What's the difference between me and you?

A book is and will never be the same as a movie.

Coming to terms with this statement is extremely difficult, especially when the movie industry can create such amazing images that books could only dream of. However, no movie will ever be able to replace the magic and excitement that a book brings whilst frantically flipping through page after page.
When I read a book that I really enjoy, I find myself putting it down quite often. This isn't because I don't want to read it for its context, but I am so intrigued with it that I don't want it to end. So was the case with the Harry Potter series. Five times, after the invigorating night filled with Harry Potter trivia, costume contests, think tanks, and raffles, I would find myself reading the first few chapters at 2 a.m., but quickly putting down the book before I read too far. I wanted the heavy read to last as long as possible, like I was experiencing Harry's journeys and adventures right along side him. I even took Goblet of Fire to Hawaii with me and read it in the hotel room while everyone else was at the beach. Sounds lame, but I was having just as much fun with Harry as they were having playing in the ocean. No book has ever captivated me like this series did throughout my childhood and early adulthood. I use to read it to my young cousin's while I babysat them, even though it was likely my third time reading it. They were suckers for the different voices that came with reading aloud. Snape was very cold and obnoxiousm whereas Dumbeldore was mellow and sage-like.
Tonight I watched "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", which I found both intriguing and repulsive. It set the stage perfectly for the next two movies, which will surely be action-packed and bring closure, just as the book did. However, it left out so much crucial info that it hardly satisfied what I or any fan of the books would have liked to have seen. Where was the scene about the ring? How about the funeral?
I had to take a step back from this experience and remember; a movie can never be what a book has been and will always be. The true experience lies in the adventure. There is no time to put down the movie and wonder what will happen next. Instead, it forces you on a ride that you aren't ready to take. There is seldom a series of books that can equate to that of Harry Potter, but if given the chance, read the books and stay away from the movies. You will just be disappointed (except for Star Wars, I couldn't get past pg. 15 of Revenge of the Sith). Cheers and have a good night.

Details, Details

Surfing on Cardboard comes from a distinct memory from middle school which anybody who attended Albuquerque Academy would remember. 6th grade is all about getting aquatinted with the school and making new friends, but 7th grade takes you in a completely new direction. Torn between two pods, Red Chile and Green Chile, students have completely different memories of that year. For me, I was in the Red Chile pod. My friendships from 6th grade slowly faded away as we were separated by pod, which meant we didn't have any classes together, the root of middle school friendships.

The most distinct memory I have comes from the Red Chile pod camp-out on the Academy campus. I can still smell the Mac & Cheese we cooked on Dane's mini stove and the hot dogs we roasted on the George Foreman grill. That night, we all brought cardboard boxes to make forts out of to sleep on the soccer field, under strict supervision of course. About 8 of us guys tried to make the best fort, which yielded some meaningless prize, but our fort just fell to pieces and we just slept under the stars. The night was filled with sophomoric crushes, truth or dare, and other adolescent games that involved both sexes. However, the picture that still hangs on my wall today is a memory I won't soon forget. While the girls of the pod spent their time gossiping, we boys were messing around with spare cardboard pieces, riding them down hills as if they were a new skateboard or the grass hills were the Pacific Ocean. Mr. Peknik, our science teacher, was messing around with a new camera lens and snapped a photo of all of us in mid-air, cardboard under our feet. That night, we were kings of the mountain and this picture proves it, as we fly higher than the Sandias in the background.

I took a trip to the In-N-Out temple in Los Angeles. More of a play on words than anything else. I stopped at the original Thai Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, just 20 minutes away from Hollywood Blvd. Seems to be quite the contrast, but I appreciated it for what it's worth. After a few rounds of saying "grap" to the golden Buddha and monks, clad in orange robes, we headed out to find the culprit, In-N-Out Burger. With planes flying overhead and customer eager to have their fix before boarding a flight to Shanghai, we scarf down our double-doubles, animal style of course, and keep moving to LAX. I watched the Secret Window for the ump-teenth time and enjoyed the twisted plot even more than expected. Almost missed my flight because I was watching Albert Pujols choking in the Home Run Derby in his hometown as I ate an overprice CPK caeser salad. I was transported to a small town in Spain named Burgette as I read Hemmingway's "Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises", but felt quite vulnerable as I prepare for my own Spanish voyage within two months. I glimpsed my visa for the first time as well, making the trip feel so much closer than I imagined. Phone calls and bedtime to be followed by crawdad fishing and some reggae rock with a bit of snoop doggy dogg. Blog on!