Happy New Year 2010!!--and a look ahead with the Avatar movie

Happy New Year 2010!!

The "balls have dropped" (or the fireworks have gone up)--whatever way people celebrate the new year on January 1st, it's happened.  There was lots of celebrating (according to the media photos on television from around the world).

One of the special things about this New Years is that we have a blue moon--the second full moon in a month (the month of December).  This happens rarely and the next occurence at this time of year is projected for 2028.

People have already come forward with their prophecies of better times in 2010 for jobs, for the economy, and for many other areas.

I went to the Delnor Wellness Center this morning and, while there were fewer people than usual, many people were beginning their new year by doing something healthy--me, too, aqua pilates.

I've already needed to open new 2010 folders on my computer for eCommerce and for other activities and have set aside a new storage bin for 2010 receipts, along with putting up the 2010 calendars, all the traditional things needed for the first day of a new year.

An "old wives tale" I remember from childhood is to track the weather (highs, lows, clouds, sun, wind, etc) the first twelve days of the year--as indicators of what those months will be.  While the temperatures will not be exact, a cold day on the sixth of January could mean a cooler month in June.  Clouds and precipitation may also be good indicators except that July in my part of the world probably won't include any snow.

I saw the movie Avatar in 3D today.  It's an amazing movie, heralded as a breakthrough in film-making that sets the stage for whole new experiences.  The movie was amazing and reminded me of Star Wars, though it also has reminders of Medicine Man and Dances with Wolves.  George Lucas' companies were involved in Avatar, along with many more creative people.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and can only imagine what it would be like in 3D at an iMax movie theatre.

Many elements of the book reminded me of concepts I recently came across in a series of books by Robin Hobb,  Forest Mage, Shaman's Crossing, and Renegade's Magic.  The attitudes of the warriors toward the forest people, called specks due to the unique markings on their skin, is similar of the attitudes of the terrans toward the natives of Pandora.  The bonding of souls to the heart of the forest mother is also similar, especially in Renegade's Magic. 

The force in Star Wars was throughout the universe and the mother force behind the tree of souls in Avatar is seen to be exclusively of the planet Pandora.  Even so, the concepts capture the imagination.  

What is interesting about Avatar is that the movie taps into many historical themes in our world culture and, while taking the polarities to extremes to show the drama, much of what is contained in the movie shows "how things work today" in many parts of the world (though not all of the technology).  Even the technology depicted as fully functional in the movie has been heard of in our time.  It will be amazing to see what influence Avatar may have on film-making, technology development, and human progress over the next decade. 

Watching this movie was a great way to begin the new year.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas is an important tradition in my family, from the spiritual focus of the holy event celebrated by Christians around the world to the family traditions of gathering together in loving, piece, joy, and sharing.

Both Mom and Dad had important memories of Christmas in their family and we brought it into our family, too.  As a child, I remember having Caroling parties at my home for my friends, the awe inspiring activities in the church, especially the midnight services, the Christmas tree, and, above all, the sense of togetherness and love.

Tied closely to the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas follows the longest night in the year.  In cold climates, under clear conditions (different from what would have been experienced in Bethlehem at the actual birth of Jesus Christ) the stars appear closer to the earth and there is a stillness and peace that we can be aware of.  It's cold outside and we appreciate the warmth of being together in front of a blazing fire in a hearth.

Our modern society seems to move at an ever increasing pace, with Internet and social networks abounding.  At the same time, these powerful connections between people and, for those with faith, in terms of Spirit, make our world and our lives a richer place.

I am a follower of Christ and find Him in my heart--every day and especially today. 

I love the traditions of Saint Nicholas (or Santa Claus) and appreciate the good that flows abundantly in all sorts of ways as people are inspired by the Christmas Spirit.

Christmas is a good time to reflect and to give thanks for all the blessings we experience on a daily basis.  I am certainly thankful and look at all of the Christmases I have experienced so far as a series of blessings in my life.

I feel especially blessed to be able to share it with family and friends.

Merry Christmas!!

Movies, Culture, Language, Time, and New Perspectives, Tradition, Holidays

Movies provide amazing insights into time periods and cultures.  Movies in different languages offer perspectives that are otherwise invisible.  Turner Classic Movies provides a wealth of films that reflect some of the best America has had to offer.  As a teacher, I used the movie It's a Wonderful Life to introduce ideas about American culture--the great depression, World War II, small-town life, the evolution of industry.  The film is rich in all of these things.  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington offers English language learners a glimpse into the history of politics in the United States.

While fiction, many movies have become traditions and capture much of the culture of their times.  In my family, Thanksgiving (near the end of November) is the time for Miracle on 34th Street which begins with the Thanksgiving Day parade of Macy's department store in New York City.  We also watch White Christmas and Holiday Inn (two versions of the same movie), and are sure to see It's a Wonderful Life before Christmas.  Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol is also part of our holiday fare.  I saw a delightful new version in "Real 3D" of Disney's A Christmas Carol with Jim Carey earlier this week.

When I was learning Italian, I lived in Italy as a graduate student for six months and went to lots of Italian re-runs.  As the audience laughed themselves silly, I was struggling to keep up with the folow of the words.  Before long my Italian improved and I laughed along with the rest of the audience.  Many of the Italian films and much of the Italian humor differed greatly from what I was used to in American films.  It was delightful to get to know the movies in Italian.  One title I remember was very different in Italian and in English.  I believe it was an Italian western.  The Italian title was Giu la testa (keep your head down).  The same movie's title in English was Duck, Stupid! later changed to Duck, You Sucker!

Recently, to bring back my French fluency, I began watching French films from Netflix.  One movie is entitled Une hirondelle . . . a fait du printemps (The Girl from the Spring).  The English title for the same movie is The Girl from Paris.  The French title is much more in keeping with the theme of the movie though the girl does come from Paris.  Another French movie I have recently watched and enjoyed was Priceless.  Again, the culture and humor of the film is very different from typical American movies.

Watching familiar DVD's in other languages is also a great way to bring fluency back.  Many DVD's have sound tracks and closed captions in multiple languages and it is a great way to review and refresh fluency by working with a combination of oral and written languages with viewing the DVD's.   Some of my favorites to watch in multiple languages are Dave, French Kiss, One Fine Day, and Groundhog Day.