&Katara;

Dec. 9th, 2018 12:13 pm
glass_icarus: (avatar: sibling love)
[personal profile] musesfool asked about my Katara feels! I spouted off about Katara (and my feelings about her feelings) once before, so I will try not to repeat myself, heh.

Katara is the most mature person in the Gaang from the beginning to the end of the series, and that and her strong moral compass- she has enough empathy that she could manipulate anyone into anything, and enough compassion that she never will- mean that her growth curve is a lot less steep than everyone else's. Unlike the rest of the Gaang, she already knows and is confident in herself- emotions, values, beliefs, capabilities, potential, and all- and is unafraid to show it. The one major area of self-development she wrestles with is her anger, not because she doesn't understand it, but because she's afraid of how far she might go if she can't control it. Even then, her struggle isn't so much about anger management as it is the line between justice and vengeance. Katara doesn't want to cross that line because she recognizes what she'd become, and the parts of herself she would lose, if she does.

The bulk of Katara's growth arc is figuring out her friendships with the Gaang. I don't mean to gloss over the more romantic moments she has, but they're not the main part of her storyline, and I for one really appreciate that. Katara is super grounded in her family and her place in the Water Tribe; between taking over for her mom and having goofball Sokka as an older brother, she's relinquished any little sister vibe she ever had (I say this as the older of two sisters, lol). She's spent so long doing How to Adult that she doesn't really remember how to cut loose and be a kid again, so it's an interesting contrast to Aang and especially Toph. Katara's meeting with Aang is the first time she gets to be playful again, but it's not the cornerstone of their relationship progression; she and Aang get along because they're both fundamentally people people. With Toph, who's had to hide her mischievous nature for so long and has Huge Parental Issues besides, Katara finding her way back to her inner child is literally half of their conflict resolution, not to mention what seals their friendship. For obvious reasons, her issues with Zuko primarily revolve around regaining/rebuilding trust, but Katara joining in on the collective teasing is what really lets him know that friendship status has been achieved. It's the cutest and most relatable thing. :D

tl;dr Every A:TLA character is my favorite character, but I have SO MANY FEELINGS about Katara and how she's the best! (Also, if there's anything else you'd like me to babble about, feel free to leave a prompt.)
glass_icarus: (janelle)
1. Shared a mooncake and spent some time throwing around a frisbee yesterday with friend A, which was nice! Also hilarrible, because the frisbee said "Caneh!dian". A said it was the last one in the Walmart she was at; I think that sounds suspiciously like a troll setup. xD

2. Choreo catch-up practice with S last night. It's still not done yet, but that's because we had to pick up the finished pieces after our mini-hiatus, not because I forgot my ideas.

3. NYC for the long (Canadian Thanksgiving) weekend! It's going to be exhausting but amazing- so many dance friends to catch up with.

Happy mid-autumn to everyone celebrating!
glass_icarus: (to hear)
♣ I downloaded the Daily Yoga app yesterday in yet another bid to get into the habit of daily stretching, and I did actually do some yoga this morning. Also I noticed there's a whole section on yoga poses during menstruation! This seems particularly promising, as my previous attempts at home exercise have been derailed by aches and cramps before. We'll see how this goes!

♣ I started on this sweater a few days ago, which looks nice in theory but is very, very boring to execute. Super tempted to break up the hdc monotony with rows of other stitches, except for the part where I'm not sure it'll actually look good, so I probably won't. If I manage to finish it before winter here is over I will be amazed.

♣ And finally, a few notes on Atomic Blonde, before I forget everything I had to say about it! I had no strong opinions or expectations going in beyond LADY SPY HOORAY!, which it delivers, in a Jane Bond sort of way. The plot twists were a bit hard to follow, not sure if that was the execution or my being fluff-brained while watching. The violence occasionally made me flinch (I really dislike gore) but it was pretty satisfying to watch Charlize Theron take on all comers. vague spoilers ) Also why is the espionage business portrayed as so overwhelmingly male?? Surely this can't be accurate? (Not even gonna touch the lily-whiteness of it; some of the Bond movies did better there.)
glass_icarus: (rolly bird)
From [personal profile] magnetic_pole, since I'm failing at posting anything else.

5 things you’ll find in my bag: lip balm, headphones, pencil case, glasses, ballet shoes

5 things you’ll find in my bedroom: photos from friends, whiteboard, A:TLA DVDs, yarn bag, way fewer books than expected (our bookcase is in our living room & I left my SF/F collection in the US)

5 things I’ve always wanted to do: visit more places on my travel wishlist (Brazil, Greece, Istanbul, Prague, New Zealand...), try scuba diving, develop a yoga/pilates habit (unsuccessful so far), get a dog (someday when I have more time/$?), create my dream home library

5 things that make me happy: ♥ tea ♥, delicious food, music, guilt-free free time, THIS NEWS FROM NK JEMISIN!!!!!

