Couch Potato Conglomerate

This is the essay that was published in Challenge the Experts. It's a variation from my usual form of formal writing, and I only had two hours to work on it. The topic is: Many experts believe that voter turnout continues to decline because people have lost faith in their political leaders. Do you agree or disagree? and Why?

Couch Potato Conglomerate

By: Annie Li

Theodore Roosevelt once coined the phrase “A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” Neither the target nor the rifle has changed, so the fault is ultimately bequeathed to the user. The 1960s marked the gradual decline of voter turnout, and statistics reveal that the waning is predominantly determined by young voters. In a decade that saw mankind extend its fingers to touch the moon, it is necessary to recognize the debut of the tributaries of technology. Media propelled the debutantes of society onto a world stage and assumed the directorial position to advertise the indulgent behaviour that keeps voters grounded at home. This time, it is not a struggle against the red flags of foreign powers or their axes of evil to preserve democracy.

Instead, it is a fight against the couch potato conglomerates. Modern political leaders continue to trudge solidly along the steps hollowed out by the dedicated individuals who first intoned democracy. It is the masses that constantly writhe in fevered inconsistency, easily influenced by remote obligations and heedless of the ramifications of their conduct. The youths of today are confined within the materialistic ventures of Ipods and MP4s, spending 25 hours of their 24 hour day tapping away at computers. The immature citizenry tolerate extravagant lifestyles that far surpass society’s romantic view of civic duty. Every action is first evaluated against the effort and energy consumed as opposed to the consequences. In this case, though the leaders have not lost their appeal, it is simply too much of a hassle to vote.

Indifference and apathy are also major contributors to a declining voter turnout. Throughout the history of democracy, the value of one vote is often regarded as insignificant when placed adjacent to the whole. Though this fact will never change, when it is coupled with the belief of a ballooning population, it is much too discouraging. It is not the loss of faith that stimulates a conscientious voter to maintain sufficient distance from a ballot. There is no lack of remarkable political leaders, nor is there a lack of political passion. In this day and age, the enormous time commitment essential to understanding the party platforms and the candidates themselves is too expensive for many to consider while maintaining a fast-paced lifestyle.

The overexposure of the electoral campaigns to the public years before the actual election is another disincentive. On the other hand, while smear campaigns and attack advertisements aimed to reduce candidate credibility does trigger a loss of faith in the government, it in turn encourages the public to take action. To uphold the standards of democracy, it is necessary to utilize a more dramatic approach to resolve the conflict. Perhaps Australia’s compulsory voting system should be adopted - a breath of fresh air to poke fun at the idle clouds.

---
 
Some parts are quite awkward when I read it now - but I suppose it's because I never had the chance to let it sit and then go back to it. I wrote it in one setting without doing a proper rough copy and hardcopy edits. The last sentence is a specific example. I was actually trying to link the image of clouds with the image of potatoes (which then links to couch potatoes) in the readers' minds, but I don't think it was as effective as it could have been.
 
However, I do believe the essay discusses several issues regarding the decline in voter turnout, none of which is caused by the lack of faith in political leaders. If you didn't believe in the person who was representing you, wouldn't you do something to change that state of disatisfaction? You'd want to be more involved, as opposed to staying away. In addition, I don't believe that our current political leaders are necessarily less capable of fulfilling their duties than previous leaders. In the end, everything really depends on public image.

Malaysia!

Earlier this year, I won a trip to Malaysia (cool, huh?) and went away with a couple of other students for eleven days. I have to say that it was an experience of a lifetime.

My friend (one of the students who went on the trip) said this about it: (my comments are in blue)

Once the thrilled students stepped foot on Malaysian soil, they were immediately greeted by the warm 30 degree weather, a well earned break from the frigid subzero climate of Canada at the time. They were able to experience an incomprehensible spectrum of experiences from traditional to modern. For a few days, the participants found themselves navigating the labyrinth of bustling streets of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. This city has more bombardier rapid transit trains than Toronto, some which are even driverless. Here the students experienced places ranging from historical sites to houses of worship of several religions.

[We had to transfer at Taipei, and you could just feel the humidity and warmth of the air. Coolest thing about their transit is the section that's in the air.]

