Benjamin

Distance Travelled: 468 km
Total Distance Travelled: 928 km

It was another beautiful sunny day, one that was seemed to be designed for a long drive. I just hope that this weather holds up for the rest of my trip. I woken up an hour or so after dawn and went to the local Tim Horton's in Espanola for an injunction of much needed caffeine, before I hit the road to continue my trek westward, to my parents' place.

Currently, I'm in a small mining town of Wawa, Ontario, population approximately four thousand. I travelled nowhere near my expected goal of 500 km per day, but it was such a nice day that I took an hour break to meditate, absorbed the sun and watch the waters (Lake Superior). I left just as soon as I got centred and a bite to eat. As you can tell, I'm not really in any hurry to get home.

Wawa is an interesting and quaint town, I never really heard of it before, but then again, I am rather ignorant about Canadian geography. The locals are nice and show their prize monument of a giant Canadian Geese, apparently that's what Wawa means among the First Nation People (I hope that I've used the politically correct term – it seems to change daily up here) – actually I think it's loosely translated as 'Wild Goose,' but regardless what the name means it is a nice place. I know that I've only seen two small towns, but I'm definitely beginning to feel the charm of small towns – I could really see myself living in one for a part of my life.

Distance Travelled: 460 km
Total Distance Travelled: 460 km

I just completed my first day of my semi-transcendental road trip. I woke up at the crack of dawn, wrote a goodbye note to my godfather, and headed out on the road. At first, it looked like it would be an overcast day, which I didn't expect – it was rather temperate the last couple days, but the sun came out and the temperature rose with it. It would rather be an uncomfortable thing riding my motorcycle in the rain.

As noted above, I've only travelled 460 kilometres before I thought I would lay my head down. I was hoping to average about 500 kilometres per day, but I'm happy at how far I travelled. Living around the Golden Horseshoe (the industrial area by the Great Lakes shaped as a rather demented horseshoe) it was easy to forget that Ontario, the province I live in, consists mostly of lakes and woods – it's rather serene outside the city limits, something that I don't usually associate with my imagination of Ontario.

Currently, I'm in a motel room in Espanola, Ontario (a.k.a. Rainbow Country – apparently the trout fishing out here is amazing), population approximately five and a half thousand people. It's a rather quaint paper mill town, not quite as 'uncivilised' as I thought it might be. Well, what's my definition of 'civilised'? Well, for starters, a McDonalds or similar fast food franchise and most importantly a Tim Horton's (the Canadian equivalent to Dunkin' Doughnuts – is that how it's spelt or is it donuts?). Espanola has both, which bodes well in my opinion.

There was one thing that I didn't account in my haste planning on this road trip and that was the price of petrol – its triple digits up here! It seems that this road trip would be a tad more expensive than I anticipated, but I'll worry about that when my liquid cash runs drier, hopefully it would be too bad, but I tend to be more frugal in the days to come. Well, it's still early yet and I think that I would log out and explore the town for a couple of hours before going to bed – day two of my road trip would start at dawn.

Just got home from a fraternity party, well actually two and I'm a tad inebriated (*hush* don't tell my mother). Gabriel, my once vagabonding friend from high school and Aaron, my older brother, had invited me to their 'End of School' parties.

I spent a couple of hours at Gabe's frat party and then headed over to Aaron's – it's good to know people who throw great parties. Gabe's party was the typical frat party with loud music and people dancing everywhere, but it was fun nevertheless. Aaron's frat party was more imaginative, it was an 'End of School' and 'Cinco de Mayo' party with half party and mariachi music, party and Mexican munchies and of course, what's a Cinco de Mayo party without margaritas? Now, officially I'm not allowed any alcohol – I'm about two years shy, but it's a party and a special occasion so I had a margarita or two, or three, or five.

I had a rather good time, despite the fact that I wished Lizzie were with me. She called earlier to tell me that she's safe and sound at MIT, which curbed my anxiety immensely. Lizzie is very excited to start work on Monday, but in the mean time, she's slowly unpacking and getting acclimated to her surroundings. I better head off to bed soon, I'm leaving at dawn for my road trip – I just hope that I don’t have a hangover.