5 things I’m currently into: zouk, choreographing with S, Agatha Christie film adaptations (I'm on a huge Miss Marple and Poirot kick), Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge, Otayuri (recs appreciated!)

5 things on my to-do list: finish exam prep, batch cook, clean house, schedule a massage, contact subletter
glass_icarus: (red cliff: sun shangxiang)
Oops. So apparently in my reading-frenzy fail I managed to not post my super-belated Nirvana in Fire/Lang Ya Bang youtube vortex properly? My Mandarin listening comprehension is not the greatest, but I found these pretty amusing anyway: outtakes, interviews, etc. spiraling into oblivion )

In other news, I'm trying to madly inhale my remaining comp readings by the end of this week, which means I'm at the point where I wish some of them looked more like these.

as;dlfkja

Nov. 14th, 2016 03:38 pm
glass_icarus: (korra: lin/korra)
Resource post has been updated to include suggestions from another friend (this time with issue-specific organizations). & now, back to schoolwork!
glass_icarus: (havemercy: yes we ke-han)
I voted absentee weeks ago, but I've been watching my friends back home do their part, today and for the last couple of weeks: voting today, volunteering for voting drives, giving people rides to polling stations, wading into (and/or starting) more discussions than I'm ever willing to have on fb. I wonder if my election anxiety is higher than theirs, now that I'm across the border and everything's out of my hands.

I know there are real reasons to dislike and disagree with Hillary Clinton, reasons that have nothing to do with emails; nothing to do with being "uncharismatic," or too loud, or shrill, or a woman seeking power. I know our two-party system is big and unwieldy and often results in choices that feel forced. I wrote a post on citizenship 6(?!) years ago that I'm still thinking about today, because my ambivalence about being USian may remain the same, but I still have a voice and a responsibility to use it. I've made my choice, as I hope everyone back home makes theirs today- a real choice, or a strategic one, rather than a protest. We could spend all our lives waiting for a perfect candidate and never find one. Reality is what it is.

Imperfect as she is, I'm standing with her. May the odds be ever in our favor.
glass_icarus: (saving face: fence)
Randomly saw the women's soccer team response to the Harvard men's team's misogynist ratings, and just had to take a moment to appreciate this sentence: "I can offer you my forgiveness, which is- and forever will be- the only part of me that you can ever claim as yours."

Leaving this thought for further consideration, as it is a much truer reflection of my intention for this year than my recent moments of drunk grading!
glass_icarus: (to smell)
Since I tragically can't seem to find Guerlain's Pamplelune in Sephora anymore (I'm pretty sure it was [personal profile] kaberett who pointed me in that direction? if so, thanks!!), I've been playing a little bit with related citrus-y smells.

♣ Limon Verde (Guerlain): DELICIOUS LIMEY CAIPIRINHA!!, but more so in the bottle than on me (the herby bits come up a bit stronger on my skin). Basically, HOORAY. I still prefer grapefruit over lime/lemon/orange smells, but this one is fantastic.

♣ Mandarine Basilic (Guerlain): Orange, but a bit sweet for my liking. This is also a bit herby on me. Not bad, but I'm not the biggest fan either.

♣ Herba Fresca (Guerlain): The only non-citrus thing I tried, mostly because it was in the same line. Herby/grassy in a nice, light sort of way, but not something I'm super excited about.

♣ Cleopatra (Tocca): Really, really nice, grapefruit-y but with added sweet-ish/spicy layers. The mix is quite a bit richer than Pamplelune (which I love for its simple, perfect capture of cutting into a fresh grapefruit), but in a way I can appreciate. Definitely keeping this sample.

♣ Orange Sanguine (Atelier Cologne): A much better orange, imo! This one is also sweet, but in a fresher way than Mandarine Basilic. It also has a bit of a spicy undertone on my skin that smells not-quite-but-almost-like nutmeg? Also a sample I'm keeping.
glass_icarus: (amelie)
After a truly gorgeous weekend spent catching up with old friends from undergrad and waking up to an epic April rainstorm, I suppose it's safe to say that spring weather has finally been achieved! HOORAY, and double hooray for today not being an office day so I can attempt to do my work reading holed up in the house.

