My Definition of a Best Friend .

What characteristics does one withhold to be considered a best friend ?

Is it someone you talk to when you're in a time of need or is it someone you talk to ALL the time ? A best friend is someone who shares all your moments of glory and all your moments of pain with . It's someone who you can always count on to cheer you on , hold your hand , be your shoulder to cry on , be the one that yells at you and yells at you until you find your mind again . A best friend is someone you can condole in and someone you are comfortable enough to tell anything . A best friend is someone that is so close to you , you can barely tell they're not biologically related to you . A best friend is someone that cries with you , laughs with you , screams with you , loves you , holds you , and cherishes you . A best friend is like a mother , a father , a sister , a brother ; they can shape shift into who ever you need them to be . A best friend knows you like the back of their hand . You are like an open book to them ; no secrets , no lies . There is a certain trust that a best friend is able to build with you and it can never be broken . Friends are there to listen to what you say . Best friends are there to listen to what you say and what you don't say . When you have a past that's too hard to look back at , or you have a future that holds countless terrors and you are to afraid to look back or ahead ; you can look right beside you and that's where you're best friend will stand forever . A best friend is someone that never walks in front of you ; out of fear you may not follow . A best friend is someone who never walks behind you ; out of fear you may get lost . A best friend is someone that walks beside you . They guide you ; you guide them . When you feel like the whole world has their backs turned on you ; like every one is walking out of your life , your best friend will walk , run into your life . A best friend is someone that sees the pain behind your smile . A best friend is someone that would put them self on the line to save you . A best friend is your guiding light in the darkness . A best friend is someone that tells you everything ; hides nothing from you .
That's what a best friend is to me .

"Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say."
- Anon

Summer Fierce

That's Not a Bad Habit ; It's Just Stupid .

Why do people smoke ?

Who invented the cigarette ?

Why would he do that ? !

It's becoming more and more common to see young adolescents smoking . It's disgusting . After observing people at school , I realized that at least half of the people there partake in some sort of drugs or alcohol . But why ? Is it to be cool ? Or do they actually get a thrill out of destroying their body and corrupting their own minds ? Besides the fact ; how do these under-aged teens manage to always get there hands on the stuff ? Where are our cops ? I see them circling the hall-ways of my school everyday . I've seen students dealing drugs right there in those same halls . What's the point of having those officers there ? The problem's only amplifying . They are really not doing their jobs . It's not like the students are only smoking cigarettes either ; they've gotten their hands on some of the most illegal substances and they are continuing to get away with it . There should be a law that allows teachers to tell the parents of the students . As soon as the smokers step off of school property , they are allowed to get themselves involved in just about anything and the teachers can't stop them . The teachers probably feel helpless and hopeless . There are some straight A , top of the class students that go down that road as well and no one can stop them ; or at least , no one tries to . They're scared they'll get on their bad side and either make them hate you or go even further down the road . It's complicated and it's stupid . But I don't bother getting myself involved with them . I figure that if they want to ruin their lives and damage their health , than so-be-it . It's not me that it's hurting , it's themselves . Maybe it'll hurt a little to know that my friends are choosing drugs over our friendship , school or health , but it'll hurt them a lot more in the long-run .

I'm just glad that my parents brought me up and taught me to always take the path of least resistance .

Summer Fierce 

Walking in a Winter Wonderland .

I celebrate Christmas & Diwali . I'm Hindu . I never understood why my family celebrates Christmas . I guess it's because I never asked . I never asked because I didn't want to stop because I loved all the presents and lights and food . Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy , happiness and spending time with your loved ones . That's one of my few lines in this play I'm in called The Christmas Redemption . For many , that's not the castle . It's either a hustle and bustle to get everything ready for the holidays , such as gifts , hair , nails , food , etc . , and then for others it's a time of grieving over a lost loved one , financial constraints , loss of job , etc . So Christmas can and is of great depression for many . Those who are able to find that happiness and warmth should really embrace those moments , thank God and never take them for granted . At any given moment , in a flash , all of that can be gone . Life is full of surprises . I'm one of the lucky ones , I guess . I spend every Christmas with my family in a warm house . My parents make the seasonal food , which I absolutely love and we decorate the house - inside and out . Even if we can only afford to give each other the smallest gift , we do so with love and treasure it . We write each other cards that are worth more than any gift on the planet is worth because of what is written in them . I think that's the greatest gift of all ; the gift of love . Which is why it is especially hard for those who don't have anybody to love or to love them . Seeing all these smiles everywhere they look , just adds to their sorrow of not having that .

