In Which They Write To Us From Someplace

This is the second in a series. You can find the first part here.

photo by jun hongh

The Other Inbox

by MIA NGUYEN

The act of writing a letter, or even receiving one in the mail, has become almost obsolete in an age where technology has taken over the majority of our precious time. These last years I found myself being drained from the lack of romanticism in receiving empty e-mails and text messages. I wanted something to hold onto.

In 2011 I started exchanging handwritten letters with strangers online, incubating long distance friendships. The intimate exchange of handwritten letters lets me connect authentically and compassionately with others on a level to which we are no longer accustomed.

by jun hongh

Dear M,

I am writing you this letter with both fear and excitement. The pressure to be witty is at its strongest rigor, but yet it's difficult for me to contain my excitement?!

Currently: sitting with my cat and eating my earthquake emergency supply food in case you wanted to check up on my well-being. It's near five in the morning and, as usual, I can't sleep. I'm sure by now you're awake! Running and being productive as I sit on my ass.

Sincerely,

D

by jun hongh

Dear Mama Mia,

I'm sorry I didn't get to see you over break, I think I need to accept the fact that I live in CT now. I've got roots here and it's hard to come home. Regardless, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family!! I miss you soooo much!

I'm going through a really hard time right now with Adam :( Right before Christmas I felt weird about us and felt like we were changing. I hate saying it, but I felt like the more desired one at the beginning and use to try so hard, now I feel like the one who shows all this affection and am constantly waiting for applause. I didn't want to ruin the holidays, but I finally couldn't hold it in any longer. We discussed everything and I felt better, but I still felt like he didn't respect why I was upset.

Recently we got in a little spat that started over a stupid comment, this led to a 5 a.m. argument, which we finally resolved. However, once again there wasn't really a compromise on his part, just an agree to disagree.

The following day however he asked me via text how I felt about our "discussion." I basically summed up my feelings about everything.

I've been too scared to say it, but I really love him. You know how long it takes me to be comfortable with a guy and I'm really scared. I do want us to work out, but at the same time maybe are are too different and want different things.

I know you just broke up with your boyfriend, and even though it wasn't your first I know it was really hard for you. But if you could give me some advice I could really use it. I'm scared, and I love him and I'm afraid he doesn't love me as much I love him. But it's not that I'm scared to be alone. I'm afraid I won't find someone who will wait for me to be comfortable with them before starting a relationship. I'm just scared.

Anyways I really hope you are well and feeling better. Good luck next semester! Miss you tons!!!

Love,

V

photo by jun hongh

M,

I got your letter a few days ago, but its taken me some time to respond. I don't know if it's been a lot going on or I simply can't motivate myself or what, but I'm taking some time to write.

This Newtown shooting is horrendous. I can't imagine the impact it has had on the community. Those poor kids who went through something like that at such a young age. And here comes the old gun control debate. I hope that this time around something will change. I think the bigger issue at hand is mental health, and also, we as a culture should reevaluate our morals and what's important. There's a lot of readjustment that needs to be done. With that, I'll stop writing about it. It's too heavy of a topic for a grey morning.

I've done a lot of Christmas shopping. I usually don't, but this year I've done quite a bit. It's unfortunate, but shopping for gifts gives me this weird sense of guilt and anxiety. I always feel that fundamentally, our consumer culture has it wrong, but here I am looking for deals on a pair of leather gloves my mom wants. Ugh. I just want it to be over.

Speaking of which, winter is another thing I'd like to be over (even though it hasn't even started yet). I miss the warmth, green trees, birds, grass, sunshine. I'm really not made for New England.

My two friends from high school and I are going to hike Mt. Monadnock on Friday, "la fin du monde." I haven't seen them in a while, and also, hiking is just a good time.

I'm glad to hear that you've got an internship out in California. I hope that it goes well for you, and who knows, maybe that will be your foot in the door to a new life out on the West Coast!

I'll close now. I'm doing my work laundry before my shift today at 11 a.m. Hooray to serving Brown professors lunch!

Your friend,

T

photo by mia nguyen

Dear Mia,

I loved getting your letter in the mail...much more exciting than bills! I used to have many pen pals in college before the internet and email hit the scene.

Where are you from? I don't think we ever met. Did you ever meet my husband? He has been teaching middle school art for over 15 years, so he knows a lot of people...and many are all grown up now! It makes me feel old :)

My kids loved Halloween this year. R is 5 and went as Frankenstein and M is 3 and dressed as a princess doctor. T and I ate a lot of their candy and I suspect we won't be getting away with that for too many more years before the kiddos notice. Did you do anything fun and exciting for Halloween?

How is the new stove? I enjoy baking. As a matter of fact I am making a spaghetti pie for dinner. Did you make anything special yet? I get most of my recipes from Pinterest. I like to cook whatever my kids will eat, which is not too much right now. R is a pretty good eater, but M is so picky.

What are your plans after graduation? I have my undergraduate in Communications & Performance and Elementary Education. I also have my Master's in Instructional Technology. I taught for a while, but now I spend time with my two kids and managing our household. I plan to return to work when the kids are a lot older. A job will always be there, but my kids won't be this young forever!

I am so happy you wrote and had so much fun writing you back. Although, I think my hand is cramping up...I haven't done this much handwriting since high school! I am happy to do my part to help the post offices. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

H

Mia Nguyen is the features editor of This Recording. She is a writer living in Rhode Island. You can find her website here.

Photographs by Jun Hongh.

"A Fistful of Flowers" - Zun Alak (mp3)

"Sunshine Dust" - Zun Alak (mp3)

photo by mia nguyen

In Which There Is A Lot Going On In Daniel Radcliffe's Life

Magnetic Poetry

by MIA NGUYEN

What If
dir. Michael Dowse
101 minutes

Daniel Radcliffe plays the lead in Michael Dowse's What If as a miserable medical school dropout anguished with the pain of a two-year-old break-up. What If explores the disturbing vagaries of being told "let's just be friends" by someone you love. Despite all of the unfortunate events happening in the life of Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), he manages to find the most perfect and peaceful perching spot on the roof of the house of his sister Ellie (Jemina Rooper), overlooking the gorgeous Toronto skyline. He utilizes the spot to mope and wallow with his one and only friend, the fluorescent glow illuminating from his iPhone.

After making the unsurprising and predictable discovery of catching his ex-girlfriend having sex with his anatomy professor in a supply closet of the hospital they both worked in he ended the relationship. The infidelity between the two closely paralleled the lives his parents led: two doctors who cheated on each other constantly with other doctors in the hospital. He didn’t want to follow the same fate of lying, cheating, and manipulation for himself.

In addition to living with his sister Wallace serves as a father figure to his nephew. The two disobey the rules by bingeing on tubs of ice cream with horror movies while she’s away at work. Unfortunately, What If skimps out on the family dynamic in favor of its broader love story; weaving both together might have provided a bit more edge.

What If quickly settles into a romantic comedy groove with the appearance of Allan's (Adam Driver) jacked and brash sense of humor, which audience members rely on to sit through the entirety of the film. His tall stature in relation to Wallace’s is laughable at best, making their friendship heartwarming and engaging. (One was little, one was big, but they were the best of friends.)

Allan tries to fix Wallace’s social displacement and anguish by inviting him to his tumultuous social gathering at a house party where he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan). The two hit it off and complete each other’s sentences in front of a refrigerator filled with magnetic poetry.

After calling it a night, he walks Chantry back to her apartment only to find that she has a boyfriend, but she willingly scratches her phone number on piece paper from her sketchbook and hands it over to him. This act inculcates his madness for her bright red lips, coy personality, and closet full of cute vintage dresses.

Wallace, like any guy who gets friend zoned, goes home absolutely livid. He climbs on top of his perching spot and ponders if he should even keep her number, allowing the wind to drift it away from his hand. His facial expression screams, "What's the point of even keeping her number if she has a boyfriend. I want someone that can instantly put out. It has been two years!" The piece of paper drifts through the wind with the fairy coming to life on screen as an animation, which closely follows through Chantry’s emotional journey throughout the movie and gives us a better idea of what she does for a living as an animator.

The two rejoice and encounter each other outside of a Princess Bride screening (ugh) and decide to be friends. They go out drinking and rambunctiously dance at nightclubs. Alcohol eases the pain in any situation, even in the friend zone.

The friendship between the two blossoms into a spectacular rose bush and Wallace enjoys talking to Chantry about everything. He falls in love with her, madly in love, but can’t express it. Chantry invites Wallace over for dinner to meet her boyfriend of five years Ben (Rafe Spall). Ben works for the United Nations and suspects Wallace’s sexual pursuits for Chantry with quick mutters and jabs while hastily dicing an onion. Ben resembles someone who you don’t want to be stuck in an elevator with because he will suddenly start a conversation.

In one scene, Allan and Nicole (Mackenzie Davis) invite the friend zone pair on a beach trip. Allan and Nicole pursue a late night skinny dipping excursion, leaving Chantry and Wallace by the fire. Chantry suggests skinny dipping in the dark with Wallace, a dangerous game, but she plays it anyway. In addition, she plays the juvenile I’ll show you mine if-you-show-me-yours game with Wallace underneath the moonlight and he obliges, of course. It’s purely innocent.

Allan and Nicole’s mischievous scheme of taking their clothes leave the two out cold for the night. Being naked doesn’t even lead to second base and they end up spending the night back-to-back in a sleeping bag furious.

Chantry gets a job offer as a project manager in Tokyo and feels an exorbitant amount of pressure to make a decision. It’s the only source of control she feels she needs to take advantage of. Instinctively and rationally, she sits alone with a pencil and writes a pros and cons list. She allows to be honest with herself and her feelings for Wallace. Her heart can no longer deny that their friendship is more than just a friendship. The calculated risks and steps Chantry takes guide her onto an illuminating path on questioning her career and 5-year long relationship with Ben. She finds happiness in her honesty and becomes unafraid.

Mia Ngyuen is the features editor of This Recording. She is a writer living in Los Angeles. You can find her website here.

"Scar Issue" - The Color Morale (mp3)

"Developing Negative" - The Color Morale (mp3)

In Which We Prefer A Drug-Free Galaxy

Known for Its Decor

by MIA NGUYEN

Guardians of the Galaxy
dir. James Gunn
122 minutes

It was my first time going to the Vista Theatre in Los Feliz, known for its historical architecture and beautiful egyptian decor. The experience melted my face off without involving any hallucinogens or psychedelics.

The year is 1988. In the film’s opening scene, 11-year-old Peter Quill (Wyatt Oleff) is listening to Awesome Mixtape Vol. 1 from his grandfather (Greg Henry) before saying goodbye to his mother who is dying from cancer. Peter’s mother (Laura Haddock) pleads Peter to take her hand in the last waking moments before passing away, but the young man is too afraid. She leaves Peter behind a small, neatly wrapped gift he refuses to open for years to come. He flees from the hospital room emotionally charged with tears running down his cheeks and is abducted by aliens immediately after stepping outside.

Leg Stance and leather prowess. 

Fast forward 26 years later, adult Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is just a normal guy on the planet Morag dancing smoothly along to “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbones on his Sony Walkman cassette player and headphones. The well-placed nostalgic elements to the film add a feel good touch for audience members fifty and above who are familiar with the oldies. The upkeep and function of Peter Quill’s Sony Walkman on an oceanic planet is an extremely questionable and incredible feat.

Groot is a lovable and humorous tree humanoid.

He’s in search of a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan (Lee Pace), an object under everyone’s radar and desire. If the orb falls into the wrong hands the world will crumble and obliterate. After successfully obtaining the orb and battling an intense shootout with Korath (Dijimon Hounsou), Peter decides to sell the orb on Xandar, home to the Nova Corps, an intergalactic police force.

Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is relentless reformed assassin filled with a heart of gold. She comes off as intimidating with her high cheekbones, sultry looks and green flesh, but means well. Her intentions are set on betraying Ronan the Accuser and selling the orb off to someone else. She deceives and slyly ambushes Peter in order to steal the orb, but doesn’t succeed.

Bradley Cooper, and nearly everything, is improved by whiskers.

CGI designed bounty hunter Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and his humanoid tree companion Groot (Vin Diesel) join in on the chase to steal the Orb away from Peter. The duo work well together in creating the most lovable pair in the movie. Rocket’s snark, quick wit, and elevated arrogance bring a lot to the table. As audience members, we feel bad for the countless times he has been genetically manipulated. We gain respect for his immaculate one-liners and courage.

The four of them are arrested by Nova Corps and sent away to the Kyln, a superhuman prison. Once in the Kyln, Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) wants to kill Gamora for being associated with Ronan. (Ronan was responsible for killing his wife and children.) The relationship between Drax and Gamora doesn’t bode well and he calls her a “whore." The bickering Guardians eventually learn to put their personal problems aside in order to make it out of the Kyln alive.

Mothers know best.

Director James Gunn takes a lot of calculated risks in his directing style. Gunn's storytelling is built on the simple foundation of interlacing top tracks from the 1970s to work with the plot and character development. The movie rides heavily on its funny dialogue.

Chris Pratt's biceps look like tan penises.

Gunn morphs Chris Pratt into a glorious centerpiece in Guardians of the Galaxy. He takes quick sharp witted jabs at Kevin Bacon references throughout, taking the time to really humanize the character. More often than not, the characters and interconnected relationships in Guardians of the Galaxy add emotional value and improbable charming elements to the entire experience. We extend our patience and open our hearts out to an innocence the lovely man-tree carries, for he only can utter three words throughout the movie, “I am Groot,” in that order.  

The fundamental theme/meme of Guardians is built around misfits finding their own action and adventure through their rough-around-the-edges personality. We become emotionally invested in the misfortunes and place ourselves in the characters' shoes through our own vulnerabilities. I think what I'm saying is that I cried during Guardians of the Galaxy.

Mia Nguyen is the features editor of This Recording. She is a writer living in Los Angeles. You can find an archive of her writing on This Recording here. You can find her website here and her twitter here. She last wrote in these pages about the only thing she finds reassuring.

"Out of the Ocean" - Fort Wilson Riot (mp3)

"Yes Indeed" - Fort Wilson Riot (mp3)