Back home after the journey from hell yesterday. 11 hours to travel just over 200 miles. At one point the train in front “froze” to the tracks (it didn't feel that cold to me). “Due to adverse weather conditions . . .” started the announcement at which the old codger in front of me quipped, “Oh, an unexpected winter.”
Took the kids to see King Kong on Boxing Day and it was interesting to see their responses. My son was wowed by the special effects (which were relentless and eventually tedious) and the gruesome killings and munchings, whereas my daughter was totally affected by the romance – the movie is a love story – and the poignancy. My son said afterwards, “It was too long. If it was an hour shorter it would have been a better movie,” which is true enough. When I asked my daughter what she thought of it she just nodded her head, tears still streaming down her face. She was still immersed and her critical faculties hadn't kicked in. Hopefully they never will.
My son & daughter are like chalk & cheese, evidenced particularly when I try to photograph them. As soon as my daughter sees the camera she starts to beam and let her energy out and consequently it's impossible to take a bad picture of her, whereas my son pulls his energy back in in a desperate attempt to create the right image for the camera and in the process he ruins not only the photograph but also the situation.
On Christmas Day I helped each of them make their own little movie. I first gave my daughter the camera, and then my son, and told them to go around the house and shoot about 4 or 5 minutes of short clips which we would then edit together on the computer. My daughter just shot the things she liked – the cat, her hamster, her mother, etc – which we edited together in the order in which they were shot, with no trimming, added a soundtrack and had us a wonderful 4 minute short. My son took into consideration (worried about) plot, continuity, development, pacing etc, agonized over the soundtrack, and produced an equally wonderful but very different movie. When we watched the two in succession I was surprised (and delighted) that they both much preferred the other's attempt – they appreciated the qualities that their own lacked. Developing roundness and fullness of character is all about having the heart to see, appreciate and absorb qualities in others that you lack yourself.
Took the kids to see King Kong on Boxing Day and it was interesting to see their responses. My son was wowed by the special effects (which were relentless and eventually tedious) and the gruesome killings and munchings, whereas my daughter was totally affected by the romance – the movie is a love story – and the poignancy. My son said afterwards, “It was too long. If it was an hour shorter it would have been a better movie,” which is true enough. When I asked my daughter what she thought of it she just nodded her head, tears still streaming down her face. She was still immersed and her critical faculties hadn't kicked in. Hopefully they never will.
My son & daughter are like chalk & cheese, evidenced particularly when I try to photograph them. As soon as my daughter sees the camera she starts to beam and let her energy out and consequently it's impossible to take a bad picture of her, whereas my son pulls his energy back in in a desperate attempt to create the right image for the camera and in the process he ruins not only the photograph but also the situation.
On Christmas Day I helped each of them make their own little movie. I first gave my daughter the camera, and then my son, and told them to go around the house and shoot about 4 or 5 minutes of short clips which we would then edit together on the computer. My daughter just shot the things she liked – the cat, her hamster, her mother, etc – which we edited together in the order in which they were shot, with no trimming, added a soundtrack and had us a wonderful 4 minute short. My son took into consideration (worried about) plot, continuity, development, pacing etc, agonized over the soundtrack, and produced an equally wonderful but very different movie. When we watched the two in succession I was surprised (and delighted) that they both much preferred the other's attempt – they appreciated the qualities that their own lacked. Developing roundness and fullness of character is all about having the heart to see, appreciate and absorb qualities in others that you lack yourself.
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