My dream to build a blanket fort

Let me tell you about my Valentine's this year. I had this great idea of spending the special day not with a loved one or even girlfriends but alone. In a blanket fort.

You don't have to say it, I know it's awesome.

I had gotten the idea from the amazing ApartmentTherapy guys and thought it was something that was pretty fun. When I was a kid building a blanket fort was my favorite game in the world and it would have been so amazing to come back to that, be it for just one evening. So I started planning and researching how to make a "grown-up blanket fort", with lights and pillows and everything but it turned out that my little dorm room, which had no shelves or curtain rods to attach the blankets to was pretty unsuitable for my big dream. So I just ended up watching the second season of The Guild instead.

But the idea is still there. Making my own blanket fort and maybe letting one other person join me is still a dream that has yet to come true. It's just brilliant, really - doing this one thing for your evening that doesn't require that much effort - you could do it when you were 7, for God's sake - and spending the rest of it in total relaxation while having quite a great time. Someday, when my neighbors are so kind as to let me borrow some of their extra blankets, I too will make another attempt at returning to my childhood using nothing else but sheets, pillows and books.

What do you guys think? Would you like to make one yourselves or am I a minority on this? What would you use? Seriously, give me ideas, I could really use some in the near future.

The Hunger Games is AWESOME! ...and I'm back

Okay, so I know that it's terrible - me promising to write more often in my blog and then totally forgetting it for the next two months or so. But you have to understand - our finals week here in Bulgaria doesn't last a week: it lasts for more than a month. And it's really hard to just sit down and start writing because I literally don't go out anywhere during that time, except for the store and the gym. It would all be fine if I was actually doing something useful with all this time but no, I just spend a whole day researching how The Human Torch died or what the best phones with Windows Phone 7 are. I did well on my exams but I kind of feel that I had luck and great friends to help me out, so I feel pretty embarassed nonetheless.

I wouldn't describe myself as a slacker but I'm pretty stupid with my time. For example, I had a test on a Monday that was pretty hard and important and I knew that I had to study a lot. But I made the mistake of telling my friend Vicky that I wanted to read The Hunger Games book series and she then made the mistake of overestimating my willpower by giving it to me a couple of days before the test. I spent an entire day reading the first book and only took an hour or so to learn something about the European Union. I don't usually give in to temptations that easily but when it comes to addictive books there's pretty much nothing that can stop me from reading it in one day. I remember when the fourth Harry Potter book came out I came back from school and, without evenhaving lunch first, I would just immerse myself in it and totally forget about homework.

I started reading knowing that the main character was a teenage girl and that there was a love triangle in the story so I couldn't help thinking "Oh, God, please don't let this be a Twilight knock-off". But damn, that Suzanne Collins does know how to write a good story and keep you hooked. After 2 hours of reading I would tell myself "Okay, Ren, this is quite enough dor today, just read this chapter and close this book". But then the chapter end on such a cliffhanger that you just have to know what happens next. And I usually hate love triangles but I think that this one was handled pretty well and even had me rooting for a couple, albeit without anyT-shirts and posters.

The second book of the series, "Catching Fire", was also very well written and introduced two of my favorite characters, Finnick and Johanna. It had the same addictive quality to it and kept me wondering how it was going to end. The third book did not. And I don't mean that I didn't like it, it just wasn't as good and the other two. It lacked its inherent fast pace and even a big chunk of the action, which I think Collins is really good at. But the worst thing about the third book was the overall feeling that I was left with when I finished reading. By the end so many people that I had grown to love had died that I went kind of numb for the more heartwarming moments. Especially after the death of two characters which I thought Collins was never going to kill off. On the one hand it shows the authors' courage to risk it and really go dark with her story but on the other hand, I thought it could do all that a little better and without necessarily killing those two people.

But there are many things in Mockingjay that I did like - here Collins reveals more about the characters and why they are the way they are - we learn more about Finnick, Annie, Johanna and Peeta, who became really interesting as a character in this book. We get to see his dark side and it makes us really appreciate him and his good-natured personality and charm.

