do. What I mean is, that the only one who, initially at least, really stands out is Lisa, visually speaking. Of course, those who are used to looking at these girls can tell them apart. The untrained eye would have a couple of issues figuring out who is who though. 2NE1, on the other hand, featured four uniquely different personalities and you could tell by looking at them. All points of comparison aside, I certainly wasn't mad at their debut. One can be as aggravated at YG Entertainment and its tendency to flake and procrastinate as one wants, but it did deliver in this case. Whereas Whistle delivered my favorite line of the week ("Make 'em whistle like a missile"), Boombayah has to be my favorite song of the week. And it also features the very relatable line "I don't want a boy, I need a man" because ain't that the friggin' truth.

4. I.O.I's subunit (oddly enough still called I.O.I because that's not confusing at all)- Whatta Man


I wanted to like this song and video more, I really did, but it kind of bothers me. The song is decent, I actually don't have any major complaints about the song itself. It samples Linda Lyndell's 1968 hit song (or if you're a bigger fan of 90s hip hop: Salt-n-Pepa's and En Vogue's cover version), which is what really drew me in, but the video...bothers me. First of all, the half-assed und mostly unnecessary hair flips. If your hair's up in a ponytail, you don't need to flip it! If you're already halfway across the room with your back turned to the intended target of your sassiness, no flipping of the hair! You missed your chance! And don't pick up your hair and then semi-listlessly drop it! But I can't really blame those girls, can I? The director probably wanted them to "switch it up" and "keep it fresh." Then, of course, there are the outfits and the dance. I appreciate that they tried to incorporate the Mr. Universe stance into the choreography, but what works for BTS (most of them at least) and their more pronounced biceps, doesn't really work for the slender arms of I.O.I. As for the outfits, the group's agency claimed that they had no idea why anyone would think that they were sexy. Well, umm, maybe it's because they stuck them in semi-tight leather outfits with some interesting harnessing details. Of course, it would be wrong to call the girls themselves sexy (even if I might have inadvertently done so in one of my articles...I know, I'm part of the problem, not the solution...I'm trying to work on it), especially considering that the face of the group (and yes, there is a face of the group...usually the most visually appealing one) is, as far as I know, still 15. Even if she isn't anymore, that would still only make her 16. So, to make a long story short, the song and concept probably weren't the best choices for the group. Sure, they have decent enough voices, but the song would have been a better fit for a group like Rainbow, whereas the concept is more up Nine Muses' alley.

5. INX - Alright


This isn't my favorite song. While I do appreciate seeing a man tied up and in a blindfold (oh what?! Are we really surprised by that statement?), and parts of it kinda sorta reminded me of MBLAQ's Smoky Girl, I wasn't really wowed by it. Maybe that's just because I'm comparing it to some of the other releases because it's certainly not a bad song. I'm just not as impressed by it comparatively speaking nor do I have that much to say about the group or the song and video (I know, you're all relieved by that).

6. J-MIN - Ready For Your Love


As some of you may already know, I am not the biggest fan of the slow jams. I have to be in a certain mood and in a certain setting for me to enjoy slower R&B songs or ballads of any type. However, I can still say that this is a good song and video. In terms of choreography, it's non-existent, which is always a nice change of pace for K-pop. And soundwise this reminds me of those pop songs from the early/mid 90s (you know, like Seal's Kiss From A Rose), which isn't actually a bad thing. J-MIN does have a beautiful voice after all. Even though it won't be a go-to song for one (or any) of my workouts, it is one of those songs that I enjoy singing along to or have playing in the background.

7. Jun.K - Think About You


Jun.K - Think About You MV [English subs... von LoveKpopSubs

ERMEHGERD!!! Look at Jun.K and those yummy abs of his!!! I'm kidding...mostly. Of course, the guy shows off his body and why shouldn't he? It's part of his job, after all. I mean...I'm not entirely sure if he actually gets paid to take off that very sensible cardigan of his, but he's selling a fantasy to all of da ladies while singing about how he thinks about them. It is quite the sexy song, and if you like R&B in general or the music from his probably more familiar contemporaries Drake or Usher, you'll probably enjoy Jun.K's music too.