One evening, students were aggressively bargaining with street vendors in Petaling Street, a famed market in the city’s Chinatown. Another evening they were exploring the several floors full of brand named stores ranging from Gucci to Adidas at the Suria KLCC, a grand shopping complex at the foot of the majestic Patronus Twin Towers lit up in full glory beneath the night skies.

[I bought a shirt at Petaling St. for 20 ringgits, and then found the same shirt at the KLCC for a couple hundred.]

The students braved some 272 steps to reach the Batu Caves on the outskirts of the city. These caves are a Hindu pilgrimage site with ornate carvings and a population of friendly local monkeys who enjoy munching on food thrown by visitors.

[I fed a monkey an orange! I'm not so sure now that it was so wise - considering it was a wild monkey and it was hanging off my arm. But still very cool!

There's my monkey.]

The Canadian students also had the opportunity to tour a local Malaysian school and learn about local students of their age.

[That's a small sentence to sum up a big experience. They put on special performances and had special food prepared for us at the school. Their cooking classes are like the ones you read about in mangas - where each student has a little desk and has the opportunity to make stuff.]

Since the experience was government funded, students enjoyed a private bus as well as enthusiastic tour guides. The lavish and colourful bus was decorated with intricate patterns and glossy curtains. Thanks to this bus, the students were able to get out of the big city and head elsewhere. One morning students found themselves eating a decorative seafood lunch at the Putrajaya Seafood Restaurant, which is essentially a hut floating alongside a lakefront with dazzling views of the house of the Prime Minister, the 116 metre minaret of the Putra Mosque, and other architectural marvels within the administrative capital of Putrajaya. That very evening they devoured dinner sitting down on the floor and using nothing but their right hands to go through large portions of rice, vegetables, and meat plated on banana leaves and all grown in their very own backyards. They were now at the Kampung Dorani Homestay, a traditional Kampung village that offers foreign visitors a taste of traditional life.

[Yeah - the bus was pretty awesome. But on the topic of food - we were served really well. The restaurant he's describing there floats on a lake and has the most amazing view ever.

This (the pic) is what we could see.

The Homestay is my fav. part of the whole trip - as you will see later.]

At the homestay, the students experienced the true Malaysia. There were vibrant green rice paddies as far as the eye could see dotted with Kampungs, traditional colourful wooden Malaysian homes on stilts. In pairs, the students spent two nights with foster families, immersed in their gracious hospitality and the Malay language. Some of the families spoke little English. Students also experienced several traditional activities including eel fishing in the rice paddies, batik painting, and bahulu “kite” making. They also went to a colourful traditional Malaysian wedding, local food processing industries, and even on a river cruise to watch a rare sight of thousands of synchronized flashing fireflies.

[This is the only line that most of us learned on the two hour trip to the countryside. “Di Mana Saya Pergi Tandas?” The line literally translates to “Where I go washroom?” The picture below was taken by another friend on one of the mornings.

The homestay experience took my breath away. We split off into pairs and had our own "family". My partner and I ended up with a family that lived in the cutest house ever! They had a coconut tree in the front of their driveway and their house was painted in yellows, oranges, greens and blues. Our room was richly decorated (with a wedding-style bed - hahahaha) and had windows that overlooked the red flower bushes.

I wrote this in my "journal":

The sweet aftertaste of the cold coconut juice we were greeted with lingered until we’d split up into pairs and left with the “Father” we were introduced to. Sitting on what would be Canada’s driver’s side of the car and driving on the other side of the road was a new experience for me. Our car speeded past stocked mango stands as we weaved through the small, close-knit community. The house we were brought to seemed to come right out of a storybook. The driveway was lined with bright green bushes overgrown with red flowers. A coconut tree stood high beside the house, weighed down by the clusters of coconuts that reached for the ground. The colour of the house was a bright yellow orange, highlighted by beautiful, flat paneled shutters. Looking out from the second story window into the endless blue sky and mango grooves, Malaysia never seemed more real.

It's impossible to express everything that happened there, but I'll describe what I believe were the two coolest things.

Kite making was absolutely amazing. It wasn't too difficult, and I was the first person to go out and fly my kite. The sky was endlessly blue - and the wind was just perfect. All the coconut trees were swaying a bit on the side of the road, and my kite just flew up into the air.