I'm here at the airport waiting for Lizzie's plane to takeoff. We had a rather emotional (a.k.a. amorous – we gave each other goodbye kisses about fifty times) sending off and Lizzie promised me that she would call me the moment she arrives at MIT. We also promised each other that we would stay in contact with each other as much as humanly possible. It's the first time either of us had tried a long distance relationship, but we're giving it the old college try. It's funny, she's not even out of the city yet and I already miss her, as if I'm incomplete without her.

It seems like everyone is leaving town (or campus) tomorrow – my housemates are leaving town (sans Trevor, whose moving in with his girlfriend). Aaron, my older brother, is leaving tomorrow too. He's driving his baby blue coloured corvette down to New York to Mary, my older sister, to allow her to use his 'baby' while he's away doing 'God's work' (his term, not mine) in Africa. He then would take a flight from there to his African destination. As a car enthusiastic myself, I understood why my older brother would do this, a vehicle must be used regularly or they would feel neglected.

As for myself, I'm leaving Dodge tomorrow too. I am, however, not flying to my parents' house. I figured that it was due time to take another road trip – a nearly transcontinental one. So, I planned to ride Kitty (my motorcycle) all the way to Vancouver, where my parents live. The trip itself is just over 4, 500 kilometres and with a change of clothes, some munchies, a portable tent, and a sleeping bag, the trip would take approximately nine or ten days if I pace myself – in short, I'm vagabonding there with my motorcycle.

It's funny, as I child, I loathed road trips with a passion. I would start fidgeting after half an hour in a car. It wasn't until I got or was getting my driver’s licence that the appeal of a road trip seduced me. This would be my first epic road trip, at least I think so, and I'm looking forward to it.

Just finished my last final!

Stars! These set of exams were the toughest yet. Granted, they're supposed to be tougher the further ahead one goes into school, but I had no idea how draining these things could be. I reckon having my examination schedule starting off with my M.C.A.T.s did not improve my disposition during the examination period, but I think I would have freaked out just the same without the M.C.A.T.s – I've been told that I put a tad too much pressure on myself – especially when school is concerned.

As most of you know, I'm not one to think back on a test after it's completed, but I do feel the anxiety of the results from time to time. Of all the exams that I have just taken (excluding the M.C.A.T.), I think my toughest exam would be the applied mathematics course that Lizzie, my girlfriend, somehow persuade me to sit. I don't know how she does it, but she could give this look (somewhere across a lost and injured puppy and a pleading child) that could make me do almost anything, a look that should be outlawed (she had me buying her tampons once by giving me that look)!

Regardless, the exam for my applied mathematics course was brutal. It was only five questions long and three hours was not enough time to finish it all! I hope it's graded on a curve! I don't know why I didn't drop the course earlier, the main reason I took it, besides Lizzie giving me 'the look,' was because it was Lizzie's first time being a Teacher's Assistant (T.A.) and she wanted a familiar face to curb her anxieties. I remember telling her that I would take this course provisionally, until she felt comfortable in her new role and then drop the course, but I stuck to it.

It's not like I needed the math credit – I've already taken my mathematics requirement for medical school. I remember sitting in my Calculus and Statistics class, staring out the window, daydreaming when I would ever need to know derivatives in real life! I still ponder about that to this day!

All in all, despite all the jinxing or bad karma coming my way when I type this, but I think I rather did well, *knock on wood* Damn, this kitchen table isn't made of wood, it's the synthetic type. Oh, no, got to find real wood before I jinx myself altogether.

It's been a real long day!

I just spent most of the day looking for a place to stay, instead of revising for my remainder finals. At first, I thought I could register for summer residence at the dormitories, but alas, the cut off date for doing that have long since passed. Then, I asked my roommates what their plans were. Serenity and Christina had finished all their finals and was moving back home for the summer, before starting graduate and medical schools respectively. As for Trevor, he's moving in with his girlfriend and I don't feel right intruding on their privacy.

I then went around asking my family to see if they have room for me to kip in for the summer, but alas they didn't. Aaron, my older brother, would not be spending the summer in Toronto – he's actually spending his summer doing missionary work in Africa. A noble gesture, but it doesn't solve my residence problem (ouch, that sounded rather selfish didn't it?). My godfather has a spare room, but only for a short period of time, before his mother-in-law moves in after she gets back from hospital.

