Vegans from Space

Most people have a couple of vegetarian friends, and fewer have vegan friends. Vegetarians do not consume any form of meat, sometimes including fish. Vegans eat and buy essentially animal-free products. This means no dairy, no meat, no fish, and definitely no bad ass leather jackets. For the average, steak-a-day American, veganism sounds entirely outlandish. No meat? Okay. But no animal products whatsoever? That's insane.

I consider myself a mostly vegetarian--merely environmentally friendly. I eat meat once, maybe twice, a week for two reasons: the health benefits and lessening my individual impact on the environment. Would I ever go total vegetarian? Eventually, maybe. After talking to a friend who recently went vegan and watching this awesome documentary (it's called Vegucated. I suggest watching it purely out of curiosity), I took a second look at my quasi-vegetarianism and realized something. I wasn't the total veggie junkie I'd been working to be since January. While my (now vegan) friend ate lots of cheese as a vegetarian, I ate lots of starch. All this inspired a vegan recipe-Google search and taking a step further into kitchen. Most of the starchy foods in my diet were bread, and thus contained animal products. What would my options be if I were vegan? Hint: more variety of veggies.

But enough about why I'm slowly building a more vegetable-intensive food supply. Why should you attempt to go vegetarian, vegan, or simply eat less meat? Perhaps the most popular proposal is the health benefits. By adopting a plant-based diet, risks for diabetes, cancer, and other diseases decrease significantly. Some people argue that without meat, a person can't get enough protein. The reality--there are plenty of alternatives, such as beans. These alternatives can easily replace how you can get your protein. The average American eats about three pounds of meat per week, which is definitely more than necessary. Add this to the growing population of people in the world, and we create a bit of a demand crisis.

If you are a bit of a 'green freak' like me, the environmental impacts of the farming industry would be of concern to you as well. If not, the environmental impact can easily translate into economical terms, and issues with resource depletion. The farming industry demands lots of resources, primarily fuel and water. About 3,515 liters of water is needed for every eight ounce steak. Tons of of farmland is needed to even just haphazardly raise animals. Then when you think about how much energy it takes to run a farm and slaughterhouse, it all adds up. If every American were to eat significantly less meat, about 1.49 tons of carbon dioxide would be saved every year. 

And then for the fellow animal rights activist, farm conditions for animals are quite less than ideal. I shiver just thinking about it. But that is something I will leave the reader to research on their own, as it is still a fresh topic for me (and one I am not too fond of writing about. For now).

A lot of people raised with a hearty meat-loving childhood might see veganism as totally alien. You were raised with milk and eggs for breakfast, grilled chicken for lunch, and good 'ole steak for dinner. Eliminate all that? No way. Then again, being vegan doesn't have to mean strictly animal product-free. It's easy enough to be mostly vegan. Either way, decreasing meat and dairy consumption is not only beneficial to the individual, but does wonders for our world. So... will you take the challenge?

The Fandom Life

You're crying silently in front of the television. Part two of the final Harry Potter movie is playing. In hand, there's a pint of your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor, being slowly and messily shoveled into your mouth. There are chunks of chocolate--chocolate really does make you feel better. Remus Lupin gave Harry chocolate every time a dementor attacked so that he could recover. A wave of depression hits as you think, Lupin is dead now. This is perhaps the tenth time you have watched this film and it gets you every time. Every. Single. Time. Why do you put yourself through this if all it does is make you sad? Why do we become so attached to fictional characters in our books and TV shows?

In general, people really like stories. People love getting swept away by the excitement of a plot and escaping into a new world. But then there are the 'nerds', the absolute epitome of enthusiasm for a story or idea. To quote John Green, "Nerd are allowed to love stuff--like jump-up-and-down-in-your-chair-can't-control-yourself-love it." So when coming across someone who stands by their opinion that bow ties are cool, or believes that every child should have access to a messenger owl, or thinks that Through the Wormhole is the most fascinating show on the planet, you have found one of the 'nerds'. And most of the nerds with access to the Internet are part of inter-galactic communities of fans called fandoms, where there are other nerds just like them in terms of enthusiasm for a particular story or idea.

