Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is to the second review of this second #TheatreWeek with the review of one of my favourites ballets, Alice in Wonderland, adapted from the classic tale written by Lewis Carroll. Without any further ado, let's get started, she we ?

Alice In Wonderland : a lesson of growing up and maturing in a fantasy world.

The first point that I would like to talk about is the fantasy itself : when Alice is at a family lunch and bored by the manners of her family, and ends up following a rabbit in a hole leading her to the Wonderland, where she lives adventures that never exist in real life, meets incredible creatures, and is living the dream of leaving her boring life in a rich mansion with her family and her social conventions. In the end, she learns more in this trip than ever in her previous life, and it marks her changement from a little girl to an almost woman.

The second point is about the love story that happens in the show : as Alice falls in love with Jack, the gardener in the beginning and the Jack of Hearts in the Wonderland, she grows up to be more of a woman and less of a child, and has to defend him in front of the Red Queen, the Queen of Hearts, when he's accused of having stolen a tart from her and is condemned to death. As she learns about he politics in the Wonderland and is more aware of the ruling dictatorship, she grows up and becomes more clever than ever in her life.

The third and last point is about the tale itself, written by Lewis Carroll for a seve-year-old child called Alice, and tells her a story when she's very poor and did t't have many opportunities to escrow from her boring life. So, maybe, this ballet and story overall was created to make us, too, escape from reality for a while and discover new horizons ? Anyway, this show was really intense and made with several décors to show the vastness of this really incredible show. It is also a great Christmas show for children and adults alike, apparently.

Overall impression : A really great show about growing up, falling in love, that is different from the original tale but is very suited for anyone, regardless of age. A true treat for the family !

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post. and I will see you very soon with another one !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Manon

Manon

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, little announcement : the #TheatreWeek is going to be kept going for a second week, as I am still quite busy and still have opéras and ballets to cover. So, here is the very first review of this second week with Manon, a ballet that is an adaptation from the novel by Abbé Prévost. So, without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Manon : from the desire of money to the truth of love

The very first point I will raise is about the love story itself : Manon, who was supposed to go to a covent, meets Des Grieux and falls in love with him as much as he is in love with her. Their love is more powerful than the advanced of money (Monsieur GM), or family pressure (Manon's brother, Lescaut). In the end, Manon is ready to sacrifice her dream of money and fame to be in a relationship with Des Grieux, a humble and young student, and even when she gets arrested and sent to jail in Louisiana as a prostitute, she runs away with him and die while running away in the swamps, s  last proof of their undying love for each other.

The second point that I will raise is about Monsieur GM and Lescaut, who are the two societal pressures on Manon and Des Grieux's shoulders. Love is usually tainted with money, and relationships are usually arranged by the families for their own interests. At the beginning, Lescaut wants to sign a contract with a rich gentleman for him to marry his sister, but then, he turns around to Monsieur GM as he is wealthier. Arranged weddings were common, and even the norm, at the time, so it was very usual to see rich men lurking for the prettiest girls out there to marry them.

The third and last point that I will raise is about the social inequalities at that time, causing Lescaut to practically "sell" his sister to the richest man around to ensure her a life without any difficulties or financial problems. Des Grieux, however, didn't have the money to ensure that bright future for her, so he's resigned himself to steal money from Monsieur GM and cheat at a game against him. He ends up being chased away as a thief and Manon is incarcerated as a prostitute for being in love with him but "selling herself for money" to Monsieur GM. His shows the unfair society of those times.

Overall impression : really good story about love, for mature audiences, and shows the inequalities of is world, whether in the past or nowadays !

Okay, that's it for today ! I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another post !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

La Bohème

La Bohème

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the end to the first #TheatreWeek done last week, that will be kept going on with another... week, basically ? Anyway, here is the very last review of this #TheatreWeek with its very last review, an opéra by Giacomo Puccini called La Bohème. So, without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

La Bohème : A true story about love, in a world of poverty and inequalities.

The very first point that I would like to raise is the love story, that is the core of the story, between Mimì and Rodolfo. While Rodolfo is a poet, living with his artist friends, that wants to describe the beauty that is in this world, Mimì sews clothes and lives a minimalist life alone. But when they meet, there is a pure love between them as they get to know each other and fall in love for their unique traits and caracteristics. There is a difference between that love and another live portrayed on this show, Musetta and Marcello's relationship, when Musetta is a woman who "needs no man" and uses them sometimes to get to her goals, but despite all ther quarrels, they end up together because they love each other. But sadly, Mimì dies as she was too poor to get cured, and despite Rodolfo's attempt to save her with his friends, it was too late. This shows the tragedy of this couple doomed to be separated so early, and loved each other SO MUCH, even when Rodolfo pretended not to love her so she can marry someone rich to be cured.

The second point is about the camaradery between Rodolfo and his friends : Marcello the painter, Schaunard the musician and Colline the philosopher. Even if a life as an artist is very hard in Paris, especially for poor people in this era, they try to cheer up between themselves and see each little surprise and stuff like that (when they avoid paying the rent, when they have a fish for dinner (which is A LOT for them), this display of camaradery in this very poor area of Paris shows that even in the darkest of times, friends SUPPORT each other and try to get the best from all and NEVER let one behind. Even Musetta, who's shown as "the b*tchy person", is very worried about Mimì in the end and doesnt hesitate to sell her own earrings to buy her medicines.

The third and last point I will talk about is the social inequalities in Paris at that time, when people that were VERY RICH were next to people that were VERY POOR and it created many riots. When people were left to die in the streets just because they couldn't afford medicine led Mimì not to tell anyone about her illness until the very last moments, and STILL, she died because nobody could care for her early enough. Nowadays, with all the world inequalities, and EVEN in the developed countries, would YOU leave some people die just because they can't afford health care ? THINK ABOUT THIS USA. AND THE UK. I'm waiting.

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you soon with another one !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Childhood Story #2

Childhood Story #2

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, for this #DoubleSunday, here is my second Childhood Story, that is a very old one and will be, probably, be very cringy. But yeah... I am a 90's kind and my point is to prove it, hahaha ! (Even if I was born in 1996 lol !)

Those Times When I Had VHS Tapes

(and was OBSESSED with this summer show)

So, yeah, you guessed it : I was born early enough to have VHS tapes. Yes, only 90's kids and people born before this MAGNIFICENT era will remember this (unless you were raised in a family that refused the most modernd technologies, but I don't think that there are that many of them in the world when DVD's and Blue-Rays are way more convenient nowadays).

So, here is my story about tapes. When I was around three or four years old, we had tapes that could only record four hours of programs (after that, it would record on the previous recording. When I see that now, televisions can do that themselves and record thousands of hours of stuff, I can admit that we are pretty lucky), you could NOT turn off the TV, or change the channel (now you can), so your TV was stuck on what you wanted to record, that you had to figure out when the program was beginning and ending to have the ENTIRE show and not miss a bit (usually, shows started AND ended late, now, you just have to press record on your remote and the entire show is recorded without you doing anything else), and you had to program that sh*t the day when you leave (if you did), when now, you can record something weeks in advance, and last but not least, when your recorder menu was a f*cking mess and was practically ILLISIBLE whereas nowadays, you just have to press one button and it's DONE.