Lizzie would have offered her place, if she had a place to live in come the beginning of the month. At the end of the month, she too would be moving out of the flat she shares with her older sister. Her older sister has finished all her finals and instead of paying for the extra month (May), she is moving back to Ottawa to be with her family. The ironic thing, Lizzie was about to ask me if she could bunk with my household, because she would only stay until the fifth, before she flies to the States for her summer job. I was so desperate for a place to lay my head that I even ask Ian and Henry's (my dorm mate last year and his boyfriend) if they could let me stay in their one bedroom flat until I found a place to stay!

It was then that I realised that you had to be at least eighteen years old to sign a lease for renting an apartment or taking a room at the Y.M.C.A. without your parents' permission – darn a year shy. So, when I called my parents about my situation, they, for the first time in recent memory, agreed that I should come home for the summer.

So, at the end of this month, I would be homeless without a place to lay my head. In the end, I have no choice, but to go home for the summer – a prospect that I'm not really looking forward to. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and would love to see my siblings again, but it's not home. They made a deal with me, if I spend the summer with them they would sign a lease for an apartment of my choosing (within reason) for me to live in the upcoming year.

So, with little to do, I moved most of my stuff into my storage unit that I've been renting for awhile, where it would sit, hopefully safe, until the autumn. Fortunately, my godfather was gracious enough to allow Lizzie their guestroom and for me to kip on the couch until the end of finals, when Lizzie and I would then go our separate ways. It's not the ideal solution that I wanted, but I could live with it.

Got to jet, the household is going out for the night together – it is our last night together and we all want that time to be memorable!

I'm having a minor nervous breakdown right now. It is a very inconvenient time having one too – I'm in the middle of finals! Then again, when is a good time to have one? I wish I could blame someone for being the cause, but unfortunately, the onus of my mental breakdown is my fault.

I came home from work and noticed that everyone was packing their stuff. At first I thought that we had something planned for this weekend (i.e., going out of town together) and I have forgotten, but I automatically eliminated that possibility, because we're in the middle of finals and no one in the house, me included, is mad enough to go away for the weekend with finals dangling over our heads.

So, I inquired about why they were packing. My roommates looked at me as if I've grown a third head. Apparently, we are to vacate the house by the end of the month because the professor we are house-sitting for is returning earlier than expected. Instead of returning the beginning of the fall term (September), she's returning on the first of May – four months ahead of schedule!

Now, one would expect that we should have been given ample timing if the professor was coming home early than expected. We were, but I was stupid enough not to believe it. You see, when we got the note that we were to move out at the end of the month it was dated the first of April and written in Trevor's handwriting. At first I almost freaked out, but then I remembered that it was April Fool's Day and thought that it was just a prank. It never occurred to me that the note could be genuine and it never occurred to me inquire after it. So, it seems that instead of outsmarting the joke, I was outsmarted.

So, instead of spending most of the month looking for another place to live, I have squandered that time with frivolous matters like school, revising for my M.C.A.T.s, etc. I have done most of my packing, leaving a small duffel bag with a couple days of clothing. Now, all I have to do is find a place to live in two days time – see why I'm freaking out and having a mental breakdown?

What a day! Taking the M.C.A.T.s is a... surreal experience – something that I'm not looking forward in experiencing any time soon. After nearly four months of revision, the biggest test of my academic career to date is over with! Now, I have finals to look forward to on Monday... *sigh* when does all it all end?

Getting into the room to actually take the test was rather daunting, we were practically stripped searched (we were only allowed to bring in identification (sans wallet)) and then digitally fingerprinted before we were allowed over the threshold of the room. We were then escorted to our cubical (they told us where to sit) and were provided our very own scrap paper, industrial ear covers and pencils – the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) don't mess around when they give their tests! The test itself was a real killer! I'm surprised that my brain didn't explode!

