Fangirl Fridays: Rory Gilmore

GIf taken from Tumblr; I do not own this image.

If any of you readers have Netflix then I hope you're aware that Gilmore Girls is now on Instant watch. I repeat: GILMORE GIRLS IS ON NETFLIX. And if you do have Netflix and you don't know what Gilmore Girls is then...*gasp!* You are missing out! But I say all this because it brought attention to a fictional character that is the epitome of all things introverted: Rory Gilmore. Let's break it down...


For one thing, she is a bookworm. I won't try to generalize introverts as avid bookworms but we'd be lying to ourselves if we didn't admit that a good majority of us are. Rory can be seen with a nose in her book throughout the whole series and she is incredibly quick-witted with literary references that could make an English professor go nuts! It's so admirable, I feel inadequate with my reading list.
Although Rory is shy, you can definitely see how genuine but also how passionate she is. She is most certainly not afraid to speak her mind when it counts most, and it's one of the main reasons why I love her.

There was one episode where her mother, Lorelai, was out of town and she had the whole house to herself. She thus, passes up a night with her boyfriend Dean (Jared Paledki pre-Supernatural)because she wants time to herself. She would much rather order Indian food, wear her pjs, and do her laundry while watching movies instead of spending time with her boyfriend! This, my friends, deserves applause. Not to mention, Rory also spends her lunch listening to music and reading books, and as a child who would habitually bring books to restaurants, I want to commend Rory's character for justifying my weird tendencies.

GIf taken from Tumblr; I do not own this image.

However; what I appreciate about Rory is that she is unlike most teenage TV protagonists in that her character is genuinely relatable to ta good majority of the girl population. I would think that most girls don't party every weekend, nor do we spend our high school career trying to find a boyfriend. While she does undergo several relationship mishaps, ultimately, the story brings it back to how those relationships, romantic or otherwise, help develop Rory's character. Rory is academically driven, extremely responsible, and lovably quirky. Maybe's it's because she is one of the first of her kind, but this "nerdy" character of hers does not seem contrived because the show depicts, more or less, an accurate depiction of a real girl. Sure, Rory is "nerdy" but she is not pigeonholed to that stereotype because they show the complexities of her character like when she has mental breakdowns in the middle of her history class or how she likes to participate in quirky town traditions that require her to dress like a pilgrim. Upon watching the first season, I had this image of how Rory's character was going to play out, but I was surprised at how outgoing she could be at times, and for that, I greatly admired Rory's character.

 That's not even the best part. Rory Gilmore is a not a character to be pitied; rather, she's not afraid to lay down the sass when confronting the mean girls and as far as characters go, she stays grounded and true to her character when boys or snobby private school girls enter the picture. She sure is one heck of a fictional character. Now if you exuse me, I'm going to binge watch Gilmore girls in all its heartfelt, witty banter-ness! 

My Musical Evolution as Told By Alyssa

Amanda already gave her piece about Music and since we have such different music tastes, I wanted my chance to write about the evolution of my music taste as well as what music means to me.

In the way that colors that add character the world, music injects vibrancy into my life and I couldn't possibly imagine the world without it. The sheer, effervescent joy I get from music is hard to express in words. It's invisible art that only the ear can detect. Color adds the aesthetic but music adds the flavor. For this reason, I incorporate music on a daily basis. I begin and end my days with music.  Every mundane, monotonous thing I do is done with music in the background. It has a dual purpose as it has the ability to distract me. The notes create this sound barrier blocking my troubles away from the world, yet it keeps me focused; creating this untouchable bubble. A life without music is simply unimaginable.


The Evolution of my Music Taste

The Younger Years

The era of Kindergarten to elementary school can be characterized by all things Disney. I listened to Classic Disney and Disney Channel Stars. Memories of jumping on the bed, belting note for note to I won't Say I'm in Love are forever imprinted in my mind. I also do not bear any shame for listening to the Jonas Brothers. Yes, I was the girl who screamed in a high-pitched voice whenever a Jo-Bros Music Video came on. Disney Channel stars were the only artists I knew; I could sing all their words by heart. And can I just say, Aly&AJ were greatly underrated.

