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And then everything changed

Dienstag, 31. März 2015

Monica Lewinsky stands up against Cyberbullying

I'm a huge fan of A+, a news site which set out to spread positive and inspiring news, opening people's eyes and praising tolerance and understanding. It was through this site that I stumbled upon Monica Lewinsky's TED talk about cyberbullying.

Lewinsky became famous after an affair she had with President Clinton got public. Private phone calls between her and the president got published without her consent. In a TED talk she now talks about how she was slutshamed and cyberbullied online to a degree that she almost didn't survive.

In her beautiful speech Lewinsky raises our awareness of how our decisions online can destroy lives, sometimes even ending them. Her speech is inspiring and true. You can feel how this woman is on the verge of crying when she thinks back to her dark 20s. But she stays strong and keeps talking in hope to spare others her experiences.

Here is the full speech:


Cyberbullying is not harmless! It literally kills people. Please be aware of how your words and clicks might affect other people's lives and stand up against bullies online and in real life!

Montag, 30. März 2015

Movie Recommendations - Edition: This year's Blockbusters (Part 1): Boyhood, Birdmand and Wild

This year's Academy Awards inspired me to take a break from the Fantasy and Sci Fi movies and Girl Chicks I usually watch and direct my attention to the really big movies of the year: A theory of everything, Boyhood, Birdman, American Sniper, Interstellar, Selma and Wild.

I still have to watch The Theory of Everything, Selma and American Sniper. I have watched Interstellar but this movie is so mind blowing that it deserves an own post which will also include astrophysical background knowledge (coming up soon!). So in this first part of the This year's Blockbusters Edition of my Movie Recommendations I'm gonna talk about the unique movies Boyhood, Birdman and Wild.

Boyhood



The speacial thing about the making of Boyhood is that it was made over 12 years, casting a 6 year old totally ordinary boy as the lead character. Boyhood shows this very boy's childhood and youth. It is simple, concentrating on real life challenges like dealing with his mother's changing partners, following his dream of becoming a photographer regardless of the fact that noone beliefs in him and falling in love for the first time.


Despite its simpleness, Boyhood doesn't feel dull or unspectacular but on the contrary. It is the decicion to portray real troubles of real people that makes this movie so speacial. I felt with the characters so much because I have been there (not so long ago), I know what it feels like to figure out what to do with your life - hell, I'm still there. I've never seen a movie that's such a correct and beautiful representation of life.


Boyhood won't make your heart beat faster but it will make you feel.

Birdman


Where to start with describing Birdman? Birdman is the story of a movie actor who is trying to make it on Broadway. There are several interesting angles to this movie. First, the main character keeps talking to Birdman, his alter ego and role of his life, and you keep wondering if Birdman is a real creature or if the main character is simply going nuts. 


Second, the supporting actors of Birdman are fantastic! Emma Stone as a recovering drug addict is tragically beautiful and Norman Reedus as a narcissistic actor is pure perfection. None of the characters is likable but they are all in their own way excentric. This is what I loved most about this movie.


Also the filming itself is outstanding. The colours, the light, the camera angles - Birdman is filmed in a new and revolutionary way. I have never seen anything like it. This is the new era of motion pictures. Kudos, to the cinematographer on this one.

Wild



I just watched Wild yesterday and Oh All my feels! Wild is the story of a woman who has lost control over her life and who is trying to find back to the person she once wanted to be through walking the Pacific Crest Trail.

If you're looking for a lot of action in a movie, this one is nothing for you. There is a lot of walking, a LOT of walking. But there is also a constant voice off which grasps the different aspects of life beautifully and totally on point.


Renee Zellweger does a great job portraying a woman who has lost everything that always mattered to her. She is such a tragic character but at the same time she is incredibly strong. To see the determination with which she keeps on walking hit me right in the heart. Honestly I cried throughout the whole movie, sometimes I cried because life can be such a bitch and sometimes I cried because oh I know her feelings all too well and sometimes I cied because I was just so happy because of a teeny tiny success story.


I tell you, this movie is pure beauty. Watch it with someone who doesn't mind you crying like a baby. Go through the whole thing, let everything out and then, at the end, observe how you feel better and stronger and more optimistic about life in general. Because through all the pain, Wild is a movie that makes you wanna live. It makes you wanna go out and travel and fight until you're out of breath. And then it will make you go on even farther and even harder. And in the end it will heal you.

Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think of them?

Samstag, 28. März 2015

Book Review: Endgame - The Calling

Since I first heard of "Endgame" I was determined to read it for four reasons.

First, the cover looks really cool (yes, I do judge a book by its cover).
Second, I'm a big sucker of apocalypse stories.
Third, I find it an interesting concept that Endgame is not only a book series but also a real life treasure hunt (500,000$ if you solve the clues of the first book).
Fourth, it is written by James Frey.


Since I've read James Frey's (partly) memoir "A million little pieces" I've fallen in love with his style of writing. I have written a blog about this book before, where I explain how it may not be everyone's cup of tea but how it made me feel with the main character to my bones. It was horryfying and brutal and it totally blew my mind.

This is why when I first started reading "Endgame - The Calling" I was disappointed by the writing. In "Endgame" there is absolutely none of Frey's literally finess and his unique way to phrase thoughts. This might be because it was co-written by an author named Nils Johnson-Shelton (who might be a children book writer as far as I know). Also "Endgame" is after all a young adult novel and is therefore, like most young-adult books, written in very simple language.

So if the writing can't take my breath away, the story has to take care of this.

And it does.

"Endgame" is set in the near future where several meteors hit Earth announcing the beginning of the apocalypse. 12 prededetermined Players are fighting to win Endgame because of the 12 oldest human people only one will survive and each Player is fighting for his people to survive.

As there are many major characters the book starts a bit slow, spending a lot of time on introducing the characters and explaining the idea of "Endgame". But after about 200 pages "Endgame" turns into one of these books that you can't put down because you keep telling yourself "Just one more chapter" but then the chapter opens up another intersting plot line and you keep reading "Just one more chater" to see how this will turn out and so on and on.

Towards the end of the book I found myself reading faster and faster because I just needed to kow what will happen next but at the same time I didn't want the book to end because it was that good.

Endgame is one of these books that takes you away to a parallel universe and makes you forget each and everyone of your worries. It sucks you up and occupies your mind. This is the exact thing which I love about fantasy literature.

So if you're into apocalytic literature and are also fond of mythology, "Endgame" is for you.

Have you read "Endgame"? Tell me about your thoughts!

Don't be a rock *Here's your ticket to an intense life*

My friend is just going through a rough time with her longtime boyfriend and while we were talking about this, there was a moment where she was like: I wish I could just not care so much. I wish I could be like a rock and let nothing hurt me.

In this instant I knew that being like a rock is the worst that can happen to a person.

After my very first boyfriend broke up with me and broke my fragile little teenager heart, I decided to never let someone hurt me like this again. I closed up. From then on I lived my life totally independantly, never letting anyone come too close, caring only about my own immidiate needs. Let's just say I was kind of an asshole.


I broke up a perfectly well and promising relationship because I found myself falling in love and love scared the living hell out of me. Instead I had meaningless sex.

And then I met a guy who made me throw all my standards and rules over board. I was head over heels. I was obsessed. After 5 years of being a stone, I cared again. I cared so much that I thought that I couldn't survive loosing this person. I let myself be totally swallowed up by him.

And I fell. Hard. He broke up with me. And man, it hurt so much. I thought: This is what you get from letting someone in.


But then the most amazing thing happened. A wonderful human being found me in the middle of my misery. He saw me at my most vulnerable and my least desirable. I was a total wrack. But he fell in love with me and he was there for me whenever I felt like giving up. And after some time he made me smile again. Some more time passed and he made me feel again. More, he made me love again. I felt a love so pure, so simple, so beautiful - I've never even known that it existend. And from this day on I am waking up with this warm feeling of true love every morning. This boy has been my lover and partner in crime and my best friend for over three years now.


The point of this story is not that I'm an incredible lucky girl (what I surely am). But that it was only after I've let myself feel and after I have been broken to pieces that I found out what life is all about.

If you care, if you feel, if you stop being a rock and experience everything intensely instead, you will hurt. You will fall and shatter again and again. Because all the bad stuff will hit you right in your heart.