( Read more... )

The M.C.A.T. is like no other exams I have ever taken – this bloody test actually took most of my day! I'm used to having exams around three hours, any longer then I start to go stir crazy. The M.C.A.T. is broken down into four sections and after each section we're allowed to have an optional break, which I took every time, but didn’t plan to. Below is what I had to endure today, something that I allowed myself to go through – what can I say I'm half mad!

M.C.A.T. Breakdown

• 77 multiple choice questions on Physical Science (marked out of fifteen)
• Optional ten minute break
• 60 multiple choice questions on Verbal Reasoning (marked out of fifteen)
• Optional one hour lunch break
• 77 multiple choice questions on Biological Science (marked out of fifteen)
• Optional ten minute break
• 2 essay questions that test our Writing Sample (marked form J to T)

As mentioned above, I wasn't planning on taking the optional breaks or lunch, but I hadn't realise how exhausted I felt after each section that I changed my mind. Unfortunately, it wasn't relaxing as I planned it to be. Kevin, the bane of my existence, the self-proclaimed authority of everything and anything under the sun sought me out at every break (and believe me I tried to hide) and question me on my answers on each and every question that he had doubts on. I ended up telling him (not so nicely) to piss off – one of the many things that I don’t do is discuss my tests that I just completed – ever! Very little good could come from doing that. I'm worried about the test enough, without having someone else's anxiety compounded onto mine. However, Kevind didn't get the message *sigh*

At the end of the day, Lizzie (my girlfriend), Christina (my roommate), Andrew (an old friend of mine), and yes, Kevin asked me how it went. I told them, what I really thought – I don't know, part feels like Hermione when she was about to open her O.W.L results – that we would fail (or done poorly)! Unfortunately, this feeling won't go away anytime soon – the results of the M.C.A.T.s would be mailed to us in eight weeks. So, for the next two months, I would be holding my breath and being a pain to anyone who wants to talk to me about my M.C.A.T.

Now, I feel like turning off my brain to get some sleep. I have a boatload of finals to look forward to for the next fortnight, but at least I could sleep well tonight knowing that I just killed off my Goliath of exams.

I'm feeling restless.

I've been trying to sleep for the last hour and so with very little success. For the last week, I've been doing something rather novel with my time – actually doing some revisions during my study period (hence the reason my absence).

My M.C.A.T. is being held tomorrow and I really need some sleep. I don't want to fall asleep in the middle of the test. I haven't felt this anxious since I took my S.A.T.s, I remember being a nervous wreak before taking that test too. It's just that there's more to lose if I don't do too well, this one test will determine which medical school I could go to. How is it fair in making one standardised test in determining one's future? Granted, I could retake the test twice more if for some reason I don't do too well on it, but it is looked down upon and I would like to do it in one go.

Christina, my roommate, who's heading to Harvard Medical this autumn, tells me that I would do fine, considering she took her M.C.A.T.s last year. She is confident in my abilities and knows how much I studied and how long I poured over the material. *sigh* I just wish that I was that confident.

Wish me luck tomorrow! I feel like I'd need a boatload of it!

I've been so preoccupied that I didn't realise that Lent was over until recently when my boss at work placed a cup of coffee in front of me. I looked up at her questioningly when she told me that this was the last day of Lent and my fast from caffeine was over. Taking a sip (I don't usually drink coffee this late at night, but I'm making an exception), I realised that I lost some of my pallet for coffee, because normally I loathe what those yuppie coffee chain calls coffee (and I work for them too), normally equating them to... well, urine. However, after forty days and night, I found that I don't loathe it as passionately as I did before.

Giving up caffeine was a difficult task to do, I read somewhere (I don't remember where) that it takes seven days to change one's routine. I don't know if that's true, but the first thing I did the day after Lent was in a sleep induced walk was to pour a cup of coffee to begin my morning routine. It was then that I pondered if it was a wise thing for me to give up caffeine, because I love coffee, chocolate and Coke – not to mention that I work at one of those Satanic-owned, yuppie coffee chains that should not be named.

Regardless, when I decided to give up caffeine, I didn't realise how many things I normally ate had it in them. Still, temptation is one aspect of Lent, but there were days where I would kill for a chocolate bar. Well, I didn't cave in, but kept to my fast. So, now I'm enjoying my first cup of coffee in forty days, it almost makes up for the crappy day that I had – almost.