8. MONSTA X - Stuck


If I were to sing a song about this song, I would call it Conflicted because that's how I feel about it. I like some parts of it, but then others not so much. Then again, I'm not really that into MONSTA X... In general though, I would say that this is still a fairly decent song. Even if the lyrics might come across as borderline stalkeriffic, but hey, no judgment on my part.     

9. Stellar - Love Spell


As much as I love Stellar and I want them to do well and I'm glad that they're slowly able to distance themselves from their sexy image, especially since it turns out they didn't necessarily want to be stuck with it to begin with, this is not really my favorite song of theirs. It's nice and sweet and I'm okay with having it play in the background or listening to it while enjoying the nice weather outside, it's not really at the top of my playlist.

10. Suran - Paradise Go


[MV] SURAN(수란) _ Paradise Go(떠날랏꼬) von suzu151091

Believe it or not, I am completely unfamiliar with this artist. (Say whaaat?!) Granted, I'm also completely unfamiliar with J-MIN, but at least I was aware of her existence. I had never even heard of Suran until I saw this video. This song follows another trend in K-pop: tropical house. It seems that every other song that has been released this summer has at the very least featured some elements of tropical house. Or maybe that's just my impression. However, I don't necessarily mind it and her voice actually is very well-suited to the genre.

11. UP10TION - Tonight


Oh UP10TION... Really? We went the cute route? I think it's fine, but it's not my favorite song of theirs. Actually, I've only really liked one of their songs so far... Okay, it's a fun and very lighthearted song...so again, something that I could only really listen to under very specific circumstances.

And finally 12. Y TEEN - Do Better


Y teen (MONSTA X) & (Cosmic Girls) - Do Better... von svaensk

Consisting of MONSTA X and part of Cosmic Girls, I did want to like this collaboration because I think it's great when K-pop goes co-ed. However, this wasn't really my cup of tea. Parts of it were promising, but most of it just was a bit too High School Musical for me. Then again, maybe MONSTA X is to blame...or maybe I should just start listening to more MONSTA X, maybe they'll grow on me, which would actually be fairly typical of K-pop...

Hopefully, this was at the very least mildly entertaining for you guys and maybe I can continue doing this if not on a weekly basis, maybe on a monthly basis, but with a slightly different format.     

Netflix and Chill with B: Orphan Black (Season Four)

Credit: bbcamerica.com

Despite this having aired on TV a couple of months ago, I just got around to watching season four of Orphan Black last week on Netflix. I know, for shame Miss Bettina...for shame. (And what about Game of Thrones? - It's on my list, for crying out loud! I'll let you know when I get around to it...)
Aside from this featuring my dream role - I mean, who wouldn't want to play their own personal version of "50 Shades of..." (as in, multiple versions of oneself...Red Room of Pain optional) - Orphan Black is one of those shows that I have to be in a very particular mood for. I can't be distracted by things like washing the dishes or cooking or cleaning or working on my thesis. I also can't watch it post-workout and post-workout-shower in the evening because, come 10 p.m., I start to become increasingly drowsy and only want to watch visual fluff that essentially serves as my personal white noise.

However, with episode titles like The Scandal of Altruism and The Antisocialism of Sex, the series has already got my full attention. That is, when I'm not drifting off to sleep or have to take care of my other obligations. It's called life, people. I can't just sit around bingeing to death on Netflix shows. That would drive me crazy after a while. Or I might actually die due to neglecting my other needs...
While I would like to say that season four is when the isht really hits the fan, I think that's what half of the series is about, isn't it? You think that these clone sisters or "sestras" will finally find the solution to all of their problems and that some kind of natural order (whatever, that may be) will be restored, only to have it all go to hell in a handbasket within a matter of half an episode. And then the cycle repeats itself ad infinitum.

Of course, we have the Umbrella Corp...uhh, I mean Neolution to thank for this ginormous mess. Let's face it, and I'm sure plenty of other people have already come up with this comparison, Neolution might as well be Umbrella Corporation. Orphan Black might as well be the TV version of Resident Evil, just without the zombies and with slightly more sex. No joke, Evie Cho in the ad for the fertility clinic could have just as easily replaced that one faceless chick in the cosmetics ad for the Umbrella Corporation (was that for Apocalypse or Evolution though...?).