But here's the good news: All the good stuff will too. You will enjoy hanging with your friends on a nice summer day like there's no tomorrow. You will feel every single butterfly in your stomach when you fall in love. You will have incredible sex. And if you find it, you will experience love so deeply that it feels like nothing else matters. And really: nothing else matters.


Donnerstag, 26. März 2015

What the world can learn from Audrey Kitching

Audrey Kitching was one of the reasons I joined Buzznet back in the days. Audrey with her pink hair and precious make up impressed me with her uniqueness and her glamorous life. She taught me that you don't have to hide your crazy side but that this is the exact thing that makes you speacial.


I have just been watching a couple of interviews and videos with Audrey Kitching and I realized that I have never heard her talk before. It's eye opening. Underneath all her fashion and beauty obsession is this insecure almost timid tiny girl who looks like a single breath of wind will knock her right off her feat. Audrey talks in a high pitched voice, she uses a lot of filler words and she laughs all the time, as if she doesn't want her message to be taken seriously. I would have never expected this.


But it makes me admire her even more. This fragile little girl made it. She prove everyone that she is stronger than she looks, that she will never stop being herself and she became famous. It's amazing!


Audrey is the living proof that being afraid and insecure doesn't have to keep you from living your dreams. All you have to do is ignore your fear, put yourself out there and be true to yourself. And I promise, beautiful things will start to happen.

Step out of your comfort zone. Break out of your dull routine. And do what you were born to do. Stand out!
"Don't let your fear decide your fate."

Mittwoch, 25. März 2015

The 10 Best and Worst Couples of TV Histroy

I love TV shows! But who doesn't? What I love most about TV series is that in contrary to a movie they have the oppurtunity to invest a lot of time and energy into developping interesting characters who engage in believable and inspiring relationships with each other. A movie is a great way to tell a story. But if you want to learn something about human behaviour over time, go watch a show.

So yes, I am also totally a sucker of good matching TV couples. And with good matching I don't mean that they are equally hot (which is a bonus) but that they make sense, that they proove that real love is possible and that they grow with and through each other.

So here are my 7 favorite and 3 least favorite TV couples!

The 7 Best:

1. Anya and Xander - Buffy the Vampire Slayer


Okay, I have to admit that I'm a bit biased with this one. First, Buffy is my all time favorite show. Second, Anya Jenkins is my abolute favorite character.

But even apart from that, I think that Anya and Xander are a great couple. In Buffy long-lasting relationships are extremely rare but they somehow make it work. They date for almost 3 years and they do love each other unconditionally. I love how the show keeps their relationship in the background for most times, just potraying it as a constant in the ever changing world and now and then they throw in a heart breaking scene which makes you want to believe in true love.

Anya is absolutely adorable and Xander is the only one who can see it. I love how they build a team which noone else is allowed to enter.

2. Marshall and Lily - How I met your Mother


This one shouldn't come as a surprise. I mean come one, they're basically the perfect couple! To be honest I was always someone who thought that you should get some experience first before you settle down but those two have only been intimate with each other and they're absolutely happy. They taught me that when it's the one then all the rules and games are pointless because you just want to spend your life with that person.

Ted once says, that they're great pickers because they picked each other. And he's right. They are scarily similar but not so much that they start to hate each other. They're incredibly cute and most importantly they are forever.

3. Monica and Chandler - Friends


It's funny how I only started to like these two characters, when they started dating because man, they work well together! Noone would have expected it but Monica becomes a little more relaxed and less neurotic because Chandler is basically the perfect partner, endlessly passionate and always supporting her no matter what (it's really funny, because before he got together with Monica I thought he was this stupid macho guy). And Chandler starts to let go of his insecurities and becomes stronger because Monica always pushes him to be a better version of himself.

Kudos to the friends writing team for making these two work!

4. Summer and Seth - O.C., California


O.C. was basically my youth and to be in a relationship like Summer and Seth one day was what I've aspired to. That they made each other better is no question. Summer developped from a selfish and superficial girl to a politically active and sensitive woman. Seth was once a shy nerd and then became someone who goes after what he wants.

I love how they keep fighting for each other and never give up because this is the true secret to lifelong love.

5. Howard and Bernadette - Big Bang Theory


This is another case where I only started liking a character because he started dating someone. I couldn't have cared less for Howard (this weird pervert) before Bernadette came along. Who would have thought that he makes such a cute and caring boyfriend? And Bernadette is simply adorable. She's so tiny and cute and at the same time she will always stand up for herself and speak her mind. I love that!

