“The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world.”
- Democritus
A few weeks ago I had said that I had something fabulous and grand to announce to the world. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the moment has finally arrived and it is with great pleasure that I let you all know that in approximately one month I will be leaving Honduras for: Italy! I will be there for about 3 months as I continue on the quest to perfect my Italian. I can also tell you that I will be enrolling at the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Milan and will be receiving about 20 hours of Italian classes every week. I had been planning this for a while, but I didn't want to make an official announcement until I'd actually bought the tickets (which I purchased a few days ago.) As you all can imagine, I am excited beyond words and truth be told, I probably won't believe that I'm going to Italy until I'm actually there! In any case, I'll make sure to keep you all updated every once in a while. Finally, something exciting to blog about, eh?
I posted about this on Facebook a few minutes ago, but decided that I would get into it further here. One of the bloggers that I follow talked about this personality questionnaire, the Jung Typology Test. And of course, I decided to take it (I recommend you all do as well!) In any case, the results are in... I got the INTJ (Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, and Judgment) type, also known as the "Masterminds." Haha. Interestingly enough, it's one of the rarest personality types; only 1-4% of the population get this result... That explains a lot - I always knew I was "different." Anyways, let me tell you more about my personality type, for while I was reading it, I felt that it described me almost perfectly. (Most of this will be from Wikipedia, by the way.)
I – Introversion preferred to extraversion: INTJs tend to be quiet and reserved. They generally prefer interacting with a few close friends rather than a wide circle of acquaintances, and they expend energy in social situations (whereas extraverts gain energy). N – Intuition preferred to sensing: INTJs tend to be more abstract than concrete. They focus their attention on the big picture rather than the details and on future possibilities rather than immediate realities. T – Thinking preferred to feeling: INTJs tend to value objective criteria above personal preference. When making decisions they generally give more weight to logic than to social considerations. J– Judgment preferred to perception: INTJs tend to plan their activities and make decisions early. They derive a sense of control through predictability, which to perceptive types may seem limiting.
Masterminds are introspective, pragmatic, directive, and attentive. As strategists, they are better than any other type at brainstorming approaches to situations. Masterminds are capable but not eager leaders, stepping forward only when it becomes obvious to them that they are the best for the job. Strong-willed and very self-assured, they may make this decision quickly, as they tend to make all decisions. But though they are decisive, they are open to new evidence and new ideas, flexible in their planning to accommodate changing situations. They tend to excel at judging the usefulness of ideas and will apply whatever seems most efficient to them in accomplishing their clearly envisioned goals.
INTJs are the most independent of all types, and their emotions are hard to read, for they are not very expressive. At times, INTJs seem cold, reserved, and unresponsive, while in fact they are almost hypersensitive to signals of rejection from those they care for. In social situations, INTJs may also be unresponsive and may neglect small rituals designed to put others at ease. For example, INTJs may communicate that idle dialogue such as small talk is a waste of time.
Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations. This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. In forming relationships, INTJs tend to seek out others with similar character traits and ideologies. Agreement on theoretical concepts is an important aspect of their relationships. By nature INTJs can be demanding in their expectations, and approach relationships in a rational manner.
As promised, I cordially welcome you all to the March Movie Madness! Check out the picture below to see what the posts are all about. I will try my best to write a new one each day! Also, as a fun extra bonus, I will try to incorporate a song featured on the movie's soundtrack.
Day 1 - The best movie you saw during the last year:Midnight in Paris
To be completely honest, I'm not a huge fan of Woody Allen. In fact, I've always thought that he is a bit overrated. Also, the fact that he married his stepdaughter struck me as being a little bit disturbing and off, but putting his personal life aside, I've just never been a huge fan of his work. Before Midnight in Paris, I'd seen Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I found nothing special in Match Point but Vicky Cristina Barcelona was definitely interesting, mostly because of the brilliant performances delivered by its five-star cast (Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem.)
In any case, when I saw the trailer for Midnight in Paris, what caught my attention the most was the fact that it had a lot of surrealist elements. From what I'd gathered, Woody Allen's films were very "real," based mostly on the complexities of human relationships, but now he had written and directed a film where the protagonist (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter who had traveled to Paris with his fiancee (Rachel McAdams), went back in time to what he considered to be Paris's Golden Age (the 1920's) every evening at the stroke of midnight. In this fantastical world, Wilson's crossed paths with many of the prominent figures of the era: F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, etc. Anyways, I don't want to give it all away in case you haven't seen it, but it's quite a charming film, and I recommend it without any reservations, especially if you're looking for a film that has a little bit of everything - romance, fantasy, comedy, etc.
The first post in the Whimsical Wednesday series will... have to wait.
I know, I know... I should stop procrastinating so much and just write. What can I say? I can't defend myself this time. But, I will tell you that I already know what I'll be writing about: the KONY 2012 video. In fact, I've been thinking about writing a post on it since the video came out. I know the topic probably isn't as relevant as it was last week (how quickly things can become outdated in the online community, eh?), but I still have some things to say about it. Anyways, that will be up shortly - I swear!