As much as I appreciate the similarities between the two conglomerates of evil, and of course the featuring of a May-December relationship between an older woman and a younger man, I'm not entirely sure I'm okay with the direction that the show is going in. In fact, I'm not even sure I know which direction the show is going in. However, I also think that that's intentional on the show's part. I don't think that they want the viewers to know what will happen next or what it all means. Part of the fun is to just enjoy the ride...and then get irritated and yell at your laptop because something else went horribly wrong.

Also, I still think that there might be something seriously messed up with Kira. She was just out of it for most of the season and I almost thought she was going to pull a Haley Joel Osment on me or suddenly stab someone in a few of the scenes. Then again, she is a girl who has (yet again) been pulled away from a stable home and family life, so she's bound to be fed up and borderline traumatized by the whole situation.

Favorite clone: That's a really tough decision because they all kind of have their merits, even Crystal and Helena. However, I would probably have to go with Cosima. She's just incredibly sweet and smart with her very own unique moral compass (and she has those cool dreadlocks), so yeah, I would definitely go with Cosima.

Rating: If I had to give the show, or this season in particular, any type of rating (not that it really matters in the grand scheme of things, but it's fun to think about), I would probably give it a 9 out of 10. Like I said, I'm not sure I'm okay with the direction the series is taking because it seems like it's drifting farther away from the science side of sci-fi and entering the realm of the fantastical and outright bizarre. However, the series as a whole is pretty great and probably deserves a 10.
 

On the Quest to a Lesser Me: Month Seven (Next Station: Stagnation?)

Yes, I know... I haven't posted in over two months (with the exception of last night's little writing exercise) and it's technically month eight, but considering that this is more of a retrospective, let's just not question it, okay? 

Now, as with all of these entries (or pretty much anything I write), this isn't meant as something you should model your life after. Just because something does or does not work for me, that doesn't mean that the same applies to you. If you're looking to lose weight or tone up or maintain weight, it's important to figure out what works or doesn't work for you. Besides, I can't necessarily claim to have always gone about this journey in the best way possible. 

With 5-15 kg/11-33 lbs left until I reach my goal weight range, which I still refuse to disclose openly on my blog, it seems that my body has decided to step on the brakes ever so slightly. Yes people, we are nearing the land of Stagnation. Just in case you've never been, it's a magical place that manages to lure in plenty of visitors right before they reach their desired destination. Unfortunately, it is also a place that is easy to get lost in and, in many cases, people simply lose hope and return to their point of departure or to places that are even farther away. If you belong to the group of people who have never had to pass through Stagnation or whose route took them nowhere near it, lucky you, this clearly isn't meant for you. 

I, however, have been mentally and emotionally preparing for this moment ever since I started this journey. And before you get all uppity and say "Bettina, why do you always to be so pessimistic?!" I want you think about this for just a second...or five: The more you weigh, the more calories you need, the more calories you burn just by existing. Now, when you start to lose weight, your body naturally doesn't need as much fuel, meaning it will start to use less fuel. Unless I decide to introduce bigger changes into my nutrition and exercise program, unless I find ways to increase my muscle mass, my body's going to become complacent. For a while at least. It's essentially like nearing a black hole. We all want to know what's on the other side of one, but since we don't even know if there is an "other side," we prefer to stay at a very comfy distance from it. I'm not entirely sure that that analogy made sense, but it did in my head, so I'm going with it. And no, I'm not saying we should try to send people through black holes Hunger Games-style. Through luck of the draw or winning the lottery. 

So no, preparing for my weight to come to a halt isn't me being pessimistic, it's me being realistic. The odds, one might say, are not necessarily in my favor. In fact, I'm surprised that I made it this far as quickly as I did. I barely lost anything during the first month, I've had to (and still have to) deal with several health issues along the way, both expected (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and unexpected (elevated uric acid levels which could and actually still might lead to gout), so even if I do hit my very own metaphorical wall, I already have plenty to be proud of. 