So this Christmas , my goal is to give at least one person the gift of happiness and love . It can be a complete stranger , or someone I know that I've never reached out to . I challenge you to do the same . Make a difference in someone's life . You never know ; you may even be the reason they hold on and make it through this holiday .

Summer Fierce 

Post - Production of Scripted Scenes .

After a long-awaited chance to perform due to minor setbacks in our class schedule and me being sick for a number of days , we finally did it . Unfortunately , I wasn't anywhere near completely recovered from my illness , so I wasn't able to put %100 into it . But that's no excuse . I felt my lungs getting smaller and smaller , I felt like I was going to throw up on stage . Thank God I didn't . The backstage scene was a last minute decision Jasleen , my scene partner , and I made . It worked out pretty well , but had we created the idea sooner on , it would have been so much better . Personally , I feel that we rushed through the scene . We forgot a couple of pauses and ran right through the climatic point . I wasn't paying attention to the music while I was on stage , so I don't remember what was being played , which is a bad thing because the music is supposed to set the mood for the audience AND the actors . Clearly , it didn't . I think the script kind of took a huge toll on how well we performed too . It wasn't all that interesting and the climax wasn't very evident . If we could do this whole performance again , we would definetly choose a better script and rehearse more . We would make all decisions at least two days before the performance to give us time to stage it all and work with our tech people . We haven't received our notes on the performance yet or our grade , so we have no idea what the rest of the class and our teacher might have seen it as . Who knows , maybe we did better than we think we did . Hopefully .

Summer Fierce

Pre - Production of Scripted Scenes .

For about two weeks we worked on scripted scene work . We chose our partners and then our scripts . My partner was one of my bestest buddies , Jasleen . I chose her because I've worked with her in the past , since Grade nine actually , and so I know that she is really strong and reliable . I memorized my lines earlier on than her because she was overwhelmed with having to memorize a script for Eco Buzz , but the timing was alright since Eco Buzz was before our performance . Once we both had it comfortably memorized , we tried different things with it . We put on different accents and ran through the whole script ; including Australian , Western/Country and British . Then we put on different genres , such as , Soap Opera , Mystery and Horror . We did that to help us become better memorized with the script so that the words would just flow out of us . It worked out pretty well . We chose our costumes according to how we saw the characters . My character was a lawyer who is high up in the firm , which means she's wealthier . Jasleen's character was more of a rookie , but still a lawyer , so she dressed similar to me . The setting was a dinner party being held for me , so we had to step it up another notch . After watching the first few performances , we went back to the drawing board and made minor adjustments on how to execute the performance . We decided to incorporate the backstage area to give it that little effect of a more real feeling , like something was happening before the scene and we didn't just start out of no where . We selected our music early on , since we both have a strong knowledge on choosing music .

Summer Fierce

If Time Was Unlimited .

What if you could freeze time ? Or better yet , what if you could freeze a certain time frame in your life and just keep living it over and over again ? What would that moment be ? It could be a minute long or it could be a year that was just perfect or so profound that you could spend eternity living it over and over again . I would have too many moments to choose from . Like the rare moments that my family spends together as a whole just laughing and not yelling or crying . Those are the moments that I could never get tired of . Or being in the arms of my parents' ; I'd stay there forever even if I didn't have the ability to freeze time and if they'd let me stay there .

If there was one long period of time that I truly feel I spent most of it being happy , it would be first semester of grade eleven . That's when I joined the Director's Craft Package . That's when I made a class full of friends that were more like family than friends . That's when I became a part of Stagelife . There was not one morning I woke up and didn't want to attend class . Seeing those people everyday just lightened my spirits and made me happy . I spent a long while finding true happiness after my family moved to Brampton and they helped me find it ; they gave it to me . Each person in that class could be a smile on my face at any given moment and they just made me feel like I belong . I made real friends during that time . The adventures we went on , the jokes we laughed at and the memories we share are all beautiful in their own way . They friendship that we shared during that time is as strong as the friendship that people take an entire lifetime building upon ; it was strong and profound .

StageLife 09 - 10 - Forever

Summer Fierce

If Time Was Limited .