Agh, I really could just keep on writing all day but I'm trying to not ruin the books for anyone and also to be kind of brief about them - something that I now see I failed at pretty hard. But if you do want me to share my thoughts on the characters or the stories, please comment in the section below and also tell me what you think!

Because Rock-Paper-Scissors is Old

I found this old article on NowThatsNifty that suggests a new kind of rock-paper-scissors game - one which doesn't include rock, paper or scissors. Insted, we gget an awesome battle of other heroes like monkey, robot and ninja. Go check it out - the instructions are all there and if you spend a couple of minutes learning the rules, you could have yourself a new kind of game to play to decide who's going to take out the trash :)

Okay, on to the next one...

Happy New Year, Everybody!

I am sure that all of you had an awesome time celebrating on Friday, drinking and making out with random people without feeling any bit of regret or shame, because, hey, it's New Year's! You could do all the stupid things you want because tomorrow you can start fresh. Not only that, you feel ambitious and set yourself a couple of goals for the year - things you would want to accomplish by its end. Yes, the infamous New Years Resolutions are quite common for the most of us, mainly because we need something to force us to do something, or to keep doing it - namely that napkin where you wrote that you would never speak to your ex or quit smoking forever. Well, I decided that my napkin will be this blog - I'm going to share with you my resolutions for 2011 and hope that I can have the willpower to keep them.

1. Write more often in my blog

Now this is very important to me because it's not that hard to do but I just need something to remind me that I have to. It's the perfect resolution because it's not too vague and it would be good for me to keep doing it. This december was a busy one and I barely had the time to even think of new topics but I promise to you, to myself and the Resolutions God that I will be more regular this year.

2. Work out more and eat healthy

Ah, there's a classic. It's in almost every woman's resolutions list, every year. Why is that? Is it so hard to lose 5 pounds or go to the gym at least once a week for an hour? I believe that the thing that makes it so hard is that most women don't have the right strategy when making their regimen. We've all heard the usual dieting mistakes but what about the little things that we've missed? I, for example, am planning to drink nothing but water and tea for the next two months (with the occasional glass of wine, I guess). Most of our calorie intake is just from liquids and this simple thing could give great results but we'll see how it goes. But we'll cover that later on.

3. Read at least 20 books

I have this terrible habit on spending ridiculous amounts of time mindlessly scrolling web pages on my computer for hours. When I read a dozen of Wikipeadia pages or Lifehacker articles I tend to try and convince myself that it's just like reading a book but online. That's beyond idiotic. There are plenty of great books out there that every young person should read but I've missed out on them because I spend my time on CollegeCandy and TheOnion. In 2010 I only managed to read 10 or something but there were all so great that I now feel inspired to set the bar a little higher this time.

4. Take out my piano and actually play it

This summer my parents bought me an electric piano to take to college so that I could play all the time. I was so excited.. for about 3 weeks. After that it just stood next to my desk and I forgot about it. Which is a shame because I believe that if I put my mind to it, I could be great. I want to learn how to play the blues or a couple of classic pieces or crowd-pleasers. And the new year would be the right time to do exactly that.

5. Acheive better hair and better skin

I'm never pleased with my hair. No matter how I try, it just seems stupid to me. This summer I cut it short and it looks a little better but I believe there is more to do about it. Same goes for my skin. So, from now on, I'll take batter care of them both. Taht's it - short and simple.

6. Start writing lyrics again

You may not know this, but I used to write kind of decent song lyrics once. I don't really know why I'm calling them lyrics since only one of them ever got a melody but I'm not going to stop colling them that. I have no idea why I stopped; it used to be an important part of my life and now that it's gone, I definitely feel the difference. So I'm going to start again and who knows, maybe a song would come out of it all someday.