For this first installment of Tantalizing Tuesday, I'm probably going to be as ambitious as one can get, for today's post is related to cosmology and the origin of life.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is a leading American astrophysicist, currently in charge of directing the Hayden Planetarium (part of the American Museum of Natural History) in New York City. He is also a prominent writer, having authored many books including: "Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution" and "Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier." Another interesting fact that I'd like to mention about him is that he is a proponent of the intelligent design theory, or the view that "certain features of the universe and living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection."
Anyways, after that brief introduction, let me get to the actual content of today's post. Though this is a very interesting subject, worthy of debating for hours on end, contrary to what you guys might've expected, this is not going to be a lengthy spiel about my opinion on the matter. As this is Tantalizing Tuesday, I just wanted to provide you with something to tickle your brains; to give you things that many of you probably don't think about all that often. Anyways, this video includes Neil deGrasse Tyson's answer to the question "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?” Check out what he has to say, and by all means, comment!
"When I look up at the night sky and I know that, yes, we are part of this Universe, we are in this Universe, but perhaps more important than most of those facts is that the Universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up — many people feel small, because they’re small, the Universe is big — but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars. There’s a level of connectivity — that’s really what you want in life. You want to feel connected, you want to feel relevant. You want to feel like you’re a participant in the goings on and activities and events around you. That’s precisely what we are, just by being alive.”
Today's track comes from Parker & Hanson on Anjunabeats. Some of you may recognize Anjunabeats as the record label founded by the members of Above & Beyond, one of my favorite trance groups ever. This particular track is one of the label's latest releases; and for those of you who like trance, it's definitely worth your time. I really like the buildup that starts to takes place somewhere along the middle of the track, where a melodious piano riff slowly leads us into this amazing electronic beat that just carries us through. I can already see myself power-walking to this. Anyways, that's all for the first installment of Music Mondays. Enjoy!
You gotta gather what you need, you gotta choose a direction
And when the moment is right for you, you gotta go...
I know I’ve been pretty absent these last couple of weeks. I
was even supposed to start the March Movie Madness Challenge with my friend
over at amused, and I failed to do that. (Gomen ne! I think I’ll start it in
mid-March, though!) Honestly, I don’t even have a valid excuse. All I can say
is that these last few weeks have been somewhat of an emotional mess. My mind
and emotions have been all over the place, and I'm not entirely sure why. Don’t worry, though. It’s nothing
new or tragic or anything like that. It’s pretty much a buildup of the same
problems and issues that I try to keep under control, but that seem to be keen
on resurfacing over and over again (which is why I won’t even talk about them
at length now.)
The point is, I miss writing. As I’ve mentioned many times
before, when I write, I feel like it helps me organize my mind. Therefore, I
shall make a bigger effort at updating you more regularly from now on. I’m
currently planning something, something BIG, that I don’t want to reveal to all
of you just yet. (Those that do know about my plan, please keep it under wraps
for now. All will reveal itself in due time.)
What else can you expect from me in the coming weeks? Well, as I
already said, I will most likely be starting a movie challenge very soon. And I also wanted to start a book challenge, but we’ll see how I manage my time.
Lastly, I’ve been thinking about ways to spice the blog up a little bit, and I
came up with a "blogging schedule" of sorts. I’ll blog about a certain subject depending
on what day of the week it is. I’m not
saying that I’ll blog every single day, nor I am entirely sure how this will
work out, but it’s just an idea that I had and that I wanted to share in case any of you were interested. Anyways, this is what I came up
with (what can I say, I like alliterations):
Music Mondays
– Recommend a new song or artist that I think you’d all enjoy.
Tantalizing
Tuesdays – Tantalizing: having or exhibiting something that provokes or arouses expectation, interest, or desire.
Here, I thought I’d provide reviews of recent movies or books in a way that
would entice you and make you think, “Hmm, that seems like something I’d like
to check out.”
Whimsical
Wednesday – This is kind of like the free-for-all. You all know I’m
very whimsical in nature, so on Wednesdays, I might write about whatever random
topic I’ve been thinking about/doing research on lately.
Tasty Thursdays
– Provide you all with a recipe that I’ve tried and loved, or that I would like to try
sometime in the near future.
Fit Fridays
– Give you all some fitness and health advice, or ideas for workouts, etc.
Smart Saturdays
– Blog about things that I consider to be thought provoking.
Spiritual Sundays
– Because we cannot neglect our spiritual component, I thought that on Sundays,
I could provide motivational quotes, self-help ideas, or even religious-themed
posts.
So, I just wanted to check in and let you all know that I'm still alive, that I still blog, and that I'm not giving up on life (a tad bit dramatic, I know, but would you have me any other way? hehe.)
Anyways, until next time. You know you love me, XOXO.
