Scribbles

When I finally figured out how to color as a kiddo, I couldn't fathom how I ever thought it was cool to color outside the lines. I was captivated by this new technique of first outlining the black and white picture in a darker color, so that the marker outline could serve as a coloring guide for my undisciplined little hands. As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that not everyone colors inside the lines, because sometimes they're not so black and white. Haven't you noticed how some coloring books have pictures that seem incomplete? It's like the artist decided to leave it up to your imagination to fill in the gaps and decide for yourself how the picture should look...and that's precisely what he did.

This little analogy can be applied to life and politics, of course. We're all frustrated with how political parties operate; they don't cater to our every belief, so we have to end up compromising one thing for another, but that's what it means to live in an imperfect world. God is the artist who drew an incomplete picture for us to finish. He didn't leave it that way because he didn't know how to finish it - but because he made us complete humans instead of empty robots; we have souls and imaginations to finish what he started. If we lived in a perfect world, we wouldn't be free, we wouldn't have the ability to decipher between right from wrong for ourselves. As a result of living in an imperfect world, we have to find ways of making ugly things beautiful without hurting more people than we help. This is what I have to tell myself before casting a ballot. Because the picture is incomplete, there are gray areas...but at least I'm aware of them.

When voting, people often forget how imperfect the world is. Then when they get out of their short-term amnesia phase, they wonder why the country is corrupt and choose to blame the other party instead of themselves. Ok, so I'm being a little vague. Here's a hot topic that's sure to get a crowd talking above a whisper: Abortion. I personally hate it with a passion, but most who hate it as much as I do, just do that...they simply hate it and talk. When they vote someone into power who is against abortion and supportive of a lengthy/costly war, why are they so quick to criticize the unwed mother who can't seem to fill her child's emotional and physical needs? Do they not understand that if they are going to be against an issue, they need to be for the antidote. Instead of using their mouths to ramble on about how dysfunctional today's American family is, why don't they use their pointing fingers along with the rest of their hand to write the very check that would allow the mother to form a secure attachment with her child without having to sacrifice tomorrow's dinner? Also, what about the mother who suffers from a terminal illness, cannot afford birth control, and is married to the abusive man who fathered the 4 children who need her more than anything? What if she happens to get pregnant again while suffering from this illness that would send her to an early grave and leave her children emotionally and psychologically scarred for life? These are the ugly truths that are often ignored when neglectful folks make their way to the polls.

It would be easy to say that abortion is a black and white issue, and though it often is, there are instances in which it becomes a gray one. Regarding the last mother-child situation I described, I know it is emotionally unsettling to imagine a mother having an abortion so that she can stay alive and try to limit the harm done to her other 4 children. But despite the sadness of this woman's circumstance, it is common and there are many true variations of this story. Of course, we should pray for a miraculous intervention for those who suffer most in this world, but God didn't just give us a mouth to call on him whenever difficulty strikes, he also gave us a brain and a heart capable of the kind of compassion that leads to action. Unfortunately, the very party that is against abortion is also the one that uses our money to fund events that do more harm than good. Most of the time, the single mother who chooses to have her child is punished with a judgmental look. Meanwhile, the money that would otherwise be used to better her situation goes toward funding a war that's left other children motherless.

Obviously, this is not the only significant issue at hand. Education is another area that doesn't get enough attention until it's too late, then it's just criticized. Education might be free in this country, but it certainly isn't equal. If you spend all your time in an office, had parents that made six figures, and have never been enlightened by a reality check, then I'm probably speaking another language. Thankfully, I was blessed with a private school education until high school. But I'm far from lucky, and the only reason why I was able to go to a private school in the first place is because I had a mother who worked her butt off (without a college education) and somehow still managed to put me in a good school even while she was single. As a baby, I wore dresses as shirts and inquired about the food stamps before I understood the difference between Blue Cross and CHIP/Medicaid, or any other government funded insurance plan. I had an on-hold reality check at birth that I cashed in when I took out student and private loans in order to pay for insurance and college because, by that time, my parent's income was "right in the middle," if you know what I mean (not enough, but too much to get a respectable amount of financial aid). So I've been at both ends. I know what it's like to wonder if you're going to have enough money to pay the bills, but also know what it's like to be right smack dab in the middle. I guess it's easier to be compassionate when you've been at the same low-point as someone else. Still, there are too many people around us going through their own hell for us to say they don't need our help and they can do it on their own.