Middle School

Middle School is where my music taste really began to develop and change. I discovered what I considered, "Big Kid" music; the kind of music that didn't play on Disney Channel. I listened to everything heard on the Top 40 Countdown, and my 12-year old self felt so cool. However; this was also the era where I discovered music scores, K-pop, Alternative Music, and Indie Music a la Vampire Weekend. I would listen to the Narnia Soundtrack and hum awkwardly/incoherently to the swoops of violins and cellos. I would squeal and dance to Korean artists. My inability to play guitar did not impede me from playing air guitar to All Time Low.Needless to say my music tastes is a little bit everywhere. My hoarding skills kicked in as I scoured every corner of the internet, looking for music. YouTube was the best haven for music and I would relish every moment I discovered a new band.

High School to Present

Nothing drastic was added to my repertoire that I didn't already have; rather, these past years have been about soldifying what I already like. Alternative music didn't amount to much; I still like it, but I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore fan (although I have rekindled my love for All Time Low) and I have a newfound appreciate for indie folk. I still listen to K-Pop and Music scores but the latter is not listened to as often as the former. And I still find my guilty pleasure in sugary pop music (I am a 5SOS and The Vamps fan).

Despite my musical evolution, I still find myself open to most genres. So if I rave about the one odd rap song once in a blue moon, that may be why. For me, discovering a new song is the equivalent to opening presents on Christmas day. Most importantly, I love music for what it can offer people. It's a universal communicator. I've made friends with people solely through our love of the same music and it's such a powerful tool for communicating. As an introvert, music is an escapists' device where I can lose myself in music. There are times when I just lie in bed, stare at my ceiling, and listen to music. I don't have to worry about any of my problems or insecurities.  I can just absorb the music and feel a sense of tranquility sink in. And the fact that someone out there feels the same makes it even better.

Fangirl Fridays: Mia Thermopolis

Here's one thing about growing up; sometimes you can't properly cherish something for what it's worth until you get older. That said, I don't think I fully realized how great Princess Diaries was in its time, nor did I realize how much I could relate to Mia Thermopolis.

First, let's be clear, I am not a princess and Julie Andrews is not my grandmother (oh how I wish), but Mia is one of us. For one thing, she is socially awkward. Prime examples include setting fire to a diplomat's sleeve and getting a brain freeze from pear ice-cream, all in the same night might I add. That said, watching the movie made me realize the extent of our similarities, especially in terms of our shared athletic ineptitude as well.

But most importantly she is seemingly invisible to the masses, and she has no intention of becoming visible any time soon. As an introvert, I relish sometimes in anonymity. Part of this is because I am modest; I don't like attention drawn to me, because then awkward levels rise and self-consciousness settles in.  I think that's why it's so easy to relate to Mia; she exhibits all the trials and tribulations that all teenagers undergo (i.e. puking during a school debate or just being sat on). But  when her royal grandmother drops in, all of sudden the spotlight is on her whether she likes it or not. Thus the movie follows her story as she tries to grow accustomed to her new role. Inevitably it got to her head, but who wouldn't? She shows that even the most down-to-earth people can succumb to the temptation of popularity.  I don't believe that the world is made up of introverts and extroverts; rather, we both carry traits of each group, with one being more prominent than the other. That said, I think all of us have a part that likes being heard. We like to be acknowledged. It's what we do with the attention that we're given that matters the most.