Aaaah, the wonders of technology. When I was a kid, ALL of my favourite cartoons were on tape (especially my favourite, Pokémon),  and at the end of them all, I HAD TO rewind the tapes, and since I didn't want to, I would either complain to death until my dad would rewind them for me, or I would run away in my bedroom hoping for him to do it for me. But sometimes, he would make me do that, and it would feel like hell, an eternity, the entire f*cking thing in reverse, so SLOW, whatever. Nostalgia, me says. NONE of my younger siblings (one brother and two sisters) had to do it, so I'm kind of happy for them.

Anyway, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post, and I will see you very soon with another one !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

The Uncanny Fail #2

The Uncanny Fail #2

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, as the summer has now officially come and arrived in the Northern hemisphere, where I live, I wanted to talk with you about another really important Uncanny Fail that ruins my life and has done so since my earliest childhood : I CAN'T TAN. Like, EVER. So, here is my confession, guys.

I Can't Tan

(Or how having no melanin AT ALL has ruined my entire existence on this planet FOREVER)

So, since I was a child, I've NEVER been able to tan. My skin is so pale that in elementary school, or in middle/high school, I would get comments along the lines of : "But Mary, why are you so pale ?", "Do you never go outside or anything ?", "Do you EVEN go to the beach or do you just stay inside all day ?", "Do you EVEN have friends or are you anti-social as f*ck ?", every year, and I really mean it, every year, without fail, in ALL September reunions at school.

And even when the summer was long over and in the middle of the f*cking winter or in spring, I wold get comments along the lines of : "Wow, she looks like a zombie.", "Isn't she the witch in this area or anything ?", and even grown-ups F*CKING ADULTS would tell me :"Well, isn't she really pale or anything ?", "Are you sure she's not ill or anything ? She looks like an aspirin pill."

Well, here's the news, guys : I CAN'T TAN. EVER.

And you want to know why ? Just because I don't have the F*CKING melanin to do so. You don't know what melanin is ? Well, it's simple : it's the substance in your skin, your pigmentation, that is different according to your geographic origins. In the hottest areas of this globe, people are dark-skinned because they have a lot of melanin. They must have it to have their skin protected. In the meantime, in the coldest areas of this globe, people are fair-skinned because they have less melanin, because they don't need that much protection, and also, to catch up all that vitamin D with all the poor sun that we get (poor me hahaha). This is the laws of GENETIC. SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.

Is THAT hard to understand that I personnaly DON'T have the melanin to tan ? My mom, for example, has the same problem as me (I think this runs in our blood, as I said, genetics), and the used to tan, A LOT, when she was my age. Now, she has to face the consequences of her tanning with skin cancer and, after she endured EXTREME PAIN during her six months of chemeo-thearpy, she got told by her dermatologist that since my case was WAY WORSE than hers, I would be forbidden to go outside between nine a.m. and five p.m. in the summer because of the sun. And even if I had to go outside, sunscreen would be REQUIRED.

I'm really glad that I know this now, and that all these years of bullying by perfectly tanned children with their bronze skin and perfect glow, I can finally feel confident in my own skin. I mean, after all, in the summer, even if I don't have the perfect tan (or no tan at all, really), I have very cute freckles all over my body (arms, legs, and my very cute face) and I don't envy anyone about this anymore (I'm not saying that I don't envy anyone at all anymore, but that's another story).

(P.S. : YES, I am the witch in this area, BEWARE !)

Okay, that's it for now, I hope that you liked this post, and I will see you very soon with another one !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Hannibal, S3 Ep4

Hannibal, S3 Ep4

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the review, #InThreeWords, of the fourth episode in the third season of Hannibal ! Without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Aperitivo

So, here are the three words I'd like to use to qualify this episode :

- Death : in this episode, we can see how Alana, Jack, and Will were saved from death and hurried to the hospital to be cured. Alana had a wheelchair for a while (I was a little bit worried that she would keep it forever, but she walks again, so I am reassured for her), and in this episode, we also see Jack taking the decision to finally end his wife's life. Bella is now resting, she isn't suffering anymore from her cancer and it's such a relief for me. There is also a little reflection about death in this episode and what might happen after someone dies, with the funeral, a life that ends and all the love that ended on that day. Rest in peace, Bella. You'll always be beautiful as ever.

- Comebacks : It's shown in this episode that multiple characters that hadn't talked to each other since the end of season two are how reunited, as Will goes back home in the USA to meet Alana, not only in Hannibal's former house but also in his own. We also see the comeback of Margot (SERIOUSLY, when is the kiss/sex scene between Alana and Margot ?) and Mason Verger, who's still alive, after having lost a part if his face that has been surgically redone then and the loss of a majority of his body function, especially the legs as he seems to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Also, we can see Chilton going to see ALL the survivors of Hannibal's attack (Alana, Will, but also Mason) and talks to them super casually. He also coined the expression "Hannibal the Cannibal" to show his sass, but I don't think that will survive too long. Beware, Chilton ! Hannibal is behind you now !

- Redemption : Last but not least, in this episode we can see that Mason has forgiven Hannibal, and slowly, everybody is doing the same. Alana is a little bit more reluctant to do so and keeps asking questions to Mason for her investigation at the FBI. Jack has lost his job, because ot his failure to catch Hannibal and the fact that his plan was hidden and practically illegal, but that's another story. Now, as Hannibal had forgiven Will in Mizumono, when will they finally meet again and reunite in a super-duper gay parade with rainbows, unicorns and LOADS of glitter ? We'll see, quite soon.

Okay, that's it for now, I hope that you enjoyed this post, and I will see you very soon with another one !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Swan Lake

Swan Lake

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the fifth post in this special #TheatreWeek series, with the review of a classic ballet from Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake. So, without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Swan Lake : an oath to love, in a world of magic, betrayal and redemption.

The very first point that I will talk about is the story itself, that tells the story of Odette, a young woman cursed by the magician Von Rothbart to be a swan by day and a woman by night. As prince Siegfried doesn't want to marry one of the rich, powerful women presented to him by his mother, he goes hunting some swans with his friend Benno and other people and meets Odette. They fall in love, Odette hopes that the curse will be broken thanks to Siegfried's love, but Von Rothbart sends Odile, his own daughter, disguised as Odette to seduce the prince and make him cheat on Odette, thus keeping Odette as a swan forever. When it happens, Odette is condemned to be a swan forever. She chooses death, followed by Siegfried, and as they are reunited in love and in death, Von Rothbart is killed by the power of their love, and the other swans who had chosen Odile as their queen are freed.

The second point is about the love story between Siegfried and Odile. The prince doesn't really want to rule the country and prefers having fun with his friends, especially his best friend Benno. Odette seems to be an introverted, shy woman with loads of modesty and is quite the opposite of Odile, who dances with extravaganza and is quite extroverted and flirtatious with the Prince. However, the fact that Von Rothbart HAD to send her in to order to make sure that Odile remains a swan forever shows that love IS really powerful in this ballet and finally prevails against the forces of evil. And last but not least, the fact that Odile and Odette are danced, in most cases, by the same ballerina, shows that the prima ballerina HAS to be competent on both sides, even if in most cases, she dances better one character than the other.