Since it's poetry month and I've barely posted anything, here's a couple of poems by Aimee Nezhukumatathil! I'm in a bit of a foodporn mood, in case you couldn't tell... *g*

THE WOMAN WHO TURNED DOWN A DATE WITH A CHERRY FARMER
Fredonia, NY

Of course I regret it. I mean there I was under umbrellas of fruit
so red they had to be borne of Summer, and no other season.
Flip-flops and fishhooks. Ice cubes made of lemonade and sprigs
of mint to slip in blue glasses of tea. I was dusty, my ponytail
all askew and the tips of my fingers ran, of course, red

from the fruitwounds of cherries I plunked into my bucket
and still — he must have seen some small bit of loveliness
in walking his orchard with me. He pointed out which trees
were sweetest, which ones bore double seeds — puffing out
the flesh and oh the surprise on your tongue with two tiny stones

(a twin spit), making a small gun of your mouth. Did I mention
my favorite color is red? His jeans were worn and twisty
around the tops of his boot; his hands thick but careful,
nimble enough to pull fruit from his trees without tearing
the thin skin; the cherry dust and fingerprints on his eyeglasses.

I just know when he stuffed his hands in his pockets, said
Okay. Couldn't hurt to try? and shuffled back to his roadside stand
to arrange his jelly jars and stacks of buckets, I had made
a terrible mistake. I just know my summer would've been
full of pies, tartlets, turnovers — so much jubilee.

CHEESE CURDS, THE FIRST TIME

Dairy aisle, and I'm confused. No one explains
why here in southern Wisconsin, all I can find
in the chilled silver bins at my local grocery
are blocks of orange 'cheese food,' wheels of it,
even sliced, individually wrapped if I desire.
Of course it's food, but the fact they

have to qualify it makes me suspicious.
And rightly so, says my neighbor, leaning
a meaty elbow out her window. In between
bites of potato salad she says, You's gotta go
to the Farmer's Market and getchu some
cheeeese curds. The way yellow oozes
out of the corners of her mouth when she says

this makes it hard to even sip my cola later
as I wander the maze of fresh produce and people
in wide-brimmed hats. A swarm descends on a booth
selling said curds, each person wanting the freshest bag-full:
white chunks, bite-sized, more solid than I imagined,
just a bit salty and sweet. Even a baby's
pink, fat hand (hoisted high above us) clamors

for a waxy bag of her very own. How I love
the grab and pull for something you can't name, only
knowing you want more. The thinness in your voice
as you try to describe all the breads and heaps
of fresh beans just waiting to be snapped.
I have not yet mentioned the squeak in your teeth.
glass_icarus: (sleepy feet)
Looks like I do need to check out Fresh Off the Boat! I guess we'll see how dead I feel after this week's grind is over.

Fresh Off the Boat: A TV Dad and Hundreds More Cram Viewing Party

Watching Fresh Off the Boat with 999 Asian Americans

Underwater Sculpture by Jason deCaires Taylor - environmentalism and sculpture! SO cool! :D Also, those pictures provoked ALL THE SEA-LONGING.

♣ Check out this interesting little fashion film with Mikhail Baryshnikov & Lil Buck! It isn't exactly breathtaking or charming like that Korea National Ballet Levi's commercial (BEST pants ad okay), but it was eyecatching in some interesting ways, I thought. video )
glass_icarus: (bey telephone still)
♣ The only (AWESOME) Yuletide story I've read so far this year: Our Voices Raised in Song by [personal profile] jibrailis! AHHHH ARCHANDROID-VERSE CROSSOVER ♥ ♥ ♥ :D

♣ Via angry asian man: Trolls and Martyrdom: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie, by Arthur Chu

Gorgeous pic of the Grand Canyon after a New Year's snowstorm *___*

♣ Really cool Papaoutai remix by Pentatonix & Lindsey Stirling!
glass_icarus: (katie coffee)
Hello all! Happy new year! Year-end reflections have largely passed me by, as my holidays were split between work, more work, revisions of various types, an exam the morning of 12/31, assorted family/friend gatherings, a couple of breaks for Dragon Age: Inquisition with my sister, and then a road trip for moving assistance purposes. I'll probably end up backdating any recap posts I make to the appropriate date, but your guess is as good as mine re: when I'll actually get around to them...