What would you do if you knew you only had a certain amount of time left to live ? What if it were only two weeks ? Would you break , or would you cease the moment; capture all you've ever wanted ? I don't know what I'd do . I would probably need a day to take in the fact that I've lived my life working so hard towards a goal that I'll never reach now . Take a moment to realize that I will never see the people I have in my life again . Take a moment to realize that I won't be what I set out to be . Take a moment to realize that I may be with God at any moment . Take a moment to realize that two weeks just isn't enough . I would spend those two weeks with my family . After all , they are what kept me living for so long . Without them , I'd have been gone sooner . With their love and their empowerment , I am able to push myself in life and keep fighting when it seems that all odds are against me ; like all the world has it's back to me . They are the only people in the world that could possibly offer me a lifetime of happiness in just one day . So I would not go out into the world exploring all the places I ever dreamed of ; sure , that would make me happy for a moment , but that moment won't last forever . I would spend a day alone with each of my family members .

First , my sister . Because I know that every moment that I have spent with her til this day is deep within her heart . She remembers things that I can't even remember . And so my memory will live on forever within her . I will spend that day laughing with her about all the stupid things that we did together , apologizing for all the times we hurt each other , crying about how much we'll miss each other and then tell her how proud I am  and always have been of her . And how I want her to go extra far in life for the both of us and find true love . Second & third ; my Mom and Dad . I'd let them decide who goes first . With my Dad , I would start off by telling him how I always thought him and I had a special father-daughter relationship . And apologize for all the times I argued with him , but ensure him that I wasn't entirely at fault each time , and that he needs to accept being wrong at times , because it doesn't make him any less of a man , instead it makes him more of a Superman . I'll thank him for always being there for me , supporting me , sacrificing things for me and giving me the best childhood I could have ever asked for , although he never had a proper one . I will share my most fondest memories we had with him . And then I will ask him to hold me in his lap for an hour and just listen to his heartbeat as I did when I was a baby . And then just spend that hour embracing him and remembering the rhythm of his heartbeat , the sound of his voice , the comfort of his embrace and the safeness of his presence . With my Mom , I would start off thanking her for all the sacrifices she made for throughout my life . Thank her for the countless nights she stayed up with me whether I was sick or crying about something . Then I would apologize for the countless times that I regretfully hurt her in any way . Apologize for ever making her cry . Apologize for her or my Dad ever having to question whether I still love them . Then I would tell her about my favourite moments we shared . Thank her and my Dad for always pushing me to do what I loved and work hard to reach my every goal , and for teaching me to fight for what I have and continue fighting to keep it . And just like my Dad , I would ask her to hold me in her arms for an hour as I listen to her heartbeat . And then I will again , spend that hour embracing her and remembering the rhythm of her heartbeat , the sound of her voice , the comfort of her embrace and the safeness of her presence . Lastly , my brother because he is young and he may not remember quite as well . I will first apologize for the countless times we fought . Play a few of his favourite games and teach him a few things . And then I would tell him how smart , talented and special he is and that no one can ever take that from him . I will ask him to make sure he works hard for what he wants and make my parents as proud as he's made me . And then I will spend that very last day with all of them together ; no yelling , no shouting , no arguments . Just love and happiness . I'll say my last good-byes and promise to always look upon them from where ever I go and keep them as safe and happy as I can . I will promise to always love them and never , ever forget them . And then I'll go .

Summer Fierce

Boys vs . Girls - Part 3 : High School Battle

From day one of high school , you've entered a popularity battle . So your first impression can very well be your last impression . If you're not with the right crowd or you're dressed a certain way , automatically , those become your friends . So if you wore all black , you've basically just made a statement that you are Gothic . If you wore those fishnets on your wrists , than you are either emo and trying to hide the cuts or you are a skater . Even if you aren't either of those and you unintentionally wore them just because you liked them , you've already been pinpointed as some sort of stereotype . Hanging out with the thugs will always get you a look or two from the teachers , especially if you dress like them . If you've established that thug persona for yourself , than your making the statement that you're tough and you have swagger . Nowadays , being a thug also means you do drugs or you sell them . Hanging out with people that smoke , will obviously raise the suspicion that you are a smoker as well .
I think it's hard for girls and boys because there's always that certain look that's portrayed by the media made out to look and be cool . Girls have to wear skin tight clothes and show a lot of skin to get the attention and boys have to have pants that have enough space to fit two of themselves in and their clothes must be brandname otherwise it's not cool .
And it's becoming more and more popular in teens to take part in drugs and alcohol , which raises the interest in teens to do them so they too can be cool . The funny thing about popular kids is that they think that they are being original or making a statement by the way they look and carry themselves . But the truth is , is that they are doing what everyone else is doing . They're following each other and they're following what the media is doing . They do not actually create their own looks . So who's to blame for this battle for popularity and what the standards are to be qualified to be cool ? The media . Just look at how many young artists use drugs and alcohol in their videos and look at the way the dress . We're all just following exactly what they do .