The third and last point is about politics. In a tale where marriages were arranged between countries to form alliances, the love between these protagonists is beyond the laws and social conventions. Not only this live is prevented by Von Rothbart, but also by the queen of the country where the story is happening, and maybe, Von Rothbart represents this spirit of conventional order. When Tchaikovsky composed this ballet, homophobia was sill very present in the society and as Tchaikovsky was a homosexual himself, and had a very complicated love life with "cover heterosexual" relationships that all failed, including a wedding.

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, as #TheatreWeek is now at its middle, here is the review for another really classic yet important ballet, an adaptation of the tale by Charles Perrault, The Sleeping Beauty. Without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

The Sleeping Beauty : a wonderful adaptation for a very classic tale

The very first point that I will talk about is the adaptation itself. The story itself is different from the original tale. In this ballet, the king Florestan invites fairies and people to celebrate his daughter's birth, however, as fairies give Aurora gifts such as beauty, generosity, and so on, the Carabosse fairy shows up, as she was uninvited, and is very upset about that fact, to the point that she curses Aurora to be stung by a needle and die at the age of sixteen. Hopefully, the Lilac fairy hadn't given her her gift, so she diminishes the curse and Aurora will only have to sleep for a hundred years before being awoken by the kiss of a prince. At her sixteenth birthday, it happens, Aurora falls asleep, and the Lilac fairy decides that the entire castle will be in a slumber for a century as well. A hundred years later, the prince Désiré shows up and sees an illusion of the princess. As he falls in love with that image of pure beauty, he asks the fairy to show him the way to the castle, protected by magic plants. He kisses her, waking her up and the entire castle does the same. In the end, the wedding is celebrated, and a big party is thrown. The Lilac fairy is there to celebrate their union.

The second point is about the story itself : while the princess herself doesn't seem to do a lot of things, the Lilac fairy is the one practically maintaining the order in the kingdom, saving the princess from her curse, and guiding the prince to the castle so he can wake up the princess. The fairies in this kingdom are very important as they provide gifts to the princess and are very respected, or like Carabosse, very feared by the community. In a world of magic where humans are at the mercy of powerful creatures, strength is needed to survive.

The third and very last point is about the original tale, I will remind you that in the original tale, when Aurora is asleep, she isn't found by a prince but by a king who rapes her in her sleep, causing her to have twins and wake up to the pain of childbirth. After all,  the classic fairy tales, before being adapted by Disney, were horror stories made to terrify young women as men in this era were kind of misogynistic and rude towards women.

Conclusion : It's a very beautiful ballet,  that needs to be seen, mostly for the wonderful part of the Lilac fairy, children and adults alike can watch it without many problems.

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you liked this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Giselle

Giselle

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the third review in this special #TheatreWeek, with the review of one of the most iconic and romantic ballets : Giselle.

Giselle : When love saves lives

The very first point I'd like to talk about is the character of Giselle herself. Right from the beginning, she is described as a poor, young farmer living with her mother. When she meets Albrecht, a nobleman in disguise, and falls in love with him, she dances for him despite the warning from her mother not to do so because of the myth of the Wallis. That's the reason for which this is very romantic, in a way that love prevails and ends up winning the conflict against, on the one hand, Hilarion, Albrecht's concurrent for Giselle's hand, and the myth of the Wallis, their queen Myrtha, and Giselle's mother, who had warned her of the consequences of her dancing.

The second point is about Hilarion, a hunter who's also in love with Giselle. He is the one who reveals Albrecht's true identity : he is the duke of Silesia, and he has a fiancée, the daughter to the duke of Courland. Despite all this, Giselle remains fixated on her love for Albrecht as much as he is in love with her, and that love ends up saving Albrecht's life thanks to Giselle dancing until the very dawn, when the Willis go back to their graves. In the meantime, Hilarion, who has danced until death just like Albrecht, isn't saved and dies, when the duke of Silesia survives.

The third and last point I will talk about is the myth of the Willis itself : the Willis are the spirits of the women abandoned by their lovers and are doomed to lurk for their fiancés and make them dance until they die, just like they danced to death and died themselves. In this ballet, they are led by their queen, Myrtha, who is inflexible about the men she wants to die. There is also a poem written by Victor Hugo, a French writer, called Fantômes, that tells the story of a Spanish woman who danced until she died.

Conclusion : Probably the most romantic ballet, Giselle is a must-have for all theatre aficionados like me, and tells a powerful story about love, secrets, betrayal and redemption. I would recommend it for a quite audience mature though, since there are hints of death and stuff like that.

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you liked this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the second review of this special week, the #TheatreWeek, with a review of the excellent Don Giovanni from the amazing Mozart. Without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Don Giovanni : when the love of lust becomes a sin

The very first point I'd like to raise is the character of Don Giovanni : from the start, we know that he's a seducer, he tries his very best to flirt with all the ladies around him, taken or single, and then breaks their hearts as soon as he finds them "not interesting". In this opera, it is shown with all the adventures he is having with the ladies in the show, Donna Anna,  Donna Elvira, and so on. But when the Commandatore wants to have dinner with him, his pride takes over and he refuses doing so. He's finally taken in the flames of hell as a sentence for disobeying the rules of the dead. Messing with the rules of life and death are something very condemned in Mozart's time, and it was done to give a lesson about relationships and adultery and cheating and lust at that time.

The second point is that the ladies know about Don Giovanni's power of seduction, especially when Elvira, a former lover of Don Giovanni's, tells Zerbina, a young lady who already has a fiancé. He tries his best to seduce her, but in the end, she goes away with Masetto, the fiancé. Because of him, Anna wants to delay the wedding with Don Ottavio because of the death of the Commandatore, but it's only to have a little time of healing because oh her father's death. Don Gilvanni changed the lives of every character in the show, upset the men and break the hearts of the ladies who were caught in his trap. And the ladies who were in love and then dumped by him are numerous and try to talk to others so that it never happens again... These women are strong in this way that they survived the storm that is Don Giovanni and could redo emir lives after their relationship with him.

The third and very last point is about the general theme of the show, that is love. Indeed, there is a strong message conveyed by this opera, which is that the desire of lust is something sinful and should be condemned. But overall, I think that what was the most condemned is Don Giovanni's will to break the hearts of thousands and thousands of ladies just to feel young forever, and thus immortal. in a way. The fact that he shows is will to stay alive and young forever can be showing that we, as humans, should accept our flaws and limited existence.

Overall impression : My very first opera, something that I would VIVIDLY recommend as it shows the power of love and redemption, as well as it gives us a life lesson about our human condition. Mozart, helped by Lorenzo Da Ponte for the leaflet, is something very beautiful and artistic and should be viewed by a mature audience.

Okay, that's it for today. I hope that you liked this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the beginning of this special week about The Nutcracker and this very special ballet, music by Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa ! My very first ballet and one of my favourites, actually !

The Nutcracker : from childhood to adulthood

The very first point I'd like to raise is the character of Clara : a little girl in the beginning, she ends up falling in love with the prince/the nutcracker, and grows up as she faces the hardships of the Land of Sweets. Being given an important role as the ruler, with the prince, of the Land of Sweets, shows that from the beginning when she's just an innocent girl tot he end when's finally taught a life lesson by the puppeteer, Drosselmeyer. Thanks to this trip in the Land of Sweets, she has become more mature than ever, and that is a great life lessons for us all.

