Monthly Archives: October 2015

Hidden Messages, Sensitive Thoughts

But TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY? That’s the American Dream…

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to pimp a hyteerfly

“The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it.
Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city.
While consuming its environment, the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive.
One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly.
The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar.
But having a harsh outlook on life, the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak and figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits.
Already surrounded by this mad city, the caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him.
He can no longer see past his own thoughts.
He’s trapped.
When trapped inside these walls, certain ideas start to take roots, such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city.

The result?

Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant.
Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that the caterpillar never considered, ending the eternal struggle.
Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same.”

Mortal Man

To Pimp a Butterfly 

 

To start off, this poem alone is part 1 of a larger idea that I plan to showcase on my blog. I do not think I have ever been as intrigued by something as beautiful and as eye opening as this piece. Words alone cannot piece together what this poem and the album itself mean to me and how my understanding of everyday life has changed because of it. The idea of “pimping” a butterfly was very interesting to me so I decided to do more research. After reading many descriptions about what “pimping” a butterfly meant, I came across this poem that was recited by Kendrick Lamar, the one who created the phrase “To Pimp a Butterfly”. Everything in the poem teaches us about our initial views on the world. When we enter this world we are trapped in a nightmare, consuming everything around us. We are nothing special. However once we see the upper class, the butterfly, we begin to feel resentment and jealousy. This resentment turns into energy. This energy fuels the passion to become the butterfly. To transform. Once this occurs we work hard, in other words we start working on the cocoon.

The cocoon represents school, media, or anything that contains the people, whatever institutionalizes them. The caterpillar is trapped in the cocoon. In other words the people are trapped by the system and any other struggle. Although you are caved in by the system’s demands, new ideas begin to form, inspired by the system. Inspired by the walls. These new ideas begin to expand and eventually become the seeds to a newfound life. To become something different. Because of this, wings begin to form and the caterpillar transforms into a more capable being. Without the system, without the struggles, without apartheid, police brutality, social inequality, there would be no new concepts and ideas to be explored. If there is no cocoon, there is no butterfly. The caterpillar,that was once an incompetent and futile existence, has been pimped to extraordinary new levels.

In other words, everyone has greatness within them. I feel this line exemplifies the fact that if every person positively used the system against itself, used the institutionalization as power for ideas and creativity, one could raise their consciousness to a level surpassing his/her environment. The fact that the caterpillar is the one being “pimped” instead of the butterfly, as the title of the album suggests, is intriguing. In my personal opinion I feel that the title: To Pimp a Butterfly is sarcastic in a way. Pimping a caterpillar represents being enlightened and to change for the better, To go from having nothing to having it all. Pimping a butterfly represents giving the rich/fortunate ones even more power and wisdom. I feel that Kendrick Lamar was poking fun at places that are run by a corrupt leader. Stealing from the poor and giving it to the rich, putting all financial pressure on the ones that do not deserve it are things that show how to pimp a butterfly. The content within the music and within the poem showcase the correct and moral way to handle society, while the title of the album displays the harsh reality. This harsh reality is compared to racial injustice and discrimination in the US which are the central themes within the album, as shown by the album cover. “Pimping” a butterfly is an idiom of the American Dream in the 30s.

I could go on and on all day about what this poem means to me and just how significant “pimping” a butterfly really is. Although I am really tempted to write a 2000 word essay on the statement “To Pimp a Butterfly” I feel I have exhausted my ideas for now. The main point I want to get across is that this poem really speaks out on racial inequalities and the injustices that are happening in the modern world. This poem shows us how we should be learning from the past. The problems we face nowadays are due to society being trapped in a cocoon and not wanting to become greater. Because of these things, I am scared of the reality I live in. A reality where we pimp a butterfly.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61aHQJ-tR%2BL._SY300_.jpg

Hidden Messages, narrative, Quests

Scavenger Hunt

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There is beauty in everything. Nothing in life is necessarily horrid. It’s just a matter of perspective. These are the words I live by and these will also be the words I die by.

