Divvying Up Time

[davetheanalyzer]

I’ve been not writing as much this month. Struggling to get on a better sleep schedule, still am. But I decided to cut down my writing time to an hour each day. There are many days I skipped and want to make up, which would extend my writing time to two hours again but it would only be a couple times a week. So far, it’s working. I have enough time in the day to write while also doing other tasks, like going to the chiropractor. Fortunately, I’ve got all the meetings and paperwork out of the way for that and am going twice a week to be treated. It’s safe and other than some brief uncomfortable pressure moments or neck cracks, not painful. I’ll try to follow their advice on posture but it’ll be challenging, especially for sleep position. 

Last Friday, I’ve done a phone interview for a job. I didn’t get the previous one and I haven’t gotten a response yet but getting to the phone interview stage at all is apparently impressive. Whether I get the job or not, I’ll take my life one day at a time without worrying too much about the outcome.

I’ve seen Turning Red. I’ve been eying it for a while since the second trailer was interesting. It was quite good. It was about dealing with change and a daughter learning to embrace parts of herself while balancing her relationship between her friends and family. Meilin Lee is a cheerful student at Toronto in 2002, an unapologetic nerd who goofs around with her friend group. What’s refreshing is that she doesn’t seem to care too much about her classmates’ opinions of her interests, rolling with the insulting observations of those like Tyler. Also, I like that this film doesn’t hide it takes place in Canada, unlike many Canadian-made stories that do this to appeal to us Americans (Thankfully this is being disproven lately but there was and to some extent still is the belief Americans are so disinterested in other countries they can’t even relate to other English-speaking countries with torrid colonial histories). Mei and her mother Ming love each other, Mei valuing Ming’s opinion of her. Ming wants to remain close and do what’s she thinks is best for Mei but this results in her being obliviously controlling and Mei’s reluctant to tell Ming her actual feelings for fear of disappointment.

So Ming sees nothing wrong with protectively confronting the man Devon in Mei’s drawings, not noticing Mei’s feeble protests and attempts at explaining they’re just drawings. Mei’s caught between humiliation and feeling bad for doing those fantasy drawings, not wanting to disappoint Ming. This seems to push Mei into becoming a panda, which she tries to hide at all cost, thinking she would be rejected. Ming means well thinking Mei was upset about her period but she takes it too far when causing a scene in front of Mei’s class to give more pads even though she could have just dropped them off discreetly at the front desk. Ming discovers the panda power this way and comes clean after her husband Jin blurts it out, which reveals Ming’s the type to keep secrets to protect Mei, even if that mightn’t be the right thing to do. She calms Mei and gives her hope of getting rid of the panda form within a month. I think they do a good job balancing Ming’s character and they show it in the documentary, to show she’s making huge mistakes while also showing being genuinely good and having the best intentions even with her screw-ups. It can make you feel conflicted about her.

Mei’s at her lowest point, disgusted by powers she can’t control and isolated because of thm. Fortunately, it’s her friends acceptance of her panda form that gives her hope and more control. It’s understandable, since her friends are so loyal and accepting. Abby has not much of a filter. She’ll be honest but when she really loves you, she’ll say it proudly. On the other end, Priya’s pretty reserved, hinted at goth inclinations, but she’s just as devoted to her friends, being quietly comforting. Miriam is the most balanced, kind and supportive but can be as enthusiastic and goofy. They don’t tolerate classmate Tyler’s bullying of Mei and try to calm Mei when she’s stressed or angry. But Mei can’t be open her friends have made her calmer to her mother since Ming doesn’t approve of them. So Mei has to lives two lives, the panda making her more open to being rebellious since Ming keeps being controlling anyway and won’t let her go to a 4*Town concert with her friends. And one way of rebellion is to use her panda form to make money from her classmates through photos and merchandise, which she’s all-in for and seems to enjoy doing.

Meanwhile, Ming having always been close to Mei, begins to miss her daughter’s presence and shows where some of her mothering issues come when she terrified after her mother Wu calls and she doesn’t have a choice when accepting family help in the panda banishing ritual. Tyler asks for Mei to go to his birthday party as a panda, apparently as a way to get people to come since it seems he doesn’t have any friends and his family’s wealthy enough for him to pay the remaining $200 for the 4*Town concert tickets. This becomes almost impossible when her grandma Wu and aunties come the same night as Tyler’s party. When the 4*Town concert date is revealed to be on the same night as the panda banishing ritual, Mei gets upset and Tyler’s bullying makes her snap, which Ming walks in on. Not wanting to receive her mother’s disapproval, she allows Ming to blame her friends, who feel betrayed. Mei seems to literally sleep-walk to the night of the dual 4*Town concert and panda-banishing ritual. I did like her conversation with her quiet father Jin, who approved of her happiness. And hinting that Ming loved him so much she snapped at Wu’s disapproval was also sweet.

But just as Mei’s about to go through with it, she remembers the fun times with the panda, this messy, weird part of herself and refuses to get rid of it. She’s tired of sacrificing her happiness for others and explicitly says she’ll be going to the concert. And does without paying lol. I like her reconciliation with her friends, explaining her approving mommy issues, and that Miriam still took care of her Tamagotchi. And then they discover Tyler’s also a 4*Town fan and immediately accept him to his reluctance. Ming herself feels so betrayed by Mei revealing this that she becomes a Godzilla-sized panda that terrifies the concert and only becomes angrier when Mei’s even more honest about her likes and what she agreed to do. In the fight, Mei doesn’t take Ming’s crud and even knocks the latter unconscious. Wu also reveals her love for Ming by reawakening er panda powers, asking the aunties to do the same. Her friends prove loyal in bringing music back and persuading 4*Town to sing to help the ritual (Tyler being part of something so amazing and having his 4*Town interests accepted unconditionally must have helped his bond with the girls).

I enjoyed that musical part and that Mei sees Ming’s teenage self and empathizes with her struggles. That Wu hugs Ming and gives her closure over hurting the former is also good. Mei and Ming’s final talk where Mei says she’s changing but still wants Ming in her life is sweet, as is Ming recognizing her mistakes and allowing Mei to be who she wants to be. It’s a balance. Mei still works at the family shrine but when her friends come along, she’s determined to go karaoke with them and Ming’s willing to have the friends visit for dinner at some point in the future. That Ming fondly feeds her panda form sealed in a Tamogotchi also seems to show some acceptance of her messy, wild side. I’m curious about how Ming made up for the stadium damage and didn’t get jailed and how Mei would go from here with her panda power. Whatever happens, I enjoyed this film and recommend it for anyone interested. I look forward to more of this director’s work.

That’s all for now. Going to try to stay off fandom and news sites tomorrow because it’ll be April Fools, where prank positive news on that day has made it a least favorite holiday. Until the end of April, see you!