Will I still get frustrated when, or if, it happens? Of course! I would dare say that the closer I get to my goal weight, the more frustrated I'm going to be. Will I get mad? Ehh...probably. Will I give up? No. I haven't come this far and accomplished so much to just throw in the towel when the going gets tough because, let's face it, the going is pretty much always tough. I've shed so much blood, sweat and tears (and I mean that literally) that I refuse to let that wall stop me. I will find a way over, around or even through it, even it means putting in 3/6/9/12+ months of hard work with little to no results. 

Giving up is rarely an option for me. In pretty much all areas of life. Sure, sometimes I have to cut my losses or be a bit creative with my approach or even come up with plans B/C/D/E/etc., but as long as I haven't tried or done the best I can, I refuse to surrender. What an uplifting ending to this entry, right? I just made it sound like I'm going to war or something else similarly epic, which might actually be true on some level... 

Thank you for reading (to those of you who do actually stumble across these entries) and hopefully, I can finally get my act together and post more regularly! And take care on your own personal journeys!       

Harassment Season (aka Are Trains the New Disco?)

"Sorry, I don't mean to bother you. I'm just so happy! It's the weekend!! hahaha What?! We're still in the boonies?! hahaha" 

I honestly couldn't tell whether or not the guy was drunk, high or had simply spent too much time in the sun. But, and maybe this is just me, if you're invading someone's personal space with your dancing, opening a 40 right next to them, singing out loud and trying to stare them into submission, you clearly are looking to bother someone. Then again, what do I know about train decorum. I'm not Miss Manners and maybe he just received the best news ever, but I was just looking to get from point A to point B in peace and quiet. Who knows, maybe I just missed the memo that trains had become the new disco and was actually missing out on all the fun... 

And so I tried my best to ignore him. I didn't want to give him any reason to think that I was even remotely interested in his attempts at peacocking. I didn't respond to him, I tried to move as far away from him as possible and used up most of my energy to not give in to his stares. Despite not looking at him directly, I could tell that he was starting to get frustrated with the lack of reciprocation. "Just stay strong. Don't even try to sneak a peek at him. You're almost there... Why is the train moving so slowly?" Bizarrely enough, repeating these phrases almost sent me into a meditative state. However, I also couldn't wait to put as much space between him and me as possible. 

I've never been a fan of boisterous men...or women for that matter. While some people might think they're the life of the party, I just find them to be exhausting and annoying. Could I have my loud moments? Sure, but I usually only enjoyed those in the company of a trusted few and usually only in the privacy of someone's home. To me, there was simply a way one could act at home and a way one should act in public...which probably also explains why I barely have any friends. I couldn't help but think "Maybe people like to be annoyed... Maybe they like having someone completely disregard their boundaries..." 

Only a couple more minutes and then I would be free. Free from the confines of this train, free to breathe in fresh air...free from this dude's invasive stare... What did he want from me? What was he trying to accomplish? 

If only this were a one time thing, I could chalk it up as a freak accident. However, this wasn't the first time nor would it be the last time either. I had caught more than a few men staring over the past few days. Unfortunately, it was something that happened every so often and despite having had to deal with it for the past two decades, it still struck me as incredibly irritating and unnerving. I just wasn't sure why they were staring and what they were thinking. Did I even want to know? Probably not. Oddly enough, the increase in stares just so happened to line up with that time of the month. No, not THAT time. The time that happens two weeks before that. 

It made sense, hormonally speaking, that men would respond more favorably to a woman at her most fertile. On the downside, the responses were usually unsolicited and I still hadn't learned to tune them out. Would I ever be able to? Was it even my responsibility to learn how to tune them out?

Finally...the train has stopped...and I am facing the wrong side... I could always just use the excuse that I meant to look out this way, just in case anyone asked. Nobody would, but it's always good to be prepared. Okay, I'm almost outsi...what was that? Did someone just place a hand on my back? Of course...it has to be him. Of all the people in this universe, he has to be the one to touch me. 

What is he trying to do?! Guide me out of the train to my safety? Does he think I'm drunk because I was facing the wrong way? Or that I'm incapable of walking? Or navigating through a crowd of people? He better not move his hand further south... 

"Just move. Just move as quickly away as possible..." Thank you. Fresh air, room to move, no more unwanted hands on my back... Is he still behind me? Oh good...he just moved past me. Finally...a sense of relief... Maybe he has to get to his next moving disco... Now...if only I could locate my friend...