On a rather bitter Sunday, I am walking out of a hotel and I hear a “crunch” sound as I take my first step outside. It was snowing. How had I not noticed? Just when I thought matters couldn’t get any worse. With even more dread than when I was inside the hotel I walked across the street towards Abbey Road. I don’t know where I am going nor why I was going to this particular road. I am a very successful person who is very fortunate yet I have lost my mind and my sense of direction. Abbey Road is right ahead of me and I do not hesitate to cross it. I hear the roar of an engine belonging to a 1964 Chevrolet Impala off in the distance. Those things are old. As I walk slowly and steadily across the road I think: “maybe someone is taking a picture of me right now for their album cover… I might even get paid” I can only dream at this point. After having my wallet stolen with much of my money, hoping for that cash to come back somehow was on the top of my mind. Having crossed a very memorable road has done nothing for me. I do not feel any different. I start laughing hysterically. “Oh God I feel like a Beatle or whatever”. As soon as I said that a Mother with her young child looked at me raising an eyebrow in mild disapproval. She whispered to the child “He’s crazy sweetie lets get out of here” then jolted away with the child in her arms. Me, now even more depressed, turned around and found myself staring into a glass window of a restaurant called: SMUGGLERS INN . I could see many things such as a lengthy line of people awaiting to be served, A bar with wine glasses hanging from the ceiling, people sitting down and laughing having a great time. The opposite of me. There was also the smell of barbecue sauce which was irresistible. What really caught my eye however was my own reflection. I was alarmed to see that I had went outside in my work clothes. Jet black pants, A vanilla white button up shirt tucked in neatly, and a red tie that had been cluttered with the rain of snowflakes. Even my curly blonde hair was sagged over due to the snow. At least my aqua blue eyes remained along with my pale skin. Had I really been this absent-minded? Was it not cold? I did not understand. At that point I had had enough of my pointless walk outside and so I had started to turn back when I caught a glimpse of an old man beckoning to me. He was waiving his hand for me to notice. As soon as he caught my gaze he told me to come where he is. I did as he said. As I came closer I noticed that he was wearing a Jewish outfit along with the cap. From his surroundings and where he was seated, I assumed he was less fortunate. Also opposite of me. He told me that I looked lost and I told him that it was not me that was lost but my wallet. “Oh I see” said the man. He reached into his coat pocket and took out a wallet. It was my wallet. I was absolutely shocked. “I saw this lying around the front entrance of the hotel over there. I figured it would be yours after looking at the dismay on your face”. I couldn’t believe it. The amount of joy bursting from inside of me of uncontrollable. “Th-thank you so much! you saved my life. Is there anything I could possibly do for you?, I owe you as much” The old man then said “Actually there is one thing I would like you to tell me… do you have any set creed you go by in life?” I was confused at first, thinking about what I should say, then I realized that I did always tell myself this one principle my friend had told me. “There is beauty in everything. Nothing in life is necessarily horrid. It’s just a matter of perspective. I don’t know if this is really a “creed” but these words are definitely something I live by. They will also be the words I die by”. The old man stared right into my eyes. Then looked up into my hair. Then back into my eyes. “Sure doesn’t look like it though” said the old man finally. “What do you mean?” I narrow my eyes down at him and he looks away and tips his Jewish hat down. He did not answer for a while so I tried to escape the conversation: “Thanks for finding my wallet”. I walk away with my shoes still crunching the snow. I look back into the window of the restaurant to see my reflection. “What does he mean?”

lost_in_the_city_by_mjagiellicz

http://vanstrydonck.com/the-prayer-dynamo/

narrative, Sensitive Thoughts

4 Paragraphs of Non-Fiction

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Descriptive:

The ever flowing water peacefully makes its way back and forth across the river, shimmering and gleaming on the surface as it moves along. The faint scent of mist and rainwater beckon to me as I look around and eventually answer the call with my nostrils. The mild yet comforting breeze spirals around my entire body in a soothing rhythm that makes me feel at ease. As I listen I begin to feel vulnerable and more aware of my surroundings. The mellow breeze, the sound of water brushing up against the rocky shore, the sudden splash of small pebbles after being thrown across the river. I feel at peace with myself.