Some fandoms are experiencing a form of 'shock', being held in a state of total anticipation. Due to this, Tumblr, a blogging site that is home to most, if not all, Internet fandoms, is buzzing with excitement. In the Harry Potter fandom, there are constant posts of the fandom's revival with the announcement of J.K. Rowling writing the screenplay for the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (a story taking place in the Potter-verse). Just this week, the Hunger Games fandom received the second movie installment of the series. This weekend, Whovians are looking forward to the season eight premiere and fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who. Not to mention Part II of The Hobbit being released in December.

Again, why are there thousands, maybe even millions, of people all over the world that are practically obsessed with these stories? For some, it's purely the fascination of the story itself. But stories make a much larger impact than we give them credit. Stories are an escape, yes. When the world is far too much to handle, there are these little safe havens made of words or cinematography. Oh, the escape is easy to make, and we find ourselves part of a second family, a home away from home. The escape, the adventure across pages and scenes, often brings us right back to our reality. And everything is alright again.

Economic Inequality

Some days, it really does feel like money makes the world go 'round. Need something to fill up the fridge? Go to the grocery store, spend some cash. A visit to the doctor's office? Get ready to pay what is due. Some of the most basic necessities in life cannot be had without envied paper notes and rounded metallic chunks. However, not everyone can afford the basics, which unfortunately has been a reality throughout most of human history. Distribution of wealth is unequal, and bam, economic inequality (to simplify this concept to an extreme).

Economic inequality affects many aspects of life. Provisions of clothing, for example, can be hard to come by. Access to heat is difficult as well. Lack of clothes or a place to stay can place a person in a spot of danger. What's worse, when you can't stay warm, you lose something most dear: hope. Hope for a better future, hope for employment to provide for oneself or a family. My thinking is that by keeping people warm, you kindle the fire of hope that, in essence, keeps them alive. In order to tackle this issue, a group of friends and I are running a winter clothing drive at my school.
Educational opportunities become scant if you live in a neighborhood with low funding. In these parts of town, you've got the hardly maintained public schools, or an unaffordable private school in another city. Unequal distribution of wealth equates unequal access to education. What's more, libraries with plenty of resources are hard to come by, and thus literacy levels go down. And without education, you set up yet another generation to end up stuck in the same kind of neighborhood they began in.
Food--the most basic necessity to live. Humans require nutrients in order to survive. And we all know what happens when we go too many days without food, or unhealthy food. Without basic amounts of nutritional food, people can't work or go to school, let alone fight off sickness. The fact that anyone lacks access to food simply because they don't have money to pay for it is ridiculous. It happens, everyday.
Fortunately, the human race is filled with all sorts of amazing people. One example? The Harry Potter Alliance. Their next campaign is oriented around The Hunger Games, and attacks many of the side effects of economic inequality. There are twelve categories, delineated by the twelve districts present in The Hunger Games series. There are districts specific to the homeless and housing, literacy and education, and food security (clothing, food, and book drives fall into these categories). While not everyone has sufficient wealth right now, there are ways we can help decrease the plight of the poor, without money, locally and globally.

PS I will posting more often (or so I hope). As it happens, college applications and running a magazine at school is crazier than I had previously anticipated.

La Corrida en Miranda, Part 1

The bull seemed to fly right out of hell. The mass of black fur shot out of hiding, rattling the wooden panels separating the audience from the arena. The crowds roared, riling up the dark force of nature. For an animal so large, it should not have been able to move so swiftly. I cheered on the beast, adding my voice to those of the masses. The air buzzed feverishly, adrenaline surely pumping through every body in the stands, and not just my own. My eyes, fixed on the bull, did not dare blink.

This was a whole new level of culture shock. People say that you can experience anything and everything by watching videos or reading a book. But then you go off into the world, and the floor gets pulled out from under you. Familiarity is left behind, and the world becomes entirely mesmerizing. The globe spins more rapidly on its axis, to the point of flinging itself out of orbit and into the next galaxy. This new level is altogether terrifying, raw, incredible. This was a corrida, a bullfight, right in the heart of Spain.

