We won't stop til it's over/won't stop to surrender

If you have the chance to see (500) Days of Summer, do so. It's a great movie. I loved every second of it, and I'm considering to pay to see it again. I felt like I could really relate to Tom, the main character, on some level. Then again, I think that's how his character is supposed to make any viewer feel. I develop infatuations with possibilities and ideas just as Tom does, and that was such a weird emotion to see in someone else, especially on the big screen. At some points I felt like I was watching myself go through the trials and tribulations of being disappointed by the destruction of potential--something I feel like I'm all too familiar with--only to be lifted up again by the introduction of something new and refreshing. It was a fun movie to watch, and it had a lot of heart. I LOVED the cinematography. I wish I could pull off Joseph Gordon Levitt's style. GOTTA LOSE ME SOME WEIGHT! Plus, the soundtrack is amazing. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

There's one song in particular that I'm obsessed with right now. "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Traps:

"...just stay there
'cause i'll be comin' over
and while our bloods still young
it's so young
it runs
and we won't stop til it's over
won't stop to surrender

songs of desperation
I played them for you
a moment, a love
a dream, a laugh
a kiss, a cry
our rights, our wrongs..."

In fact, I just love The Temper Traps in general. I got their CD as well, and it's really good. Makes me feel very independent for some reason. Not in the "indie" sense (haha, I'm so punny), but just in the I'm-gonna-think-and-feel-how-I-want-to-and-you-aren't-gonna-stop-me sorta way. I'm cherishing that feeling right now, so I think that's why I love this music, and movie, so much.

There's one in all of us

I really, really want to see this. I absolutely love the trailer, partly because the music fits the theme and tone of the story so well. I'm partial to love a scene in a movie if I love the music, though. I just think this trailer is put together so well.

I don't really remember loving the book when I was younger, but after having read it since finding out they were adapting it into a movie, I can see why people love it so much. It captures the essence of being young, and I think it's timeless. I work with kids on a daily basis who could easily replace Max; they're so full of life and possibility, and completely unaware of anything that could potentially keep them down. That's why I love working with kids. They make you forget about your personal issues, and you unknowingly give all of your energy trying to preserve that innocence for as long as possible. I feel, as we grow up, that inherent innocence goes hand in hand with the 'wild things' that drive us to do what we do. Just like the poster says, "There's one in all of us." I couldn't have said it better.

Making Shadows in the Ripples of the Sand

So tonight, Amanda, Becky, and I went to the beach to make an attempt at watching the meteor shower. It was full of complete fail. There were too many clouds, and it was just bad star-gazing weather. Although, we did have fun taking pictures of ourselves lying on the sand.

I absolutely love the beach at night. No one is there, and I love it when there are no street lights that shine down on you and make you feel like you're walking the streets of downtown LA. It's just the moonlight making shadows in the ripples of the sand and the waves crashing up against the shore, and I find it so relaxing. The sand is so fine and cool on your feet. It's the complete opposite from going in the middle of the day with the blaring sun and 60 kids to keep safe. Stress-free and I like it.

Minus the Munchies and Plus the Healthy

On the drive home from work, I was contemplating what I wanted to write about in my blog entry (lame, I know). I knew I wanted to write something, but everything I was coming up with was better suited for my LiveJournal (basically where I complain about everything). Aspects of my day were very frustrating, and I knew I needed to clear my mind. Luckily, blogger's sign-in page was not being cooperative with me, so I decided to take a nap. Probably my best decision of the day. I woke up two hours later to my dad telling me to get up because dinner was ready. I wasn't in a bad mood anymore, and I felt content.

It's amazing what a nap can do for you. I remember I used to despise them. In preschool I would lie there everyday, bored out of my mind. I'd be staring at the toys I could be playing with, or the books I could be reading. I'd hear the sprinklers outside and think "I miss you. Please get me wet?" It was complete torture for me. It's funny how I absolutely love them now. I take one nearly every day when I come home from work. It's almost therapeutic. I'm able to forget about any stress and just go into this blissful state of mind. It's almost like getting high, but minus the munchies and plus the healthy. I'll save my thoughts about drugs for another day.

"Mr. Kevin, is this corn?"

This is my second summer working as a Summer Day Camp Counselor at the Los Altos YMCA. Whenever anyone asks me how I like it, I always answer the same way, "It's as rewarding as it is difficult." I think that's the best way to sum it up. On paper, this job doesn't seem too difficult. I mean, you get paid to go to the beach, the fair, Knotts Berry Farm, assorted museums, and play with kids all day. In reality, it's exhausting. I don't know how many times people have told me "I would hate to have your job," or, "How do you manage this?" Honestly, I don't even know. There are times when I absolutely love this job. Other times, I want to repeatedly stab forks into my eyes because I feel like that would be more tolerable than my kids and their selfish ways. I am responsible for the well-being and safety of 13 kids for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 12 weeks out of the summer. I do feel like I'm gradually making a difference in their lives, though, so that's a plus.

I've suddenly lost interest in writing. G'night.