7. Start shopping wisely

I looked through a couple of ladies' resolutions lists and I never once saw anything like this. Everyone wanted nicer clothes or a change of style but no one had made a resolution on how to acheive that. I believe that the secret lies in wise shopping. For exaple, cover your basics. Have a couple of colors of plain blouses and tee shirts that actally look good on you. Have at least one pair of jeans of good quality. One pair of shoes for every occasion. I have a friend that has literally no flat shoes - what? First buy whatever you need, and after that what you want. You'll be amazed by how much of a difference a simple resolution like that makes.

8. Organize my music collection

Someday... I... will... have... order!

It's All in the Little Things in "Mary and Max"

When a friend recommended Mary and Max to me and I saw the poster of the film - an obese, old man in black and white writing on a typewriter - the superficial part of me said "I don't want to watch a movie about ugly people! And it doesn't look like there's romance ANYWHERE in this one! I mean, that's the only way an animation for kids could be any kind of fun, right?". Yes, I am ashamed to admit that I can be a little judgmental and shallow when it comes to animated films. Add to that my overall distaste of claymation and you can pretty much already guess that I wasn’t thrilled about seeing this movie.

But I am so very glad I did.

But before I start explaining to you why, I should warn you: DON'T take your kids to see it! I mean, not until they're at least 12 or something. Don't get me wrong, I consider myself a very liberal person and I would have no qualms in letting my children watch a little bit of risqué material (and believe you me, the movie has quite a lot of that, as well) from time to time but this is NOT a movie for a child. It's simply too depressing for their innocent minds.

"Depressing, you say? Don't try to fool me, you clever evil female", I imagine you saying, "I saw the trailer, you can't convince me that with all that cheerful music and funny dialogue Mary and Max will make my kids sad!". Oh, I'm not saying that, my friends. I'm simply warning you that after watching it, YOU will be sad - no, you will be crying. In the shower. While eating chocolate.

Okay, maybe that's a little too harsh. But that's what happens when you're caught off-guard. Your emotions' powers double simply because you didn't see them coming. I saw the first 10 minutes of the film and I thought "Okay, this little 8-year-old girl writes to this 44-year-old man and they become friends thus discovering they're not alone in the world and that friendship keeps you going through life or some other crap like that.".

Boy, was I in for a treat.

Because party, yes, it is about that. But only kind of on the surface. Beneath that lie other issues like loneliness and heartache, but also hope and optimism. Because even though it's clear that these two lead incredibly sad and bleak lives, they never feel sorry for themselves, they just kind of go with the flow and make with what they can. Max, for example, struggles with Asperger's syndrome which makes it difficult for him to lead a normal life. Mary, on the other hand, lives in a loveless family with her alcoholic mother and inattentive father, which is why she quite well understands the feeling of isolation from the world that has taken a hold on Max's life.

Even though the letters the two characters constantly exchange are quite simple and straightforward, without much emotional confessions (with some exceptions, of course), they are the most important thing in these people's lives because they're the personal connection they’ve always longed for. Not only that, the stories they tell seem personal to us, too, and thus feel more real and emotionally engaging. We care because we can clearly see that these characters care. And they don't have to sing about their feelings or deliver long speeches about their dreams to make us do that. That's the genius of the movie and that's what most films (especially children's films) tend to lack - a little bit of subtlety. It is through the little things about these people's lives that we find out who they are. Much like in real life, the small aspects of their everyday routines tell us more about them as personalities and that makes us relate to them as we would to real people.

The movie has many funny moments, though, and did make me lol a couple of times. The humor was also quite diverse, ranging from black to ironic to childish. Not once did the producers use the ultimate cop-out that are pop-culture references - they much preferred to keep it simple and clean, relying only on good writing and wit.