Be real . Be yourself . Start your own trend . Start your own cool .

Summer Fierce



Boys vs . Girls - Part 2 : Grades & Popularity .

Is it easier to maintain grades for girls or boys ? Neither . It all depends on you ; how hard you work towards your grades and how career-driven you are . Although , statistics are highly in female graduates and higher in school dropouts for boys , those are just statistics . But maybe they're not just statistics . Maybe they are the reason boys see it to be okay not to put as much effort in their school work that they do in sports and having fun . Maybe seeing the females dominating the intellectual world is too intimidating for them . Or maybe they are just lazy and care more about having fun and popularity than being smart and getting far in life . Popularity is another big issue . Have you noticed that a very low percentage of the popular kids at school have high grade point averages ? I've noticed . And so have the teachers , but no body's really doing anything about it . Nobody really can do anything about it ; it's a decision that they make . It's next to impossible to change the way things work now , because being stupid in school is kind of the new cool , if you really think about it . Prancing around in short skirts , shirts that probably belong to your younger sister that don't cover your belly and holding up the walls , while holding up your jeans is more important than holding up and wearing around an A in math . Anyway , back to my main point . It's actually easier these days for girls to gain popularity and friends . All they need is looks , the right attitude , and they've got it . But for boys , once you're born with a look , there isn't really much you can change . You can change your clothes and sometimes change you hair , but you really need a big , charming personality that is likable by most . The thing with popularity , though , is that you have more fake friends than you have real .

Grades or Looks ?

You could have both .

Summer Fierce

Boys Vs . Girls - Part 1 : Jobs & Parents .

The age old question : Is it easier to be a boy or a girl ?

Well in many cases it differs . Such as, getting a job. It all depends on the job that you're applying for . If it's a job in a restaurant , than it all depends on what they are looking for . In that case ; it's more so about the looks than your gender , but that's a whole other blog topic ! There are so many things that I find , as do many others , are easier for girls than they are for boys . Such as gaining trust from your parents . Girls aren't really seen or expected to get into all sorts of trouble like boys . The biggest concern for parents with girls , is them getting pregnant , but with boys there's getting into drugs , fights , alcohol and so on . Even though girls also partake in all of those , due to statistics and the ratios , boys are seen more inclined to do so . But then when girls want to do something or go somewhere , it's like a cross-examination scene in a movie . Their parents need to have a written out itinerary of how their outing will go and where they will be at every moment . Okay , that may be overexagerrating a little , but you get my point . The reason for that is that girls are a lot more fragile and gullible , so their parents see risks of them getting hurt at every corner of the world . Boys , on the otherhand , are usually more streetsmart and can defend themselves from harmful things , such as , predators .

Summer Fierce



Se7en

The Acting Academy class watched the movie Se7en, starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. It was more of a thriller than a horror film to me, which are my favourite type of films. I love the willingness of suspense it has in every minute of the movie. I thought Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman's acting was absolutely stunningly remarkable. The two of them together took this movie and made it Blockbuster. And then there was the villain, played by Kevin Spacey. He was magnificent in doing so, if I must say so. He really makes the audience hate him. I loved the way the storyline went and the way the climax unravelled and came to an abrupt ending. At first, I was really upset about the rushed ending, but after realizing how John Doe, Kevin's character, planned out the seven deaths so intelligently, I realized that it wasn't actually rushed. It was the way they put the seven deadly sins in, that specific order, and rolled them out so clearly and strong. I didn't like the sorrowful ending, but it was definitely a strong way to end the movie. I usually like the movies where the good guy wins, but this isn't one of them in several ways. This movie is definitely in my top fifteen favourite movies.

In a World All Alone .