The second point is that this ballet is, indeed, a Christmas ballet, and it also shows how he characters are growing up. In the beginning,  there are children awaiting for their presents under the tree, and adults, as they are more mature than them, are the ones perpetuating the tradition. In his typical Victorian era and Christmas, poverty was common and it was a tradition to give an orange to children. But Clara's family seems to be more wealthy since they can afford plushies and wooden toys. There is still the magic of Christmas in this ballet, and this is what makes this ballet unique and different from the others.

The third and last point, is about the Land of Sweets. Showing a various display of people from different ethnic origins, China, Arabia, Russia, Spain, Denmark. It may seem to exist only to satisfy the curiosity of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, but for a ballet that originated in 1892, it seems to be an advance of mindsets compared to the ever-whiteness of the ballets, even nowadays (if the cast followed, and now follows, the origins of the dancers portrayed in the show, without being stereotypical). The music for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is very known and used in various ads, even in the modern era.

In conclusion, a really great ballet, from the great Tchaikovsky, featuring a growing child who learns how to love, multiple ethnic origins, a wonderful classic fairytale and a Christmas carol for all, children and adults. I would recommend it very much !

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you liked this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Childhood Story #1

Childhood Story #1

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the second article I had promised yesterday, for my #DoubleSunday, and it's a Childhood Story, the very first one (olé olé !!!). So, without any further ado, let's get started !

Those Times When We Wrecked The Place

(ft my cousins because we were such a bunch of weird kiddos)

So, yeah. I had a life before my depression. *sighs* My dad used to take care of me, and that included the trips to my grandma (his mother), and me seeing my cousins all the time because they were there too. Apparently, as a kid, I was kind of a tyrant to them ? Like I was making them do stuff and things like that ? *hahaha*

So, I went to see my two cousins, the older, a guy, one being my age (only two months younger than me, and I would tease him about it all the time) and the youngest being a girl five yeard younger than us (if I remember correctly lol). During Wednesday afternoons, after my dancing class, my dad would pick me up, drive me to my grandma's house (where my cousins were already), and we would talk, eat something sweet (usually bread with Nutella), and plays some things before they would leave and I would too (my parents are divorced and I would go back to my mother's house). Even if it was quite short (around an hour spent around the table whining about the fact that we weren't allowed to spend more time together lol), it was the best time of the week and I would always look up for it. Whenever my dad couldn't pick me up, I would be legit upset before going back home (my dance classes were at a gymnasium five minutes away from home by walking and I would often walk anyway because nobody was at home anyway).

 We would also meet in the summer holidays because I would spend the first two weeks of July and August at my dad's home and he would drop me at my grandma's house where I would stay with my cousins for a week (and if I remember correctly, sometimes two weeks). Sometimes, I would arrive before my cousins and spend a day and a night alone with my grand-parents and I would spend the whole day after waiting for their arrival in the end of the afternoon. We would do anything stupid to entertain ourselves (let's say that my gran is a sort-of Rotschild with a big house and a big garden and a pool and a tennis field and many ther things). Our gran would make eat us *always potatoes hahaha* at seven and wanted us going to bed at eight (still daytime so we were too excited to go to bed anyway) so my cousins whined to watch their favourite T.V. show (that was crap anyway, it was just to avoid going to bed) and go to the swimming pool afterwards (because it was too hot during the day to go outside anyways). So we ended up going to bed at nine thirty and still, we would talk in one of our bedrooms, usually until ten thirty when we were too exhausted and went back to bed (my cousins used to sleep in my dad's former room and I would sleep in my aunt's former room, I don't know how the rooms were given since I always preferred my dad's room but I guess I got used to my aunt's room in the end). We has also built a treehouse in a hole made in the tree hedge and ate a whole box of candies when we were supposed to only eat a couple (but seriously, mint candies are AWESOME ! And then we tried to hide the box upstairs in the playroom but gran found out and yelled at us while we were running outside towards our treehouse hahaha !). Anyway, our summers were just the best. *nostalgic tears ensue*

And last but not least, I would spend Christmas' eve with my dad at our gran's house and Christmas day at my mother's house so not only I would open my first gifts in advance, but I would get to spend the ENTIRE evening with my cousins because my aunt and her husband would come to have a family dinner. I would set up the perfect outfit for the night (some black trousers, a white shirt and a red cardigan that I would never wear in ANY other day of the year because it was the "special Christmas cardigan"), and we would have the most perfect night EVER.

Anyway, my cousins were pretty close until the age of eleven when my aunt and my dad got in an argument they NEVER told me about, and I haven't seen them since. So, yeah, some nostalgia was set up tonight hahaha ! What about YOU ? Do you have cousins ? Are you in good terms with them ? Please tell me in the comments below !

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

The Uncanny Fail #1

The Uncanny Fail #1

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, as promised by the little announcement yesterday, here is the very first Uncanny Fail with a little story of mine. Please take this as a conceited, presomptuous post, because this is not the way I mean it. Anyway, here it is !

I'm A Zebra

(Or how my I.Q. of 135 ruined my life... forever)

So, yes, I think that I'm quite proud of this. I've always been considered by many people as a clever, smart, or intelligent person. But do you really believe that it's easy to be like that, a sort-of genius with the mind of a rocket ?

Did you ever think that being clever, or just having a high I.Q., is a privilege, a gift ? Not all the time, I'm afraid. This is the insight of someone who lived too fast for her own good and ruined her life forever... Yes, I'm Mary, nineteen, and I am a f*cking zebra.

(P.S. : I.Q. tests are very debated in the scientific community as it only measures the speed of the mind, not the actual intelligence of the person. There are many types of intelligence, the academic one, the emotional one, here is an article about the theory of multiple intelligences from Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences)

So, here's my story. My mother told be, quite recently, that I had been a clever child since the beginning : at the age of only 18 months, I could recognize letters on the carpet-plushie I had been given, at two, I could read syllabs, at four, read, at five, write. Even in my earliest memories, from the age of four or five, I could read the clock, calculate, know my numbers, and such.

Obviously, my mum freaked out, she believed that I was abnormal, she took me to a psychologist and I had an I.Q. test at the age of six. The verdict is given : 135. That's the number I will keep forever. I' m a genius, people say. I'm gifted, people say. I am a highly advanced child, people say.

Obviously, I can't deny that my state has given me quite a couple of advantages : being a brilliant student is something that people wish they could have. But that situation also ostracized me a little : having very few friends to no friends, not being understood by a society that looked too slow for me, and having a depression over an existential crisis since the age of 14. Having a mind that never shuts down and makes me think hard, even at 2 a.m., is quite messy.

Of course, I won't complain about the fact that I will probably use my brains to achieve goals that many people win't even think of. It's just that I disliked being called a genius, a gifted child, or even a higly advanced child. It's only last year that I've heard the word from a psychologist, Jeanne Siaud-Facchin, that I was... well, a zebra.

Why, you might ask ? Because like all people like me, we have a set of charaterestics, some of them being positive like our permanent curiosity, our creativity, having a broder sense of injustice and having the feeling to fight it, having older friends/talking to adults (you don't even know how many times I've ben called a teacher's pet), a sense of humour, an interest for complicated games, and our generosity (link *in French, sorry* about gifted children : http://wiki.zebras-crossing.org/doku.php?id=articles:enfant-surdoue), but also negative ones, real problems in adulthood and relationships, like introspection, thinking and interpreting all the time, a low self esteem - especially me lol ! -, having depressions, burn-outs or suicide attempts, taking meds, feeling solitude, isolation, and feeling different from other people when in relationships (link for gifted adults, *in French again, sorry for that* : http://wiki.zebras-crossing.org/doku.php?id=articles:adulte-surdoue).