There were a few times when it got caught on some weird eddies and started twisting, but soon, it was up as high as it could go.

I can't describe that feeling - simply standing near a paddie field and watching a kite fly on forever.

(I had to magnify my camera like 12 times to take this picture. It flew up really high.)

The other experience was the rain. It rained a couple of times in the short time we were there. But it wasn't the wet and disgusting kind you get in the city. It was seeing nature in nature. I remember the couple of us kicking around a coconut (as a soccer ball) after a whole day of activities (such as eel-fishing), and just running around the area created by the house stilts. Next thing we knew - the sky had turned dark blue and large splatters of rain were dropping from the sky. Within moments, it just started pouring.

A section from my "journal" again:

The sun that’d bathed the world in such bright light hid its face behind the clouds. Within moments, buckets of rain poured down in torrents, cutting us away from the rest of the world, in a place where life could be simple and happy. Where stress could find no foothold in the confines of such tranquility. Where laughter trickled alongside the water.

And it was true. I had no worries, no unpleasant thoughts, and felt a certain kind of peacefulness that I haven't encountered since.

Though this is an old image of a more traditional house than the homestay headquarters (where everyone goes to for the activities), just imagine standing underneath the house and feeling the rain blow in. It's unforgettable.

And rainbows, amazingly, aren't a rare sight. You can see one almost after every rainfall. ]

~

Another day, the students found themselves within the historical city of Melaka along the Straits of Malacca, once a prominent Portuguese seaport for the great spice trades. Highlights from this town include its authentic cuisine influenced by a variety of cultures. Students enjoyed a Portuguese influenced dinner and a Nyonya lunch, which is a complex style of cuisine utilizing a variety of spices and is influenced by local migrants from China and India throughout the past few centuries who married into Malaysian families. One night, the students cruised around town in trishaws, three-wheeled cycles topped with colourful sheaths of a variety of artificial flowers and designs. These vehicles dazzled as they traversed the roads flashing with flashing bright lights ranging from green to orange while blasting out their loud radios. They squeezed through every street corner from the bright red lanterns and Chinese flavour of the Jhonker Street markets, to the colonial styled churches and elegant gardens of the Dutch square, and even down the pristine riverfront.

[Trishaw experience!

That's what a trishaw looks like.

We also ate at a very modern seafood restaurant where there was a live performer. The couple of us sang rowdy English songs at the "stage".... and took secret pictures of a goodlooking bartender.]

After nine days of the jam-packed Malaysian experience, the Canadian students headed on the nearly 30-hour journey home. Each one carried with them at least 300 Malaysian Ringgits ($100 Canadian) worth of Malaysian crafts, imitation brand-named clothing, souvenir key chains, and tea back to the land of hockey, Tim Horton’s and the CN Tower, which to the students was now dwarf in comparison to the Petronas Towers. It was a sad wave goodbye to the smiles and hospitality of the great Asian nation. This unbelievable experience has opened the world and all it has to offer to the students. Malaysia is a must-see for everyone!

[He didn't mention our night in Kuala Lumpur - when we went into the megamall at the bottom of the Petronas Towers and then hanged around the park that surrounded the city centre. KL is super green. They've got trees everywhere. When we were swimming on the outdoor ninth-floor swimming pool, they had trees dotting the border of the pool and tennis court.]

I had some serious issues with going back. I kind of didn't want to.

I'm def. going back to visit someday.

- Annie

Ps. And the 30 hour plane ride wasn't that bad. I watched at least three newly released movies and played tons of video games. Asian airlines are pretty cool.

Pps. One of my hotel rooms (We always had a good view):

Manga/Anime Review: Artist Recommendation: Hayao Miyazaki

Artist Recommendation: Hayao Miyazaki
Director, Artist, etc

I have always loved Miyazaki's films.

It is amazing that I encountered each of his works individually and loved them beyond words before realizing that it was one artist behind all of them.

My favourite movie ever is called Kiki's Delivery Service, and though it's very childish to admit that now, I can't help but love it. I watched it during one of those long lazy summers when I was still in elementary school, and haven't watched anything since that made me feel even close to what I felt then.