Have you ever been alone? Most people have. Have you ever been alone in a room full of people? Is that possible? It doesn't mean literally alone, of course. It's the feeling of being alone. Like you have no one. In this room full of people, there is not one person that understands; that cares for you. You can be in a room full of strangers and be cared for. They won't feel such strong emotions such as love, but they will acknowledge your existence and your presence in a way. I've been in a room like that. And then I've been in another type of room. A room where I don't know anyone; where no one knows me. I feel alone. I feel invisible. I am silent. And then I've been in a room full of friends. I felt invisible. Like they were there, and they knew I was there, but didn't really know I was there. Like they just didn't understand me. Didn't love me. I was invisible. At that moment, I felt my world falling apart; closing in on me. I was suffocating in my own skin. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. Still; no one heard me. They carried on like nothing was happening, when, really, everything was happening. I shut my eyes, and I disappeared.

Have you ever felt alone, in a room full of family? I have. I knew their love was there, yet I couldn't feel it. I felt like I was trapped in a bubble that was closing in on me. I was losing air. I felt like they tried to understand me, but could not understand me. Like my silence would be the sharp point to burst the bubble. But it wasn't. It only had me suffocating more. Wanting to crawl out of my skin; out of this world. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but feared the chance I'd only push my family further away. Further away, although I already knew I was miles away from truly being with them.
Loneliness leads to depression. Depression leads to suicide. Being alone, and only having yourself to confide in can lead to endless emotions of hate to yourself and your life.
Burst that bubble.

Summer Fierce

Seven Deadly Sins [ vs ] Seven Heavenly Virtues .

Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

Humility - Being Modest in Self. his virtue in its purest form is not self-hatred (a common mistake made by those with good intentions but self-esteem problems), but rather a sense of inner knowledge that one does not need to prove their greatness to the outside world to actually be great. Opposite of Pride.

Kindness - Being Good Towards All Life. Opposite of Envy.

Chastity - Being Unhindered by Worldly Desires. The ability to overcome temptation and show self-discipline. Note that the fulfillment of the virtue is not through lack of being tempted, but rather of making the conscious decision to better yourself rather than do what you know is morally wrong. Opposite of Lust.

Patience - Being Peaceful in Goal. A willingness to forgive and show mercy. In the face of adversity they may hesitate, but in the end they will endorse stability, reject revenge, and accept the faults of others without prejudice. Opposite of Anger/Wrath.
Temperance - Being Controlled in Self. The moral decision slopes encountered through life are slippery, and it is easy to descend into unintended but well intentioned extremism. Opposite of Gluttony.
Diligence - Being Steadfast in Work. Despite the problems that surface, no matter what stands in their way, one with this virtue will accomplish their goals and stay true to their core beliefs. Opposite of Sloth.
Charity - Being Generous Towards Others. A willingness, or even desire, to help others and better the world, no matter the cost to your personal self. The path of a graceful and noble spirit. Opposite of Greed.

Alternate list : faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice, temperance, prudence.

Summer Fierce

Wicked !

On Wednesday November 3rd , The Soul Visionaries took a trip downtown to see the musical Wicked. It was wicked. Last year, Stagelife went on a trip to see The Sound of Music and I thought it was absolutely phenomenal. I thought after watching that, that it could NOT get any better. Then, when we went to see Wicked, I was blown away. The vocals were, to me, perfection. Every single piece that was sung, every single high note, was hit bullseye. I had goosebumps. The orchestra was well on cue, thanks to the marvellous conductor. I noticed how well memorized he was with the script and how sharp he was on his cues. It's actually extraordinary what he was doing because the orchestra can't see anything that's happening on stage, so they're all depending on the conductor to cue them. The actors were all well rehearsed and there knowledge of the emotions behind the script was impeccable, although, I found there were one or two dry spots where it felt like someone was late on their line. The set pieces and set changes were amazing! It looked absolutely perfect and like I was watching a movie. The storyline was tremendously, amazingly, well-thought out. I loved the way they chose the parts of the original storyline of The Wizard of Oz and incorporated it into Wicked. Making the connections between the two made the musical all the more enjoyable for me. Elphaba and Glinda, the two main characters, were my favourite. I couldn't believe how well they were in every aspect of the musical. From singing to acting; the both of them were perfection.

We also got a couple of hours at the Eaton's Centre to do some shopping and hang out with our friends. My mom works at a hospital nearby, so I got to have a lunch-date with her, which is really nice and I enjoyed it. I spent the majority of the time with three of my friends named Ashani, Kandice and Jasleen. We took our first initials of our names and named ourselves JARK. Yes; we are nerds, I suppose.



Jasleen, Ashani, Kandice & Ramona
JARK

 Summer Fierce