But everyone of us is different and unique in their personalities, goals and ambitions in life. My example being that I am quite a cultural person, interested in the cultural field, but I ABHOR maths and science. I can't even understand any of that sh*t, despite being a great mental calculator.

Anyway, complicated life fos us zebras. If you feel that you can relate to any of these characteristics, you should probably see a psychologist that will have an interview with you and an I.Q. test. And I will conclude on this thing : only 1/3 of gifted people are brilliant academically. The second third has a normal scholarship and the last third is failing because they aren't diagnosed and are not fit for a normal scholarship, and thus, needs a specific learning method given by specific schools.

Being intelligent is not necessarily about having the widest knowledge of them all. KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLIGENCE ARE SEPERATE. It's about having a different mindset and understanding of the world, a different mind, that is not in any way or means "superior" to any others. THAT's why I am a zebra. Because I am just different. I am not superior. And having high expectations on me, hearing people around telling me that I have no right to failure, and this sentence ingrained in my mind forever : "Come on, you're THAT clever, you can make it right, now, can you ?", is quite heavy. Especially when you know that I've heard this speech since the age of 6.

I AM NOT SUPERIOR. NOBODY SHOULD CONSIDER ME AS SUCH.

I AM JUST DIFFERENT AND HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS.

When will people understand that ? For them, either I am a goddess or I am a monster. There is no inbetween. But YES, there is : me being human. Thanks for understanding that.

Okay, that's it for now, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Little Announcement !

Little Announcement !

Hi everybody, Mary here !

So, I'm just taking a little time to announce some things !

The first one being that I will do two "original" (if I may say so) series about my stupid little life. They will be called : "The Uncanny Fails" (for all the failures of my life) and Childhood Stories (for all... well, stories from my childhood). The first Uncanny Fail AND Childhood Story will be posted tomorrow for my #DoubleSunday as you'll be able to laugh at my silly experiences from life in general, past or present.

The second one being that : my fiction novel (that I am writing in French) is doing good, however, I think that I will take a break from it for the month of July as I'd like to show you my writing skills in Camp NaNoWriMo (the July session if I can still go in). I have the outline for a short story (around 25000 words) that I will try to submit if I am not too shy. (I will write in English so that you'll be able to read it hahaha.) Also, maybe I will create a Tumblr page so you can read it for free. (I don't plan on making money out of it, I just wanted to share things with you guys.)

The third one is that, next week, I will probably do some reviews of my favourite ballets, operas & theatre plays in this special #TheatreWeek. Sorry, but I can't provide anything else as I am quite busy with things, as I've said.

So, who's excited for these new things ??? Please tell me and comment !

P.S. : I had the REALLY WRONG idea to check my blog's analytics to see how many people actually read my posts. Well, I'd like to say a massive thank you for over 450 visited pages, it means that you must like it, however, it feels like nobody's giving me feedback on my work even if they come back everyday to see my new post. I work really hard to give you (as much as I can) a daily post every night and I'd LOVE to see people comment. Comments are open to everybody, even anonymous people, so PLEASE tell me what you liked/disliked in my most recent posts !

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this *very* short post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Hannibal, S3 Ep3

Hannibal, S3 Ep3

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, sorry for the delay, but here is the review for the third episode in the third season of Hannibal, with another #InThreeWords thingy ! So, without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Secondo

So, I found this episode :

- SUPER GAY : Excuse me, but if you still don't ship Hannigram by now, either you're blind or you're stupid. When you've already seen Will in the previous episode talking to himself about how much he loves Hannibal and wants to live with him (all the episode made us believe that it was Abigail, but really, it was a fragment of his mind), and even confessing that he's Hannibal's nakama... And now, you even have Hannibal confessing his love to Will. Anyway, let's be very happy and argh I just want them to reunite right now and have a big smooch on camera urgh ! Also, it would confirm that both are bi/pan and I really wanted to see more people like me on screen. Also can't wait for the Alana/Margot kiss/sex scene ! WHEN IS IT ???

- Nostalgic : As we learn more about Hannibal's past in Lithuania and how his sister died, and we meet Chiyoh who's Hannibal's maid. Anyway, Hannibal opens up more and more, especially to Bedelia. He also keeps killing people and eating them, like he used to do twenty years ago in Italy. Jack Crawford himself is here, not to catch Hannibal but to find Will back. Why, we don't know yet. But I think that people will keep coming back in the show...

- Scary af : Now I have quite a few worries here : Bedelia is in danger, Jack is after Will, Chiyoh has killed and feels guilty because she believes that Hannibal manipulated her into doing this, along with Will, the atmosphere is more horrific than ever. The religious connotations give a little vampire-esque touch to the show added to Hannibal's cannibalism, which with Will's ability is subtly turning this investigation show into a horror one with super-natural effects. Even the animals are seen as fantastic creatures...

Overall impression : Really great episode, I have the feeling that this season is more and more gay every week, and that's AWESOME ! Great time overall anyway.

Okay, that's it for now, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

In The Flesh, S2 Ep6

In The Flesh, S2 Ep6

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the review for the finale of the second series for In The Flesh ! Without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Episode 6

"One of the undead in this village must be the First Risen, and I am asking you to join me in leaving no stone unturned. Every PDS sufferer in Roarton must be destroyed."

     So, that's why maxine Martin was so interested in finding the First Risen in the first place ! She wanted the Second Rising to happen because she wanted to see her little brother ressurected. As we've seen with Bill and his son Rick, people are quick to make exceptions when it comes to their personal interests, am I right ? Bill, who hated all PDS sufferers, expected a special treatment for his son... well, just because it was his son. And now, Maxine wants every PDS sufferer to be killed just to see her little brother again ? What a piece of trash, that woman is. And when she kills Amy (who happened to be the First Risen), even if nothing happens, it's DISGUSTING to see how far she's gone for her personal little problems. Poor Phil who had finally found someone to love. Poor Amy who was turning ALIVE again as her body was "waking up". The Second Rising, after all, was just about people going back to normal, to their normal lives (and only the doctors knew it when one of them said that it was "too soon" to send them back to society. In my opinion, they are still unstable and vulnerable to the effects of the Blue Oblivion, but when the treatment is complete, they will turn humans again and will keep aging normally). Anyway, f*ck you, miss Martin. F*CK YOU.

"Oh no, you're getting off that easy, rotter. You want to go rabid ? All right, let's go rabid."

     And... what a f*cking disgusting person Gary is. Showing support to the living, but none to the PDS sufferers (glad to see that Jem broke up with her, she deserves better anyway). And forcing Kieren to take the Blue Oblivion and send him in the wild, just like that, because of his hatred for the PDS sufferers ? Anyway. Hopefully, Simon was here and took the bullet that was destined to kill his boyfriend (well, it's official, isn't it ??? hahaha). He's then thanked by Kieren's family for protecting their son when he needed it the most. Anyway, nobody's getting back off their graves (well, for now), and things are getting back to normal, slowly but surely. The hotel scene where the lodger says that she's not voting for Victus anymore shows that maybe, people will follow this example as miss Martin has now shown her real face : a selfish, hateful and cruel person that does not deserve anything anymore (even if her brother died in a tragic accident and that he hadn't deserved this cruel treatment anyway).