*takes a sip* ah, coffee – ambrosia – nectar of the gods!

I just spent most of my morning and part of my afternoon running around the campus like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to find out the purpose of Monday's meeting. The incomplete message that the university's president left me is driving me mad – well madder than usual. I hardly gotten any sleep and now I fear that it would slowly drive me insane – a trip that I should be well use to, but the heinousness of it is that it's going to ruin my weekend! I need my weekends – it keeps me sane!

First thing in the morning, I headed to the President's office and waited there for him. I waited for about an hour before his secretary came in and told me that he wouldn't be in all weekend. Disappointed, I asked the secretary, if by chance, she knew what the meeting on Monday was about – sadly, she didn't know. I then did some detective work and found out where the President lived. So, I called him at his residence and found out from his wife that he was away all weekend and wouldn't be back until late Sunday. Like the secretary, I asked his wife if she knew what the purpose of Monday's meeting was about, but alas, her husband does not confide in her too much about the comings and goings of running the university. So, I left her my name, message and asked him to return my call at his earliest convenience.

So, I'm left off where I began, knowing nothing, but that I was ordered to a meeting first thing Monday morning. I really hope that it's something frivolous, because I have no idea what's going to happen. I hate going into the unknown unprepared (I like the control) – it's the boy scout within me, I have to be prepared for any contingency, just wish I knew what to expect. I don't know why I'm feeling guilty or worried, because I really don't think that I did anything wrong, so I shouldn't worry, but the voice in the back of my head will not shut up!

*sigh* I really must do something to keep my mind off this matter. I think that I'm going to hang out with Lizzie or spend some time revising for my MCATs at the library, because the exam is only two weeks away! Great another thing to worry about, well at least if I keep my mind occupied, I could forget about that meeting. I would rather fight a monster that I know, then one I don't. *sigh* I am slowly going insane – strange, I thought that I would enjoy the process more. *sigh* Later Days!

I really hate incomplete phone messages. I just came home from work and I found out that the President of the University called me and left me a message. He not so kindly "required and requested" that I attend a meeting with him first thing business on Monday morning.

This phone message squeaked me on several levels. The President of the University doesn't just call any student for a meeting and demand that they come – what's worse is that he didn't even clarify what this meeting is about, so I'm left to the obvious and think the worst! The last time I was summoned to the principal's office was back in the sixth grade when I was twelve and then it was on good terms (it was when he suggested that I go straight to high school skipping the next two grades), but the demeanour and timbre of the president's voice was anything but pleasant, in fact it sounds down right... accusatory is probably the closest word. The last time I got in trouble with a principal was... well never.

What in the world that I do that put me out of the good graces of the president? I mean I'm not really that noticeable, I'm just the same as every other 4.0 student, sure I'm an accelerated student, but so is Lizzie and she's working on her doctorial thesis, so logically she would catch the president's eyes before me. I'm just a hard working student that kept my nose to the grindstone and my head down.

I'm not into student government or in student paper, so I don't have a need to contact the president. I haven't committed any heinous crime that I know of, not really into any sports team that I would be recognised from, haven't been to any protests that got out of hand. So, why would the university's president be interested in a student that hardly stands out from any other student?

I tried to call back, but his secretary told me that he has already left for the evening. So, now I can't help worrying, thinking about the absolute worst and losing my sanity in the process – granted I don't have much of my sanity left, but the little I have I like to keep.

A while ago, I mentioned that I had mandatory therapy sessions to go to for a study about accelerated students that the Board of Education is researching. Some time ago, my therapist found out that I was dating Lizzie, another accelerated student, so she suggested that we have a couples' session in tandem with our own private sessions. Now, I have nothing against therapists and psychology/psychiatry is part of the medical syllabus, but I don’t have much faith in such a... subjective science.

Regardless about my misgivings, I find it rather helpful to spew my guts to a third party. Well, I did until now. I just had a really heated therapy session – a couples session. Apparently, our therapist decided to take something from Lizzie's private session and introduce it into our session. She wanted to talk about Lizzie's opportunity at MIT and how it would affect our relationship. I was... reluctant to discuss the matter with our therapist, because mainly, it wasn't her business – I know that that's her job, but I would have liked to discuss the future of our relationship with Lizzie first, before a partial third party.