Persuasive:

There is an affluence of peace and weariness resonating from this area and I feel as if this were to be one big delusion. If one were to come here they would feel absolute. They would be emerged in the awe-inspiring freedom and relaxation this place has to offer. In contrast to the strings the world has attached to people, you are unbound here. There are no limits, only inspiration and beauty.

Expository:

The river and the rest of the scene were the same old until I saw two people kayaking side by side. Both were calm but the expressions on their face were obvious of them having a fun time. As they kept going they noticed a bunch of us staring at them. He crept a smile and then looked straight ahead. After going past the bridge one of them went a little off track and ended up spinning to the left side. It seemed she was stuck as the other person turned back and went to help. Once that was over they got back on track and started kayaking again together. After a while they were out of sight.

Narrative:

My mind was clustered with the many possibilities of what to write about. My thoughts were abruptly put on hold when I saw a few particular rocks. These rocks had pictures of faces drawn onto them with a black sharpie it seems. All of these rocks were together. Like a family. I called my friends over: “Hey Wild, Gavin, Murtaza, come here!”. As they came over and saw the artistically styled rocks we were fascinated. “Wow this is pretty awesome. I wonder if this is the kind of stuff we do in Creative Writing?” As soon as Wild said this I had the sudden inspiration to write about these rocks. The expressions on the rocks were mostly funny and I related this to my own family. We are most like family when we laugh together.
edworthy park river

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g154913-d592405-i41590364-Edworthy_Park_Douglas_Fir_Trail-Calgary_Alberta.html

Quests

Scavenger Hunt

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1. On the trash can by the FFCA baseball diamond

While I was taking a stroll through the baseball field with my friends, we started walking towards the bleachers and as I looked to the left I noticed a trash bin. It wasn’t just any trash bin however. It had graffiti on it. It had some words that I could not recognize sprayed with white paint. The trash can itself was old and rusted with a hint of orange.

2. Smugglers Inn

My family and I were walking through the parking lot towards a medium sized building. This building was covered with wooden boards and bricks aligned with one another with a sign reading “SMUGGLERS INN” in a big bold text. The smell of barbecue was overwhelming even from the outside

3. Mysterious Boy

When we were at the river, writing about the scenery and everything we saw, I noticed a small boy sitting by the edge of the river dipping his feet in the water. He had a navy blue baseball cap which was hiding his blonde hair. He also had a white button up shirt. He had the biggest grin on his face and it was evident he was having a great time. Even then it was odd. He was alone. Although I probably thought about it too much, what was he doing there all alone? Maybe he was just waiting for his parents to catch up…

4. “I hate you” “Shut up”

I was sitting down in my desk during creative writing, and I overhear two girls whispering to each other. I couldn’t really hear what they were talking about neither did I want to as I am not fond of eavesdropping however two pieces of dialogue I actually heard were: “I hate you” and “shut up”. After that they giggled. I immediately assumed they were having a sarcastic/comedic conversation.

5. Barbecue sauce and Gasoline

As I entered Smugglers Inn I was bombarded by the heavy aroma of fresh barbecue sauce on a silver platter. The restaurant itself was very congested as the smell of barbecue sauce had probably attracted everyone else there as well.  As I left the restaurant we headed towards a gas station and I instantly felt the scent of gas enter my nostrils and I was delighted. Something about gasoline just fills me with joy just as it did when I was little. Sometimes things never change. Gasoline has a very melancholy scent now that I think about it.