"Is there still time ?

- There's still time. Bag it."

     And, some questions are still left in the end of this second series. First of all, people still believe in the myth of the First Risen and the Second Rising (by the way, do people that died after being, well, eaten by PDS sufferers under their untreated state come back like in the First Rising ?), how was the virus "created" or "given life" to infect dead people, and the most important of all, why do doctors go around Amy's grave saying that "there's still time" ? Time for what ? Will she come back ? Alive ? Dead ? *please people don't ler her down, she's my fav, so quirky and sassy and lovely and cute and... argh... well...* As Simon is still in Amy's bungalow, maybe that Kieren could... I don't know, move in with him ? And finally live their own lives as boyfriends, as they don't have to run anymore, since they both feel good in Roarton, even if there's still hatred, especially in the bar scene ? Anyway, this show ends on a cliffhanger, and sadly, as the show has been cancelled... we might never see the end of it. Like EVERY good TV show EVER, in my opinion. *sighs so loudly that even aliens from the far end of the galaxy hears me*

Overall impression : Great episode, leaving on an ATROCIOUS (I mean, come on, I REALLY wanted to see more of it, dang it !) cliffhanger, F*CK YOU MISS MARTIN ONE LAST TIME, great time and EXCELLENT show overall. Two AMAZING seasons not to miss !

Okay, that's it for now, I hope that you liked this post (and this series), and I will see you very soon with some new things, I hope !

And as usual, our las word : KIDNEYS !

In The Flesh, S2 Ep5

In The Flesh, S2 Ep5

Hi everybody, Mary here.

*p.s. : Sorry for the delay, I was really busy with my studies and exams and stuff. Also, the Internet on my computer barely works one time out of ten so it's hard to write things on the Internet if you don't have an Internet connection hahaha !*

So, without any further ado, let's go for the review of the fifth episode in the second series of In The Flesh ! This is the one before the finale, so get ready !

Episode 5

"What do I have to do ?

- Allow us to continue experimenting on you.

- Ok."

     So, we learn in this episode what happened to Simon at Norfolk, in the treatment center. He was the first one to respond to the chemicals, according to the doctors who took care of him, and he's been treated like an animal all along. When he learns that he's killed his own mother in his untreated state, he is released in his house, but he's quickly kicked out of his own house by his own father. That's how he joined the Undead Prophet, that he has heard in the treatment center. He then joins a community of people that are just like him, and finally, he feels accepted. He feels himself. And that was the same with Amy or Kieren. But now that he's claimed to have found the First Risen and asked to kill him (as he believes that it's Kieren), he thinks that he has to kill him... What will happen ? We'll see that soon, in my opinion !

"Do you still want me to...

- No, of course not. I'm feeling again. I'm... I'm not turning rabid !"

     *aaah, Amy is doing well for now. Hope that will remain the same for the longest time possible !* Finally, we can see that Amy and Phil are back together, and they seem to be happy about it. I'm also quite positive for Amy as she had written a will to give her prized possessions But it looks like she's out of danger, for now, and she seems to be happy. She told Kieren that his and Simon's relationship was okay, even if, in my opinion, they will have to explain why they didn't tell her earlier, because they had planned on doing that... Anyway, I think that there will be some explanations in the future.

"Kieren Walker, you're under arrest.

- Arrest ?

- GP's were broke into yesterday, rabids were let loose. They attacked the receptionist, she's in hospital.

     And... another big mistake done by the very lovely local government here at Roarton. The parish council accuses, without any proofs and just because either they are non-compliants (Simon more than Kieren), or just because they work at the GP's... And they have nothing to do than just accuse the very first PDS sufferer in the corner to have sone suspects and send them back to Norfolk (also because I have the feeling that Simon and Kieren are not really liked in the community...). And as Kieren is given no choice but to confess to a crime that he has not committed, Simon is quite far away and is given orders to kill the First Risen, but as soon as he comes back... there will be people waiting for him. And I don't really believe that they will be nice. Anyway, the finale is coming soon so I hope that it clears the last couple of points that are messy right now !

P.S. : Have you seen how quickly Kieren's parents turned him in as soon as they've seen him without the cover-up and the contact lenses ? Shows that humans are still not ready to fae PDS sufferers and their real faces...

Overall impression : Really great episode, can't wait to see the finale ! Another great time that confirms the quality of this show.

Okay, that's it for now, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

In The Flesh, S2 Ep4

In The Flesh, S2 Ep4

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here's to another review of In The Flesh, with the fourth episode in the second series ! Without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Episode 4

"I keep having bad dreams. Henry is in all of them an' all.

- Jem, look. Henry's gone. You just need to be in the here and now."

     As we can see (and we've seen it since the beginning now), Jem, who's quite young (she's only twenty, for f*ck sake ! Who sends kids that youg to fight ? Even if she was a volunteer, it was quite bad for her, in my own opinion), suffers from what looks like to be PTSD and has constant nightmares about all the people she's killed during the Rising. Which shows that guilt is not an inherent trait of PDS sufferers after being treated, like Kieren. Anyway, she still has to get her GCSE's after all the time she's spent away from school, and she is trying to have a normal life, but she's so used to the gun that she goes back into the field in the newly created patrol (by miss Martin, of course) that is "protecting" the city. Now, if peace could be found between the living and the PDS sufferers, that would be great, thanks.

"Do you know, I don't think he would've said a word if he hadn't come and ask me for those tapes."

     Ah, Phil. Quite a bright liar now, aren't you ? He's spent the most recent days having an affair with a PDS prostitute, and paid for her to portray Amy. When the secret is discovered, he lies to Ms Lamb to have back the tapes and walk free. But, what he doesn't know is that there was a third tape belonging to the hotel lady who found it on a record of her favourite TV show that tells the truth.  As he's confronted to the truth and the entire village (especially miss Martin), he ends up showing his support towards the PDS sufferers (he will probably get fired later) and goes to a bus stop to swallow his guilt in alcohol. Amy then joins him and forgives him, for now... (But in my opinion, it's mainly because she's seen Kieren and Simon kissing in the street and she's heartbroken right now.)

"I've found the First Risen. You should see him. He's beautiful."

     To conclude this episode, there is a rumour, or a legend, that the First Risen must be found to stop the PDS. Maybe because he would lead to a permanent cure, to save the living ??? (on the living's side), or because it's a myth for the PDS sufferers (would they hail them as a God or a deity or something ? hahaha). When Kieren says that he found himself alone when rising, obviously, Simon believes that he's in front of the First Risen and tells his superiors. *but we know he isn't because earlier, he was with a lot of people around when he rose, so... no ? Theory invalid ?* Also, I think that miss Martin also sees him as a suspect since he had tried to leave the country, like... oh my God, he mus be fleeing ! He's THE ONE ! *super-mega sarcasm ensues* Anyway, I'd like to know how the First Risen will be included in the story...

Overall impression : Great episode, quite splendid, to be honest, and the scenes between Kieren and Simon are excellent. Anyway, great time.

Okay, that's if for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

In The Flesh, S2 Ep3

In The Flesh, S2 Ep3

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here's the review for the third episode in the second series of In the Flesh ! Without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Episode 3

"Now, just you wait. Everything's going to be perfect. I promised I'd make it right."