I am utterly amazed that this movie exists. I don't know why the studio didn't demand a major re-write of the material so that it could appeal to a wider audience but I am delighted that it didn't. Because we need experiences like that. We need a film that challenges us emotionally. We need a film that's a little dark so that we could better appreciate the happy parts. And yes, I told you not to show it to a 6-year-old, but a slightly older child could handle it just fine and would probably even enjoy the hell out of it. Nowadays kid's movies tend to talk down to their audience, spelling out the morals of the story for them and giving them happy endings. This film takes another direction - it goes down a gloomier road, but one that eventually leads to a better understanding of the world and the people who inhabit it. And although I would wait a while before showing it to my kids, I would never deprive them of this amazing and unforgettable experience.

Triple S: Sunday Song Suggestions

Whenever I find a song I really like, I immediately feel the need to share it with someone. It just feels so much more special when someone else enjoys it with you. I since I believe that the end of the week is a great time to kick back and listen to some great tunes, I'm starting a weekly rubric known as Triple S: Sunday Song Suggestions, wherein I will pass out a few recommendations and hope you feel just as strongly about those tracks as I do.

First we'll start with a classic:

Great song, thank you, Ruslan!

Then again, if you're not a jazz fan, another amazing 4 and a half minutes for the lovers of rock is this one:

... which features some simple, but amazing lyrics. Be sure to check them out!

And lastly, a very uplifting song by The Super Preachers:

It's interesting to me because it's so cheerful and energetic, yet the band members are sort of zombies in the music video. Is it symbolic? What does it mean? If you have any clue, I'd be glad to hear your suggestions.

Anyways, that's it for me this week. Tune in next week for some more site recommendations and other stuff I might feel like sharing with you :)

Keeping Gaming Simple

Hello, fellow readers and welcome to another installment of my blog!

That was really corny, I, I apologize.

It's just that I have spent the last several hours being extremely geeky and I guess it kind of affects me. It's just that when you spend your time watching Minecraft tutorials and reading Zork walkthroughs, you kinda forget what actual human interaction is like. I know you all think I am awesome as hell but it may surprise you that I very easily forget how to be cool after watching more than four Nostalgia Critic and Angry Video Game Nerd episodes.

Okay, so maybe it's time to explain the references. Minecraft is a game - an indie game to be exact (that's really awesome if you ask me, when I hear the term "indie" I never think of games but it kind of makes sense) that my brother introduced me to. It's a very simple and addictive waste of your time - kind of a sandbox world where your entire goal is to survive and build stuff. You can harvest all kinds of materials like dirt, wood, stone and iron and craft them into instruments and furniture, weapons and armor. And you better make those last two because you're going to need them come nightfall. It's the time all the monsters come out and shit gets real.

Anyway, as I said, it's a pretty addictive game despite its simple look; and by simple, I do mean simple - it's an 8-bit game so it's not for everybody, I guess. But personally, I find it comforting - like I'm a kid again, unable to get up from that chair and do something useful for a change. And then my brother comes in and tells me that it's been two hours already and it's his turn to play. Ah, yes, those were the times when we didn't have a computer for every flat surface in the house. But I digress.

Zork is also a game but one when you don't really do anything. You just have to read and type from time to time. Like remember those books that we borrowed from the library that were called gamebooks? Anyone? No..? Hm. Well, they were also called "choose your own adventure books" which allow you to participate in the story by making choices that affect the course of the narrative. According to Wikipedia they were popular in the US about 30 years ago but the 80s didn't come to my country until a decade later so they were all the rave when I was a kid. Zork gave me the opportunity to relive those times again - and let me tell you, it was awesome. It remind me of simpler times when logic was the best weapon and it was all one needed to be a hero. Maybe I should mention that as I'm writing this my brtoher is killing Nazi zombies with what I can only describe as a weapon which even The Hulk would have trouble lifting. But hey, to each his own, right?

I would tell you who the Nostalgia Critic and the Angry Video Game Nerd are but I really don't feel like it today. Besides, maybe the best strategy is to save them for an entirely different post - ah, and maybe they would read it and thank me with a comment saying that it would be great if I came for dinner sometimes... Cause in my fantasy they live together, you know.

So that's it for today. I hope you check out the games I recommended, post a comment if you already have and we can discuss Minecraft house designs.