It was more than inspiration and hope - it was almost magical. Every time I think about the movie, I think about how it would feel to just fly above a beautiful coast city and enjoy the wind blowing by. What would life be like in a world where you could live each day as it comes, with no expectations or worries or fear of letting life escape through your hands in carelessness?

Then came movies like Castle in the Sky and My Neighbor Totoro. Could anyone watch them and not love them inexplicably? Watching each moment of the movie became feeling each of those moments, and I simply didn't want them to end.

I remember the day I watched Spirited Away. I wasn't even aware of the man named Hayao Miyazaki at that point. In fact, I was a bit miffed that Spirited Away won the Academy Award as opposed to Spirit (the movie about the horse), and didn't hold it in high regard.
It was after the movie ended that I realized I had been holding my breath for the last few moments, hoping to make the "magic" last just a little bit longer. The music, the scenery, the art, the characters - everything was just so perfect. I turned from a skeptic into an advocate.

I couldn't believe it when I found out that Miyazaki was going to make one of the most enchanting fantasy books - Howl's Moving Castle, into a movie. I nearly died of happiness.

I suddenly had countless screensavers saved on my laptop from the movie and my ipod was filled with every song from Howl's Moving Castle. Sophie and Howl became common names to me, and I looked forward to every update by Studio Ghibli.

Since then, I have watched every movie made by Hayao Miyazaki, and have been touched every time. I don't know how he does it, but the fact that I'm not the only person who's been influenced by his works is a testament of his ability to create beautiful masterpieces.

Here's a list of his works.

~~~

Director, screenplay, and storyboards

Yuki's Sun 1972 (Pilot film for a never-realized anime series)
Future Boy Conan, 1978 anime series
The Castle of Cagliostro, 1979 film
Sherlock Hound, 1982 anime series
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, 1984 film
Laputa: Castle in the Sky, 1986 film
My Neighbor Totoro, 1988 film
Kiki's Delivery Service, 1989 film
Porco Rosso, 1992 film
Princess Mononoke, 1997 film
Spirited Away, 2001 film (winner, Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, 2002)
Howl's Moving Castle, 2004 (nominee, Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, 2005)
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, 2008 film

Shorts

On Your Mark, 1995 music video for Chage and Aska
The Whale Hunt, 2001 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
Koro's Big Day Out, 2001 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
Mei and the Kittenbus, 2002 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
Imaginary Flying Machines, 2002 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum as a part of the exhibited material)
Ornithopter Story: Fly! Hiyodori Tengu Go!, 2002 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum as a part of the exhibited material)
Monmon the Water Spider, 2006 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
House-hunting, 2006 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
The Day I Harvested A Star, 2006 (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum)
Film Guruguru, ? (Short film exclusive to the Ghibli Museum as a part of the exhibited material)[26]

Scene design, layout

Heidi, Girl of the Alps, 1974 anime series
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, 1976 anime series
Anne of Green Gables, Episodes 1-15, 1979 anime series
Concept, screenplay, storyboards, scene design, key animation

Panda! Go, Panda!, 1972 short film

Screenplay, storyboards, scene design, art design, key animation

Panda! Go Panda! and the Rainy-Day Circus (パンダコパンダ 雨降りサーカスの巻, Panda Kopanda: Amefuri Sākasu no Maki?), 1973 short film

Screenwriter, storyboards, executive producer, sequence director

Whisper of the Heart, 1995 film

Story consultant, key animation, storyboards, scene design

Animal Treasure Island (どうぶつ宝島, Dōbutsu Takarajima?), 1971

Key animation, storyboards, scene design

Hols: Prince of the Sun, 1968 film

Organizer, key animation, storyboards

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (アリババと４０匹の盗賊, Aribaba to Yonjūbiki no Tozuku?), 1971

Key animation, storyboards, design

Puss 'n Boots, 1969 film
Flying Phantom Ship, 1969 film

~~~

Even after everything, my favourite is still Kiki's Delivery Service. It brings back memories of ripe blackberries, geese eggs, and a bright green summer.

I wish I can recapture that feeling I had when I watched it for the first time, though I am unsure...
if it's anticipated or half-remembered.