Around the arena the bull ran, dust flying up in it's wake. The arena itself was small, being the town square of a little pueblo named Miranda. People were seated on balconies and make-shift bleachers. Some people stood behind wooden barracks lining the edges of the arena. My host siblings and I sat on a wall, having climbed a rickety ladder to claim our spots. Behind us, a band played classic bullfighting-style music. Trumpets blasted in our ears. 

The people behind the wooden barracks held giant cups overflowing with beer. As the bull neared them, they stepped out from safety, alcohol sloshing out of their cups, egging on the bull. My heart stopped as the bull nearly impaled three men. They escaped out of reach from the deadly horns at the last second, only to return to the open when the bull lost interest. They waved around their own mini red capes.

"Those guys are completely insane!" I shouted over the chaos to my host sisters. Excitement and terror were near bursting in my chest.

Soon, the banderillos stepped out from the barracks, beginning their dance with the bull. 

"The banderillos are helping the matador learn how the bull moves. They tire out the bull, too," said the younger of my host sisters. They held out their pink capes. I took note that their names appeared to be printed on the inside, stamped in black. The beast grew timid at first sight of the banderillos, but soon returned with its initial fury.

After some time came two men mounted on armored horses, with spears in hand. "Those guys are called picadores. They make the first stab," informed my host sister.

The bull charged at the steadfast horse, and the picador thrust his spear into the top of the bulls neck. Out of the fresh wound spurted bright red blood. My body went cold, arms rough with goosebumps. I'd nearly forgotten how this would end. The banderillos moved to the edges, and the picadores left the arena. Now came the matador.

The matador stood in the center of the arena, completely macho in his composure. I could relate to what his mind must have been like, in that one moment in the beginnings of the fight. He was a performer, just like me. He was thinking clearly, but letting the performance instincts take over. It's like thinking without thinking. I could see it in his dark brown eyes.

Why Enthusiasm is Vital to Success

Most of us will have these streaks of what we deem success that are followed by periods of doom and gloom. For a month, you could be acing all of your courses in school, or making incredible headway in your novel. Everything is going your way, and life is perfectly balanced. Light is left in your footprints and the path ahead is simply electrifying (in a good way). But then, of course, it seems that you lose the favor of Fortuna, leaving you to crawl off into Gollum's cave. One thing falls through, creating a despicable domino effect, and causing you to throw your hands up in the air. You. Are. So. Done. With everything. Run.

What's nice about this terrible week or two is that it comes to an end. However, until you manage to pull yourself out of it, it feels like you're drowning in neglected responsibilities. Literally, reality almost seems like too much to handle. This tends to lead to marathons on Netflix, which aren't even fun when there is an ever-growing list of to-dos on your mind. Just thinking about what must be done is painstaking. The former vigor with which you might have been writing a story, or studying, or anything really, just goes poof. All desire to accomplish much of anything is no where to be found. It's like a writer's block, but impacting every single aspect of your life.

How do you escape? Sometimes, after enough wallowing in the mess that is your life currently, the darkness just ebbs away. But more often than not, it's a matter of finding that one thing that gives you purpose. Taking a day off from all responsibilities is incredibly rejuvenating, but this does not mean sitting in your basement all day doing nothing. It's a day to enjoy some of the finer things in life. Whether it be taking a walk or brewing some fresh coffee beans, doing these small things without having to think of anything else de-clutters the mind. Having the mind clear allows you to think of the things most important to you and then--click. The most impressive thing humans have to show is hope, and this hope leads to happiness, which brings about a renewed enthusiasm for whatever life has in store. Then you are unstoppable once again.

From my experience and the experiences of others, I've learned that enthusiasm is key to success. It is vital that when one is struck by an idea, in order to carry that idea out into the world, they must pursue it with a passion. That is why some wise words to live by (from none other than Doctor Who) are these:

"I am and always will be the optimist, the hoper of far-flung hopes, and the dreamer of improbable dreams."