     Wow, looks like miss Martin has some things (or more, like, some people) to hide from us, am I right ? It's not like it's dangerous to hide things from the population... *heavy sarcasm ensues* Anyway, Jem goes to confess her murder to her, they go to the forest, but the body can't be found because Gary burnt the body and hid the bones. in the mean time, Phil has to deal with the boy's worried mother who claims that her son had psychic powers. I wonder how long it will take before the truth is revealed... But in my opinion, it will stay hidden for quite a while... Also, we can see that Phil (previously in a relationship with Amy ???) is trying to get back with her, but she doesn't want to. Like, seriously, leave her alone now...

"Just come with me. I'll change. I'll grow up."

- Why would you do that ? You've been given a new life."

     And another sad story. When he goes back home, Freddie learn that not only his wife doesn't love him anymore, but that she's now in a relationship with someone called Amir. They seemed so happy in their wedding video, but apparently, it wasn't enough for her and she wats to kick him out despite his financial problems (we've seen him cleaning windows to gain a little extra money) and the fact that he wouldn't have a home (he lives in a garage and has to sell his car to pay some bills). My question is : how has her mond changed like that ? I mean, they were happy, and now, all she says is "well, you weren't the best", "Amir and I are in a mature relationship" (what the hell was your relationship with Freddie then ? A joke with a wedding in the f*cking middle ?), "I used to love you but now it's only me and Amir". Well, just a word for Freddie : he doesn't deserve that. He should just let it go and find someone who will love him for who he is, not for what other people want him to be somehow...

"You're a part of this either way. You're being used by them. All I'm doing is giving you a chance to choose the right side."

     And... more arguments between Simon and Kieren who still have different points of view. While Kieren just wants a norml life among the humans, Simon wants the PDS sufferers to accept themselves as who they are and showing that to the world by stop hiding their faces under contact lenses and loads of cover-up mousse. Reminds me of the X-Men, basically : when some mutants want a normal life with the humans, they are constantly reminded by them of their condition (hence the "mutant cure" given to them by the government) and hated for it. Anyway, when Kieren reliases how badly PDS sufferers are treated within the community, he goes to apologise at Simon's house (well, I believe that the kiss was his apology, it was very cute by the way), I think that he'll change his perception on the matter ? We'll see more of that soon...

Overall episode : Just happy to have seen the first kiss between Simon and Kieren. Also, great episode overall. We'll see more soon !

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

In The Flesh, S2 Ep2

In The Flesh, S2 Ep2

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, as #NineDaysOfInTheFlesh keeps going, here is the review for the second episode in the second series of this brilliant TV show. So, without any further ado, let's go, shall we ?

Episode 2

"Philip, would you make sure that everyone on this list is attending the kick-off seminar this morning ? Thank you."

     So, we learn in this episode that there is a new program, which is mandatory, to be done by all PDS sufferers, a sort of "giving back to the society that I once destroyed" thingy. Just another way of lying and promising things to people (like, returning to the society as British citizens ? Like they aren't right now ? Ew.), and telling them that it would only take them six months before having their case reexamined (again, and again, probably forever). Everybody who wouldn't do it would be against the law, and considered as criminals. Anyway, this is in my opinion just another way to make them feel guilty abour something that was not their fault when they got infected and did horrible things while being untreated. Makes me think about these criminal resintertion programs. But this time, these people aren't criminals, just to clarify. Will there be uprisings against this protocol ? I think that it will happen quite soon...

"I just... I just frozed.

- Yeah, we've all been there."

     Also, in Jem's school, three PDS sufferers had quite the wrong idea of taking Blue Oblivion (well, only one actually did) to "scare the students". Now, we know that after a while, this drug stops working and those who took it turn back to their treated state. Also, yes, you can hug a PDS sufferer, it's not contagious this way (I was asking myself the question earlier, but I think it's just because of fear). Anyway, there's this guy who's madly in love with Jem (after all, they had history together when they were younger), and he outed her as a former HVF member (this organisation has been demantled since as well). So, they had to talk about it, Jem became popular because everybody thought she was badass and cool and stuff like that, but they were all wrong. When she panicked and peed herself in front of her class and being unable to kill the student who was under the drug, she lost all credit and popularity she had just gained, and one of the popular girls tells her that she was the one who had killed her dad in the super-market. Anyway, in the end of the episode, she kills a PDS sufferer (why ? I don't know, maybe to look "cool" again ?) in the woods. What will happen to her ? I am very curious now...

"There's nothing for me here.

- There's your family. There's Amy. There's me."

     Wow Simon, what a cool fella here ! Smooth as f*ck ! *ya, I may or may not know stuff, hehehe* Anyway, ahem. there's a party, apparently, PDS sufferers can eat sheep's brains (and it would act like a drug. I don't know why, don't ask me), and since Kieren's stuck in England... well, basically forever unless he leaves the country illegally, he goes to a party where only PDS sufferers are invited. Well, they deserved it after all the things they went through and the things they are currently going through, am I right ? Anyway, Simon also killed himself *what a sad story. Really, again, people don't take mental illnesses and depression more seriously. If this was taken as seriously as physical illnesses, maybe, PROBABLY, this could be treated in an efficent way to save as many people as possible. So yeah, DITCH THE STIGMA !*, and he wants to rebel against the order, just like Amy, and all the Undead Prophet followers. Will their plan unleash soon ? I'd like to see...

Overall impression : Another great episode, full of emotions and acceptance against the intolerance of some humans. But after all, it's in our nature, isn't it ? Until the minds will be properly EDUCATED to accept everybody as WHO THEY ARE and NOTHING ELSE...

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

Why Coming Out Matters

Why Coming Out Matters

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, I initially wanted this post to be a response *can I respond to things like this ? I hope so* towards Ingrid Nilsen's recent coming out as a lesbian, following the great examples of recent, and less recent, coming outs of famous YouTubers such as Tyler Oakley (a long time ago now), Troye Sivan (two years ago), Connor Franta (six months ago), and Joey Graceffa (last month). (p.s. : Sorry if I haven't listed everybody, I try to take the examples of the "big numbers who kept it secret it for a long time" YouTubers, please tell me who I should add to this list).

But I'd rather respond to all the comments telling Ingrid that "it's not really important to know that she's gay", or "did you really need to come out with such a long video ? Like, we GET IT, you're GAY, don't put it on our faces", all the "I don't care"s, all the "oh, so inspirational, lol ! I am going to come out as straight, thanks for giving me the courage lol !" followed by dozens of answers going like : "hahaha me too, I really needed this today, I am going to come out as straight as well !" and all the "as a straight person, I support you guys, setting an example for straights" and such.

Because THIS is a part of the problem. Coming out is NOT a joke. You DON'T have a say on it because YOU didn't get to experience OUR experience (I'm a pan demi-romantic asexual btw). YOU didn't get all the SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, all the CRYING, all the CONFUSION, all the SELF-HATRED that WE (for the most part) went through.

Because when you know that these people, not only have hidden their true identites and their true selves for almost all their lives, when you know that they probably grew up in a untolerant, unacceptant place just like a lot of people, unfortunately, when you know that these YouTubers gained fame and still hid their sexualities because they believed that it DIDN'T MATTER, or that they would be HATED for it, YOU are a part of the problem.

