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366 Days 406 Movies 267 Posts 2012 As It Was For Me

So this is somewhat of a tradition around here to end the year with a post looking back at the year on the blog. I wont get much into the specifics of 2012, but I will say that this year has gone SO FAST. I know it sounds cliché but it literally does feel like just yesterday that I was writing my post like this last year. It really does. However, Im beyond excited for 2013. So many opportunities await me: in a week, Ill be going to Japan, then theres all the Head Girl duties, and also, we have another good year for film on our hands. Just maybe, at the Oscars in February, I might see Jessica Chastain with a statue (Oscar or not, Im excited to see what she wears). Matthew McConaughey may blow our minds with The Dallas Buyers Club (heres hoping). Ill finally get to see films like The Perks of Being a Wallflower (maybe), Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook, Les Miserables, Django Unchained...and also my most anticipated 2013 releases like The Great Gatsby, The Place Beyond the Pines, Only God Forgives, The Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby His & Hers, Iron Man 3, Now You See Me, Side Effects, the two Terrence Malick films, Twelve Years a Slave, Mud...the list could go on and on. So before I wave 2012 goodbye - and it has been a mostly fantastic year - it is time to look back on the best moments on this blog, month by month. This year Ill also add what songs were my faves during that particular month.

January - What If We Could? by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
As with most Januarys, this month was filled up with Oscar Oscar Oscar. Before then, though, I finally left the country and went to Melbourne for a holiday, which also meant I could catch up with a few movies while I was over there. Oh and hey, I became the literal only person on Earth to love War Horse. I still like to remind people of its glorious existence because most people have forgotten about it.

February - Man or Muppet by Bret McKenzie
Oh hey, the Oscars happened this month. It feels like just yesterday I saw Jessica Chastain in that beautiful gown. Again, that makes up for 75% of my excitement for the 2013 Oscars. I did my predictions with poetry again this year. I cant wait to hopefully have enough time to do them again next year. I also brought back my A Conversation with... feature with The Beaver. I remember that day, as that was when I found out that I was gluten intolerant. Good times. I also changed my rating system. I was watching the Downton Abbey Christmas special when I did that.

March - Under Your Spell by Desire
This month started out awesome, coz I was supposed to be directing the school production, but at the end of the month they cancelled it. I was actually so sad for days. Mind you, this month was kinda known as Jessica Chastain month (even though every month of my life is Jessica Chastain month), since it was her birthday, and I got to see The Debt and Take Shelter. I also started another feature, known as Lame Trailer Clichés, with kettles. Really.

April - Talk Show Host by Radiohead
April was an interesting month, filled with many gems of posts. This Conversation with Puss in Boots has always been one of my favourites. So is this review of I Melt with You, which I still have a few LOLs over every now and again. I also did my 50 Cinematic Wishes, had an interview with the Kid in the Front Row, made a desperate plea to anyone who would listen about how The Cabin in the Woods shouldve been given a proper release here, and I saw The Avengers, which was apparently very exciting.

May - No Church in the Wild by Kanye West and Jay Z (featuring Frank Ocean)
It would seem that I was nominated for a whole lot of LAMMYs at the end of this month. That was really exciting. I started off the month with this review of Tyrannosaur, which is probably my favourite review that Ive written. I also wrote about how The Muppets was actually a very gutsy movie, shared some of my early photos I took and listed my ten favourite Cillian Murphy performances.

June - Unravelling by Harry Escott
June was a real gem of a month. I got a couple of LAMMYs, I did my French New Wave month, I shared my 15 favourite redheads, for my 900th post I shared some blogging tips, I saw Shame, and I also did that 100 Film Facts About Me post which unintentionally (but awesomely) turned into a blogathon. I am so proud of how this month went, but it makes me sad because Ill never be able to have another month like it.

July - Rise by Hans Zimmer
July, however, was probably my favouritest month ever. Mainly because it had the best DVD releases EVER. I mean, one night I took home six movies to watch before they were released, and on another day I watched five releases. One of those releases was We Need to Talk About Kevin, which caused two earthquakes and made me fall in love with Ezra Miller. I did my Anime month, even before I knew I was going to Japan. I posted my speech online...which for some reason, people still talk about. I started my Dear Hollywood feature with J. Edgar. I finally got to see The Dark Knight Rises, which also saw me write an appreciation post on Christopher Nolan. Before I went on my "Im burnt out" break, I finally did my 2011 retrospective lists, with my favourite directors, actors, actresses and films.

August - Why Do We Fall? by Hans Zimmer
This month wasnt very exciting as I spent most of it on break (and watching the Olympics until I felt like my eyes were going to bleed), but I was brought back when I got nine of those Liebster Award things, so I had to answer a crapload of questions. I turned 17, too, which was rather un-exciting (bring on 18!). And I really got obsessed with Ezra Miller. And I did this really weird post.

September - Its Time by Imagine Dragons
Pretty much nothing happened on the blog in September because I was too busy with Little Shop of Horrors. I did do some funny Photoshops, though.

October - Radio by Lana Del Rey
Things got back on track in October, with my horror month keeping me on my toes (ironically while I was dipping my toes), and also the third birthday celebrations, which were counted down to by My Movie Biography. Among other things that happened in this month were my Prometheus home musical (which my friends now use against me when I say that Im actually awful at singing), I saw Margaret, and I did some more funny Photoshops the night before my Photography Folio was due, which is when I coincidentally got really sick with a virus. Lovely.

November - Ride by Lana Del Rey
IDK why, but this month feels like it was years ago. However, Nic November happened, I made a very pretty gallery of my favourite colourful movies, and I also did my movie alphabet. There were a few birthdays this month, so I listed my favourite performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and shared a brief biography and a few facts about Vivien Leigh. Plus, I saw Killer Joe on the 13th of November, which means that was the very date that Matty M went from zero to hero in my heart.

December - Victim by Win Win
This month has been so incredibly difficult but there were a few good points on the blog, including this review of Magic Mike which Im rather fond of, I did my first blogathon which was called Making the Case and I reached 1000 posts. Recently Ive been reflecting on the year, with things like my unofficial favourites of the year and my obsessions of the year.

So theres 2012 for ya. This also marks the end of an era for Cinematic Paradox: while Ill be around in 2013, itll be to a much lesser extent, since school is really going to be busy this year. Still, Ill be working hard at Annual Awards Nerdism for the next two months! I hope you all have a wonderful 2013, and lets make it awesome!

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4 Lessons Photography has taught me about Learning

If you follow me on the web, then you perhaps know that Im big on photography. I absolutely love taking pictures - my Flickr stream with about 13000+ pictures will tell you just that. Im no pro, but something makes me feel Ive gotten better with time. As I reflect on the last 10 years of having owned cameras, I think Ive some interesting insights on how adults learn. In todays post I want to share some of those thoughts with you and Id love to hear how you feel about what Im writing.

Learning is effective when its autonomous and purposeful

When I got my first digital camera I wasnt fussed about technique. I was just keen to take pictures. I think I had a 256 MB card for my camera and it was an absolute luxury for me. All I wanted to do was capture every moment of my life. You need to know something about me. I didnt grow up with many of the gadgets that kids my age in the west were exposed to. So I didnt have a computer or video games. I have some photographs of my life prior to getting a camera, but the frank truth is that we were always constrained by the 36 pictures on the film roll. The ability to take pictures and see them instantly was gratification enough for me. Gradually, I got interested in photography as an art and only over the last few years have I gotten over the desire to snapshot my life. Instead, I want to capture vivid moments that tell stories of their own. I havent yet been to a photography course. I havent let anyone dictate how I should shoot. As my purpose and subjects have changed, I have learned and my approach has evolved. I think this tells me something. It has taken me 10 years to learn what I know about photography, which frankly is precious little. On the other hand, someone else with a completely different purpose may have learned much quicker. I dont feel that Im stupid because I took 10 years - I didnt need to. I enjoy the autonomy with which I learned. My learning has served my purpose and thats all that matters.

Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

Our educational systems are built around the premise of promoting success and success alone. I dont think theres anything wrong with celebrating success, but we cant forget that failure is a stepping stone to success. I love shooting wildlife. Unlike many other subjects, filming wildlife is a very unforgiving experience. I can safely say Ive had more failures than success filming wildlife and especially fast moving birds. A few days back I went to the lake near my house to try and follow the resident pied kingfishers. This is a curious bird and to watch it fish can provide hours of entertainment. It was no easy task filming these little geniuses given how skittish they can be. I failed at least four times before getting some satisfactory pictures on the fifth attempt. Failure was heartbreaking I must say, but the safety of knowing I have another chance gave me confidence. Each time I failed, I learned a little more. When I finally got the shot I wanted I was able to repeat my technique several times over. As you design learning experiences, how are you building in the safety to learn from failure?

Constraints make for great learning

When I bought my first camera, a simple point and shoot Yashica film device, Id complained heavily about the lack of zoom. That complaint carried on as I graduated to better, more expensive cameras and super-zoomers. What I failed to appreciate was that every camera has a built in zoom - our two feet! Ever since, Ive moved onto better equipment and longer lenses, but I must say my favourite lens today is a the 50mm prime that I own. Its a simple piece of equipment. It cant zoom, it has no image stabilization. That makes for great learning on how to get close to my subjects and how to keep my hand steady. In a similar manner I have learnt from the constraint of having to shoot vivid images through a single frame of a prosumer camera. Cameras dont see what our eyes see - theres way too much contrast to capture. This has led me to explore techniques such as high-dynamic-range (HDR photography) - the picture above is an example. I love placing meaningful constraints in the learning programs I design. For example at ThoughtWorks University I like to place the constraint of learning while on the job of delivering software to a client. It helps the new consultants to learn how to learn and gain useful experience on the side.