 It really hit home in the end when Mia reads a letter from her deceased father saying that the "brave may die, but the cautious never live". Watching the movie as 17 year-old teenager trying to come to terms with an impending future racked with the unknown and responsibility, I realized that I shouldn't be so afraid of speaking out. Towards the end, Mia makes a speech, soaking wet wearing a hoodie and jeans, awash with a new sense of confidence, where she accepts her role as princess. By accepting this role, she understands that importance of using your voice to change words into actions. With that she embraces herself, coming to terms with the influence that she has so that she can make a difference in the world.

So within the span of 2 hours, we see the transition of a socially awkward teen to an awe-inspiring princess which goes to show that having a voice isn't such a bad thing after all. That is why I love this movie so much: it is the perfect mix of humor and wit wrapped up with a wonderful moral message that any generation can take with them. And that's why I admire Mia Thermpolis, because she taught us that we can grow out of our awkwardness and that princess or not, you have every right to speak your mind.

An Introvert's Tools: Tumblr

"What do you do in your free time?" 

I do not own this picture. Picture courtesy of Google Images.

I've never liked this question, and I still don't,  mainly because I feel like any of the answers I give are not sufficient enough. Sports are out of the question, primarily because I don't participate in physical
activities. I don't have a specific hobby nor do I do anything remotely spectacular. That said, semi-advanced warning: I tend to be verrrry self-deprecating. Alas, I feel as an introvert, most of my free time is invested towards fandoms, writing, reading, and... of course Tumblr.

If there ever was a tool made for Introvert's, it's David Karp's creation: Tumblr. I don't want this post to be a glorification of Tumblr as I and so many others are so apt to do, rather, I want to highlight what it does for the introvert community. Tumblr is more than just reblogging pictures because as the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words," so looking at one's dashboard can say a lot about a person. Looking at my dashboard, you would notice that I am a fan of robotically-in sync Korean Boybands, SuperwhoLock, pretty pictures of exotic places, self-deprecating text posts, and the occasional bunny.
And for those who have the Tumblr mobile app can definitely make use of it's social avoidance capabilities although you may not see that in the iTunes product description. There are countless times when I'm in a social setting without anybody that I can comfortably interact with, so I resort to my hand dandy Tumblr app on my phone to casually scroll through my dashboard. Note that this has it's pros and cons, because I know I should advocate for more social interaction but when the situation calls for it, sometimes it's a good safety net to fall back on.

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(I do not own this picture) 

Another thing I like is that I have the choice of using pictures or words to express myself and in that way, I attract other people who share the same interests as I. I know several people who have "Tumblr friends". The term is pretty self-explanatory, but I find it amazing that you can make friends across the world and you can be bonded by just a common interest until you learn more about each other. (That said kids, practice internet safety because creepers and pedophiles) I wouldn't say I have any close "Tumblr friends" to speak of, but I have connected with other people through Tumblr and it's pretty darn exciting because I didn't have to do much social interaction to do it. As an introvert, it takes a lot of energy to open yourself to others but Tumblr can cut corners. I can be sitting in my bed just scrolling and make acquaintances or friends with a follow and a quick message.

And I don't know what it is, but there is something more secure about sharing your insecurities with strangers. I've noticed that since I've gotten Tumblr, there is something...almost freeing about putting everything from your "feels" to your actual feelings on Tumblr. They can be manifested in the form of text posts or just pictures. Even, I have succumbed to this at times, because even if I have put my feelings out there and there is a sense of relief that at least someone out there knows that I'm not happy. Sure they don't know me, and I don't know them, so of course they won't even give me their two cents to my plight, but the fact that they know makes all the difference. They just know and it's acknowledged.  To an extent, there is an absence of judgement and I will admit to having a fear of judgment, but I also think that that's a mutual fear that most people have. We are all afraid of judgement but in a way, Tumblr, and social media as a whole eliminates that. Maybe this is more of a personal trait rather than a introvert's trait, but I don't speak my mind very often, and Tumblr allows me to do that in more ways than one.That said, who would have thought that social media would have been the platform to bring introverts closer together? You could even say it's pretty ironic...

Lots of Love
Alyssa