Because, like everybody else, they were afraid of telling ANYONE about their sexual orientation and sexuality. And even more, for at the very least TWO of them (Connor and Ingrid), they had to deal with the internalization of the NEED to be heterosexual to fit into the norm by having relationships with the opposite sex/gender. So, when you're telling me that, when someone is hiding their true selves and identities for YOUR commodity as a hetero-normative society that deems ALL other sexualities and sexual orientations as ABNORMAL or FREAKY, when sex-ed doesn't teach you ANYTHING about spectrums and all sexualities/sexual orientations/genders/identities, when YOU bash them for being WHO THEY ARE and ACCEPTING THEMSELVES, YOU are a part of the problem why people still have to hide themselves and lie to everybody around, and even fake relationships and put on an act/a mask to "appear normal".

THAT IS NOT OKAY.

THAT IS WHY COMING OUT MATTERS.

Because, in the end, having millions of subscribers (as I already said in my YouTube Culture post), leads you to inevitably have a POWER on your followers/subscribers. And when people are using this power for GOOD and show a GREAT example of SELF-ACCEPTANCE in a biased, untolerant world, to show teenagers that are going through this RIGHT NOW, that it's OKAY to be WHO THEY ARE, and that they SHOULDN'T be AFRAID or INSECURE about themselves, THIS is the way to go.

So, congratulations, Ingrid. And all the others who came out before you, and all the others who will come out after you. Thanks SO much for showing that EVERYBODY deserves to be who they are without being judged for it.

Okay, that's it for today, and this wraps up another #DoubleSunday with a little sparkle of my own opinions about things ! If you have any questions about the matter, please tell me, I would be glad to answer them all !

And last but not least, our last word : KIDNEYS !

In The Flesh, S2 Ep1

In The Flesh, S2 Ep1

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here is the beginning of the second part of my series about In the Flesh, with the review for the first episode in the second series ! So, without any further ado, let's get started, shall we ?

Episode 1

"A short 18 months have passed since Partially Deceased Syndrome sufferers were resettled. However, the discovery of another Undead Liberation Army safe house will raise fears amongst the living, creating further tensions within the community."

     In this episode, we learn more about the Undead Prophet and his plan, which is to release the PDS sufferers in the wild in their untreated state that they can take back with the Blue Oblivion, a drug that they take to go back to their original state. Then, Amy is given an important mission to do in Roarton with the help of Simon, another PDS sufferer and one of the twelve disciples of the Undead Prophet. Is that plan to convince other PDS sufferers to take the Blue Oblivion powder and join the Undead Liberation Army ? I'm pretty sure of this theory. With all the attacks of this underground army promotong the "original and pure undead state", I believe that the intolerance towards the community will only increase and all PDS sufferers will be amalgamed in this Army even if they are quite peaceful and they will obviously all turn back into beasts. Just like when we all treat Muslims as terrrorits even when they are a minority, am I right ? Difference leads to fear ; fear leads to disgust ; disgust leads to defiance ; defiance leads to anger ; anger leads to violence ; violence leads to war. And this will happen quite soon, in my opinion.

"Vicar Oddie ?

- Yes ?

- I am Maxine Martin. MP for Roarton Valley, newly elected."

     And, here are the political consequences of the Rising : a party called Victus, advocating for only living rights and are against PDS sufferers as a whole, treating them as monsters, beasts, rotters, are now elected, and the MP for thr Roarton area is coming in the city to "see and support" the population that "have to face the rotters", basically. Not only she had delivered quite hateful messages online, but she also killed an untreated PDS sufferer without even thinking about the consequences, not because he was attacking the lodger, but, in my opinion, just because he was a PDS sufferer (because when the vicar had a heart attack, she tried to call the emergencies, but quickly gave up just because the phone wasn't working). How many other seats do they have in Parliament ? When you know that Maxine is categorizing people and listing all the PDS sufferers in the area, I feel like this will lead to a planned extermination. Another point leading to war, me says.

"Oh great, you guys have met !

- Not formally.

- Kieren Walker, this is Simon. Kieren was the one I was telling you about. Simon is one of the twelve disciples of the Undead Prophet."

     And, here we can see Amy coming back with Simon for their mission, as they give a really bad time to the city by having a "night out" in the pub where the HVF is often reuniting. They both adcovate for more PDS sufferers rights when Kieren wants to look normal, act normal, and just have a normal life and be accepted by his family and everybody else. We could have a similar point when minorities like the African-Americans are whitewashed to be more acceptable in the society lead by white people and are now killed for no apparent reason, just because of the colour of their skin. *sorry if this was political and offended someone, please tell me if it did* Anyway, I believe that this show is really important to teach us things about differences, suicide, depression, and such. That's why it's an excellent show.

Overall impression : Great episode, quite amazed by this series premiere, and I can't wait to see more about it quite soon !

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

An as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !

In The Flesh, S1 Ep3

In The Flesh, S1 Ep3

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, here's the review for the third and final episode of the first series of In The Flesh. And, without any further ado, here it is !

Episode 3

"You were there when Lisa was killed.

- When you killed her."

     We now learn that Jem was in the grocery store where Kieren (and possibly Amy or another girl) attacked and killed Lisa. Jem didn't have the courage to tell everybody about their encounter and the fact that she had let them run away instead of killing them. Thus, they both go to see Jessica's family to explain the situation. While Jessica's parents are still hoping for her return, there are two problems : the first one being that Jessica is probably dead, ad the second one is that we still don't know where the virus is coming from, how it spreads and how people are coming back to life. However, they still didn't say that Kieren killed Jessica...

"You're not going on a day trip without me, are you ?

- Isn't a day trip this time, partner."

     So, yes, Amy is leaving this town. She is going to see the "undead prophet" from the website she had visited earlier in this episode (Kieren had also visited it, even if he doesn't want to follow him and his gang). Will we see that prophet and his followers in the second series ? What will happen to Amy ? Many questions are asked, now. Also, where the virus comes from ? How did it start and resurrect the dead ? Can it be contagious, seeing that the guy who had been bitten in the end of the second episode is now in quarantine and hated by the entire village and now seen as one of the monstrers ? (Seriously, even one of the ladies spat on him in disgust. What wouldn't have I done to be there and slap her f*cking face.) I hope that we will see more of that in the second series...

" You killed Rick." [multiple times]

[...]

"Our boy ! You killed our boy !"

     And, that's it. Bill kills his own son, Rick, because according to him (and the vicar), there will be a second Rising, and only the noble ones and the innocent ones will return. So he believed that he had been in front of an impostor and he killed him while waiting for his "true son's" return. But he really killed Rick, now, there's no coming back, and his intolerance for PDS sufferers also got him killed by Maggie's husband (not saying that he didn't deserve it. What a sh*tty character). But now, we can ask ourselved : will there be a second Rising ? And so, when and how ? Will the people who died (the brave and innocent described by the vicar, and that's how Bill should have taken the message, in my opinion) come back to life ? How many ? I think we'll see more in series two...

Overall impression : Great finale, also excellent line from Kieren's dad about his suicide. It's great to see the perspective of someone losing a family member to suicide and depression, and it shows that suicide IS real and not just "urgh, I'm giving up because I'm a pussy" (I said this because this is usually what people say to mental illness sufferers who are suicidal). Great episode anyway.

Okay, that's it for today, I hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you very soon with another one, I hope !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !