What do you want to do before you die?

That is the question these four boys ask all around their country to the people they meet. They are on a mission; to do everything they want before they die. And to do that, they have made a list with all kinds of things they want to do before they die, and have recorded their attempts to complete their list with the result of the program "The Buried Life".

So they travel around on their quest to complete their list, and while they try to complete one of their wishes on their list, they help another person they meet. They ask the people they meet, or sometimes people write to them, what they would do, if they had one day left, and tries then to help the person complete that wish.

It is very clear that the boys' age affect their wishes, for example is #41 Make a toast at a stranger's wedding and #6 Attend a party at the playboy mansion. Nevertheless are their wishes all very real and they try to complete them all with big passion! One of the big things they have accomplished is to #95 Play ball with Obama and #59 Ask out the girl of your dreams, where Ducan asks out Taylor Swift, or #91 Get married in Vegas where David finds his true love.

I really love to watch "The Buried Life" because it is so life-affirming! The boys always overcome their fears or the challenges their wishes bring, or sometimes they fail and tries again later and it turns to work out. As the boys confirm; everything can be done with some will and good spirit!
The program is definitely worth watching since it is both funny and .. educational!

Freja

Ps. Here is The List:

Shy like a Crocodile

Hello lovely people - I hope you liked the last post!

Today I have a wonderful little animated film called ''In Between'' that I want to show you, and at the same time talk about a topic that is very relevant in relation to the film: Shyness.

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In the film we meet a young girl who is having a meeting with some kind of therapy/psychologist, where she is diagnosed with ''a crocodile'' - The crocodile symbolizes her shyness which constantly pursues her (as a crocodile).

As you follow the girl through her everyday life, you soon realize that her severe shyness actually affects her life to such an extent that she can't function probaly in society: She don't dare to pick up the phone, to present her ideas at work or to greet her cute neighboor whom she has a little crush on.

As a result to all the problems her shyness created for her, she ends up collapsing in frustration - she realized long ago that she had a problem, but she doens't know how to solve it - because how do you solve shyness?

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 We get the answer to that question when the girl after her breakdown realizes that she shouldn't fight her shyness but rather embrace it (aka the crocodile) - the shyness is a part of her, so she would never be able to make it dissapear, but she can learn to accept it: she can learn to love herself (and her flaws).

At the end of the movie she cuddles her crocodile and walks out to her neighboor with two cups of coffee - she's still shy, but she has never been stronger.

Here is the video for you to enjoy:

 

 

 

Comic book - Anya's Ghost

 
 It’s finally Thursday, and if you are reading that must mean that my introduction did not scare you away completely - which is great! Because I have some goodies to present for you today!

I have chosen to talk about one of my favorite (and newest) comic book ''Anya's Ghost'' by Vera Brosgol. The book is about a girl named Anya who tries to survive her life in high school without getting too much unwanted attention, but that is hard when you are a bit of a klutz and come from Russia and therefore already standout both with looks and accent. But over the years Anya has learned the social ground rules and thereby made school attendance easier compared to her Russian childhood friend Dina who goes to the same school, and are daily bullied.

Anya’s life suddenly gets turned around when she accidentally falls into an old well. She soon discovers that she is not alone down there: The ghost of a dead girl is patiently waiting by her skeleton for someone to find her – and Anya is the lucky one. The Ghost ask Anya to help her and Anya promise but inside knows, that when she gets saved from the well she will put the whole thing behind her – but the ghost has other plans for her.

What I like about this comic, aside from the wonderful art is that it just portraits a typical teenager with all her flaws. As the reader you can really identify yourself with her - and it just makes the book so much more amiable!

She is one of those girls who are capable of so much, but think so little of themselves - In the course of the book, however, we see her grow - she begins daring to be herself, standing up for what she believes in - she is Russian, and it occurs to her that is nothing to be sorry about.

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The author Vera Brosgol has really managed to make a fantastic youth comic book with a lovely message - You embrace what defines you!