Ten of My Favorite Things (#1)

1.     Crochet

Women from various generations in my family have crocheted throughout the years, so I wanted to continue that tradition and learn the skills myself. People have been crocheting for many, many years around the world and in the past, it was one of the only ways you were going to get a blanket or sweater. I think crochet is an important part of my family history, especially since there are still blankets and knick-knacks still around from the women who made them. From the photo, crochet can be seamless and look like a store-bought item, or it can look very homemade and rough. It all depends on what you are trying to make. (And yes, I made that hat!)

2.     On the Waterfront

Though I hate picking favorites, this film is one of them. It was made in 1954 by Elia Kazan. The production costs were $910,000 and it was filmed in black and white with Mono sound-recording. The story is all about life: how easily life is lost, how quickly life changes, and how costly one’s life can be. I feel like the viewer is sometimes confused because they only see “regular” people doing everyday things, but that is the beauty behind the story. With the film being in black and white, it already creates a higher awareness to knowing what is happening. Framing is used well, like using a low-angle shot to make the priest’s speech even more provoking, or squeezing two men in a taxi to show the intimacy and seriousness of their conversation.

3.     Black Culture/ History

Not trying to be cliché here, but the black culture in the U.S. is something that I have re-embraced as a young adult, and it’s a driving force behind the types of documentaries I want to make. From the beginning black culture has been evolving and interpreted into many different things; I want to ensure that lesser heard voices in the black community also have a chance to be heard.  Whether from a humorous standpoint like Chris Rock’s Good Hair, or a serious one like Eye’s on the Prize. Each one looks and feels different from the other.

4.     Healthier Eating

I say “healthier” because sometimes you just need those greens cooked with fatback and ham hocks. And turkey-bacon flavored greens is NOT going to cut it. But knowing my family history of high cholesterol and high blood pressure, I decided that I’m going to make better decisions about what I eat. I still love soul food, but now it’s about me making the same traditional dishes with half the sugar, or less salt, or substituting one thing for another without compromising taste. If it looks and tastes the same, why not eat a healthier version of something?

5.     Poetry/Reading

I have always written down my feelings first before expressing them outwardly. It’s my way of being completely sure what I’m thinking is what I want to say to a certain person. So my poetry is usually a creative listing of my thoughts, usually in free verse style (even jumping around with rhythms and cadences), and most likely a bit thought-provoking. I am either telling a story, or organizing my thoughts. With reading, it's more of a necessity, like eating. If it's been too long since I've read a book, I get antsy and restless. I have always been a fast and avid reader, and I will reread a book I've recently read to keep myself reading something. 

6.     Cooking

You may think I’m being redundant because I mentioned healthy eating, but this has nothing to do with health, but tradition. Cooking those traditional southern dishes is a way for me to connect with the other men and women, mainly women, in my family, and the stories that come with their techniques of making the food they do. Plus, learning how to cook from generations before ensures that it looks “just like Mama used to make it.”

7.     Rang de Basanti

This has got to be one of my favorite Bollywood films EVER. It was made in 2006 and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Four different languages are spoken in this film, and to me, it’s one of the better representations of the many cultures, religions, and politics that call India their home. It centers around an English girl wanting to make a documentary about her grandfather’s journal that speaks about Indian revolutionaries that were against British occupation, and the five guys she meets during the process. In the end, it inspires the five men to have a revolution of their own, and shows the power younger generations can have on politics and people to get things to change for the better. There is a distinct color palette when switching from present day (naturally colored/bright) and the “time” of the past revolutionaries (sepia).  The camera movements were also most likely choreographed along with the many musical numbers in the film.

8.     Folk/ Bluegrass Music

Folk and bluegrass music is one of those styles of music that has been created by infusing many different types of music from many different groups of people, all playing a part in the sound of the music. It has this soulful and yearning tone that makes you want to hear more, and at the same time, makes you want to dance around and let loose. It’s true country music. And despite what people may say, this type of music what listened to and played by white AND black people. Just listen to the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

9.     Going to Church

I feel like church, for black people especially throughout the years, is a type of safe haven. Church has served an important role for black people in history, and it is also a place to release any burdens that may be on you. Gospel music can really get into your spirit and impact you, emotionally or physically. Even if you don’t believe in God or practice another religion, it’s hard to deny the community and safety one can feel going to a church that embraces you completely.

10. Foreign Languages

Learning multiple foreign languages is one of the long-term goals for my life. I’m learning German here at school and have heard enough Korean pop and watched enough Korean dramas to know more than a few phrases in that language as well. I have at least two other languages on my list to learn as well. I think languages are important in telling a person’s story correctly because not only do you understand what the person or people are trying to say, but with that understanding of language comes better understanding of the culture as well. Words and their meanings can explain various things in a culture that are otherwise hard to pinpoint.