Every person has a shadow that's black against a gray sidewalk, so why do we live as if we expect life to be any different? We can color life's shadow with chalk as long as we recognize its outline isn't so clear and that sometimes we will have to color outside the lines in order to make it a little more peaceful looking.

...after the 'wedding'

Now that I've been carrying the Mrs. title for a few weeks, I figure it's time to post and update... write about my wifey life.

I should talk about the "wedding" before I blog about what it's like to be married :). Well, initially Jose and I weren't planning a wedding. We were planning on just signing the legal documents, but then we discovered a few things. 1. Jose's dad wanted to be at our wedding ceremony, even though we weren't actually planning one and 2. I was told that you can't just "sign the papers" you actually have to get married before a judge. Hmm...well the idea of getting married in a courthouse before a judge wasn't very appealing to me or Jose, and we also wanted to make sure both our families were happy with our decision in how we were going to get married. Thankfully, we already had their approval to wed, but how we did it was another story. To make a long story short, there was a lot of running around the 2 weeks before we actually married before a minister in the cutest spot here in Austin, The French Legation. Things on my to-do list: I had to find a dress that fit, I had to find a minister, Jose and I had to figure out where the ceremony was going to take place, and where our families would gather to eat/meet after the wedding...it was stressful. Somehow everything fell into place! The minister was available the day we wanted him, and he ended up being a really wonderful one at that. Jose read about the French Legation online, and Jose was even the one to find a little place online where I could order my affordable but very wedding-like dress! Here are a couple of added bonuses/blessings that came with the wedding: Jose's dad's friend owns a flower shop and he donated about 15 lovely, Christmasy rose arrangements that were beyond beautiful, and right after our ceremony the minister told Jose and I that the actual ceremony was his gift to us...wasn't that nice of him?

The reason why Jose and I weren't initially planning a wedding was because we couldn't afford it. We wanted something simple and affordable...in the end, we were blessed and received a lot more than we ever expected. The wedding was memorable, and now that I look back, I'm thankful that things unfolded the way they did. The thing I'm most grateful for are the vows we got to exchange and even write! That wouldn't have happened had we married in the courthouse. Even though there was some stress in the planning that led up to the wedding, the wedding itself was peaceful and one-of-a-kind, what more could we want?

Things haven't changed much between Jose and I since we tied the knot. Maybe it's because we saw ourselves as married before the wedding even took place? As I've blogged about before, we've been through so much together already that our previous experiences have glued us together emotionally, making us stronger as a unit and even as individuals.

Sometimes I feel people lose site of themselves when they first get married or are in a serious relationship. I think I let that happen to me a little when Jose and I first started dating. I believe it's natural, to a certain degree, in the sense that you want to be with that person often. We only got to see each other on the weekends and between classes when our relationship first started, but I was always thinking about him and feeling way too sappy for my own good. Thankfully, he was the same way :D. Over time, though, as our relationship grew more secure, we realized that sometimes it's just knowing that you have someone to love that much is enough.

I think that occurred to me the most when Jose started studying for the LSAT, then taking up a job while taking a full load of classes last semester. I had more free time than he did since I was out of school already, so I took up new hobbies and discovered new things about myself. I think our relationship is better now as a result. In a sense, I've become more grounded in who I am, and even more well-rounded. Jose and I are quite different as far as are interests go, but our differences work because we always make sure to keep each other informed; we let each other into our different worlds, as cheesy as that sounds. He doesn't necessarily like to cook as much as I do, but he loves to eat what I make. I don't read the Economist or browse health articles nearly as much as he does, but I love learning about new things, so he's always there to enlighten me. He's only taking two classes this semester, but we're both working, so usually we just have the evenings and weekends to get caught up...but it's stable and strong. I know I keep using that last word, but that's exactly what comes to mind when I think of how our relationship has developed over the last couple of years.

The cool thing about being married is that we're both young, and even though we have a pretty good idea of who we are as individuals, we still have so much ahead of us. Our careers aren't established quite yet, we're still in that in-between phase but we're almost there, and it seems we're getting there faster because we have each other. Jose's heard back from a few noteworthy law schools already, and any day now we hope to hear back from the couple of "dream" schools he applied to...luckily, Jose's the type of person that usually gets what he works for. Why does this happen? There are a few reasons, here's one of them: When most people would consider something an impossibility and therefore never try for it, he doesn't even think of giving up after starting what others didn't even consider beginning. This is a quality that's made him not only a good student, but also a loving husband.

It's just a matter of time (very little time) before we figure out where we'll be living this time next year. It seems like we're always waiting for something good to happen, thankfully our patience usually pays off :).

Everyday should be a holiday!

Every year, we gather around a large dining table, maybe with family and a feast, maybe with just a few friends that have become family, or maybe with all of these things, minus a grateful heart. Thanksgiving was just a few weeks ago, and my favorite holiday, Christmas, is just around the corner. This is the time of year when being unhappy is difficult, but it wasn't until today that I realized that particular happiness of mine is somewhat superficial. After the holidays pass, I tend to get a little sad that they're gone; as odd as it sounds, it's almost like I forget what it's like to not have the "holiday mindset", if you know what I mean. Once all the ornaments on the tree get put away, and the Christmas tree makes its way from my living room to the street, I realize that so many other more important "things" similarly get put away or thrown out.

The happiness I associate with Christmas is only superficial because I've made it that way, though it shouldn't be. I don't always reflect on what it is that makes me smile a little longer at a stranger, or want to help someone who can't afford a Christmas gift for their kiddos. And on Thanksgiving, I love the food, I even love preparing it. I'm always happy on these two holidays (or pretty much any other) because of the memories I've collected throughout the years on those meaningful days. All of those memories are linked to spending time with my extended family, particularly during my childhood, when everything "seemed" perfect. So those memories obviously return to me, especially on Christmas morning. But what happens the rest of the year? Well, I do try...but you know, there's always an excuse that isn't really good enough.

In order to have sympathy or even empathy for someone, I think it requires a certain degree of thankfulness and a whole lot of understanding and patience. It seems that during the holidays, we temporarily allow our minds to be shielded from all the ugly thoughts they normally entertain. They don't have to be that gruesome, I'm simply referring to ungratefulness, judgmental attitudes, or an inability to forgive...it seems all these things get swept under the rug during the holidays (though not always). We temporarily ignore them, and that's okay but we should eventually deal with them. Maybe, for the sake of our own sanity, we easily embrace a pseudo-happiness that's so tempting because of its alleviating qualities, especially around the holidays. But, again, what happens the rest of the time? Maybe we stay a few zip codes away from our families, except for twice a year (on those special occasions), maybe we refuse to talk to certain people because we can only handle them in small doses, like medication. Maybe, on our bad days, we focus on everything that's going wrong, since there isn't a snowman vinyl cling on our window to put a temporary smile on our face. Does that sound familiar? Jeez, it sounds like me!

Yep, I confess. I feel guilty right now. I am happy, but I realize I need to be more like this throughout the year, not just when I get to go home to a house that smells like Christmas-scented oil or get to hear the same 20 Christmas songs played on the radio over and over again (and that doesn't bother me). I should also mention that most of the time I can't even stand it when they play the same songs over and over on the radio, or even play reruns on TV, but I do make an exception for Christmas songs and those cheesy little 30-minute claymation Christmas movies that I've always adored...strange, I know. Now why is it that my overall attitude can't take a lesson from my Christmas spirit?

I guess this is why they came up with the cliche that says something about keeping Christmas in your heart throughout the year. I also think this is why they say there is a difference between joy and happiness. Joy is when you're able to acknowledge that life is hard for everyone and still smile and behave lovingly anyway. Happiness is when you pretend that life isn't hard, and when you find out that it is, you turn into a year-around grinch. I'm a little bit of both, except maybe the latter doesn't completely apply, I do have my good days ;), I just want there to be more of them.

Being thankful throughout the year helps with a lot of things; it helps me realize that I have a lot more than most, whether it's the ability to handle difficulties or even that I have things like my health and a warm place to sleep. As a result, being thankful makes it so much easier to be a loving person, I'm a lot more understanding and less judgmental, because I realize that maybe some people don't have it as good as I do. Maybe they don't have any pleasant holiday childhood memories, maybe that's part of the reason why they don't think of anyone else but themselves? But instead of solely focusing on their selfishness, being grateful for what I have (like an ability to be happy instead of depressed around the holidays) helps me turn my focus to what THEY are lacking, and I'm not referring to the good attitude they aren't displaying but the love they've never received. Do you see what I mean?

So when we see a Salvation Army volunteer outside of a shopping center around the holidays, of course we should offer what we can to them, but we should also turn our focus to how we treat the poor throughout the year, and I'm not just referring to the financially needy. There are a lot of emotionally and spiritually poor folks on this Earth, and how we treat them partially determines how needy they remain. But, of course, maybe we need to reflect on what we are lacking first, and I'm not referring to material things, like the hippopotamus you may want for Christmas :) (I have been listening to way too many Christmas songs!).

It's almost Christmas!

Well...we still have quite a way to go, but it's close enough for me! I've been pretty busy lately, haven't had the time to blog...still, I've wanted to blog about so many things. Now that I actually have the time to sit and blog, I can't really remember what it is I've wanted to blog about...I guess I'm getting old, this is a sign, isn't it?

I know, that's completely not the case, but it does feel sometimes that life is just flying by and it definitely didn't seem that way when I was a lot younger, when I thought I'd never be old enough to stay up past 9pm (when I was sure all the magic began for everyone over age 8). Now it's about a quarter to 9, depending on whether or not you've changed your clock an hour back...and there appears to be no sign of magic brewing anywhere around here, but I think it's because I'm just getting used to the blissful feeling that comes with being blessed with way too many things to count. Lately it seems it doesn't matter if it's after 9 or not, life is still pretty wonderful, thank God for that.

That wasn't the case this time last year, when I was having a lot of issues with my gut; we weren't sure what was wrong, until the doctor finally figured out it was my gallbladder. As I reflect back on all of this past year's tough times, I can't help but have even more hope for things to come.

Ahh...I feel a blog entry coming on now:
Today, Jose and I took a walk around a really nice neighborhood here in Austin. There was a peaceful breeze, along with a ton of wonderfully autumn-colored leaves scattered on people's front yards, and it was quiet and calm. I didn't feel any physical pain, I could walk down the street without any worry that I might be in any kind of danger, and I knew that when we were done with our walk, I'd be able to go home. Home. That word has gained a new kind of meaning for me ever since Jose and I moved into our new apartment this past summer. It's literally a safe haven, something I've always wanted, and it's not just the cute vintage furniture and decorations that make it feel that way. This new home of mine is a place I've come to associate with the kind of peace I thought could only be experienced internally, in the humanly uninhabited places of our souls where only God resides when we've allowed ourselves to accept his love. But you know, literally speaking, this isn't even a home we're living in...it's an apartment, and here's where the analogy comes in: This is just one of the first big steps in life--moving into the first apartment--and yet it already feels like a home to me. I know this is a blessing because I think that not very many people at this age feel as if their lives are full; it's like they're waiting for something, but they don't know what they're waiting for, or what to do with themselves while they're waiting. There's usually so much uncertainty that usually leads to insecurity and overall unhappiness.

These days, for me, there's always something to come home to. Even if there isn't anything made for dinner yet, or the air conditioner is broken, among other things...I can know that at least I'm not emotionally starving and that I'm still in one piece, not broken at all, thanks to the one thing I can be certain of--the certainty of being loved. I hope everyone can go home for Christmas.

Cooking adventures, life's fun surprises, and giving thanks

I am so excited at how nice the weather has been lately; it's not exactly the typical fall weather we've been experiencing, but it's close enough for Texas! I love waking up early in the morning and opening all the windows of my lovely apartment; I can't believe I'm actually able to do this now. Oh how I've missed fresh air that's far from suffocatingly hot and disgustingly humid! I love how there's a carpet of crispy, colorful leaves leading up to the doorstep of my apartment! But most of all, I love how, right after Halloween, stores will start stocking up on Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations! I can't help it, I'm definitely a tiny bit happier during the Autumn and Winter months. You know what else excites me? The idea of being in a completely different section of the US this time next year! It's ridiculous how long I've wanted to live on the East Coast, and I'm thrilled that it's actually going to be a reality very, very soon!

I'm very thankful with how things have been going lately. Of course, life is never perfect, but I definitely feel like I can handle its little imperfections a lot better now than I could before. A big part of it has to do with the fact that I'm actually able to get out of the house a lot more. Sure, I definitely have my moments when I prefer to be indoors, but I notice that I'm a lot happier when I can interact with the world, at least for a couple of hours--and lets not forget my love for nature, trees, and sunshine; I even notice I feel better when I have the windows open, this is why I'm glad that it's actually been cool enough lately to be able to do that.

And the cooking adventures! There have been a lot of those...and in the future, there will probably be even more, especially since I'm actually cooking for a family now! It's like a little job of mine to be the personal "chef/cook" gal for this family I recently met through the school where I work on Tues/Thurs. I know it's just a tiny step, but I really do feel like this "culinary dream" of mine is coming to life a bit more as a result of this occurrence; it's like I can actually picture myself a caterer and restaurant owner. Even if I'm unable to attend culinary art school in the future, I don't see why those things still couldn't happen if they're already starting to, slowly but surely, become part of my reality...yes, very slowly...slow enough for me to really understand the science behind both cooking and baking...

Which reminds me, I've been planning on getting some books on cake/cookie decorating. You know, I always hear people say that "chefs don't bake" and that it's not possible to be a good baker and cook, but I don't buy it. I personally enjoy cooking and baking for different reasons. I do have to admit, most of the time when I bake, I'm so fixated on trying to make something quick enough to satisfy my impatient sweet tooth that I often overlook the aesthetic aspects of baking...you know, the decorating part. I focus more on trying to make it tasty rather than pretty, but I want that to change. I don't see why I have to sacrifice one for the other in that department either. Also, I feel like most of my food is "practical" in the sense that it's not new and creative, well, most of it isn't. The actual recipe might be creative in that it uses unique ingredients, but I would really love to incorporate flavors from different countries. I'd see this pursuit as something resembling painting--mixing different colors together, or flavors in this case, to get an amazing shade that'll effortlessly make the painted image pop out of its lifeless and confining canvas. I realize trying new foods will probably be the best way to do that, taste buds do make for a great palate, but we'll see how it happens...this should be interesting considering my demonic digestive system. Ah, so many obstacles to overcome, but this one is a cinch compared to all the other ones I've faced!

So if you see me around any time soon, I'll probably have an apron on. Ha. No, no. I'll probably just have a couple of oddly shaped fingernails. What? You ask. Yep, you read right. This is kind of grunny (aka funny and gross united to make a word I'm probably too embarrassed to use in real life but have enough guts to use in my blog because it won't be associated with my overly-dorky minnie mouse voice.): The other day I was cooking and noticed a piece of my nail was missing, it definitely looked as if a knife had severed it at an awkward angle...I have a feeling it ended up in our dinner...YUMMY! Hey McDonald's has their secret sauce, so I guess that makes us all entitled to our own little special ingredient, whatever it may be.

my world gets an occasional but very welcomed snowfall

Even though my glass looks cloudy on the outside (from the dirty fingeprints left by my hand that's usually been clutching the glass much too tightly in fear of dropping it), I always try to look at it half full instead of half empty. Of course, that's not always easy. But here's what came to mind this morning after finding out a little bit of good news that definitely brightened my day...

I've often thought about how it seems so many good people suffer the most, they get more than their share of burdens and heartache in life. It didn't seem fair to me, especially after seeing people I love go through more than just a few difficult situations. I wondered that if God really promised to protect his children, then why would he allow them to suffer so much, especially if they were leading meaningful and godly lives. In my younger years my grandmother would even tell me that we each had our own little guardian angel there by our side, and I loved that idea so much that I held onto it. To this day, I don't doubt that there are supernatural beings under God's authority protecting us, and I still believe that miracles happen on a daily basis. Even if they are as invisible to us as the face of God himself, they still impact our lives greatly, sometimes they are even the reasons why we are alive.

I've experienced my own miracles in life, and what's recently occurred to me is that I don't know if I could've experienced them in the same way had my life been easy from day one. But like every other human being, I do get tired of challenges; sometimes it seems like I want a life that's more like Candy Land instead of Trouble. Still, I also realize that it is easier for a couple of snowflakes to stand out among a murky field of dirt cakes than a blanketed field of flowers, if you catch my drift. If you're from Texas, and you've traveled to places where people actually have a white Christmas, then you know how much more excited Texans become when they're blessed with a day filled with an interesting mix of snow/sleet than those who take part in shoveling huge piles of snow on a daily basis (at least during the winter months, it isn't such a blessing to the latter group). But I guess when you're in a state, literally and figuratively, that usually resembles Hades, at least temperature-wise, then snow really is a blessing when the Cold Miser stops by for a brief visit.

So on days like this I celebrate. It's gonna be hot again, but my own little world got a tiny smidgen of snow today. It turns out one of the medical bills I thought I had to pay is actually going to be covered in-full by the billing department itself, since my insurance refused to pay what I initially thought they were going to; it's a complicated story, but here's the interesting thing... Even though for a while I had the extra burden of having to worry about another bill, if I never had that temporary disturbance, I wouldn't have been able to experience that slight tinge of happiness after discovering my balance on the bill would be brought down to $0. I would've just gone on with my life and missed out on a little blessing that originally started out as a burden. These are the things I need in my life to make me a thankful person.

You know, now that I think about it, I'm glad my life isn't like Candy Land. After awhile, I'd have a mouth empty of any teeth or full of cavities. I wouldn't appreciate life's sweet moments that seem to come along right after the more bitter ones. I'm glad my life is this way, it's like a dish I developed a taste for after realizing its complicated flavors actually do complement each other quite nicely while they enhance the overall eating experience. I always find a way to make food analogies, it seems :). But yeah, I don't like bland food so why would I want my life to be that way?

what makes life delicious

Food is beautiful. We need it to stay alive, but the wrong kind will eventually send us to an early grave. Though it seems the food that's the fastest, "most tasty" (at least in the opinion of the food-ignorant, food can actually be healthy AND good!), and most "filling" is also the nastiest--well, when you get down to basics. Junk food is like the cover of a mindless, trashy woman's magazine, it might look good on the outside, but there isn't much substance behind what's being presented. Basically, whether it's a figure that only looks flawless because it was altered by a computer, or a burger that only looks juicy because it's oozing with chemicals and flavor enhancers--the truth is, you're not getting the real deal, even if they love to see you smile or promise to let you have it your way.

Here's an interesting parallel:
It seems that modern day "love", or lust, is a lot like a drive-thru. People want instant satisfaction, whether or not it's good for them, and if they don't get what they want, they send it back without thinking twice, it's not like you had to wait that long anyway--no emotional attachments were made. Instant gratification is nice, no doubt, but what about the consequences? It seems our thoughts have become like a quick-stop, we dismiss them right after they've entered our minds because that's the only way we know how to keep the customer satisfied, Simon and Garfunkel style--in the sense that You're in trouble boy/and you're heading into more.

But you are your own customer getting yourself into trouble:
Your taste buds might be watering over some fabulous french fries drenched in oil, so why neglect the craving? And if you're also in need of a sugar fix, why not order up a side of eye candy to go along with it--something that just looks good, who cares about substance? Whatever looks and feels good, at least right now, seems to be the motto that eventually leaves us starved in every sense of the word. We poison our physical bodies with crap, no wonder it's so easy to feed our souls the same toxic chemicals. The sad thing is, what inspires that kind of behavior is the desire for happiness and satisfaction. If we could purchase the sense of happiness at a drive-thru we would, and we wouldn't care that it was only a "sense" and not the genuine article...or maybe we wouldn't know the difference, at least not until later.

At age 5, happiness was a brand new doll at Christmas from Santa, at least to me. Obviously my definition of happiness then was completely ignorant. The poor doll would eventually get buried in a box somewhere in my dusty garage after I found a new toy to replace it. Now, all the things I associate with happiness can't be disposed of. I can't even imagine growing tired of them because they are spiritual and emotional necessities. With time, I've not only come to appreciate meaningful relationships because they are rare and irreplaceable, but I've also come to value myself more as an individual. I don't like poisoning my mind or body with things that will distort my perception of happiness or life. Because I value life itself, I want to make it last, even if I have to make decisions that won't bring me instant gratification. This doesn't just go for serious issues, but also the lighter ones. Being able to give my all is so important to my happiness because it makes my life meaningful, and if I am in a destructive relationship, or I'm putting destructive food in my body, I'm not able to do that. I guess this is part of the reason why they say you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else.

One of my favorite movies is Como Agua Para Chocolate. There are a few reasons why I like it, but one of the more obvious ones is this: the way it entwines emotion and food. How the people experienced the food was directly related to the emotion felt by the person preparing the meal. Even though it was a fantasy-based movie, I do think some of its core elements can be applied to real life, at least in an indirect and symbolic way. For instance, we all know love really does make food taste better...and we are also too familiar with the saying: You are what you eat. So I guess if that's true, then most of us are greasy, fake, frozen at one point or another, and probably fried.