The Moon Festival

Last week was witness to one of the biggest festivals celebrated in China: the Moon Festival. Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, this holiday is most easily compared to the American Thanksgiving. An evening of reunion, celebration, and of course good food, this festival is incredible. I have some background knowledge of Chinese language and culture (just two years), so this kind of stuff tends to be super cool for me. My wall is home to many post-it notes with Chinese characters and pinyin on them—just a little fascinated.

What is the Moon Festival about anyway? As with many other traditions in East Asian culture, there is a legend. A long time ago, there was a hero named Hou Yi. When ten suns rose into the sky, he shot nine of them down with his bow and arrow. Having saved the people from a terrible fate, Hou Yi was given an elixir to grant him eternal life. Not wanting to live forever without his wife, Chang’e, Hou Yi gave Chang’e the elixir to keep. While out hunting, a thief breaks into Hou Yi’s home, attempting to pry away the elixir. Chang’e refuses to hand it over, and drinks it. She then flew off, making the Moon her home, so she could watch over her husband. People offered up sacrifices, thanking Chang’e for her bravery.

This festival also occurs around the time of the harvest. When there is a good harvest, people gather, make food, and celebrate. This, mixed with the legend of Chang’e, provides a sort of framework to modern-day ways of celebrating this holiday. First, the moon. This festival is called the Moon Festival because it takes place on the eighth moon of the lunar calendar. The full moon is often tied to rejuvenation, as Chang'e is a goddess of immortality. All over Chinese culture, the moon holds quite a high importance. The sacrifices offered up to Chang’e in the legend were fruits and cake. This brings me to the Moon Cake, a traditional food eaten on this festival. 

Might I add that red bean filling is my favorite?

Last weekend, I attended a biweekly summer event called Waterfire, native event in Rhode Island. The river going through the city of Providence is filled with floating fire pits: fire out of its natural environment. The whole event brings together people from all over the world, and of course featured a Chinese group. There were dragon dances performed, and lions dancing in the streets (they were awesome, by the way. A couple of my friends performed). With the fire in the river, the waning full moon in the dark sky, and dumpling in hand, there was certainly an air of romanticism in the air.

Back to... Hogwarts?

Firstly, I have successfully uploaded my video where I review the book Paper Towns by John Green. You can check it out here. Tell me what you think!

Secondly, I have once again returned to that most noble of endeavors—school. Officially speaking, I am enrolled in my final year of Muggle school. But, as the first of September has passed, I’m going to refer to it as my seventh and final year at Hogwarts. That feeling you get before mounting a rollercoaster? The mix of terror and excitement knotting up in your chest? That was my summer; but now I’ve gotten on the rollercoaster, and there is no getting off until the ride is over. It’s quite hard to believe that at the end of next spring, I will have to say good-bye to my beloved school and enter the strange world of adulthood. Ah, yes, it is all bittersweet.

Bittersweet-ness aside, it is a year where I have the chance to accomplish the most I have in all of my years of schooling. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to save the world in what would have been their last years at Hogwarts. I probably won’t end up having to track down the Dark Lord and finish him at last or anything, but I do have many plans, plans that are actually happening.

In the same way that Hogwarts students must take O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s, us American Muggles get to take ACT or SAT (standardized tests). Or if you are crazy like me, both. One of the first steps to the college application process is having these standardized test scores. It is a facetious process to kids my age everywhere, but unfortunately necessary . The idea of anything after school is over is kind of unreal to most in my class. But nevertheless, we just go with it, like the twists and turns of the rollercoaster track.

Being of upperclassman status, there are even more opportunities than ever before. This means projects. And by projects, I mean Harry Potter Alliance (HPA for short). In a previous post, I talked about the work that the HPA does. In a phrase, activism Harry Potter-style. A group of students and I will be decreasing world suck through fundraisers, drives, and other campaigns. One of my goals is to make the world a better place, and hopefully I can really get started on that feat this year.

Besides this blog, I will be incorporating writing into my final year in another way: starting a school magazine. Not only will tons of students in my school be able to exhibit their own writing, but they will also get to learn a bit about the publishing and mass media industries.

Basically, this year is going to be a blast. It’ll go by faster than the speed of light (relatively anyway). Even though I will have to bid farewell to my school all too soon, it will always be there to welcome me home.