I found it rather difficult to discuss our relationship with someone who reminds me of my grandmother – thank the stars that she's not a Freudian – do you know how disturbing it is to talk about our psychosexual lives with someone that reminds me of my grandmother? Regardless, I still don't feel comfortable discussing a rather sensitive matter that I had barely two days to digest. I'm not sure how Lizzie felt, but I felt that she was trying to force us into making a decision – one that Lizzie haven't decided on. I mean she still has some time to make her decision and until she does everything is up in the air. So, whatever we decide right now is academic and moot. *sigh* Just wish our therapist understood that. I just some times think that Shakespeare got it wrong when he wrote, "kill all the lawyers." :P

I just woke up screaming Bloody Murder from what I thought was a nightmare not too long ago. Apparently, while revising for my MCATs I somehow fell asleep (it's been a long and tiring day). For some odd reason I thought I was dreaming about my mother chastising me, but she didn't sound like my mother, but she had the same haughtiness and screaming like timbre when talking. I soon realised (after screaming myself into a scare) that it wasn't a dream, but a voice emanated from the television.

Does anyone watch Gilmore Girls? Well, Christina (my roommate) is a fan of the show, but because she's rather busy trying to get into Harvard Medical School, she doesn't have time to watch it. However, she does record the episodes she missed and watches it when she has time. Apparently, one of the characters in the show sounds so eerily like my mother. I don't know her name (Mrs Kim?), but Christina tells me that she's the Korean owner of the antique's shop in the show. She's so similar to my mother that it's scary; they have the same "I'm always angry timbre" speaking voice, bible thumping convictions, and the "I'm right you're wrong" attitude. I mean if you close your eyes and replaced the Korean accent with a Chinese one and the Christian dogma into Catholicism than you have my mother, which explains me waking up in a scream.

It's just so eerily spooky to have a writer that doesn't know my mother to write her so well. Although my relationship with my mother is explosive at best, I am strangely drawn to the show with a horrid fascination, because of this character – it's like watching a car wreck, it's a terrible occurrence, but you stop/slow down to take a gander. *sighs* I really need to get my sanity checked.

I knew that something was amidst when Lizzie called me out of the blue to meet in the middle of our busy schedules (we usually meet up after our days unless otherwise planned). I could tell by the timbre of her voice that she was stressed about telling me something. I wished she called me later in the day than she did, because she refused to discuss it over the phone and I couldn't concentrate on anything because of it.

Apparently, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) called her and offered her a summer placement. I don't know how they knew Lizzie or read any of her obscure papers, which frankly I don't understand, but this is an unbelievable opportunity. This job would start on 8 May and would continue until the beginning of the autumn term, the following school year. It's a well paying job, with excellent benefits and free room and board – one would have to be crazy to turn it down.

In the beginning of our relationship, Lizzie and I made it very clear that when an (academic) opportunity like this arises we wouldn't stop each other from taking it. Now, it was time to test our convictions. I would be lying if I said that there wasn't a part of me – a small part that didn't want to go, but all in all, I was very supportive for her. This opportunity also tested our convictions about relationships in general. We both don't believe in long distance relationships, we find that it lacks a certain intimacy to keep it growing strong.

So, now we're at a crisis in our relationships – should we mutually break-up, should we take a break/separation or should we go against our convictions, throw caution to the wind and have a long distance relationship? I mean Cambridge, Massachusetts isn't that far away, I could always visit her on long weekends during the summer. Of course, this is all academic depending if Lizzie takes this opportunity or not, which I hope she takes. *sighs* what to do, what to do...

I know that the first day of spring happened a couple of weeks ago (21 March), and despite our unusually warm winter it did come in like a lion and out like a lamb. Comparatively speaking, we had an unseasonably warm winter, the first snowfall and first frost was came later than usual, there were fewer days below zero, it rained more than it snowed, and there were very few days where snow actually stayed on the ground.