6. Turk and Carla - Scrubs


They are absolutely perfect for each other. I was always a fan of relationships which are steady throughout the complete series and Turk and Carla are such an example. They are proof that sometimes it might actually work out. Sometimes, if it's meant to be, it's easy. It's really nice to see a well functioning relationship once in a while. This is how life is supposed to be.

7. Elena and Damon - The Vampire Diaries


Okay if I played the "Which one doesn't fit" game with this list, Elena and Damon would be it. They are not exactly what you call a healthy couple and they don't really make each other better. In contrary. Through Damon Elena becomes a lot darker and meaner. And to be honest, I love it! I'm a complete fan of the new Elena because this Elena is interesting and she's a person who actually fits to Damon pretty well.

I mean, come on, if you want to watch a show about good people, Vampire Diaries is the last show you should watch. Basically every character of this show is devious. But that's the fun of it. Noones perfect and yes, Elena and Damon are in fact equally hot.

The 3 Worst:

1. Ross and Rachel - Friends


Yes, unlike every other person I've ever met, I hate Ross and Rachel. I don't hate them individually (though I'm not a big fan of Ross, I really like Rachel) but I deeply believe that they are an aweful couple.

I mean come on, all the times they broke up, they lied to each other, they hurt each other and -the worst- all the times they gave up on each other. Honestly, if they can't make it work in 10 years, they will never make it work. Even love is not that blind.

2. Ted and Robin - How I met your Mother


The only thing that comes close to the uncompatibility of Ross and Rachel are Ted and Robin. I do love both of these characters. I love Ted's dedication to romance and his soft side. I love Robin's unstoppable ambitiousness and how strong she is. But they are the absolute worst match in the universe. How can a person who would do everything for love be with someone who's not even willing to make the smallest compromises for her partner? They can't.

3. Barney and Robin - How I met your Mother


This is a funny one. From the very beginning of the show, I rooted for them because I thought they would make a perfect couple. They're basically the same person! I always thought that they would be awesome together like best friends, them against the world.

But then they started dating and it was aweful. Turns out they're too similar, too selfish, too playing, too awesome that all their energy combined blew up right in their faces.

Hmm, I'm starting to think that Robin and anyone else might always be a bad couple. It's just too hard to find a person strong enough to hold a wild bird like Robin. I love Robin but realistically the love stuff would just not be for her.

What are the best and worst couple in TV history in your eyes? Leave a comment.

Dienstag, 24. März 2015

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A New Start

What I love most about blogging is being inspired by others and inspiring them right back. This is exactly what I'm looking for with this blog.

I have been blogging for 4 years on Buzznet and I have changed and developped so much with and through this experience. I was part of a strong and loving community. But now that the community looses more and more members and fights with technical difficulties permanently, I decided to let Buzznet go and look for happyness and self-fulfillment elsewhere.


I have long thought that I am not good enough, not strong enough and not confident enough to make it on my own. But here I am, starting this blog all on my own, daring a step into the unknown and hoping that it will change my life.

Because isn't this what life is all about? Stepping out of your comfort zone and watching how it will make you into a better person.


Some weeks ago I have made a decision that will change my life drastically. Last year I spontanously decided to do a tiny internship (only 5 days!) at a publishing house in my new home town, just to see how the work in the publishing industry is like. Never would I've guessed how these 5 short days would affect my life. In the months after my one week internship I wrote a short text for one of their new books, did a reading at an event and wrote a blog for their website. I got all these chances because I was there when others were missing out and because I took every new oppurtunity regardless of my fear of failure. A month ago the owner of the publishing house surprisingly asked me if I am interested in a job. And here I am, taking a leap into the unknown. I am pausing my studies, quitting a different job and remodelling my whole life for a chance which I have never expected.


With this blog I am doing the same. I am very interested in writing, books, movies, TV shows and music as well as general inspiration and tips to improve ones life. I will follow all blogs which make my heart beat faster and am hoping that what I will offer you here, will do the same to you.

I am excited and nervous about this new challenge. Being afraid can't stop us from moving forward. It's okay to be afraid. We just have to do it anyway.