6. The peace sign and the raise of an eyebrow

Numerous times throughout the day I have seen the peace sign thrown up whether it be as a symbol of goodbye or just for the hell of it. I have seen it at school, home, on the streets, at public places, restaurants etc. When people put up this symbol it usually signifies something happy. If someone talks about something that is unusual or if someone does not understand it they will usually raise an eyebrow to show a “what the heck?” kind of face.

7. Clam, Lobster, and Watermelon flavored pop

My dad treated me and my family to dinner at a restaurant near his workplace. As we went to grab food from the buffet platters I saw clam and lobster sitting all alone in a tray. I had never tried it before and once I took some of both I absorbed the delicious smell of fresh seafood. When I took a bite of the clam I was sent to another dimension. Same with the lobster. It was good. I also saw watermelon flavored pop. I tried it and my taste buds sizzled. Awesome

8. Jurassic World

The movie started off with the classic Jurassic Park scenario. We were introduced to a peaceful scene with nothing but happiness. Immediately I found this to probably be something that will contrast the rest of the movie

9. Go Set A Watchman

As soon as I started reading I was taken way back to the 1960’s in Alabama. I was surrounded by old age and the smell of liquor in Maycomb County. The age of segregation had ended.

10. Keyboard Typing, Taylor Swift, and laughter

During the lab time we had in creative writing I heard many sounds. From the person beside me I overheard Taylor Swift’s newest single: Wildest Dreams. While trying to concentrate I hear the never ending click of the mouse and keyboard. On top of that I hear friends laughing and enjoying themselves

11. A Granola Bar

During school at lunch time I grabbed a granola bar as it was the first item I grabbed when I rummaged through my backpack. As I unwrapped it I felt the rough and grainy texture of the almonds and granola brush up against my fingers. I garbled it all up as I needed the energy in order to fuel myself for the rest of the days

12. The river at Edworthy Park

As we walked down to the river at Edworthy Park I saw the water glistening in the sun. The river was flowing elegantly and I was at peace with myself just looking at it. I could breathe better and be myself. I was one with the river.

13. The park

While biking through my neighbourhood I spot a park that is usually clustered with kids of many ages. Today however there isn’t a trace of anyone. It was 12:00 pm. It’s always crowded here at 12:00 pm. Everything else is the same old. The 2 purple swings and yellow slide, along with an old rusted teeter totter where all that were left behind.

14. A cabin along the trail

My family and I were vigorously hiking up a trail that we had planned to go to when we plotted the camping trip. When we were nearing the end of this trail we were bewildered to find an old log cabin sagging in the middle of the forest surrounded by pine trees. I would be lying if I said the cabin looked anything other than ancient. The wood looked soggy and the windows were shattered. The door was rusted and it was obvious that whoever the owner of this cabin was would not be looking back. Although nobody was allowed to approach this cabin, it did not need any more insight judging by it’s looks.

15. The curved tree

This tree, while exploring the many places in BC, was a particularly odd tree. The tree was bending to the right. The bark was not splitting, in act the bark was going with the flow. It was bending with the tree. It was fascinating.

16. My cousin’s garden

While at my cousin’s house we decided to go outside and play in his backyard. In his backyard there was a garden full of apples, strawberry’s and many other types of flora. It had the exquisite scent of vanilla which was pure heaven. I also happened to notice a small rabbit cowering behind a one of the plants. It was the ideal garden.

17. Rabbit

I was looking around in my cousin’s garden and I spotted a rabbit cowering behind a plant. He had deep black eyes and he was shivering. It was obvious he was frightened. It’s fur was a mixture of vanilla white and caramel. I was staring right at the rabbit when it all of a sudden darted away through the garden and out of a small hole in the wooden fence surrounding us all.

18. A heartbreak

Just a few weeks ago I was informed of my aunt having breast cancer. I was overwhelmed with grief and immense shock. How could something like this happen. At that moment I felt like the most useless person in the world. I was almost convinced it was a dream. It was unreal.

19. Making my parents proud

Whenever I do something like participate in big contests or do anything acknowledgeable I make my parents proud. When I participated in last year’s Canada day challenge, where you needed to draw or write about what Canada means to you, my parents received the confirmation letter that my work was received by the judges. My parents were very proud of me for participating and so my spirits were up and I was filled with pure pride and happiness.

20. Martin Luther king Jr., Graffiti wall downtown Calgary, Fire

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who helped abolish racism in America.  His legacy is something important to me as equality is one of the things I appreciate the most in society. One of the graffiti walls in downtown is a place of inspiration as creativity and art resonates from the area. As a fan of hip hop culture I love the place in general because it is an inspiration to lyricists whom I appreciate. Fire is a very inspiration thing for me because it symbolizes strength, courage, and hope. I fid these qualities to be some of the qualities I adore and chase after throughout my life.

21. Around my neighbourhood

When I go on a walk I always go around my neighbourhood: New Brighton. The sun beaming down on me, while not too hard, and the birds chirping add on to the incredible atmosphere of the area. On top of that the nice people that live in the community are always an added bonus especially when I am not feeling myself.

22. Fernie Alpine Resort

As I approached this never before seen place I was reminded of the fun times I had at Nakiska. Fernie is an alpine resort dedicated to skiing, however we had went when there was no snow. The place reminded me a lot of Banff as well. The cool temperature, The trees, and even how the lodge looked were nearly identical. Even the fresh smell of pine was similar.

23. ‘Mr Rager’ by: Kid Cudi

“Knocked down, round for round/You’re feeling like you’re shot down on the ground/ When will the fantasy end?/ When will the heaven begin?”  All in all these lyrics show the struggle in life and how life itself is just a fantasy, just something imaginary, while death/heaven is where it will become “real”

24. The Violin

The violin is simply a beautiful instrument. Beauty, grace,  and elegance  is what defines a violin. After seeing people play the violin and listening closely, I have realized that the violin is truly a magnificent piece of art and is truly one of the greatest instruments ever made.

25. My piano skills

I have a love/hate relationship with my piano. I love the instrument itself and I love when what I am trying to do is actually working. I absolutely hate when I cannot do what I want to do on the piano, which is 90% of the time. I feel disgraced and disheartened whenever this is the case. Quite sad to be honest.

26. A bee on someone’s lips – picture

Something grotesque that I saw would be a picture I found on the internet of a bee sitting right on someone’s lip. The person whom the lips belonged to did not seem to notice in the picture however I was immediately grossed out and I exited the tab right away with many mixed feelings bouncing around in my stomach and in my mind.

27. My sister

My sister has been sick for a week now. She has had the runny nose and stuffy nose at the same time and it is quite disgusting. I hope she gets better soon but in the meantime she has to stay away from me because I feel a little grossed out and uneasy around her.

28. An awkward group photo

This group photo of me and my friends was supposed to be something worthy of putting up on social media. It was instead a blink fest in which almost all of us got the timing wrong and the photo ended up with all of us in the middle of blinking. It was quite ludicrous and everyone, including me, forgot about taking a proper one as we were too focused on how funny the first picture was.

29. Footsies

In math class my friends and I were sitting in front of me and so we had the brilliant idea of playing footsies. It got to the point where one of us ended up getting hurt and for the rest of the day our ankles were aching. After this we had very much learned our lesson. Feet are interesting.

30. Rock, paper, scissors

During gym class we had to choose who would start off in the game: Volleyball. One of the players from both teams had to play rock paper scissors in order to determine who would get first serve. It is very interesting to think that such terms could be decided with a game involving only hands. The game itself is quite fascinating as the shapes we make with our hands determine if we win or lose. Hands are incredible as they can do many things. I feel they are overlooked a considerable amount and there is still more than what meets the eye in terms what what hands can really do for us.

Just explore

magnifying_glass_photo_by_sawyerafk-d4ldeo2

http://sawyerafk.deviantart.com/art/Magnifying-glass-photo-277762178