There's also another well known saying that April showers brings May flowers, nowhere did it mention snow and yet as I woke up at half five to run my 10K, to my surprise there was a thin veil of snow on the ground! Here we are in April, only five days in, well into spring, and there's snow on the ground! Granted that the snow would melt quickly after the sun has fully risen (knock on wood) – the snow's that thin, but nevertheless it's there!

Now despite my preference of winter over summer, I am so ready to welcome the warmer weather. It has been a long winter and the change of season would be appreciated – even if spring only last for a couple of weeks, at least it fits the general ideal of spring. *sigh* I have a feeling that it would be a very odd day – a very odd day indeed. Snow in April! What is the world coming to?

It has been a rather long day, with lessons, my shopping excursion, therapy session, and work one could really understand. In a moment of weakness and insanity, I've decided against finishing up my reading, homework and revisions for my upcoming MCATs to actually watch one of the DVDs that (in a moment of delirious abandonment) I purchased today (okay, it's more weakness than insanity, but I need a break too *sighs* now I'm rationalising my rationalisations). So, instead of doing the responsible and predictable thing, I grabbed the next to last package of microwave popcorn in the cupboard and popped in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in my portable DVD player.

Below is a short synopsis of the film and below/behind the LJ cut is my review (spoiler warning),

Through a magic portal, the Pevensie kids – Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter – escape from World War II England to Narnia, which is inhabited by all sorts of talking beasts, including the lion Aslan. The children learn that the mystical land is ruled by the evil White Witch, who holds on to power through a seemingly unbreakable spell.

( Film Review )

Based on the book by C.S. Lewis of the same name, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is perhaps surprisingly faithful to the original work, comparatively speaking of other film adaptation of books – even the biblical allegory is present, but it is not blatantly sanctimonious as other "Christian" films in recent films has been.

The film script has been wonderfully written, especially when divided into four screenwriters. They've done an excellent job of keeping the Lewis dialogue akin to Britain circa World War II. The dialogue seems more conversation than fairy tale like and the extended action scenes adds more excitement and spectacle to the film. The score is as majestic as it ought to be, despite a few out of period songs, but regardless, it gave the film such an ethereal feeling.

The CGI blossoms on screen, where in the novel is left much to the reader's imagination. In short, the blend of live action and CGI is striking. Although, in some battle scenes, a few movements was rather synthetic, but the photo-realism of thousands of creatures and their amazingly organic movements, especially when mixed in with actual locations and real actors, is a remarkable achievement. Speaking of extended battles scenes, there is oddly a surprising lack of blood anywhere, at first I thought the film was G rated, but was rather surprised at the PG rating.

The children are nicely fleshed out. Peter is a born leader, but uncertain on how to grasp leadership, he's trying so hard to be like a father to his siblings, yet failing short on it. Susan's warm maternal instincts are clearly pronounced and her realist/cynicism demeanour (i.e., nagging pessimist/wet blanket) is shown through rather well. Edmund is delightfully prattish, while still trying to find his voice in the family like most middle children do, his treachery seems to stems more from hurt feelings than a mere taste of enchanted food from the White Witch (which is brilliantly acted IMO). While Lucy, is delightfully innocent and precarious child, whose curiosity is shown well.

All in all, an enjoyable viewing experience.

DVD Specail Features includes:

• Disk One: The film (of course), Bloopers, Discover Narnia Fun Facts, Kids/Director and Filmmakers' Commentary.

• Disk Two: Several Commentaries: Creating Narnia: Chronicles Of a Director, The Children’s Magical Journey, Evolution of an Epic, From One Man's Mind, Cinematic Storytellers, Creating Creatures, and Anatomy of a scene: The Melting River. Creatures, Lands & Legends: Creatures of the World, Exploring Narnia, and Legends in Time.

( DVD Review )

I have yet delve much into Disk Two, I would save those commentaries/documentaries to a time where I have less to do, but peripherally, they seem interesting and informative. On Disk One, I was pleasantly surprised that there were not one, but two commentaries to the film, because most films/DVDs (i.e., Harry Potter) that are directed at the same target audience (i.e., children), this was a pleasant surprise. I have yet to hear these commentaries myself – I don't have the time to re-watch the film twice over to hear what the actors, directors and filmmakers have to say.

Surprisingly absent in the extra features is that there are no games, which usually litter most DVDs with children as the target audience; though it's really no major loss if you hate DVD games entirely (i.e., me!). The Bloopers were short, unorganised, terrible and mildly humorous, though I would gladly sacrifice the Bloopers and perhaps the Fun Facts of Narnia for some deleted scenes, which is oddly missing. The feature Fun Facts of Narnia is a replay of the film, with pop up bubbles with interesting facts (presumably about Narnia) littered throughout the film and narrated by a relative of C.S. Lewis (a nephew or great-nephew, I can't remember) if so desired. I have yet experience this particular feature and have no speculation if it's really worth viewing the film for a third time (after the two commentaries), but I think I could live without it.

Just came back from HMV – spent an obscene amount there too.

I went there mainly to purchase The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Collector's Edition), but came away with so much more – too much in my taste (blast my Catholic guilt)! While meandering the aisles of HMV, I also managed to pick up Brokeback Mountain (Lizzie was aghast that I haven't seen this picture yet). I also picked up on some of the deals that they had on other films Crash and Memories of a Geisha for thirty dollars and Donnie Darko, Run Lola Run and Sex, Lies, and Videotape for thirty dollars also. Besides the DVDs I purchased a couple of CDs to replace/round out my collection that I've "borrowed" from my father. In total I've spent around 189 (Canadian) dollars and change! I really need to control my impulse buying. Thankfully, I don't venture to HMV unless a film that I would like to keep comes out on DVD or an album that I want to purchase comes out, which is about once every other month, but when I do go, I make it up in spades!

Well, got to jet – have to finish my lunch and get to my afternoon lessons soon!

It's been one of those days.

It took me half the morning to figure out that I was an hour ahead of everyone. As you know, we were supposed to spring forward one hour last night or rather early this morning at two in the morning. So, like any responsible person, I set my mobile, my laptop, my alarm clock, and watch an hour ahead before going to bed, so when I woke up it would be the correct time.

What I didn't know was that my mobile, my laptop, my alarm clock, and watch are rather smart, because they keep some sort of internal chronometer, knowing exactly when to move an hour ahead or behind depending on the date automatically. So, at two in the morning, without me knowing, it jumped an extra hour ahead – meaning instead of springing ahead one hour it sprung ahead two (one automatically and the other by my hand)! So, not only did I lose two hours of sleep, I was an hour early for all my appointments until I realised what happened by mid-morning.

I also did my income taxes this afternoon; you can imagine what fun that could be. Thank the heavens that student services offered free tax services for students, even though I was a tad apprehensive when I noticed that the person doing my statement was still wet behind the ears, but he did seem rather professional. So, I'm mentally crossing my fingers, hoping that there was nothing wrong with my tax return. In any case, I'm getting a refund of a couple hundred dollars – so it would be nice to have some spending money in the meantime.

I apologise for not updating my journal for a while. Really, my life has been quite ordinary – nothing to write home about. I went to lessons, did my reading, finished my homework, went to my therapy sessions, hung out with Lizzie, ran my daily 10K, did my workouts, played my weekly game of racquetball with Trevor, contemplated my sanity, revised for my M.C.A.T.s – you know a typical week.

I just came back from registering for my M.C.A.T.s – its official, this time next month (22 April) I would be taking the test that would determine where I would go to medical school – the test that would ultimately determine my future! Currently, I could feel the dread that's hovering on the horizon ready to pounce. I don't feel it yet, but I could taste it in the air, feel its essences – it's similar to the feeling of someone stepping on my grave.

I know I shouldn't feel this way. Firstly, I've been revising my past biology/chemistry notes on a daily basis since the New Year, secondly, I've been taking mock practice M.C.A.T.s tests twice a month and been improving with each test and thirdly, the bloody test is more than a month away – I shouldn't be on the verge of hyperventilating – not yet anyways. I really shouldn't feel this way, then again, I felt this way about a week before, during and immediately after taking my S.A.T.s and I did rather well on them – scored in the fifteen hundred range (out of the old 1600 points system). Drat, now I jinxed it, by saying that – have to find wood to knock. *sighs* I need to go out running to calm my nerves.