Thanks to upcoming app deadlines, I am now going to leap from one internet hiatus straight into another. /o\ THE CATCH-UP WILL HAPPEN AT SOME POINT THOUGH, REALLY. In the meantime, I'll leave you guys with my word for this year, as a way to keep myself accountable! In 2014 my word was connection, and despite all the mishaps and detours I think I did a fairly good job at working on it. To follow up on that, 2015 is going to be about communication. This... is likely to be an even more ridiculous journey than the last, but the goal is always to level up, no? ♥

augh

Dec. 13th, 2014 06:52 pm
glass_icarus: (avatar: appa hiding)
Man, I'm not even posting every day this month and I'm still running behind on this meme... /o\ However, my next application deadline is up in two days and I am still running in circles of unsatisfied edits, so, er, just a heads up/apology. I'll be back to play catch-up once this round of THE DEVIL is over, I swear!
glass_icarus: (daniel liu hips)
1. Eye candy for the day: 16 Stunning Photos That Shatter [White US] Society’s Stereotypes About Asian Men

The article itself I could take or leave, but the pictures! *___* Probably my favorites are #1 and #6 (the underwear photos, while attractive, cracked me up. Possibly I have strange reactions!).

2. Still plenty of space left in the daily December meme! Topic suggestions welcome! :)

And now it's back to work for me, gotta clear my plate as much as possible before Thanksgiving.
glass_icarus: (katie coffee)
Scrambling again despite all efforts to the contrary, sigh! So annoyed that I'm once again waging war on ETS for GRE scores (old ones, but since I submitted them for the graduate program that I graduated from... >:E).

In other news, I still have a lot of dates open for the daily December meme. Keep the topics coming, please! I Also, thanks for your love meme comments, I really appreciated the boost today. ♥
glass_icarus: (angel/katie)
Some happy/things that cracked me up recently:

♣ Still working on my first drabble, but my multifandom promptathon remains open! I'll be attempting to write in my procrastination/downtime all this week, so keep tossing ideas at me. :)

♣ I nearly finished a cowl from a free crochet pattern last night! All it needs is either whip stitching or some cute buttons. :3

♣ You know that meme? That "Pick up the book nearest to you and turn to page 45. The first sentence explains your love life." meme? ... yeah. As I said to [personal profile] oyceter when I saw it a few days ago, the book nearest to me was (and still is, actually, as I haven't rearranged my desk) a blank diary.

Speaking of books, if anyone has recs for shiny books of the fluffier variety, I'd really appreciate them! It's been a while since I've found anything to just fall into.

so. tired.

Jun. 3rd, 2014 06:00 pm
glass_icarus: (sott: breakfast of champions)
Still recovering from the weekend; I was trying to recover some productivity before I caved to Flight Rising today. ^^; I foresee a lot of genetic crossbreeding experiments in my future procrastination time.

(Shiny dragons are shiny!)
glass_icarus: (junjou: akihiko hiroki [JR artbook])
♣ Check out these language maps of the US! So interesting!

♣ I am currently reading Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice, so my face is pretty stuck like this: *_______* I think this is the first SF/F book that I've actually slowed down to savor on the first read, rather than my usual reaction of FULL SPEED AHEAD OMG MUST DEVOUR [/finishes in 3 hours or less]. It's kind of an interesting change, though commute-reading probably helped the slowness a bit?

♣ I caved and bought some yarn off Knitpicks, and my new project has grown a lot in the few hours since it began: beginning phase here )

(Okay, it has also grown crookedly somehow- the cloth doesn't lie flat and there's something a little one-sidedly wobbly looking about the starfish arms and I am trying to decide whether I want to redo rounds 3-6, sigh. But stitch-counting practice is good for me!)

[personal profile] such_heights! I watched your Flyweight Love vid last night, despite only having watched 30 minutes of Thor! ♥ And then promptly got suckered into the rest of the Aims video album, hahaha... Anyway, that was an excellent video vortex, even though I don't know most of the fandoms. :D (I am also super tempted to watch Sleepy Hollow now- THOSE VIDS OMG.)
glass_icarus: (avatar: momo)
Ugh... where did February go, and why didn't the cold weather start leaving with it??

Connection has been extra challenging lately! I haven't been writing much here, but it's not that I'm terribly busy- I just haven't had much to say. Life is rather horribly uninteresting outside of zouk at the moment and my fannish brain keeps running off to parts unknown unless reeled in by other people, so I've been sticking to chat, email, and Skype this past month. My one achievement was KagaNigou crackfic in which Kuroko is a Grey Warden, and that only happened because BPS chat is really good at enabling. :P (There will be more of it! I just need to think through some more KnB/Dragon Age crossover details before I continue.)

In other news: anybody have yarn store recommendations in the NYC area? Or favorite yarns? Seeing as this is the winter of my losing hats (including the one I crocheted over Christmas, sigh), I might as well go and make another one. Or two. Possibly three, if winter doesn't GO AWAY already.

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glass_icarus: (Default)
just another fork-tongued dragon lady

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