Theres no match to social media  and mobile platforms as learning tools

One of the things Ive learned from photography is that its extremely gratifying to get feedback from your friends, skilled or not. I often put up my photographs on Flickr and sometimes on Facebook. When people favourite my images or comment favourably on them I know that I must be doing something right. It motivates me to do more. Social media has been a big influence on my learning journey too. Twitter, Google Reader, Facebook and Flickr put together have become an integral part of my photography learning journey. The byte sized pieces of inspiration I get every day are just the right size to help me learn on a daily basis. Add to that inspiring mobile apps like Life and Guardian Eyewitness  help me analyse great professional photography. As Brent Schlenker writes on his blog, mobile apps and new media are removing the middlemen from the learning experience. I learn from the best today by following their blogs. Trey Ratcliffes blog is far more up-to-date than his book. Thats an example of how powerful the social media learning experience can be. The era of having to go to school is past. School comes to me - every day and at my own pace.

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Learning is an iterative, experiential process. We however seemed to have based corporate learning around a dated model of education which lacked autonomy, had little social structure and discouraged failure. I cant say my experience with photography is representative of all kinds of learning. I do think that there is something for us to think about as we analyse experiences such as these. Id love to hear how you feel about my musings today. I apologise my bad back has stopped me from being regular with my blog posts. As I grapple with this situation, I hope you continue to visit this blog as and when I post. Ill do my best to maintain a regular schedule as well. Hope you enjoyed todays post.

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5 Things that make me irrationally crabby

Im in a good mood today. Honestly. 

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6 Ways Math Helped Me Gain More Home Space

I started writing this blog because I wanted to share my outlook on math as a friendly, exciting and very applicable part of our daily lives and a cool tool to be equipped with. I continue writing because with your help I am constantly discovering the surprising guidance math could provide in situations one has never imagined possible.

A few months ago, I wrote a post on how math could help us get more out of the home space we have. Now, looking around my home, I suddenly realize that without conscious intention, I put many of my advices to work. Observing the results, I believe that we now use our not-so-large home more effectively and enjoy it more than before. Here are the 6 simple things that I tackled:

1)Shoe Closet
My husband has size 14 shoes. They are almost 12" or 30cm in length each. It took me years to realize that he needs much more shoe closet space than I or any of the kids. But even when we divide it 1-to-3, with him taking a whole half of the closet and me sharing the other half with the kids, his shoes outflow his space. I do have hard time believing him that he does need separate sneakers for running, basketball, squash and hiking. But it is too late - all this (and much more) is already in the closet. One simple approach would be to divide the closet floor proportionally to the shoe sole area. But a truly ingenious geometrical solution is to consider the other dimensions. On this Ikea rack, small or large size shoes take the same space when arranged vertically.

2)Living Room
Writing about the statistics of our use of each of the rooms, I created a home usability spreadsheet that can be downloaded here. Studying it, made me realize that our living room was vastly underused. We were barely spending 6 hours per week in it, that is 2.5% of our total home-spent awake time. Why didnt we use the new reading couches and bookshelves we recently purchased? Mainly because the light in the room was never strong enough for the evening reading. Last month we installed four cute little spotlights that are strong enough for late night winter reading or a family game. We put a few games, books and magazines on the table and encourage kids to cuddle with a soft warm blanket on the sofas to read, chat or play.

3)Kitchen
A discussion with my friend who recently moved into a new home and from all the rooms that needed renovation, decided to concentrate time and money first of all on the kitchen because "we all spend so much time there" made me review my familys room usability chart. Indeed, after the office (I work from home), our open kitchen-dining-homework area is the busiest in the house and perhaps it is about time we invest to redo the antiquated 70th style kitchen to something more fitting our taste.
Feel free to upload and modify this room usability spreadsheet to investigate what is being under and over used in your home.

4)Towel closet
Learning from a flight attendants suitcase packing tips, I started rolling my towels instead of folding and immediately gained extra space in our closet. Plus, kids find it much more fun to help me now. However, their favorite rolling place is the floor.

5)Bathroom
Ever since we moved to the East Coast from LA, we were wondering why toilets and vanities seem to be much lower here. The standard 30" height of the bathroom cabinets apparently came from the old days when water bowls were just put atop a dresser. Such a low height may work well for kids of certain age and height, but little kids still need a stool and teenagers are the height of their parents. Therefore, unless you are running a home-school, you can be much more comfortable with a higher vanity that does not require so much bending. Especially, if you have a bad back. To test this, we tried hand washing and teeth brushing in a kitchen sink, as kitchen counter height is usually 36". We liked it and when redoing our bathroom after an occidental flooding, we knew that we wanted to fit our home to our "tall" needs.

6)Mirrors
When turning our utilities room into my husbands office and contemplating the style of the bi-fold doors that should cover the washing and drying machines, I recollected my own advice: "Mirrors make room appear larger and brighter by reflecting the light instead of absorbing it as walls do." Now, we cant believe that we got so much visible space out of the junkyard of utilities and storage.

Please feel free to post in the comments your own advices and stories on creating more space or making home more efficient with the use of trivial and not so trivial mathematical thinking. You can also share your own Home Usability Chart with your kids discussing how to make heavily used rooms more fun and underused rooms more practical.

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A House is a House for Me Childrens Book Activity Or So She Says

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